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• 2021-10-25 23:03:05
• Owner: ZorrUno
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My Warehouse Customer Service Experience, September/Oct 2021

All content below including my summaries are not to be copied, or republished without my express permission.

Customer Service Summary of The Warehouse

Start: 8th Sep 2021
As at 26 October 2021: 48 Days
Number of Reference numbers given: 3 (plus TV work order)

Website Customer Service Form: One automated response with reference number, but no followup a week later.
Emails to Customer Service: Two, both ignored Completely.
Phone Call to CS Team: Long wait, then 40 Minute Call. Promise to call back, with nothing a week later. New Reference number given.
Warehouse Online Chat: 2 failed attempts (cut me off before I could respond) and 3rd included 40 minutes of silence. Then promised to call back in 2-4 business days (which didn't happen)
Other methods of Escalation? No way found. Denied being able to escalate in customer service (phone and chat). Looked for Senior exec contacts, complaints addresses, phone numbers (head office?), none publicly listed.

Simple Warranty Repair/Replace?

I assumed this would be a simple warranty repair/replace for a large organisation. I have had very few issues with purchases from the Warehouse before, but they have always sorted issues on the spot. However, this time, after the website form and then first email was ignored, I decided to note down the customer service process so I could refer back to it if asked.

Issue

-- I have a Toshiba 75 inch 75U7880AZ purchased from the Warehouse Botany store less than 2 years ago on 22/09/19
-- Original Order Number: 13631011
-- Serial Number 0000a4e6156f766a
-- The TV has developed a fault with a line of pixels missing horizontally and vertically.
-- It has had little use over the 2 years, being in a spare room.
-- It has also had three faults from new, the voice command system has never worked and the Wifi also does not work (connects for a few seconds then drops, so it is currently connected to a wired LAN). Built in Chromecast occasionally fails and requires a power cycle to reset.
-- I contacted the Warehouse originally over the first two faults but the TV is huge and I would struggle to get it back to the shop so decided to ignore those faults and let them know I wasn't going to bother sorting them.

Timeline of Customer Service

1. - 08 Sep 2021 - Website Contact Form.

Summary: Automated response only, no followup from a person.
Submitted an online request 8th September 2021 at 15:22.
Reference number received was 04244478 (automated email)
Automated Response: "We have received your email, please note we aim to respond to emails within 3-5 days."
No response, nothing heard since that.

2. - 14 Sep 2021 - Email to customer service.

Summary: No Response at all.
14 September 2021: Sent email to customerserviceteam@thewarehouse.co.nz with the details of my faulty product, including receipt and original order confirmation. No response to that email (checked Spam etc in case)

3. - 23 Sep 2021 - Another email to customer service.

Summary: No Response at all.
23 September 2021: Sent another email to customerserviceteam@thewarehouse.co.nz asking for someone to contact me re the issue.
No response at all.

4. - 29 Sep 2021 - Phone Call to Customer Service.

Summary: A wait for a long conversation, then a promise to call me back (which did not occur)
Called 0800 733 665 Customer service 29th Sep 2021 12:30pm.
Waited on Hold for a representative. Spoke to "Ocean"
Was on the call for a total of 41 minutes 25 seconds (Skype logs)
Was given a new Reference number of 04316692.
I was promised that within 48 hours the warehouse would come up with a solution to repair or replace and call me back. Nothing heard since.

5. - 8 Oct 2021 - Used the Warehouse Chat at help.thewarehouse.co.nz.

Summary: Failed first attempt. Second attempt, a welcome then 40 mins of silence before any further communications. Then the operator cut me off before I could continue with questions. 3rd attempt was similar and no opportunity to escalate despite my requests.
8th October 2021

First attempt Summary: I put details the subject line and waited for a response. The agent disconnected me.

2nd Attempt: Summary: 40 minutes of complete silence after first response?? Then a response to say 'still checking'. No wait for my further response before disconnecting me again.
Transcript

3rd Attempt Summary: I requested to get someone more senior that I could escalate the issue after one month. Was asked for my contact details (which would have been on every previous support call/email/message) Told someone would contact me in 2-4 days, but no escalation options.

8 - 9 Oct 2021 - No Way to Escalate? And FB message to Head of Customer Care

Summary: I searched on the web and The Warehouse group websites for ways to escalate the issue. I have worked for some pretty big companies and usually there will be some generic addresses or the email address of Board Members, senior staff or similar that can be contacted. Of course the emails will be vetted by PAs or marketing staff, but at least there will be a last resort contact. I did find the Facebook account of the Head of Customer Care at The Warehouse Group (it says this in their profile) and sent them a message on 9 Oct, but of course this is unlikely to be answered as facebook messages to non-friends aren't easily visible (for good reason). I don't have a premium LinkedIn account and all of the senior staff were 3 tiers away from my profile so un-contactable. The only email addresses are the ones I've already tried.

7 - 15 Oct 2021 - No Response & Linkedin message to Chief Customer Officer

Summary: It has now been 7 days after my recent promise of a 2-4 day response and 37 days since my initial warranty claim. I did today find that the Chief Customer Officer | Chief Marketing Officer, although 3 tiers away from my LinkedIn account has an open profile, so have sent him a message.

8 - 18 Oct 2021 - Now 40 Days since first request

No further communications received on any platform as at this date.

9 - 19 Oct 2021 - Phoned the Warehouse main number 09 4865895

Decided to try the Warehouse Head Office and speak to a more senior CS person if I could. Phoned the Auckland number for head office. On hold for 27 minutes and then call was answered. I wasn't sure if I was speaking to a receptionist or customer service person (I asked this, but wasn't told). I straight away asked if I could please speak with a senior person in Customer Service. Initially I was told the person would put me though to her supervisor, and I heard a person talking to the rep and asking questions. I asked the Rep's name (Rachel) and she said they me they needed to put me though to the 'TV Service Team'. I also asked to get the TV Service team phone number in case I was cut off. (0800 623373 "The Warehouse TV Service Team"). I reluctantly agreed.

10 - 19 Oct 2021 (still) 12:49pm - Put through to TV Service Team

I would assume this is a non-NZ generic call centre, English communications were pretty difficult (especially around my name and email address). The call was answered pretty quickly though and I was speaking with Donna who was very friendly and apologetic when I tried to explain what had happened so far.

Donna told me I would 'need to fill out a form' online. She would email it to me. I asked if she would wait until I received it, and she was fine with that. I gave her my personal and work email addresses - the email turned up in about 10 mins whilst she waited (didn't go to spam).
Total Time on this (and the previous call) was 46 mins 6 seconds.

11 - 19 Oct 2021 (still) - Online Warranty Request System

Received a link to the 'online warranty system' that they wanted me to fill in. Some comments.
1. it was mandatory to put in an 'Address' which is unusual for a retail purchase. I guess useful if they are planning a site visit though (are they?)
2. The system seemed to be a 'generic TV repair' portal on a website called 'beehiive.com', and listed various models. My TV model wasn't listed (I couldn't free type a model). I chose something similar.
3. The site asked for a photo of the back of the TV. The TV is huge, and I don't want to take it off it's mount until I know it will be repaired/replaced. (I later realised I already had those pics from when the TV was installed)

I filled in the summary of faults, my address and some photos including original delivery docket, serial numbers, screen fault (around 2pm). Some photos I added later of the back of the panel (I realised I had those from when first installed) and the full original invoice. I received a couple of emails from Donna Cabido & Girlie Suazo thanking me for the submission and helping me add the extra photos.

Received an automated Text Message and email at approx 4pm. Also received a personalised email from "Donna" thanking me for sending the pics and that an "Account Manager" would contact me ASAP.

12 - Thurs 21 Oct 2021 - Progress - new TV Service Team?

It looks like the team assigned the job now is the Teletech service agents (old iFix4u and Tisco). Some hope - received an email 10am from Teletech electronics (Mt Wellington)

I replied straight away that it was not a problem at all to do so.

13 - Thurs 21 Oct 2021 (still) - Visit from the TV service agents

Even more progress. I got a phone call (I was in a meeting when they rang, but a landline phone number search showed me an old Tisco service phone number). The person phoned back soon after and Ashwin asked if there was any chance he could come over that day as he had time free. I wasn't sure what the plan was, if he would take the TV or not (I said I could help him lift it) but timing wasn't a problem as I could likely shuffle meetings (working from home).

Ashwin came around 3pm and called me just before he arrived. I showed him the TV on the wall and explained the faults, he was here for just a few minutes after seeing the fault and explained that they don't usually repair screens on Warehouse TV models. He left me a work order on an A4 sheet (#64516) and asked about serial numbers etc.

He explained that he would go back and write up a report, and submit it to The Warehouse.
Someone from The Warehouse would contact me.

14 - Fri 22 Oct 2021 - Random email from 'Red Shed' and 3rd Ref Number

Really not sure now if this was related to the new TV work, or a previous email or call? However received an out of the blue email from Red Shed <customerserviceteam@thewarehouse.co.nz>. Do I call someone? or wait longer.

15 - Tues 26 Oct 2021 - Linkedin message from The Warehouse CCO

10am, I received a Linkedin message reply from the customer service person I found. He gave his email address and asked me if I'd like to escalate it. Plus:

I sent him am email with the original order number as he requested.



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