Super service from Merlin. Poor marks elsewhere

[boatmike]

Recently blew the logic panel on my smartbank charging system purchased from Merlin over 2 years ago. Returned the unit to Merlin for repair stating that it was entirely my fault having accidentally shorted it across the terminals. Expected a bill for repair but was very surprised and delighted when told they would replace the unit at no charge as a "good will gesture"

How refreshing in this day and age to deal with a company that values the service it gives to its customers to this extent. I just had to tell everybody how delighted I am!

Conversely just over two years ago I bought an entry level Tactik wind instrument through a dealer but lost proof of purchase documentation. Warranty only 2 years anyway so not covered. Due to various issues it never got installed and has only just been taken out of the box. Didn't work. Took back to Raymarine Fareham who diagnosed a "fault" in the main unit. Obviously a manufacturing fault shipped like that (don't they test?) Told it would cost £260 to replace. Complained at director level but told they would only reduce the bill by 50% as it was out of warranty. I don't believe any diagnosis was done to determine the cause. "It doesn't work so replace it" seems to be the order of the day these days. It may only have been a dry solder joint....... Perhaps my early working life in industry has conditioned my thinking but when I was an apprentice I worked in the defect analysis department of an aircraft electronics manufacturer. Any fault on equipment was analysed to feedback any improvements that could be made to prevent future failures...... Has this philosophy died completely or am I just getting to be a "Victor Meldrew" in my old age?

Anyway what a contrast! Full marks to Merlin, raspberrys to Raymarine!

 

[prv]

"It doesn't work so replace it" seems to be the order of the day these days. It may only have been a dry solder joint.......

And what do you do about that dry solder joint when it's underneath a BGA chip on a surface-mount board with teeny-tiny components assembled by robots and soldered all at once in a reflow oven? This stuff is not built to be worked on by human beings wielding soldering irons.

Perhaps my early working life in industry has conditioned my thinking but when I was an apprentice I worked in the defect analysis department of an aircraft electronics manufacturer. Any fault on equipment was analysed to feedback any improvements that could be made to prevent future failures...... Has this philosophy died completely

I'm sure it's alive and well in high-end avionics manufacturing. In consumer electronics it would not make economic sense.

Pete

 

[Graham_Wright]

Has this philosophy died completely or am I just getting to be a "Victor Meldrew" in my old age?

I had a MastaClimba customer who reported that it kept sliding down the line. As our demo unit has now done over 2000 ascents without anything needed changing, I was concerned. He was very friendly and we spoke at length on the 'phone.

It transpired that it was one we had left with a chandlery in France who had sold two but wanted another. It had not sold so I retrieved it on a holiday visit.

I sent a replacement set of brake blocks to our customer which he substituted for the originals and then reported perfect operation.

He returned the original brake blocks and I discovered the rope gripping serrations were very badly worn. The chandlery eventually admitted that a French customer had tried it out on a wire halyard!

Any other purchaser, please take note!

 

[boatmike]

I had a MastaClimba customer who reported that it kept sliding down the line. As our demo unit has now done over 2000 ascents without anything needed changing, I was concerned. He was very friendly and we spoke at length on the 'phone.

It transpired that it was one we had left with a chandlery in France who had sold two but wanted another. It had not sold so I retrieved it on a holiday visit.

I sent a replacement set of brake blocks to our customer which he substituted for the originals and then reported perfect operation.

He returned the original brake blocks and I discovered the rope gripping serrations were very badly worn. The chandlery eventually admitted that a French customer had tried it out on a wire halyard!

Any other purchaser, please take note!

Exactly my point Graham. You were interested enough to investigate the reason for the failure and did something to rectify it. While I recognise that in Raymarines case repair may have been uneconomic I would have thought analysis of a suspected manufacturing fault would have been in their own interest rather than just bin it and charge for a new one. Good customer service gets repeat business. Buying kit that cant be repaired after the warranty runs out and costs the same as a new one if it goes wrong is bad business in my book.

 

[prv]

While I recognise that in Raymarines case repair may have been uneconomic I would have thought analysis of a suspected manufacturing fault would have been in their own interest

If they were getting hundreds back then I expect they would.

Pete

 

[boatmike]

Well, they do have a pretty busy service department!