ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Business Related Discussion Warranties

What type of warranties are you offering to your customers? Are you tracking it and how?


Ob

My standard policy, informal as it may be, is to at least check out the problem and be as helpful as I can be, within reason.

If the error is my fault (on the very rare occasion), sure, I'll take care of it without comment or question, then appologize profusely.

If it's a product problem, that I recommended or supplied on my decision, I will replace it within a year or so.

If it's some cheap product that the client insisted on, then I will have to charge them for everything, although I may cut them a slight deal on labor to keep them happy.

In this economy, you are forced to be a lot more polite and "reasonable", even beyond what you would normally find "reasonable".

I find my self having to decide if it's more advantagious to lose a bit on iffy warranty work, or risk losing a customer or their possible refferals.

Thats the way I have been doing things. I am just thinking it time to be a bit more formal. Possible use it as a marketing tool. For example, if I track it well it will give me an opportunity to contact the customer and "say your 1 year warranty is up is everything good". This I think will leed to oh while your here can you have a look at (fill in the blank). Thats why I thought I would ask the ECN family what they thought?


Ob

I think I would bump up the warranty a bit for every customer they referred. If somebody kept my phone ringing with good leads I would warranty the light bulbs

That's a good rule Greg. This shows why it's always good to be courteous when you deal with customers, and to be courteous when you ARE the customer. I am so much more likely to go beyond what is expected of me when a customer is nice, polite, and thankful.