samsung customer DISservice!

Mission: get Samsung NP-X11 notebook’s wireless switch repaired under warranty

Adversary: Samsung service center?! Read on…

Sent my Samsung notebook for repairs. AGAIN!

1st of all, for those who need a little introduction to how screwed up Samsung after-sales service is, please refer to my earlier encounter with their nonsense. Unfortunately, half a year later, due to the sub-par quality of their notebook, the wireless switch was faulty again. It became loose, the slightest of touch will switch it off (the fact that it is situated right where your right hand will brush it accidentally, doesn’t help), need to manually initiate Windows’ “View Available Wireless Networks” to sweep for access points, after which it will turn off by itself for no apparent reason upon detection of available hotspots. & when u finally hook onto a network, if u lift the notebook up and shift to another (more comfortable) spot, the switch will “kill itself” again. Essentially, this wifi toggle switch is unable to perform its function effectively.

The wireless switch sent kaput. AGAIN.

So I’ve to send the notebook for repairs under warranty again. I had a wedding dinner to attend on  23rd Dec (night),  & was leaving SG on the very next morning, for a week. Hence it made perfect sense to me to submit the notebook to the service centre right b4 the dinner. From my previous experience, only the Plaza Singapura service centre service notebooks while the Toh Guan branch handles cellphones and monitors. I did attempted to call to confirm if this still holds true in case I make a wasted trip; I didn’t really wanna carry a notebook to the wedding dinner; I had to send in the notebook. Unfortunately, my call was met with “All our customer service officers are busy ([crewing up other people's cases]. Please hold & we will tend to you shortly”. No choice, the wedding dinner will not wait for me. I left for the PS branch based on logic.

Upon getting the queue ticket no., I was in for a rude shock when the counter staff informed me that only the Toh Guan branch service notebooks now. I informed him that I live in Jurong East; why will I bring a >2kg device all the way to PS if I’d know about this. I even offered to pay for internal transport fee as I was desperate to commit the repair b4 my flight. After some ruckus they decided to attend to my case at this branch.

I was served by a Filipino CSO again. Now, I do not dislike people from other nationalities so much, unless they are unable to perform their job adequately but still taking the pay. My experience with these Filipino CSOs (both on the phone & face-to-face) is that they speak their improper English too softly, resulting in communication breakdown. “Luckily” for me, the current one seems to be impatient with listening to me prove the faulty switch and checked-in my case urgently. Fine with me, but worried that they will fai to deliver. & they did fail. Immensely. I was, as per my previous service encounter, informed that they will call me when it is done.

After I returned from my trip, which was on the 28th, I waited a couple more days b4 the silence from the service centre was too disconcerting. I called and the long-expected generic answer was “we will call you when it is ready for collection”. What am I supposed to reply? “Yes, master”? I pressed for a status update but the CSO on the other line was unable to supply it either via her poor grasp of the English language and/or her incompetencies.

A few days later, as I needed to bid for my modules (all my modules info, CORS, timetable builder website bookmarks & some other required data were on the notebook), I decided to call again. The same template answer was given to me and once again they were unable to, or refuse to give me a direct landline contact no. to their PS branch. Samsung, a leading cellphone company, is telling me (ok, actually the CSO is telling me) that they are unable to just pick up a call and call their service centre branches to check on a customers’ product servcing status?!

I tried my luck hoping to reach an useful CSO a few days later. But I got an even more ridiculous addition to their already-atrocious template answer. This time round the CSO said she will email the PS branch to inquire about my laptop. This is akin to me snail-mailing my mother a letter when we are living under the same roof! I mean, pick up the bloody phone and call the PS service centre, or call the cellphone of someone who’s working there!

I called twice again, spread over the next few days and the CSOS kept telling me they will send a “corporate” email to the PS branch to check on mynotebook’s repair status. Ultimately, the bottomline has NOT changed: I’m STILL waiting, still at their mercy to inform me when my notebook’s ready. I mean, I’m not rushing them to chop-chop do a rushed job, but at least gimme a status update! No news no nothing = customer worrying about where exactly his possession is currently!

January came & I decided to try again. This time round I reached a guy named “Latif”, who was wow-ed that my notebook was kept for so long. He said he will send a corporate complain, obviously I declined and demanded for an answer right away. It turns out my notebook is physically at Toh Guan branch (which made sense, as they shifted their notebook servicing back to TG, but why they shift here shift there and simply not have all branches provided the same uniform range of after-sales service, I’ve no idea). I said, since it is at TG, & I lived in JE, might as well ask them to hold it there and I’ll collect at the Toh Guan branch. The CSO agreed, and I nth-verified this request and his confirmation.

So imagine how cocked up their internal communications are, when a lady called me at 5.30pm and upon verifying my identity, informed me that my laptop is being delivered to the PS branch! I was exasperated & disappointed but I decided to collect it at the PS branch as I do not wish for my device (with moving parts) to be transported here & there. I confirmed once again with the lady CSO that my laptop is PHYSICALLY EN ROUTE to PS. I tried to pushed for a direct landline of the PS branch again so that I can call to check when I can go down collect, but the lady was unable to comply. Okay, I get it lah! U fellows too poor to afford a landline at the PS branch lah! In the end I confirmed that the PS branch closes at 8pm and I consoled myself that within a couple of hours I will be able to get a long overdue “answer”.

How wrong it turned out to be…

By 8pm nobody called me to inform me of the safe arrival of my notebook at PS. I supposed they took 2.5hrs because they are travelling very slowly to ensure the HDD within my notebook dun get damaged. Next morning, I called their 1800-number again (that’s the only landline I got from their lousy support site). and the farking CSO tried to sell me the template answer again, i.e. “we will escalate your case to corporate, etc”. I told her my case was escalated 5 times and any further elevation will bring my notebook to heaven! I decided to go down to PS to make a scene.

Samsung service centre damaged my POWER button (right)

Reached PS. Got my queue no. Counter staff sensed the “tension and rage” and scurried away to do their own stuff. I reached at 1pm plus and 15mins of waiting time later I saw a staff walked in through the front door with what appears to be my notebook! It was wrapped in translucent red bubble wrap. When it was my turn, I was served today by a PRC instead of their usual Filipino fanfare, I tink  they really wanna piss me off with their front-line communications! When she brought out my notebook after I handed over my collection form, yup, it’s the one that their staff brought in through the front door 20mins ago! How “lucky” I was! Imagine I arrived half and hour earlier and I could either be wasting my time or going hom empty-handed! I proceeded to check whether they fixed the issue but upon power up I was stunned to find the power button damaged! My usually-tactile power button was sinking into the recessed surface upon each press, i.e. inadequate resistance to register a press. I had to use my pinkie to dig an edge of the button to turn it on. I highlighted this to the CSO and all she could do was to continue her apologising. I further prove it to her by stabbing the power button in case they say I’m pressing it too gently. She took the notebook into the back-room and returned almost immediately citing that this was “physical damage” and not covered under warranty. That does it. I started to raise my voice. 1st of all, I KNOW it is physical damage; any idiot can SEE it is a physical damage, I tink she meant “cosmetic/aesthetic damages. Which, secondly, was the same bull-crap they tried to pull when they attended to my faulty wireless switch the previous time! I told her dun gimme this nonsense lah, if the power button spoilt how to power up/down the system! If she said my notebook keyboard letters fade is cosmetic damages, no problem; if she says the cover of my notebook scratches is cosmetic, no problem, but this!? I really grew mad and loud. She had to take the laptop in and less than 2minutes later she returned with a fixed power button.

I then questioned her, “so you are able to fix it under warranty on-the-spot after all lah?” She can only continued apologising. I proceeded to test the wireless once again but their sub-par battery ran out before any verification can complete. I asked for a charger and twice she brought out chargers that obviously cannot insert into the DC-input of my model. Haiz…then once again I asked her, “Can you explain to me why you fellows are able to fix my power button on the spot immediately but have to send my laptop to Toh Guan to fix the wireless switch? Do you have technicians that fixes different parts of the same product scattered all over the island?!” She can only continue apologising. Lastly, since they have no suitable chargers for me to test my notebook, I asked for the simplest thing, “May I have a plastic bag to carry it home in?”. Yup, also dun have!

You may think this is over, but no! When I went home and tried to unscrew the bottom HDD cover to swap back my primary HDD (I sent the notebook in with another HDD because I have no faith in how they will handle the physical HDD and /or its data contents within), I was in for a rude surprise to discover 1 of the 2 screws securing was missing!!! With only 1 screw securing the plastic cover, this is what you get:

Samsung service centre forgot to return me my screw!

What the hell are they trying to do!? You may say it’s my onus to check before accepting the return; but heck, I’m “sorry” I didn’t expect Samsung service centre to damage my power button and steal my screw when I submit my notebook for repairs on its wireless switch!

I refuse to send in my notebook again, and that means I’m on my own to source for this kind of screw for notebook. Had no luck with my local hardware shop, and finally secure one piece after fully traversing the 6th,5th and 4th story of Sim Lim Sq (found it in a back-lane shop on the 4th storey; kudos to the young man who tried to give the screw to me for free, but I paid $1 for it anyway).

So, FINALLY, I can use my notebook properly again. Think about my 2 encounters should you consider purchasing Samsung products for yourself. Buyers beware. Warranty-claimers, beware.