| Last night I watched an episode of "The Loop", a | | | | "Mr. White, Magellan apologizes for the |
| TV show on Fox. It's one of my favorites, very | | | | inconvenience. As per our conversation today, |
| witty and funny. During the episode one of the | | | | Magellan will replace your RoadMate 700 with a |
| main characters had to call his credit card | | | | RoadMate 2200T. Magellan will attempt to ship the |
| company. The show portrayed a split screen with | | | | replacement today by UPS NEXTDAY Shipping." |
| his call being transferred to India where the credit | | | | Thank You and have a Great Day, |
| card company has outsourced its apparent | | | | Robert Davis, Quality Assurance (email him if you |
| "customer service". A woman answered the | | | | want) |
| phone with a very thick accent (ah, because she's | | | | How cold and uncaring huh? |
| from India) and said her name was "Sally Malloy", | | | | No responsibility, no empathy, no nothing! |
| can I help you. The woman then proceeded to | | | | Lastly, I paid $1300 for my device new 3 years |
| use "catch phrases" such as awesome and | | | | ago and they shipped me a refurbished unit that |
| dynamite all the while not understanding a word | | | | costs $399 of which I paid $150 for because they |
| the man was saying. Very funny. Sad but true is | | | | never refunded my money to fix the old one. |
| all I have to say unfortunately. | | | | Magellan does not care about you so why care |
| Segway to Magellan GPS and my own personal | | | | about them? I just bought my wife a new GPS |
| experience with them. Last December 2006 I | | | | unit for her car from Garmin! |
| sent my Magellan Roadmate GPS unit in for repair. | | | | In conclusion: If you want to speak to someone in |
| I paid the repair fee in advance in November | | | | India about your Magellan GPS unit and be treated |
| 2006 of $150. Come May 2007 I still don't have | | | | like a number buy a Magellan product, otherwise |
| my paid for unit returned. Where is my unit I ask | | | | avoid them. |
| myself? So I call "customer service" at Magellan | | | | Just to add on I found a lot of other complaints |
| GPS. That's where the nightmare begins. I was | | | | on similar subjects, check them out: |
| transferred to a company in India who takes care | | | | But here are some excerpts: |
| of Magellan's "customer service" and "tech | | | | "I emailed the company twice requesting a Return |
| support" (how thoughtful to their customers huh, | | | | Authorization and heard nothing back. I then called |
| sending customers who paid for their product to | | | | their toll free tech support line that connected me |
| people that barely speak English). A man with a | | | | to a country somewhere in a distant galaxy with |
| thick accent answers the phone and after 4 tries | | | | people who could not speak English very well |
| finally spells his name to me: Derrick Emanuel. | | | | (sadly, my native language!) Without speaking |
| Okay, I ask "Derrick" where my unit is. He puts | | | | Klingon, it took about 45 minutes for the |
| me on hold for 15 minutes…how sweet, | | | | customer non service representative to provide |
| thanks big D! | | | | me with an R/A number, and another twenty |
| Finally he comes back and through much | | | | minutes to spell Fort Worth, TX. I should have |
| interpretation tells me that they have it and | | | | known. " |
| someone will call me back within 24 hours. At | | | | "I can't even begin to approach the lack of |
| least that's what I got out of it, understanding | | | | customer service. I just don't know where to |
| that he could barely understand me and me him | | | | start. They do not speak English or understand it. |
| (Magellan GPS obviously cares deeply of their | | | | Forget English as a second language I think it is |
| customers huh). No one ever calls me back (big | | | | more like a 5th or 6th. They offer ZERO |
| surprise huh, the guy barely spoke English). | | | | customer service support!!! I have no problem |
| I call back, speak to another barely speaking | | | | with any company using an off-shore call center, |
| English "customer service" person and finally I ask | | | | but please be certain they can speak and |
| for a supervisor. My supervisor comes to the | | | | understand English. I spent just about 30 minutes |
| phone after making me wait 20 minutes on hold. | | | | on the phone trying to find out if or when the |
| His name is "George Jordan" or Jordan George, | | | | cradle would be available for shipping. The CSR |
| who knows I could barely understand a word he | | | | could not get past why my phone number was |
| said. He tells me that my unit is there and will be | | | | not important to the question I was |
| fixed. I say, no way Jose (I don't think he got it) I | | | | asking…" |
| want a new unit overnighted pronto (again, not | | | | "Customer service is terrible! It took two months |
| getting it). The solution Mr. Vite (Oh, that's me Mr. | | | | of phone calls and emails to get an answer from |
| White), Vee vill be sending to you a refurbished | | | | Magellan. One tech support request was never |
| GPS unit for free of charge. I ask, why would I | | | | answered. Another was answered with helpful |
| want someone else's crappy unit? Send me a | | | | steps to reinitialize the unit, but this failed. In the |
| new one and refund my $150, I ask. I mean | | | | support answer, Magellan stated that if this does |
| really, you've had my Magellan GPS unit for 7 | | | | not work ask for authorization to return unit. I |
| months. That's it, take it or leave it. | | | | asked. No answer. Sent another tech request |
| I call Corporate in good ole US of A. I Ask for | | | | explaining I needed a return authorization. I got |
| customer service and they transfer me where? | | | | back the same document stating to reinitialize my |
| India. I hang up, and call back. I want to speak to | | | | unit. I called tech support. I could not understand |
| someone who is living in the United States in | | | | the broken English spoken by tech support. I was |
| customer service I ask! Then the real fun | | | | transferred to another tech. He said his supervisor |
| begins… I get Robert Davis (), "Quality | | | | would call me back with the return information. He |
| Assurance" something or another. I explain the | | | | never called back. Call again today (again could |
| situation to him thinking….alas, I'm saved. | | | | barely understand the person's English) and was |
| Nope, sorry….we're going to make this | | | | told Magellan no longer fixes the Roadmate 760, |
| harder on you Mr. White (at least I understood | | | | but would give me a $149 credit toward a model |
| that). | | | | 2000. I did not want a higher priced model. He said |
| First I have to prove I mailed my unit there | | | | could not get credit toward a comparable model. I |
| (even though India confirmed having it). Fine I say, | | | | hung up and went to a store and bought a |
| I expect poor service like this so I save my UPS | | | | different brand." |
| receipts. I'll show you, and I fax it over. Two days | | | | "It is impossible to get through to customer |
| go by and nothing (nice service huh). Finally I call | | | | service to complain about the lack of support. It is |
| him and he says we're shipping out the | | | | very frustrating that this unit has been broken |
| refurbished unit and that's it. | | | | longer than it has been operational. Technical |
| To recap: Magellan GPS keeps my unit and the | | | | support is from the dark ages. I can't believe you |
| $150 I paid to fix my original unit and sends me a | | | | can't get through to a live person in Customer |
| refurbished unit while making me wait 7 months. | | | | Service without being transferred back to |
| The Fix: Listen up all you companies that care | | | | technical support in India." |
| about your branding this is important. When a | | | | "Dealing with magellan was a very horrible |
| consumer buys a product in good faith treat | | | | experience i sent this item back to their service |
| them like you appreciate it. In this case I bought | | | | center because of the unit freezing and just |
| my device from a retailer and had a good | | | | showing a blank white screen and they sent me |
| experience. But when I had to deal with Magellan | | | | back the unit in exact same shape what a waste |
| GPS I had a very poor experience. It's obvious | | | | of time effort and money customer reps came |
| that Magellan cares more about their bottom line | | | | from india and sometimes rude avoid this product |
| than building a positive brand image . Why else | | | | avoid this company". |
| would a company outsource its customer service | | | | This article was taken from The Branding Blog by |
| to India? Customer service in my case was the | | | | Brand Identity Guru: |
| first touch point I had with the company, like | | | | This article is for opinion purposes only. Brand |
| most consumers. | | | | Identity Guru Inc. does not verify the facts and |
| How sad that Magellan values its customers so | | | | shall not be held responsible for any statements |
| little. Secondly, empower your customer service | | | | that are made from Brand Identity Guru Inc. that |
| to make and say good choices. Teach them to | | | | are false. The Brand Identity Guru inc. article and |
| be empathetic to your number one assest (that's | | | | Blog is for opinions only and Brand Identity Guru |
| the customer). | | | | Inc. shall not be held liable for any published |
| In this case they should have said: | | | | statements.By reading this narticle and the Brand |
| Mr. White it's unacceptable that we've had your | | | | Identity Guru Inc. Blog you the individual(s)reader |
| unit for over 6 months, that's not the norm. We | | | | (s) waives any right of action against Brand |
| take full responsibility for this. I can't image how | | | | Identity Guru inc. for any statements that may |
| frustrated you must feel. | | | | damage any individuals, organizations, and/or |
| That's a better way to handle it not this (this was | | | | companies. |
| emailed to me from Robert Davis and is a quote): | | | | |