Comments:
The situation of your watch aside, the biggest issue is probably the attitude of the staff.
Don't want to discourage you from moving to The U.S.; especially if you move to NYC,
but the Richemont Service Center in Texas is almost universally reviled. It handles every brand except Lange (for a reason). I do think you would find the IWC Boutique associates quite a bit friendlier, and more courteous, however.
These days (I feel old)...
... sales associates at brands' boutique DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! I know much more than they do (maybe that is why they don't like me?), hehe. They should educate at least about their own brands.... Friendly? Sometimes, only friendly sales person are non-Japanese who are fluent in Japanese but put there for foreign tourists clients. Irony.
Yes, I recognize your story .....
from a bad service experience about five years ago.... The Richemont service center in NL, an IWC watch.
I have had bad service experiences from other companies before but I have always been able to solve it politely. In this case I was being LIED to about the condition of the watch . I had a very rude reply when I was trying to solve the issue in a timely manner. Luckily I had pictures to prove they were lies and after more the 6 months of negotiations they had to compensate me. After this I have decided to never, ever purchase ANY Richemont product ever again. I don't want to deal with that company again even though I love JLC as a brand.
I agree. That is why...
.. I bring all my Lange to Alkis in New York, and I try to ask him to service my other watches, too. If I find out if Richemont lied about the condition of my watch, I will file formal complaint, too. And be more open, public, in Japanese media. Yup, I love many Richemont brands, too!
Bad service shouldn't be tolerated, period
Hi Ken,
I feel for you. I hate these gate keepers. It seems like they don't know much and they only thing they are hired to do is say no.
And with regards to parts and services, the brands should really look into extending parts to third party watch repairers again. They obviously can't cope with the volume.
Yes, I hope this reach the head office....
... going forward, customer service=repeater acquisition would be the key as the market is shrinking back to the normal level. And it is also brands' responsibility to maintain the capacity to service those watches they made during the "bubble" period which is enormous and those will come back to them soon. Are they really ready? That is the question.
Ken
Ken
I have had bad experiences too...
My Portuguese turned into a bit of a nightmare. Richmont in Sydney seems to be terrible. The service in Melbourne seems to be a lot better. All issues were not resolved and they polished the case when I didn't ask for it. I gave up, keeping watch as is. All problems are only cosmetic now, functional issues were fixed. I love IWC watches and I'm very passionate about the brand, however if I can help myself I'll only admire from afar for now on. Their pricing is horrendous and the quality sub standard. After sales service ruins the experience.
How unfortunate.
Such a shame, I have so much love for IWC but at the same time trepidation.
Different experiences ...
Ken,
Sorry to hear about your experience.
I have, here where I live, a truly perfect experience in all occasions where I dropped a watch at the boutique.
Richemont brands here have their own watchmaker team and this may explain the high quality of service.
I sent one vintage IWC, in this case to be recovered by the IWC in Schaffhausen. In this case, it took time (around eight months), but the service was amazing.
Maybe you should send your watch to here (don't do that - customs will tax it big time).
Cheers,
Nilo
Sorry to hear about your experience.
I have, here where I live, a truly perfect experience in all occasions where I dropped a watch at the boutique.
Richemont brands here have their own watchmaker team and this may explain the high quality of service.
I sent one vintage IWC, in this case to be recovered by the IWC in Schaffhausen. In this case, it took time (around eight months), but the service was amazing.
Maybe you should send your watch to here (don't do that - customs will tax it big time).
Cheers,
Nilo
Thanks, Nilo.
They DO have Richemont service center building where many watchmakers are working for all the Richemont brand watches. I can't say they are all top class watchmakers. For example, when Lange comes in for service, Richemont Japan service center is allowed to service only Lange 1 and more complicated ones must be sent to Germany (may have changed now, though)... Anyway, they just do not want to increase burden for sure - they cannot take care of them anyway.
Richemont Japan seems to think that the service center must be "profit center", which makes sense as long as they offer quality and trustworthy services. Refusing work with reasons which don't make sense won't attract clients. Only scares away existing and new clients as well.
God help them.
Ken
Richemont Japan seems to think that the service center must be "profit center", which makes sense as long as they offer quality and trustworthy services. Refusing work with reasons which don't make sense won't attract clients. Only scares away existing and new clients as well.
God help them.
Ken
I had somewhat similar experience with my Ocean 2000
Not as bad as Kens though. And my problem was with IWC corporate and NYC boutique was rather helpful
I have all original second generation Ocean 2000. Second generation means that the bracelet links held together by miniature spring bars. The bracelet developed the stretch over the years and fixing this is fairly simple: links spring bars needs to be replaced. So I brought the watch to NYC boutique with the request to fix the stretch and service the movement. Richemont service center in Texas does not deal with the vintage watches, so my Ocean 2000 went to Switzerland. Few weeks later I was told that IWC will not fix the bracelet and that the case, bracelet, bezel, dial and the hands will have to be replaced as part of the service. OK, I asked will they be replaced with the parts identical to originals? Will the original parts be returned to me? The answer was no on both counts. So basically I would receive back the frankenwatch: different case and bracelet, and the service dial which will not match the original. I asked then to just service the movement and not to touch anything else. I was told that it was not possible: either complete overhaul with the case, dial and bracelet replacement or nothing at all. I did find that stance back then rather inexplicable.
It it IWC's corporate culture to make people's life difficult? :-) [nt]
No message body
Truly unacceptable behaviour by anyones standards
Hi Ken i really can't imagine how angry you would of been at the time of being treated like that as I would of struggled to hold my tongue for sure. Although I can appreciate you most probably wouldn't want to spend any more time or energy on this I would strongly suggest you write an as polite as possible but still angry letter to IWC H.O. telling them just how badly you felt their brand staff have treated you in one of their boutiques. Not once but twice by two different people and how it is now making you question not just all the IWC watches you own but in fact anything currently owned from Richmont Group or any future purchases for that matter. Unfortunately only the potential loss of revenue seems to have any impact on these brands now a days. Good luck getting the work needed done and be interested to see what if any response you will get from IWC should you take the time to write to them.
Marc
Update....
.. so, the watch went to my "street repair shop" guy and he then asked Richemont Japan Service Center for repair. What did they tell the "street repair shop" guy? They told him that they CAN repair and service. But they still insist that some parts has been replaced by non-IWC parts, so it has to be done in Swiss.
Anyway, IWC GINZA BOUTIQUE and the RICHEMONT JAPAN SERVICE CENTER GUY lied to us. They clearly said "Do not ever bring it in and IWC will never, ever service or repair it" after opening the case and inspected it.
WTF? is my honest reaction. I am writing a polite letter naming the all names to IWC H.O.
Oh, BTW, IWC North America guy chimed in via PM trying to help me out, but once he found out it is out of his jurisdiction, he stopped replying to my email. Oh, well....... What irresponsible bunch of guys work at IWC. That's it.
No more update. No more IWC. Good bye, IWC. I am really angry, but hey, when they don't make money, they have no reason to be nice, right? IWC must be making tons of money.
Ken