To,
The Manager
LG Electronics
India
cc: Mr. Moon B. Shin
President South West Asia,
Managing Director-LGEIL
It is with ENORMOUS disgust that I would like to relate the incidents that I have had to experience with regard to dealing with your authorized 'service' outlet M/s. Comfort Point located at Goregaon Mumbai.
Given below are the series of incidents with the relevant brief of the happenings...
It all started in the month of April when I had noticed that the AC unit in my living room wasn't cooling upto the desired levels inspite of the temperature controls being adjusted to 18 degrees. With this unit having performed better than expectations over the past 4 years, even at temperature controls at 24 & 25 degrees... I obviously knew this unit needed to be looked into by an authorized service outlet of LG & hence contacted your call center in the 3rd week of April.
The service engineer from Comfort point (...so called... if thats what they call it... which ideally should be called 'Discomfort point') visits my residence only at the end of April who surprisingly conveys that there is 'Nothing wrong' with the unit except that he 'THINKS' that there is a shortage of gas which needs to be filled afterwhich the unit should be fine. Not being convinced about his investigations which he 'THINKS', he prepares a service report where he mentions that the machine needs to be further verified by a senior technician who will revisit the machine & will share his findings with me on the same. After this, 3 to 4 days went by where there was neither a call from the service engineer nor comfort point on the senior technician's visit. With the summer being at this peak, I had to get intouch with the call center again & thankfully managed to get the contact number of the service outlet 'comfort point'...which after speaking to them I was surprised to note that the service engineer that had visited my residence conveyed to his office with the remark 'WS collection pending' (which as mentioned above was contradictory to the report that I had signed for).
In any case, with my unit having to proceed to the workshop I was subsequently revisited by yet another service engineer on May 1st who switched on the unit and surprisingly remarks that there is NOTHING wrong with the unit but still took it after I insisted on the machine needing to be cross checked by the service workshop once-n-for all...(the biggest mistake made by me to send the machine to the service outlet Comfort Point). On my machine having been collected I subsequently received the 1st. complaint number C1043028394 on May 1st 2010. When the engineer organized the machine to be collected, the person did not collect the 'Indoor Display unit' to which I questioned him on how they would check the working condition without this display; which he conveyed that this display unit was NOT required by them as the workshop had the facility to check the machine without this display unit being present (with my not being technically savvy, I had to take his word for it). The machine was hence collected both the outdoor & indoor units (without the indoor display unit).
On my liasing with the service outlet on May 5th I was conveyed that the machine was cross verified by the workshop & the compressor was found faulty & needed to be replaced, which would be replaced free of cost given the compressor being within its warranty period of 5 years (incidently I would hasten to highlight that this is totally contrary to both the service engineers remarks who had conveyed earlier that the machine was fine & nothing was wrong). On my having inquired further about there being any other fault with the machine I was told by them that the Indoor cooling coil needed servicing to which I did not want to take a chance & confirmed to them to have the same replaced, the cost of which would be borne personally by me. They inturn confirmed that the cost of this part would come to approx Rs.2700/- to which I addressed them in the affirmative that of replacing the same at the cost which would be payable by me on delivery of the machine.
On May 7th after I called Comfort point I was told by them that the compressor would be replaced by today & the cooling coil would be ordered for replacement (a delay already by 1 week... May 1st to 7th post my first communication/confirmation to them) and the machine would be ready for delivery by the 10th or 11th of May. Post my conversation with them, I subsequently received the 2nd. complaint number S1050802693 on May 8th.
On not having received any call (as usual) from Comfort, I called the call center on May 11th to find out the status of the complaint to which I was just told to liase with the service outlet... Comfort point. On speaking to yet another person at Comfort I was conveyed that whilst the compressor was replaced, the Indoor cooling coil was expected in a day's time (May 12th) as was not in ready stock with Comfort & hence the machine to be delivered by May 14th.
Now on May 13th, I inquired with Comfort on the cooling coil that should have ideally been replaced & was surprisngly given to understand that the part was still expected (probably was walking by itself) and they were expecting the same to come in today afterwhich they would replace the same & deliver the machine by Saturday, May 15th.
As I had vacation plans with the family out of Mumbai, I conveyed to them to have the coil replaced but the delivery would need to be only after a week after I would return from my vacation in Goa. The person I had spoken to this time was Mr. Jay from Comfort who confirmed the needful would be done & they would await my call for delivery of the duly completed machine in a week.
On my return from Goa on May 20th morning, I called Comfort Point from the airport itself so as to expect the machine to be delivered the same day in the afternoon or evening. To my utter dismay, I speak to Ijaz from Comfort & understand that they are STILL expecting the cooling coil & the same was expected by the 21st morning afterwhich he conveyed that he would PERSONALLY ENSURE that the machine would be delivered by Sunday morning, May 23rd by 1100 hrs without fail.
Now come Sunday, May 23rd, with my having not received any calls from Comfort (as usual), I call their number 022 69532103 which is not answered.
On the following day, May 24th, I call for Ijaz on the same above number who yet again apologizes on the cooling coil not being received by them but he would have the same organized from some other authorized service outlet and have the machine delivered by the same evening but about 2100 hrs.
Naturally with utter disgust, I did not accept the committment being made by Ijaz/Comfort and requested to talk to a senior in the outlet. To my astonishment, I am transfered telephonically to Mr. Jay who has the odassity to tell me & I quote..."we are doing you a favour by arranging the coil from Nariman point & if you are not interested in waiting until 9 at night I will send this machine to you as it is without the coil being replaced"...
Obviously, since I was compelled to comply with coil being replaced, I accepted Mr. Jay's assurance of the coil being replaced & the machine being delivered by 2100 hrs the same day.
To my further dismay, I now get a call from Mr. Prakash Pandit, the Area Service Manager from LG at 1604 hrs on 24th itself who astonishingly conveys that Comfort Point has got in touch with him that they cannot even "SWITCH ON'" the machine since the DISPLAY UNIT is not with them as it is still at my residence. I in turn was left speechless as conveyed to Mr. Pandit that I had specifically mention the same to the technician who collected the unit on May 1st to which was told by the technician then that the Display unit was not required. Mr. Pandit was kind enough to apologize on LG's behalf & for due clarity on the inconvience faced by me put by Mr. Jay from Comfort on conference over our cellphine conversation where I had conveyed to jay to have the same collected at the earliest so as for the machine to be delivered by the end of the day on 24th. Mr.jay & Mr. Pandit agreed & the conversation was ended.
Whilst it takes only 20 minutes from Comfort to my residence the technician comes in to collect the display unit only by 2030 hrs (8.30 p.m.). Just before him leaving with the Display unit, for my due clarity I inquired on how he was going to commute with the unit to which I was SHOCKINGLY conveyed by him that he was not given the money for transport & hence would need to travel by bus with this unit. I was not interested in arguing this out with anyone at all & hence gave the technician Rs.100/- & requested him to travel by autorickshaw as the unit would get damaged if he attempted to travel by bus.
As I did not get a call from Comfort as usual, I attempted to called Mr. Jay about 5 times this morning at 1000 hrs on his mobile number 9221295569 (the number which I managed to hook on to when we had the conference call) but he did not pick the call.
Disgusted & completely frustrated, I called Mr. Pandit was busy & was kind to call me back. The remark that I heard from Mr. Pandit was shocking... and I quote..."Sir, I understand from Mr. Jay that your machine is not coming on & there may some issue with the display unit"... I was shocked.
I conveyed in-turn to Mr. Pandit that I was NOT WILLING to buy any further excuses as there was NO PROBLEM with the Display unit at all moreover the same was even switched on by the Comfort technician right from Day-1 when they confirmed that NOTHING was wrong with the machine.
I further conveyed to Mr. Pandit that It was very clear that the person that collected the dispaly unit went by bus transport so as to pocket the Rs.100/- which I had given to him. To this, Mr. Pandit conveyed that he would liase with the DEL headoffice & get back to me... which is where my grievance stands as of now.
My observations :
1. LG being an mnc & a worldwide accepted brand in home appliances / products... does a customer have to go through SUCH TRAUMA to have issues sorted.
2. Does LG India not see the 'Discomfort' that the customer is made to go through at your authorized service center... so called...'Comfort Point'.
3. Am I not justified in taking my 'Gross Harrassment' to Consumer Court' & should I not be compensated for this 'Harrassment'.
4 Do you still intend to continue with Comfort Point & engineer of this sort.
As long as this email complaint, the frustration levels faced by me are simply un-explainable & I would sincerely expect a immediate reply on this issue being resolved.
Thank you.
Yours in frustration...,
WARREN MONTEIRO
Mob. no. : 98333 94099
cc: Mr. Moon B. Shin
President South West Asia,
Managing Director-LGEIL
P.S. :
I have copied this correspondence to your Managing Director in an attempt not only for him to be fully aware of the frustration levels faced by customers but moreover him being more in a loop on such 'Gross Harrassment' faced with LG authorized Service Centres... in this case M/s. Comfort Point.
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