Hey Folks
Need some advice on where to complain about the service from Samsung which is just atrocious. I purchased this on contract through optus.
12 weeks ago my new Samsung phone bricked while it was doing a software update, and I still haven't got a replacement or a repaired phone due to the complicated nature at which Samsung customer service/repairs operate. After calling Samsung the resolution was to send the phone back to them for repair which seemed normal, but everything that has happened since then as been anything "but normal"
The first challenge was actually getting an appointment at the store! the booking system online is down half the time. I had to drive 1 hour to the closest store just to book an appointment for 3 weeks later for them to send the phone back. The people at the store didnt care about the bricked phone, or that their own booking system was down OR that i would have to wait 3 weeks to come back to the store for 5 mins to get the phone sent back. 2 hour round trip wasted. I had checked with Optus and they couldn't do this for me, it had to be with Samsung
3 weeks later I came back for the appointment and it was literally a 5min appointment of them of filling out a form and sending it back. 3 weeks later (so now 6 weeks in without a phone) I get a call saying the phone is stuffed we will send you a new one, a week later a new phone arrived but it was the wrong model! (mine was 256gb and they send 128gb)
It then took me 2 weeks to try and get through to someone in Samsung to tell them they sent me the wrong phone.
This is because:
- The store is unhelpful, again if you don't have an appointment they don't help you. If you do have an appointment its just sending the phone back and the "VOC team will help you" I suggested why couldn't i just turn up at the store with the wrong phone you send me (still boxed and unopened) and just swap it on the day with my correct model. I was laughed at, the thought of actually providing good customer service in a streamlined way is funny to them!
Calling customer service gets you through to the VOC team (Voice of the customer LOL) now this is a team who is not customer-centric at all!
the VOC team are useless! So you spend 30-40 mins getting through to them with the various menu options and the internal transfers plus repeating your story each time you get hold of anyone. The VOC team also can't transfer you to anyone else in the team, so you have an assigned case manager who can "only" deal with your questions. So when you finally get hold of something, all they say is "Thanks, we will note this down and get your assigned case manager to get in touch with you" that call never comes
It's also extremely hard to get to speak to a supervisor or a manager in this department. Over the 15-20times ive called them over the 12 week period only 2 of them have actually transferred me to someone senior. Most of them say "we are the highest point of esculation" and the refuse to transfer you
When i finally got hold of a supervisor, he apologies and said he would try to speed things up and would offer some form of compensation for my troubles.
Turns our the dispute is being handled by "HQ" on week 12 i get a call saying we have found you a new phone, please give us 3 weeks to ship it out to you LOL i had the suggestion of why cant i just go into a store and pick up a new phone, why do i need to wait 3 weeks. No great answer from HQ
The compensation they offered was a %15 voucher from the Samsung store LMAO - when i refused that she just put the phone down! Now i can't get back in touch with her. All roads lead back to HQ. I have tried social media, even trying pinging the CEO on linkdIN.
Is there somewhere to take this complaint?
Update: messaged a few senior directors on LinkedIN which had customer service in their title. One of them actually called me to apologise and to take ownership of the case. Within a space of a few hours a new phone has been shipped out!!
Two words.
T_ _ _ _ _ G_ _ _ _ _ _ _.