Join me in calling out bad customer service

Research suggests that about 98% of people who have bad retail experiences do not complain.

I'm no longer a fan of JB Hi-Fi. Picture: iStock

I, on the other hand, am strongly of the view that retailers and businesses, including my own, need to be held accountable for their conduct.

Read more Subversive Sam: I'm as mad as hell. Come yell with me!

I would love this to be the first of a series of articles from members and readers in general, telling their stories of good and bad service in Australia. Talking about it like this is the best way of causing bad service to disappear and good service to become more common.

While I find the environment less than pleasant, I have long been a fan of JB Hi FI. Its stores are conveniently located, the staff seem well-informed and the pricing is competitive.

But my inclination to be a fan stops today. Nothing offends me more than a business that tries to dodge its warranty and service obligations.

About three months ago I purchased a computer for one of my team from JB Hi Fi. This was one of many computers and even more items of equipment that we have purchased from the retailer. Over the last few weeks, we have found the key board to be faulty and, once I had recovered the receipt, the keyboard was returned to JB Hi Fi with a request that it be repaired.

I was told that because I had not returned the computer with the keyboard, I would need to go directly to Toshiba (the manufacturer) or, alternatively, buy another keyboard at a discounted price.

I have a number of issues with these suggestions:

If I return the computer, I will lose productivity while it is away and may well lose the data on the machine

If the machine is replaced, I will most certainly lose the data and programs uploaded to the machine

JB Hi FI, under consumer law, is responsible for returns. It is its responsibility to deal with Toshiba

There was absolutely no customer focus in either of the solutions proposed.

I have returned a computer in the past, only to have it replaced, with all programs having to be reloaded again. I have had computers in repairs shops before for weeks, with lots of productivity lost.

What would it have cost JB Hi Fi to simply replace the keyboard?

I don’t know, but here is what it will cost JB Hi Fi, after having not replaced the keyboard, or at least sent it off for repairs:

Despite having spent $10,000 or more with JB Hi FI in 2017, neither me or my business will will ever shop their again

This piece will be published on all blogs that I write for

I will take every opportunity I can to tell everyone this story and discourage them from shopping at JB Hi Fi

As it was only a keyboard, I simply purchased a new on and moved on.

For my next purchase, I am going to try Amazon and see how that goes. Maybe, dear reader, you should do the same!

Looking after the customers you have got is the first law of good business. It is a law that JB Hi Fi has not heard of, it seems.

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