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Thread: Warranty, or NOT????

  1. #1
    Master OptiBoarder mullo's Avatar
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    Confused Warranty, or NOT????

    I was just wondering what you do when a customer comes in with a pair of glasses that are obviously abused beyond normal use, demanding a warranty? They won't leave quietly to your speal on how "only" manufacturer's defects are covered.
    They claim they were just wearing the glasses and MUST be poor quality. Do you give it to them......Mullo :finger:

  2. #2
    Master OptiBoarder Joann Raytar's Avatar
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    I have had folks come in with badly broken frames that they say never left the case. Of course, it looked like they accidentally left the case on one of the rails of the Metro-North Train Line. I have asked some people if they take their glasses off with one hand. They always give me a firm "No" a second later they are taking them off single handed to wipe them in their shirt. What are you gonna do?

    How long ago did they buy the glasses? If it is a first offense, I usually always fill under warranty if it is within or just over a year. If it is a "third-stirke" and it is well past a year then they are out of warranty.

  3. #3
    Bad address email on file Corey Nicholls's Avatar
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    Lightbulb

    Mullo, Jo,

    What I do with my own clients is, I give them a handout detailing mine, the supplier, and their own responsibilities in regard to warranties.

    As Jo said though, I will usually do a N/C warranty the first time and warn them that if it happens again I will not cover it.

    Corey

  4. #4
    Master OptiBoarder mullo's Avatar
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    copy

    Corey, Any chance of you emailing me a copy of your hand out?? Mullo :bbg:

  5. #5
    Bad address email on file
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    Hi mullo,
    I too give a very datailed leaflet of instructions to the patient
    In very clear language it explains how to handle spects,how to clean the lenses, how to keep them and also where not to keep them(like never on the dashboard of a car-in summers the frames loosen and thin cr-39 lenses get warped)
    When I am giving the spects I make it a point to spend a minute or two with the patient explaining him how to handle his spects and tell him to go through the leaflet too.
    This way when he comes back with a broken spects which are because of his own fault we always remind him of the instuctions and the handout. This way the customer is less aggressive and its easier for us to make him admit that the fault was his.

  6. #6
    Master OptiBoarder mullo's Avatar
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    Big Smile Copy??

    Ashish, How about emailing me a copy??? Thanks, Mullo

  7. #7
    Cape Codger OptiBoard Gold Supporter hcjilson's Avatar
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    Warrantees and win win

    Dear Mullo,

    Warranties can be the foundation of a very successful business, as LL Bean has proved to us.His warranty was, and remains pretty simple. Your satisfaction....period It is clearly stated all over their catalogs.If you EVER have a problem with a product they sell you, return it for a new one.No matter how old, no matter what the reason. It is true that some people have abused this policy but for the most part, it has given their customers unrivaled confidence in the company and more importantly, the products they sell.

    The success of this concept is based on the premise that most people are honest, and I think for the most part, we'd have to agree with that.(although I know we have no difficuly in remembering those who are not) How much better can we make the customer feel about us when we replace a product that has failed them for whatever reason.The little it costs us out of pocket will be more than made up for by a satisfied customer.I'm talking about future business and referrals.A dissatisfied customer can cost you untold damage...and you'll never know it because the folks who have been talked out of coming to you never come in to tell you why they're not there!

    No one in business ever won an argument with a customer! Do whatever it takes to keep them happy, and they'll keep you happy, and prosperous in return.

    That's the gospel according to Leon L Bean.

    This would be a good subject for a poll-why not design one!:) :) See Q & A forum
    best from harry j
    "Always laugh when you can. It is a cheap medicine"
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  8. #8
    sub specie aeternitatis Pete Hanlin's Avatar
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    As long as I'm able to get a replacement pair from the manufacturer (frames or lenses), I go ahead and try to make the patient happy. That is, unless they "cross the line."

    I had a lady bring me a pair of Autoflex frames that looked like they had been put through a meat grinder. I'm pretty sure (given the damage to the lenses and frame) that the glasses were run over by a lawn mower. Nevertheless, I inquired as to how the frames came to be in such sad shape. Her answer (and I quote), "I have no idea, these are my spare pair and I keep them on the night stand... I've probably only worn them four or five times, and they've never even been outside. They're obviously defective!"

    I gave the nice lady the address for Marchon and told her she should send the frames to them with a note explaining what she had just told me. I promised her that, if and when they supplied her with a replacement frame, I would supply the lenses at no cost. Needless to say, she never returned with the glasses (she did come in for her yearly eye exam sometime later and purchased a new pair of glasses, however).

    Bottom line, if the manufacturer is going to replace the product for me, why not make the patient happy (even if they are trying to cheat the system)? Otherwise, if they are really cantankerous, I figure my cost to replace them and offer them that price (though I don't tell them its the wholesale cost... I just figure what % off they're getting and give them an offer). Most everyone goes for it, cause they know they're really at fault- they just don't want to shell out the dough for a new pair.

    Pete

  9. #9
    Master OptiBoarder mullo's Avatar
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    Thumbs up I do, I do, I do.....

    It's good to see that customer service is #1 out there. I always give them the warranty after explaining to them that it is not under normal use. I also tell them that they will have to pay if it happens again. Then when they return in 6 mths with the same argument and excuse, I go through the whole thing again and give them the warranty. They just wait longer while I check with the "Upper Management". (I have the freedom to give anything I feel is appropriate without checking with anyone) They usually become my best customers!!! Mullo


    And Harry, I think I can take you in a round of golf. I'm swinging nice.......................Any takers? ;)

  10. #10
    Master OptiBoarder karen's Avatar
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    I have quite a few accounts that offer a warranty but charge the patient for shipping to cover their costs- anywhere from 5 to 15 dollars depending on the account- that seems to keep the patient happy and defray the cost of shipping and people who abuse the system. Back in the good ole days when I still dispensed we always replaced it unless it was one of those obvious abuse situations. We always worked hard to maintain really good relationships with our frame reps so they could bail us out whenever it seemed really necessary and the company was balking at replacing it.
    Let the refining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have little time to criticize others. -H. Jackson Brown Jr.

    If the only tool you have is a hammer you will approach every problem as though it were a nail

  11. #11
    Master OptiBoarder mullo's Avatar
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    Confused Not again......

    I had a customer come in yesterday with a pair of glasses that were 8 months old. The bridge solder had let go and she wanted a warranty. My staff were dealing with "TIGERLADY" and offering her a new pair of glasses due to the fact that the frame was no longer in our stock (company wide) We have no way of obtaining a single pair of frames besides myself going out and purchasing them from another optical store and being reimbursed by my company. This costs way too much and too time consuming. So back to the story. Our policy is that we will fully refund your frame purchase price and you can select a new pair of frames. Our lab will redo the lenses at n/c. If the price of the new frame is less than the broken frame you get the diference back. If the price is higher you pay the difference. Simple math and very fair!!! Well this lady wanted to speak to the manager. After all she had been through with my staff, they treated her atrociously (her words). I had listened to the whole interaction and they were very patient and fair with her. I told her that my staff had followed the exact procedures and that she should look at the frames and choose a new one. She did not want a different frame, she wanted the same one. I told her that if she did not like our frames she could get one elsewhere and we would edge new lenses for her or she could simply have a full refund. The one thing she didn't like was the fact that she would have to pay the difference in price if she chose a new frame that cost more than the warranteed frame. She finally settled on a full refund and left. (THANK GOD!!!) Where in society can you return a product for more than the original purchase price when it is under warranty???? She felt we owed her something...........above the refund.....Mullo

    Any input????

  12. #12
    Master OptiBoarder Texas Ranger's Avatar
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    Redhot Jumper

    Mullo, i'm in shock, you lost a customer, the cost of the original glasses, gave her money back, and she's upset?! was it a mfgs defect in the frame? was it discontined? you have any recourse with the mfgr?

  13. #13
    Bad address email on file stephanie's Avatar
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    Wink

    I bought a roast a few months ago that didn't taste as good as usual should I have taken it back to the grocery store and got my money back?? It really depends on the situation...yes I do try to make the pt happy but to what extent depends on the attitude of the customer the extent of the damage, how old the frame is and if this has happened before with this particular pt. People can take extreme advantage if you are not careful. I would really love for someone to explain the "nightstand phenomena" to me. I have had more gls ruined "just being on the nightstand" that actually just about anything else. Maybe we ought to include "don't put them on your nightstand" in the hand out!!! LOL!!!!

    Steph

  14. #14
    Master OptiBoarder mullo's Avatar
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    Big Smile No, No and No....

    Oh well.....The customer I can do without. Recourse with the manufacturer, NONE!! Discontinued , no. But not available to our buyers directly and a waste of time to try to find one more frame at probably twice the cost due to the fact we are not buying 200 of them at once. As for the nightstand...............Give me a break!!!! I get this one all the time. You've got it right Steph!!!! Just like the customer who had told me that her bridge got all soft and wobbly on her stainless steel frames. (like a spaghetti noodle) She was worried it would happen again and wanted a warranty before her time limit expired. What do you do for a crazy person like this. Or am I nuts and have they started to make chameleon like frames out of pasta.............Mullo



    :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer: :hammer:

  15. #15
    Independent Problem Optiholic edKENdance's Avatar
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    weird eh?

    I've recently been to customer service seminars(are there anything but) and the neat thing that I notice is how true this statement is....A disastisfied customer will tell X number of people how ticked off they were with your service and a happy customer will tell only Y. The point is that the customers you are talking about come around only once in a blue moon and yet they stick out in your mind and you tell your stories of them to others. Of course the customers are'nt running businesses but I'm sure that everyone that you can lodge a complaint against has lodged (several) directly proportionate complaints that can have a direct impact on your business. I can only sympathise.

    Ken "yes I'd be better off if you were blind" B

  16. #16
    Rising Star
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    Customer Service Issues

    [QUOTE]Originally posted by hcjilson

    Dear Mullo,
    hcjilson Cape Codger:
    I hope you guys permit me to use your saying in my new thread
    "Customer service Issues"

    "No one in business ever won an argument with a customer"!

    I would say " No one in life ever won an argument with anybody and benefited from the situation".

    Here are some steps I would take:
    1. Thank the patient for being kind enough for coming back to you.
    2. Use a good icebreaker (conversation opener)
    3. Talk to the person briefly about some thing cool (not a disaster) his/her outfit, kids weather (if it is good) or whatever you think can defuse his/her ammunition. Make the person talk about something positive (other than the problem itself) before he/she starts making you feel miserable about you, your product or even the whole establishment.
    4. Listen more, but talk as less as possible, when you do talk however make them feel that you are on their side blaming the situation not any person.
    5. Look into the records and find out the original date of purchase to whether the product is still under warrantee with the manufacturer.
    6. After finding all the facts come up with couple of proposals, because more than two can cause confusion and may stir up anxiety.
    7. If the product is still under warrantee with the manufacturer: Charge the patient shipping and handling and replace the product and smile sincerely.
    8. Product not under warrantee: Smile and say I am gonna eat half the damage, you only pay half price. You are still not loosing any money or future business. Win-Win because he/she is getting it for half price. They may advertise by word of mouth.
    9. Product wasn't purchased from your practice: Help them anyway.
    Last year a foreigner couple came into our store asking for help with Flexon rimless frames they had a little accident while attending seminar at the convention center. Broken screws and a skewed bridge for a titanium frame took some time from me. My colleague was getting impatient whispering in my ears "the money they will pay for all this is nothing for the time you are spending". I helped them wholeheartedly and they bought 4 pairs of Cartier ($10,000) not a bad out come.

    Thanks
    Sam Hamadani
    Last edited by sam hamadani; 05-26-2001 at 10:48 PM.
    my new e-mail address is

    hamadani_99@yahoo.com

  17. #17
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    Big Smile

    I agree with Pete:
    As long as I'm able to get a replacement pair from the manufacturer (frames or lenses), I go ahead and try to make the patient happy. That is, unless they "cross the line."
    I really can say we haven't had any that crossed the line, some have come close but never crossed the line. I usually give it to them minus shipping charges for the frame and I will usually cut the lens price in half. Now if it has been longer than a year, say a year and half I charge full price unless they give me a song and dance routine it's full price, if not then I will usually minus 25 or 30%. I find most people are quite happy with that arrangement.
    .

    Corey I would not mind having a copy of that pamphlet myself,
    Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeee.:D
    Last edited by rfish777; 05-28-2001 at 11:42 AM.

  18. #18
    Master OptiBoarder mullo's Avatar
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    Big Smile Don't come to Canada!!!

    If none of you have had someone "cross the line", enjoy it. I have had too many.....About 4 in 11 yrs. Don't come to Canada!!! I may even move to the USA. Seems that the customers are more enjoyable to say the least. 7yrs ago, one guy wanted his contact lens file from the store I was working in. He had obtained a refund from the owner about 1 week prior. He came in and I couldn't find where the boss had placed it. I even tried calling the boss at home but to no avail. This guy became very beligerant and acted quite aggressively, waving his arms in my face. I stepped back and asked him to leave the store and that I would have the owner phone him the next day. He kept going and continued his verbal assault. I told him he was treading on thin ice and he had better leave or I would call the police. He kept going and even grabbed the phone in the front of the store and pulled the cord from the wall............ Now listen. This guy was about 5'8" and 160 lbs. I am 5'10" and 185lbs. I work out and have studied jujitsu for a number of years. I can take care of myself, but being the gentleman that I was I tried to defuse the situation. All attempts failed to this point. He was feeding of my avoiding his confrontation. I told him that enough was enough, I would close my store and we could approach this on a personal level as this is how he had proceeded to this point. I grabbed the keys to the store and told him that I would meet him in the alley. He backed up and the look on his face changed from "hunter" to "little kid caught in the act". He quickly left and we had never heard from him again..................Mullo

    I don't condone this type of activity, but in the circumstance it was really all that could be done. I am glad that this is the worst I have seen and also an isolated incident. If not I would join the UFC, the money is better. :shiner:

  19. #19
    OptiBoard Apprentice
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    WOW!

    Things are tough in B.C.!

    Fortunately, most customers don't "cross the line".

    I've had a few almost make me cross the line, though.

    Once the patient approaches the point of becoming abusive,
    I excuse myself and attempt to let them cool off a little. If that
    doesn't work I invite them to leave. (This has only happened
    once or twice in the last 29 yrs.)

    As far as warranty goes, I try to see that any errors made in resolution of problems are in the customers favor. This has served me well.

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