Garmin customer service

[bikerskier]

On the 7th, I ordered online a map update for my C330. Since I was planning a trip, I paid an extra $25 to get 2-3 day shipping. I immediately rec'd the order confirmation and also saw that my bank account was tapped to pay for it. After patiently waiting until the morning of the 14th, (thinking that it had been misdirected) and waiting 20 minutes on the phone, I finally spoke to Customer Service. She pulled up my order and said, "Oh, that software is backordered and expected in the next week or two. We'll ship it just as soon as it gets in and your name comes to the top of the backorder queue". After taking several deep breaths (cause I do want to be polite), I ask the young lady about the $25.00 extra charge for fast shipping. She thinks that over a bit and says that perhaps she can get that charge reversed. I suggested that perhaps she might want to do that. I then asked her if I missed the email, telling me that the product was backordered and did I want to continue with the order, so sorry, etc. etc. She informed me that their system was not set up do that, suggesting that I was a bit odd to expect such a silly thing. She said if I wanted it so bad, maybe I should just go to Best Buy or something and get it there. So, I did just that, today, and paid the same as the online price, without any shipping costs. Now, I will cancel the online order, hopefully via an email reply to the confirmation email that I received. Frankly, I was damn disappointed at the attitude and process on Garmin.

 

[Low Level FJR Pilot]

It's not just Garmin, it's everywhere lately that you have to deal with customer service. I have just run into it with a wireless company and Vonage. These people don't care, they read from cue cards and cannot think for themselves, or they are at a call center in India or the Phillipines. What ever happened to customer service oriented companies? :assassin:

 

[dgfella]

Garmin does have sucky service. They offered to fix my phantom locked map problem for $100, when it is a problem with their software.

Customer service is going downhill in general with outsourcing. There is an initial improvement, but then a drop off in service that never comes back.

 

[Wolfhound]

I had a problem with the metal piece pulling out of the plastic which attaches the mount to the Rino GPS after a year & they said "Send it in & we'll check it out", They sent me a new unit a couple of weeks later . . . .Free

 

[fjrtx]

I've had nothing but GREAT service from Garmin. Sorry to hear you didn't get the same.

 

[ponyfool]

Honestly, I think anymore, a company's service is solely dependent on the employee you talk to. You get one person operations like (Bike Effects, Holeshot, etc), and you are dealing with someone who really cares about their product and your satisfaction.

You get a big company that has 50 people in a cubicle farm, and it doesn't matter what the company's intention is if the customer service representative just doesn't give a damn.

I had the same dealing with Sprint the other day, but asked to speak to a supervisor, and everything was resolved quickly (my request wasn't unreasonable, the service rep was though). It's up to the company to decide if the employee is representing their interests and philosophy.

Now, having said that, I'm still waiting for Garmin to send me the newest Navigator software since my Zumo came packaged with the old one. So, maybe you are on to something.

 

[markjenn]

As consumer electronics companies go, I think Garmin is pretty good. I've had generally good experiences - no perfect, but pretty good. Without listenting to the conversation, I won't weigh in about their (and your) "attitude", but all they did wrong here is not inform you of the backorder status at the time of order, which is pretty much par for the course with all online ordering.

- Mark

 

[profireguy]

I had to call Garmin twice when I bought a refurbed GPS, once to get them to ship me version 8, which they did for free (they recently changed the free update thing, the website wanted me to pay $75). And once to get the V8 to work because it would not unlock over my wireless internet connection. Both times, other than the twenty plus minutes on hold, I was given everything I asked quickly and with no attitude. I thought they were great.

 

[bikerskier]

OK, so yesterday I go to Best Buy and find the software in stock. Buy it at the same price as online, except no shipping cost. Today, I try to load and get stopped at a point where it wants my "key" number. Apparently, that was somewhere in the original box, which I have, along with other misc. stuff, but no "key" number. So, I cannot call them since they are M-F hours but they do have an email inquiry place and after trying about 8 times to get an email sent out of it, I give up. I guess I will call tomorrow AM and wait for another 20 minutes to speak with someone. This shit ain't easy anymore.

Your right, MJ, the frustration was totally over their failure to communicate a backorder status to me, after they happily took my $25.00 upcharge for expedited shipping. That should make me happy because that is the norm for online purchases?

 

[bikerskier]

REVISED OPINION! Someone was right when they said the individual you speak with makes all the differnce. 2 subsequent call to Garmin (both with 20 minute waits) found very helpful people who were very friendly and succeeded in solving my issues.

 

[RenoJohn]

My 2730 took a big dump on me during a recent 6Kmile jaunt. Got home on a sunday night, Monday afternoon I sent it to Garmin. Thursday 8:43am the brown truck was at my doorstep with a new unit. May not be new, perhaps reconditioned but it looks new to me. Certainly better than the beat up one I sent back to them. they even loaded data from old unit to new unit (my waypoints and other stuff) I didn't expect that

That is remarkable turn-around time. 65hours and that includes Nevada to Missouri, time inspecting my unit, transfering data, and then getting a new unit on my doorstep back in Nevada.

Of course we hope that we never have problems, but these guys moved fast for me when I did. Gotta give them credit. Thanks Garmin!! -I didn't give you my business, you EARNED IT!!!

 

[markjenn]

Your right, MJ, the frustration was totally over their failure to communicate a backorder status to me, after they happily took my $25.00 upcharge for expedited shipping. That should make me happy because that is the norm for online purchases?

Glad you got this resolved. I didn't say it should make you happy, I just said that it was par for the course for there to be some uncertainty surrounding the back-order status of products with any online system. I've worked in these vendor systems and to accurately be able to predict inventory levels down to the last unit when there are literally hundreds of outlets and sales going on every minute is very difficult. And as I understand it, Garmin did give you the upcharge back.

I think when the day is done, you order from a retail outlet (either in person or via phone) when you need it right away and you accept some uncertainty when ordering online for everything else.

Again, Garmin is not perfect, but I think they're better than average.

Enjoy your GPS.

- Mark