Thursday, September 6, 2007

My Review/RANT about 1-800-4MY-XBOX Customer Service

First let me start off my saying, I love the XBOX 360. I have been a proud owner since April 2006. I love the graphics, the games, XBOX Live, the HD DVD add on and everything else XBOX comes with.

But, that is where my love ends. Recently I experienced my second incident of the flashing three red lights indicating a hardware failure. Thanks to my Best Buy warranty, the exchanges have been hassle free. I called Best Buy and told them of my problem and they said just bring it on up. I was also informed that for $80 more, I could upgrade to an Elite. I though wow, not a bad deal. So before I went up to Best Buy to exchange me defective hardware, AGAIN,

So I called 1-800-4MY-XBOX and asked if I exchanged my defective 360 with an Elite would my data transfer from my 20 GB to the Elite’s 120 GB hard drive and would I be able to still play my downloaded content and Xbox Live Arcade games. I said, I knew that content and games were gamertag and console specific. He told me that the data migration cable would allow me to play all my downloadable content and games under all my gamertags and if not, I would have to fax my slips from Best Buy and my account would be reviewed. After review, I would have to create a new silver membership and points I spent would be refunded to re-download the games to the new console to replace my previous 360, which experienced a hardware failure. I was content with the representative’s help and waited till I recovered enough from surgery to exchange my failed machine for a new one.

On July 4, 2007, I finally was able to exchange my 360 and because my manufacturer’s warranty ran out on June 16, 2007. So, I had to fulfill my Best Buy warranty to exchange my failed machine and then purchase a new Best Buy to protect my newest Mircosoft 360 investment and based on previous experience of having two failed machines, it was a good idea. Then the very next day, Peter Moore announced that “You’ve spoken, and we’ve heard you. Good service and a good customer experience are areas of the business that we care deeply about. And frankly, we’ve not been doing a good enough job,” and extended the warranty to three years.

It is Mr. Moore’s underlined comments that I would like to address. On, July 4, 2007, I called 1-800-4MY-XBOX to get the data migration cable and again wanted to confirm that I would be able to play my previously downloaded content. I spoke with three different Costumer Service Representatives that day. The first and second representatives did not understand my concerns and actually hung up on me as I was trying to explain my situation. I promptly called back and finally found a representative who understood what I was speaking about and said this is a common issue and just wait till I got my data migration cable and if I could not play my downloadable content under all my profiles, I would have to create a new silver gamertag and fax my Best Buy slips and my account would be reviewed and points refunded, so I could re-download my previously purchased content. This is the same solution offered to me prior to exchanging my failed hardware.

I received my data migration cable well before the 8-10 business days I was told and for that I am very grateful. I then migrated the data from the 20 GB to the 120 GB hard drive and as I thought the downloadable content was not available on all my profiles, as on my previous machine before the hardware failure. So as I was instructed by two Customer Service Representatives, I once again called 1-800-4MY-XBOX.

I first spoke with Anthony, who told me that because I “upgraded”, there was nothing Microsoft could do. I pleaded with Anthony, that I was told I could by another representative and he put me on hold to speak to a supervisor and he was told there was nothing anyone could do. I then asked Anthony if I could speak to a supervisor and he connected me with Supervisor Annette.

Annette repeated Anthony’s statement that because I “upgraded” voluntarily, there was nothing to be done. I then pleaded with Annette that this was the last thing from voluntarily and that I had experienced my second hardware failure since April 2006. Annette was unyielding and started to raise her voice at me. I then explained the complete situation from losing my XBOX and HD-DVD player when I needed it most, during my surgery recovery to speaking with two representatives, both who stated it would not be a problem. I begged Annette to please help and even quote Mr. Moore’s comments and Annette again raised her voice at me and stated that we only refund 360 to 360, not upgrades. I said that this is a 360 and she said “NO!, it is an Elite.” I then asked for clarification that an Elite was not a 360. Annette again said “NO!” I again explained that this was not me upgrading to a new machine for the fun of it, but because I love the Microsoft product and decided to spend and extra $80 because I believed in the company and just experience bad luck with two previous purchased of a 360. Annette then hung up on my as well with no warning.

Of course I called back and asked to be connected to a supervisor because the previous one hung up on me. Representative Thomas Smith refused to connect me to a supervisor. I told him that I was just on the phone with one and she hung up on me. He stated that unless I explained my situation to him, I was not allowed to speak to a supervisor. I proceeded to explain the story yet again and Thomas tried to help putting me on hold to speak with his supervisor. He came back with the same answer as before. I then asked to speak to his supervisor.

I was next connected to Supervisor John B. I again repeated my situation to John and he seem to becoming understanding, but John like everyone else I spoke today was claiming that because I went from a premium to an Elite, there was nothing that could be done. I again pleaded that I was a loyal Microsoft customer and that this was because my previous 360 experienced a hardware failure. John then put me on hold and came back with no help to the consumer.

I again quoted Mr. Moore’s comments and John was understanding, but unable to help. John stated that consumer concerns are handled on a case by case basis. I then asked for Microsoft’s address so I could write this letter. John again put me on hold and finally came back and gave me the address.

I again pleaded and begged with John to help me, but he again stated there was nothing that could be done. After he gave me the address, I asked for his supervisor and was informed that there he has no supervisor. I then asked who he was speaking to when he put me on hold and he said he was checking his Microsoft Tools and again that situations are evaluated on a case by case basis. So, I said if you have no supervisor, you are the one who can make this decision and that, if he truly believed my situation he could help me out. He said, he would forward my situation to Microsoft.

I made one last plea to John to please help me, since he is the supervisor and apparently the decision maker at this Customer Service Center, that he could help me if he wanted. I told him that by helping me, he would be fulfilling Mr. Moore’s pledge of providing “Good service and a good customer experience are areas of the business that we care deeply about. And frankly, we’ve not been doing a good enough job,”

Finally, after 73 min on the phone with John, he stated that I should fax my Best Buy exchange slips to 1-877-557-8408 and that they would review my situation and possibly make an exception in this situation. John closed by asking for my telephone number and said we would call me if they agreed to make an exception and wanted my to create a new gamertag to allocate points.

Well, I finally called back on July 16, to see if they received my fax of my receipts to prove that I had to exchange my defective 360’s multiple times and was given the same corporate line as before. Microsoft will not refund points do to an upgrade. I was on the phone for 2 hours with the incompetents at 1-800-4MY-XBOX tiring to get the help I deserve and a level a customer satisfaction that was handed down by the president of the Xbox division. Apparently, going through 2 360’s in just over a year isn’t enough of a hassle enough to a customer, now the heartless workers of the Customer Service Center must make us the consumer jump through hoops in order to get the level of customer service Peter Moore demands for his customers and still get absolutely no where. I told last night’s supervisor that I was tired of the corporate line and that I demand this case be looked at personally and not just through emails to other departments. I told the supervisor, that if he truly felt that I had a valid complaint he would provide my case with the personal attention it requires to be handled properly. I also stated that I did not want to work with any other people, I want this case handle by one person and one person only to ensure some level of consistency. Finally at the end of the 2 hour phone call, he told me that he talked to his supervisor and they would “try” to handle this situation.

With my horrendous experiences with 1-800-4MY-XBOX, I have serious doubt this situation will be resolve in which the manner Peter Moore has stated, instead I will just be another inconvenienced and dissatisfied customer of the Xbox 360 product and its support team who is supposed to continue to throw his hard earned money in the trash.

In the end, I am learning why so many millions of people have such a true distain for Microsoft and why my shares in the company have done virtually nothing since I bought them in 2002.

Below is listing of all my purchased Downloadable Content with my reviews.

The Matrix Theme - Waste of Money
2k7 Phillies Theme
- Waste of Money
Contra - Brings back great memories
Feeding Frenzy - Fun port of Web game
Paperboy - Brings back great memories
Root Beer Tapper
- Brings back great memories
Uno - Awesome Mulitpaper Arcade Game
Kameo UNO Theme Deck - fun add on
Uno 35th Anniversary Deck - fun add on
Zuma - great port of Web game
Lumnies Live! - Great Time killer. Very addictive
Lumines Live! VS CPU PACK
Lumines Live! Puzzle/Mission PACK

Ultimate MK3
- Brings back great memories
Texas Hold’em - Awesome Mulitpaper Arcade Game
Pac-Man - Brings back great memories
Bankshot Billiards 2 - Fun original game

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