Getting Good Service

Today's consumer products are designed to provide years of entertainment and useful service. These products are extremely reliable, considering the complexity of their internal construction and circuitry.

But, breakdowns can occur at any time, whether the product is new (that's why they have warranties) or after it's several years old. This is quite frustrating for most of us. Trying to find the right service company and receiving satisfactory repairs can sometimes be equally frustrating.

The independent service industry has kept pace with the manufacturers in pampering the consumers of complex products. Like the cost of buying the products, the cost of servicing them has remained a bargain. The vast majority of these service businesses are dedicated to good and lasting services at fair prices.

Still, there are some service companies which are both unqualified and unethical. These will use the consumers' lack of technical or mechanical knowledge to charge outrageous fees for shoddy workmanship.

So, what is a consumer to do? Well, there are ways to give yourself the absolutely best chances of getting the repairs you need at a reasonable price. When you need a TV, stereo, microwave oven, home computer, antenna system, appliance, or other electronic item repaired, the following information may help you in this search.

Some of the suggestions below may sound a bit extreme, but if you want to protect your equipment (and your wallet), a legitimate professional servicer should not be offended by your inquiries.

DON'T CHANGE WITHOUT REASON
The most important step is to continue to do business with the firm you trust from prior services. If you have been taking your business to a company that offers prompt, courteous, and competent service, don't change unless you have to. (A legitimate reason to change would be if the product is in warranty and that company is not authorized for that brand, of if they do not repair that type or brand of product.)

HOW TO SELECT A COMPANY
If you need to select a service company, visit the NESDA Servicer Locator. You may also want to ask your friends and neighbors for recommendations and carefully screen advertisements for an established business with the proper credentials for your type and brand of equipment, such as:

(1) Has the company been in business for some time at a bona-fide business address?

(2) Do they advertise their business address with their phone number?

(3) Are they a member of a self-policing state and/or local trade association?

(4) Do they belong to an ethics-promoting national trade association, such as NESDA? NESDA members should display a membership certificate with a current date. Some NESDA member businesses are certified through the Certified Service Center program. These businesses have complied with rigorous requirements to achieve this certification.

(5) Does the business employ a certified electronics technician (CET) in a position of responsibility? Does it display diplomas from trade schools, manufacturers' special training, and/or an "ISCET C.E.T." certificate from the International Society of Certified Electronics Technicians (ISCET)? ISCET-certified CETs generally carry a wallet certification card.

(6) If your unit is covered in full or in part by a factory warranty, is the company an authorized agent for that type of equipment? (Look for current manufacturer-issued certificates and training diplomas.)

(7) If the product is covered in full or in part by a third-party service contract, is the company authorized to honor the terms of that contract?

CHECKING THEM OUT
When you have selected a service company, be sure to check it out by submitting the name of that business to the Better Business Bureau or other consumer-information agency and ask for the following:

(a) Name and business address of the owner or business principal.

(b) Length of time in business and at what address(es).

(c) Record of satisfactory responses to consumer complaints.

Then, and only then, should you select and contact a company based upon your knowledgeable comparisons.

REQUESTING SERVICE
When you request service from your carefully selected company:

(1) First, make sure that the unit is really not working. You will most likely have to pay for the service whether it is, or not. (This is especially true if it's in warranty, since "no trouble" or "adjustment" calls are not normally covered.) Check your plugs and other external sources.

(2) Ask if the company has experience with, and access to, parts for your particular equipment.

(3) If in warranty, or covered by a service contract, gather and have ready all necessary papers to substantiate place of purchase, purchase date, model and serial numbers, and warranty coverages.

(4) If not covered or not fully covered by a warranty, ask about basic and normally anticipated service fees, and what services the fees cover for either in-home or carry-in. It is always best to GET IT IN WRITING.

(5) Ask if "estimates" or "range of repair prices" are quoted before you are obligated for major repair expenses.

(6) Ask about the extent of the service company's guarantees on services performed and parts installed.

(7) Determine the maximum amount you will have to pay for service. If it's for home service, how much is the service call fee? How much time and what other services are included? What other fees could you be charged (mileage, etc.)?

(8) Inquire in advance about anticipated use of payment options such as checks and debit or credit cards.

(9) When you make contact with the receptionist, manager or technician, request visual documentation (wall certificates or wallet I.D. cards) to verify claims of currently valid trade association memberships, factory authorizations, and employment of ISCET-Certified Electronics Technicians.

TAKING IT TO THE SERVICE CENTER
If your unit is portable, your warranty may require you to take it to the service center. If not in warranty, the repair would generally be less expensive if you carried it in yourself.

If the unit is not easily transportable, the technician who checks your unit in the home may still need to carry it to the service center for repair. Even when you take it to the business, if a preliminary check is not feasible or does not reveal the source of the problem, the unit will have to kept for awhile to determine the source of the problem.

That's because much of today's complex circuitry requires an extensive array of modern, bulky, and sensitive testing equipment. Much of this cannot be economically transported. If you are dealing with a reputable company, you can usually trust the technician who tells you it will "have to go to the shop."

Still, there are certain steps you should take at this point: (1) Ask the maximum fee you must pay if you decide not to complete the repairs due to prohibitive costs (get it in writing.)

(2) Ask about normally anticipated time periods to get to and initially check your unit; and to complete repairs if the problems are (a) minor or (b) major.

(3) Get a receipt for your unit with the following information: (a) Your product's make, model, and serial number; (b) The name, address, and telephone number of the store. Does it match the name on the store, the vehicle, and the invoice or receipt? (c) The name and signature of the person accepting the unit; (d) The kind of trouble the unit is having; (e) If it is covered by a warranty or service contract, to what extent.

WHEN THE REPAIRS ARE COMPLETED
Before you leave the service center with your unit or the technician leaves your home, you should:

(1) Receive a satisfactory explanation of the trouble and a fully itemized and readable listing of services performed and parts installed plus, a statement of any terms or guarantees.

(2) Make sure that you see the unit perform satisfactorily and that you are able to operate it in your usual manner.

(3) Request instruction in the proper operation and care of the unit for best performance and least future trouble.

(4) Retain the name of this carefully chosen service company for future service needs, for advice on new or replacement product purchases, and for referrals to your friends.

WHEN DISSATISFIED
In spite of precautions, you could still be dissatisfied with the services and/or their costs. Intermittent failures (that come and go while appearing to be corrected) and the unpredictability of electronic circuits can make even the most experienced technician seem incompetent. Identical symptoms can be caused by malfunctions of completely unrelated parts and circuits.

Some parts can fail instantaneously, even immediately after a thorough testing. And, even though electronics repairs are a bargain compared to other services, the required skill and diagnostic equipment still sometimes make them very costly. These justifiable fees may seem exorbitant to some consumers. In addition, it is always possible that an honest mistake has been made.

Also, you may not have been able to follow all of the recommended precautions. Therefore, you could have been victimized by an incompetent or unethical operator. In any event, if you have serious questions about the services you received, you should do the following:

(1) Complain to the service company representatives. A legitimate company will welcome your questions and will either correct the problem, explain the situation to your satisfaction, or see that you are properly advised of the reasons.

(2) Before you give up, make sure that you reach and report your dissatisfaction to the owner or top official in the company (the person listed as the principal on the BBB records or business license).

(3) If the business or the owner is a member of a local or state self-policing trade association, contact the president or other official about your avenues of recourse.

(4) If the owner or manager is currently a member of NESDA, e-mail NESDA at info@nesda.com. We will ask the servicer to contact you.

(5) Contact and file reports with your local Better Business Bureau, if there is one in your area. If not, contact and file reports with any agency which might offer recourse or arbitration, such as a Chamber of Commerce, local or state licensing or registration board, or consumer legal affair agency.

LAST RESORTS
If none of the preceding results in your satisfaction, you might try these "last ditch" steps:

(1) If the unit is in warranty or relatively new, contact a different factory-authorized service station or call or write the manufacturer's consumer representative.

(2) Contact an attorney to be advised of legal recourse available through the courts.