Close to Perfection….

I’m delighted to report an exceptional customer experience!

I’ve been an admirer and Bose customer for some years. We have a Bose system at home as our main audio system, and I’ve used Bose X headsets when flying small planes.

I also have, and use constantly, a Bose Quietcomfort2 noise reduction headset. I got it because I travel with American Airlines a lot, and they loan them out in Business Class on international trips. After trying it out, I decided that the $299 was worth springing for. Especially as I had just misplaced my second set of noise reduction in ear phones by leaving them behind on a flight – at $150 apiece. I’m much less likely to leave the Bose as they are a regular sized headset – something I had seen as a disadvantage to that point!

I’ll digress at this point – such a rarity for me, I know – and emphasize that I’ve always had some personal struggles with Bose’s premium pricing. I should explain that as a Yorkshireman (an old boss if mine once explained it this way ‘ This guy is a Yorkshireman. You know about Yorkshiremen? They are just like a Scotsman, but with the generosity knocked out of them.’) I feel I have a reputation to maintain. So getting to the point of purchase for Bose products involves some heartsearching for me.

So I settle in to my seat on the way to Miami, pull the earpieces apart and hear a ping. The right slide had broken. I could still use them, but they needed a fix. I called Bose when I returned and got Eric (long hold, the only sub par part of the experience).

Eric gets my details, finds me as a customer and asks me if I’ve had them more than a year. I hum and haw, unsure how long I’ve really had them, and ask for a repair. ‘No repairs’, says Eric, ‘but we will replace them.’

He finds my registration details, and lo, it turns out I’ve had them for 2 1/2 years. So I tense myself for the bill. ‘No charge replacement’ says Eric ‘and the replacement has a reinforced headband.’ ‘So I’m not the only one with the problem?’ ‘No’, says Eric.

So in one fell swoop, Bose are frank about a product shortcoming, replace it for free and all through a customer service rep who is both human and exceeds my expectations.

I’m starting to think that these premium products are very good value.

Well done Eric and Bose!

Tags: Brand, Customer Experience, Service

2 Replies to “Close to Perfection….”

  1. Glad YOU had a good experience with Bose Customer Service. I just passed the year mark on $250 computer speakers (Companion 3), and like clockwork, they crap out. A call to customer service then says I’m passed the year, and they want $50 plus shipping (they are heavy) to fix or replace them. While $50 isn’t so bad, the 1 year warranty policy on such expensive (high-profit) speakers is ridiculous. So, my experience is the opposite of the above: premium products are not worth it.

  2. Well, we obviously do have a different experience. My new (improved, if Eric is right) QC2s arrived this week. A complete replacement and I’m happy. We have had a Lifestyle system for some years and are happy with that too.

    As a European, I’m used to longish warranties and do have some difficulties with the ‘ 30/60/90 take it or leave it’ attitude of many manufacturers. A year seems like an OK warranty to me, though I agree it is frustrating when things stop working shortly after warranty expiration.

    Cheers

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