Horological Meandering

Yes, I'm not surprised. It's actually the way it should be... we seem to marvel at what in many other industries, at these price points, is a given...

 

 

enough to have met him at a Chopard event but even then, most would have re-directed my email to his service staff to follow-up and that would have been very normal and within expectations but he took it upon himself to see to it personally (god knows why) even though I am not the largest chopard customer.  He didn;t have to but he did and I think that is reflective of the customer-centrc service culture that seems to prevail at Chopard not just in Singapore but eslewhere as evident by similar pleasant experiences of fellow purists.  If top management preaches AND practices such a culture, then its not surprising the entire organization practices it.  Like I said, maybe I caught him at a time when he had some to spare but again he didn;t have to and that is the point to note for me.

Also, I am very much the man on the street

The concept of reaching as high as you can within any corporate structure to obtain good customer service is, in my experience, completely valid, whether you are just a man in the street or known to the top levels in the hierarchy.

And I write as someone who has been active over a number of years in training customer service departments. Again in my experience the organisations that have a clear competitive advantage have excellent customer service set-ups, in that everyone in the organisation recognises that however good the product or service they offer is, what keeps the customers coming back is good customer service. Moreover everyone in the organisation buys into this concept and sees good customer service as part of their responsibilities, whatever their actual job function.

So at all levels there is a commitment to keeping the customer happy. But sadly, in many organisations, especially here in the UK, customer services is seen as an entry-level position, often staffed by temporary or agency personnel, who receive inadequate training and poor management. In these cases, the complaining customer rarely finds that the experience enhances their perception of the organisation. Instead research shows that it creates an attitude of seriously considering - however desirable the product in itself - whether or not to do business with that organisation again.

In these circumstances, and I am sure that many of you can confirm this from your own experience, it is an approach to the CEO/Owner/Boss that is most likely to produce a satisfactory outcome, because at that level you do tend to find - although sadly not always - there is a clear understanding of the old business adage < Until you have customers, all you have is costs >, often coupled with < it is five times as costly to get a new customer as it is to hold onto an existing customer >

As for the question of Naming and Shaming on this forum, well I assume that everyone associated with the forum is responsible, mature ( at least, emotionally ), well-intentioned,
honest and reliable. And if any of you fine people have any views, thoughts, comments or advice on any matter concerning our mutual interest, then I surely welcome it.

And since I recognise that my satisfaction with any watch I buy could depend on good customer service, then I certainly feel that the post that started this thread is an entirely proper contribution to our community.

colin willsher

I have a Cedric Johner with LUC 1.96 movement and with assistance of Kong, Chopard HK service it at  zero costs in 2 wks!! Kudos to Chopard again. On the other hand, it takes 2 mths for Breguet to give service quote and another 3-4 mths wait for oiling and clean up service. The bill is in the region of USD3K for a 3137!!!

No message body

YES, of course, this is an important factor when you buy a watch.

Who would buy a very expensive watch from a brand who doesn't want / know how to service it?

It doesn't surprise me from Chopard.

When I see all the care they take with their movements, it doesn't surprise me that they love the watches they sell.

This is an important factor, to me.

Best,

Nicolas

After spending a tidy sum of $ on a watch, I would think that after sales service is crucial.

While the watch is worth its value due the complexity, design, ect, the same must be expected of the after sales service. Or am I just being too idealistic?

I had an unpleasant moment with an AD in SG with my Porsche Flat 6 and I had no choice as they also run the service centre for Porsche watches. No direct route to CEOs or someone influential like Chopard.

SAD but true, I will never buy another watch from Porsche again (unless they change the service agent)

Hm.....

Any other horror stories?

Pat

 

 

Thank you, SJX, for your thoughtful post.

When the New Year turned, I realized that this is the year I would turn 50. My God, I thought, if I'm ever going to buy my dream watch, I better do it soon. So, on January 7th I bought my first (and probably only) five-figure watch from a fellow on eBay.

Having lusted after it for more than 10 years, I absolutely ADORED the watch when it arrived. From the first day I got it, it ran fine, but it didn't wind itself, despite my walking three miles a day. The seller suggested, reasonably IMO, that I should buy a winder. I called my Dad, who is the very definition of sedentary, and asked whether he uses a winder for his Rolex. Nope. Does it ever run down? Nope. I decided a winder would be a waste of money.

A couple of weeks after the money-back guarantee had expired, I decided to take it to an AD. I had deliberately dragged my feet. My new baby was so gorgeous and I was like a kid in love: if my dream girl got cancer, I wasn't about send her back. Also, I didn't want my wife get a touch of the seconds. (cough. . .bad pun . . .cough)  I had gotten a great deal, and I reasoned that it would still be a good deal after an expensive repair.

The AD looked at it, then took it to the back of the shop, where he opened it up. He came back out and said the watch was "dry as a bone" and needed a new counterweight, not just an overhaul, and thus it had to be sent back to the factory in Switzerland. Ugh. It was February 12, and I figured better to do it now and have it back in time for spring and summer. I told him to send it. The estimate came back: $2,500 for the repair. I told him to go ahead. He said the factory had told him it would take "four to eight weeks."

Meanwhile, I forwarded the email containing the $2,500 quote to my new friend on eBay. He called me instantly, and was so upset he was shouting. "What a rip-off," he said. He told me I should have contacted him first, so he could let his watch guy fix it for a small fraction of that. I asked him whether the watch had been examined by a watchmaker and found to be sound, as his listing had said. He insisted it had. I believed him, and I reasoned that the auto-winding mechanism might have broken during shipping. I would take it on the chin.

So now I wait. Mid-April is when my new "baby" is expected to be delivered a second time. It's been AGONY waiting for it. I can honestly say that the past few weeks have passed at a GLACIAL pace. Maybe that's the key to living a long time. Buy a nice watch that's tempermental and send it for factory repairs.

PS: I love this forum.

PPS: When I picked my user name, I never realized how apt it would be: I'm WRIST-obsessed because there's no WATCH on it.

PPPS: I'll post photos of the newly refurbished baby when she arrives.

Yours Expectantly,

Ben