View Full Version : the best customer service ever
i have a pair actually two pair of bose quiet comfort noise canceling headphones costing $300 each
bose has replaced them 8 times often sending them fedex overnight at their expense
i use them constantly thus they have broken before the one year warranty which begins anew for each exchange/replacement
my last pair was not broken but the padded earpad had become unglued and even though they are one month out of warranty bose will send me a new pair of the quiet comfort 2 that i have or upgrade me to 3 for the $50 price difference in the price of new
i have never encountered such customer service ever
their agents are unfailingly polite and in the past when the headphones were actually broken as in not working the research people want to know in detail exactly what is not working
maybe it has to do with the fact that bose is a private company and they are not responsible to stockholders
their interest is in improving their products and taking care of their employees
they certainly make life easier
patch
11-01-2007, 03:44 AM
I'm jealous. I want some bose headphones.
Can I have the pair that are coming unglued? *smiles sheepishly*
I'm jealous. I want some bose headphones.
Can I have the pair that are coming unglued? *smiles sheepishly*
i would give them to you happily but i have to send them back to get the new ones
they are great well worth the investment
they have saved my sanity from the noise of the construction going on next door
bose has heard the panic in my voice and as i said sent previous replacements overnite fedex
i have two pair so a. i have a backup and b. when i am working on music i can hook up someone else
you can buy them over a 12 month period at no interest
if only sony and dell were so 'consumer friendly'
i did get a free dell from dell but first they drove me psycho
and the actual computer was not even broken it was the hinges and related plastic parts - after a week of trying to get customer service to 'help' me i emailed michael dell
'your customer service is costing you a fortune and me as a customer'
i included my name and my phone number and received a call from one of their vice presidents a gary cottshot who i told
'you have messed with me enough i think you should just send me a new computer'
and they did of my choice and in six days
but first as i said they drove me c r a z y
i wish i could have 1% of the money that dell's lousy customer service costs them
it is not a business for me but the person or persons who can create a company to provide bose type service for big multinational companies serving the everyday consumer is going straight to the top of the forbes billionaires list
tokenuser
11-01-2007, 11:55 AM
What does it tell you about a pair of headphones that cost $250-$300 AND FALL APART WITHIN A YEAR.
Bose have a great replacement policy, because the QC sucks.
BTW - My wife has a pair of $150 Sennheiser NC headphone (PX250?) that are over the ear and awesome. I use a pair of in ear Sony NC (NR-22?) when travelling, and the combination of being an ear plug, and have great sound reproduction is great as well.
What does it tell you about a pair of headphones that cost $250-$300 AND FALL APART WITHIN A YEAR.
Bose have a great replacement policy, because the QC sucks.
i use them 12 hours a day and more every day
the first time i had a problem i was asked
'is this a product you use every day for hours a day'
'yes - were they not designed for this'
'i don't know but we will overnite fedex you a new pair and you can put the old ones in the box and send it back using our fedex account'
i have their fedex account number
no one else gives that kind of service
the most recent problem of the ear pad was most likely caused because i even sleep with them on in order not to be awakened by the construction or i just fall asleep watching a movie
i could tell them that and they did not care why - they only cared that i needed a new pair
the QC 3 is a different design which fits on the ear not over the ear
though i am glad you and your wife are happy with your headphones
i am curious if you use them for 5000 or so hours a year
I use a pair of in ear Sony NC (NR-22?) when travelling, and the combination of being an ear plug, and have great sound reproduction is great as well.
that sounds good for outside the apartment
thx i will check them out :)
kickarse
11-01-2007, 01:02 PM
Bose have definitely made a "name" for themselves over the years. Their technology is amazing, rivaling Yamaha's (they have a center channel that will fill the whole room with sound and make you believe you're listening to a 7:1 system) and other audiophile brands.
But I don't believe that they tested these headphones to the amount of work you put them through. Perhaps they should?
But I agree, any company that has a no questions asked policy about returning an item is awesome. Especially when they extend the warranty to the replacement item.
Interestingly enough Bose headquarters is about 1hr from where I live.
tokenuser
11-01-2007, 01:21 PM
no one else gives that kind of serviceDisagree. Kensington technology have a series of amazing compter bags. I use (and highly recommend) the Kensington Contour Overnight Notebook Roller (http://us.kensington.com/html/6491.html), and travel extensively with it.
I usually travel overnight, so tend to gate check the bag. My first bag was trashed by United baggage handlers - literally twisting the extension handle so hard that the thing broke. WTF they were thinking grabbing that instead of the two very obvious rubber handles on top of the bag I have no idea. Anyway, I gate checked the bag just fine in Toronto, and it was broken when I got to my connecting destination in New York. United told me to make a claim when I got to my final destination - who of course told me they weren't covered as they have no proof of when the bag was dameged (a great example of POOR customer service).
Anyway, Kensington have a lifetime warranty on their bags (http://us.kensington.com/html/1368.html#life). I called up "Peter" with his very VERY thick Indian accent, and was shipped a replacement bag that arrived 3 days later.
Needless to say, when my last bag was stolen it was replaced (via insurance) by an identical Kensington bag.
though i am glad you and your wife are happy with your headphones
i am curious if you use them for 5000 or so hours a yearHeadphones are a personal choice. We chose ours (and you notice we have completely different styles) based on comfort preferences, and audio quality. Importantly for us though was also that the headphones continued to operate (even if without nc) when the batteries died. We generally carry spares, but at 30,000' over the Pacific its kinda hard to find an Energizer bunny.
For me a key factor was portability. I did not want to have to carry a case with me with headphones. The earbud design was perfect, and after working many years in heavy industry, I am quite comfortable with ear plugs/buds for extended hours (which contribute significantly to the noise reduction).
For my wife, she is less mobile than I am and spends most of her time at her desk writing or doing research (if shes not teaching or in meetings). So her Sennheisser's get used 6-8 hours per day, 5-6 days per week.
I can appreciate the comfort of the Bose, but the sound reproduction was terrible - especially compared to the Sennheisers in the low frequency range, and in the high range it was clipped.
Sounds like you have had some success with your Bose though - but if you feel the need to wear them 14 hours per day, each and every day of the year, you have other environmental issues you should deal with.
phatlip12
11-01-2007, 02:31 PM
Call me a fanboy, but the best customer service I ever received was from Apple.
I had a small crack on my case which appeared to be from where the magnetic piece at the top of my screen meet with the bottom of the keyboard. I believe this was a common problem with early Macbook models as there were quite a few different people online that had the same problem. Here is pic of someone else's cracked Macbook that looked similar to how mine did.
http://www.stud.uni-goettingen.de/~s275288/graphics/MacBook%20Bruch.jpeg (http://www.stud.uni-goettingen.de/%7Es275288/graphics/MacBook%20Bruch.jpeg)
Anyways, i took it into the store and explained the problem to the genius. Without asking a single question about my warranty he said they would fix it no problem. As I was leaving the mall, I got a call from an unfamiliar number on my cell phone. It turns out it was the genus calling because he noticed some of my icons weren't showing up in Finder. He actually called my house to see if I was there, talked to my mom and then asked for my cell phone so he could call me to see if I wanted it fixed.
tokenuser
11-01-2007, 02:55 PM
Call me a fanboy, but the best customer service I ever received was from Apple.
I had a small crack on my case which appeared to be from where the magnetic piece at the top of my screen meet with the bottom of the keyboard. I believe this was a common problem with early Macbook models as there were quite a few different people online that had the same problem. Here is pic of someone else's cracked Macbook that looked similar to how mine did.
http://www.stud.uni-goettingen.de/~s275288/graphics/MacBook%20Bruch.jpeg (http://www.stud.uni-goettingen.de/%7Es275288/graphics/MacBook%20Bruch.jpeg)
Anyways, i took it into the store and explained the problem to the genius. Without asking a single question about my warranty he said they would fix it no problem. As I was leaving the mall, I got a call from an unfamiliar number on my cell phone. It turns out it was the genus calling because he noticed some of my icons weren't showing up in Finder. He actually called my house to see if I was there, talked to my mom and then asked for my cell phone so he could call me to see if I wanted it fixed.The fact that he called you about this is great, but have you considered WHY they were on you computer poking around to begin with? You walked in with a cracked case, and they start fixing your icons? Hope you kept your porn locked away ...
masherscf
11-01-2007, 03:20 PM
There are plenty of companies with similar policies. It's easy to give a generous replacement policy on a product that cost $300 or more. It makes you wonder what their margin is.
A friend of mine ordered a pair of Tevas from L.L. Bean. After about two-years they broke. He called up L.L bean for a free replacement which they provided. After another two-years they broke again and they replaced them again. This process repeated about five more times before L.L. Bean suggested that he should purchase a new pair of Tevas.
xibalba
11-01-2007, 04:18 PM
I ordered a Tripod from some camera store and it was broke(alittle glue fixed it). I called before deciding to fixing it myself they told me to just keep it or throw it away and they sent me a new one and got it a day later. Glued the broke one and gave it my brother. Still a few good businesses out there.
Bose have definitely made a "name" for themselves over the years. Their technology is amazing, rivaling Yamaha's (they have a center channel that will fill the whole room with sound and make you believe you're listening to a 7:1 system) and other audiophile brands.
But I don't believe that they tested these headphones to the amount of work you put them through. Perhaps they should?
yes i have talked to the tech people about that - they are always very interested in exactly how they went bad
But I agree, any company that has a no questions asked policy about returning an item is awesome. Especially when they extend the warranty to the replacement item.
when they extended the warranty an extra month i was really impressed and happy
i am going to spring for the extra $50 and get the new lighter model
Disagree. Kensington technology have a series of amazing compter bags. I use (and highly recommend) the Kensington Contour Overnight Notebook Roller (http://us.kensington.com/html/6491.html), and travel extensively with it.
I usually travel overnight, so tend to gate check the bag. My first bag was trashed by United baggage handlers - literally twisting the extension handle so hard that the thing broke. WTF they were thinking grabbing that instead of the two very obvious rubber handles on top of the bag I have no idea. Anyway, I gate checked the bag just fine in Toronto, and it was broken when I got to my connecting destination in New York. United told me to make a claim when I got to my final destination - who of course told me they weren't covered as they have no proof of when the bag was dameged (a great example of POOR customer service).
Anyway, Kensington have a lifetime warranty on their bags (http://us.kensington.com/html/1368.html#life). I called up "Peter" with his very VERY thick Indian accent, and was shipped a replacement bag that arrived 3 days later.
Needless to say, when my last bag was stolen it was replaced (via insurance) by an identical Kensington bag.
good to know i need reliable luggage
Sounds like you have had some success with your Bose though - but if you feel the need to wear them 14 hours per day, each and every day of the year, you have other environmental issues you should deal with.
don't get me started :(
i move to oceanfront seeking health and peace in this charming area two blocks wide with the ocean on one side and two streets over indian creek - really sweet neighborhood
then came the developers with their 20 story towers
i was all over the city and as it turns out the one comissioner who gave me lots of time and support is likely to be our new mayor and she is willing to slow development for the sake of quality of life
and she places me on the new ad hoc green committee and thru the city manager we realize that we can nail these egregious developers when they go for their zoning variances by requiring more green space
plus we can give preference to green development thru tax incentives
there are acoustical engineers that can reduce the noise and i intend to make them a requirement
after all miami beach is prime real estate we can afford to give it to those who are environmentally motivated
for every waterfront parcel there are a hundred developers salivating
plus i am going to see if i can thru the green committee require offsets like parks for the intrusiveness to the residents
if the developers don't want to adapt let them build in kansas
in the meantime i am moving
A friend was in a hurry and needed headphones, so he bought Bose thinking that was a quality name. They cost about $150. He took them out of the package and the first thing he noticed was how cheaply they were made. Not only the construction, but they had no low-end and the high-end didn't exist at all.
He said they were the worst headphones he had ever bought and figured if he wanted that kind of quality he should have bought one of those no-name headphones that are made in China hanging at a check-out counter for $4.99, he said, atleast those include an MP3 player. YMMV.
phatlip12
11-01-2007, 08:29 PM
The fact that he called you about this is great, but have you considered WHY they were on you computer poking around to begin with? You walked in with a cracked case, and they start fixing your icons? Hope you kept your porn locked away ...
I THINK (not 100% sure because it was a while ago) he asked if I wanted him to run some diagnostic tests to check to make sure everything else was alright while they had it. I could be wrong though.
The only other thing that I can think of is he needed my serial number for something which you can find by turning it on.
comhcinc
11-01-2007, 10:47 PM
Bose makes good speakers but i have never been impressed by their headphones. i use a pair of Sony MDR-SA5000 in the studio and i travel with a pair of Sony MDR-V700DJ.(which i would recommend to everyone)
i think i am like a lot of people who are find the quality of the product more important that the quality of the customer service, but it is nice that bose is willing to work with you.
kickarse
11-02-2007, 02:09 PM
I just had to deal with Panasonic (RMA) and Banknorth (account lockout) support and BOTH were VERY good. Quick and to the point.
tokenuser
11-02-2007, 02:36 PM
Bose makes good speakers but i have never been impressed by their headphones.When looking at home theatre speakers 5 years ago, I really wanted to get a set of the accoustimass speakers - the size really appealed. Then I heard them ... and was underwhelmed. I suspected it might have been a non optimal demonstration room, so I found a Bose store ... and was equally disappointed.
Ended up with a set of Infiniti bookshelf speakers (5+1 config). Infiniti are made by Harman Kardon as their "mid cost" product, and provided an excellent audio response range. Price was comparable to a set of Bose bookshelf speaker - but audio quality was far superior.
njshadow
11-04-2007, 02:52 AM
My grandma own's 2 Bose acoustic wave radios and my Dad purchased one as well. (My Dad's can also play CD's) It's probably the best radio I have EVER heard. They include a demo disc with it that really shows off the potential of the system.