Apple vs Sony Customer Support, Why Sony Sucks

In this article I am not going to compare their products, but the customer service after sale. The key of success is the good customer service for any brand, and my recent experience from Sony has made me write this article.

Sony Customer Service

The Issue

I bought a 40-inch Sony Bravia TV on April 24 for my new home, and shifted to the new home on 29th. I removed its packaging, and mounted it on the wall. The box/carton was quite large, so I put it outside of building. In the morning I setup all the connection, and turned the TV on, and noticed a black line inside display, so I immediately went down to check the box, but it was gone.

My Mistake

I should have tested the TV first, and then throw the box.

Resolution from Sony and its Authorized Seller

I went to the seller very next day, and asked for replacement. The first thing they asked, where the bill is? I gave them, but they denied to replace because the TV Carton is missing. I contacted Sony Customer Care, and they asked to email them, but never got any reply. I contacted the local authorized Sony Service Center, and they took my contact number, and promised to call back, but no one got back to me.

Finally, TV was repaired after 7 days. So I went to take it back, and found the black line was still there. They told me to give them one more day, and I will be given a replacement. So I went the very next day, and they gave me the replacement. The replacement TV was not a new TV for sure. There were minor scratches around the edge, and they still claim the TV was new. Display was clean, but not the body. I denied to take that piece as replacement, and they contacted Sony, and they said this is what they can do, else they will repair the other piece once again, and I need to wait another 7 days. I was tired of waiting and wasting my time for one stupid TV, so I accepted it somehow or the other.

Apple Customer Service

I have visited Apple Service Center multiple times, but they never asked for the bill to claim any warranty. They replaced the iPhone once even it was 2 months used, and didn’t even ask where the Carton is. I visited an Authorized Service Center, and they took 3 days, but gave me a new iPhone as replacement, it was without box though. So buying Apple Products never forced me to keep the Carton or the bill.

One more great instance; I bought a used MacBook once, and the seller gave the original receipt. The laptop was 7 months old, but Warranty Status was not appearing on Apple Website. When I tried to register, it failed to verify the purchase date. I stay in Dubai, and it was night here. So I called US Customer care toll free number from Skype, and they registered the warranty for me just asking the purchase date (didn’t ask to send bill copy).

Conclusion

Sony : Make.Believe Break.Believe

A Good Product can never lead a brand to success unless they provide a good service after sale. I will never buy a Sony product in future for sure. I understand that loosing one customer is nothing to them, but I am sure they lose many customers each day if they have such customer service around the world. Never got a chance to complaint about Apple Customer Service so far, but I will update if anything changes in future.