A SonyStyle ordering STORY -> Resolved by SONY mgmt!

[AlexKarasev]

Prologue: ATTN kind folks on this forum: this was posted earlier today on SONY’s blog http://news.sel.sony.com/electronicsblog/?p=34 – at this point it says “The moderator is reviewing your comment.” Given it’s been hours and they’ve already posted a comment submitted after mine, I’m no longer confident they will post this comment, given its damning nature to sonystyle in the middle of a profit-making season. Therefore I am posting it on applicable forums to serve as a precaution for my fellow members, and for it to eventually get to SONY so next time it happens to you or somebody else, they'll actually try to help. You do not have to do anything on my behalf, but if, while contacting SONY, you find it appropriate to bring up this concern, so much the better for all of us! Thank you so much for your time and the warmest of wishes to you this holiday season
--Alex

A SonyStyle ordering HORROR STORY

On 12/03/2007, I've ordered the A700 vertical grip VGC70AM, which had shipped out the following day. I was looking forward to getting it today - instead I got a phone call from a very kind woman in Arkanzas (I am in New Jersey), who had just gotten my grip from SONY - she got my name and phone from the sonystyle packing slip that came with the grip, in a package addressed to her !!

I could not thank her enough for being such an honest and helpful person, and right away got on the phone with SONY. I had to have the grip ASAP for the weekend photo shoot whose demands called for the twin-battery operation which the grip afforded.

The SONY representative, Monie, was apologetic but unable to even confirm the specific shipping carrier and package status, let alone have the grip re-delivered on-time. At my request, Monie had transferred me to her supervisor, Jennifer (ID# withheld), who has confirmed that my item was "lost in transit", but flat out REFUSED to do anything to help me in the difficult predicament SONY has put me in, other than to email the mail dept at which point it would take 24-48 hours to "process", after which an email would go out to me which I would have to reply to, after which my reply would be processed and the replacement grip sent out VIA GROUND SHIPPING.

I begged and pleaded that I HAD to have the grip for this weekend and had placed the original order enough in advance to ensure I got it on time had it not been for SONY's own mistake sending my item to somebody else. But Jennifer was indifferent and kept repeating in a drone voice that it was all she would do for me. Jennifer REFUSED to entertain options I thought of to help me get the grip sooner, such as: escalate this to her own supervisor, or contact my local SONYSTYLE center so I can pick it up in person, or even call somebody in the shipping department to have this matter handled on the phone, or have the replacement grip overnighted rather than shipped ground.

I am OUTRAGED by this situation where SONY sends an expensive item I've ordered to somebody else, and then having confirmed it had made the mistake, to REFUSE to expedite issuing a replacement! Had it not been for the Arkanzas woman's kindness who got my grip, who knows how much longer this matter would take to come to light.

While shipping mistakes are possible, once they occur, is this company attitude to rectifying them even remotely acceptable? I’ll wait a couple of hours after posting this for somebody at SONY to get back to me, after which I’ll proceed posting this on ALL relevant online forums, and then fax the big brass at SONY making them aware of what had happened and what resulted. Just makes you wonder, how risky it may be ordering a holiday present for somebody on sonystyle...

Very disappointed,
Alex K.

[AlexKarasev]

I have some very good news - a senior manager at SONY saw a similar post of mine on a sister forum, and stepped in personally, sending me the grip from the firm's internal inventory via overnight shipping (thanks, Mark).

As a result of his swift action, I have the needed part, and as you can imagine, SONY has gotten the message about the value of customer service in this case. Even though they did not have to, SONY did eventually post my original long comment whose copy is at the head of this thread, to their electronics blog, followed by a public apology from the moderator: http://news.sel.sony.com/electronicsblog/?p=34

So, my immediate issue has been resolved to my satisfaction. Realistically, all support procedures and attitudes cannot be expected to completely change overnight, but hopefully this moves SONY in the right direction, plus teaches us something too - that constructive feedback matters, and that if you feel something's not right, taking the time to speak up in a tactful and reasonable manner WILL get you somewhere. Even one voice can be heard!

-AK

[David Kilpatrick]

Ah, the power of internet...

David