Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
DavecUK
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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by DavecUK »

I think it's important to be realistic in expectations especially as the changes are only starting. I also suspect no manufacturer would fulfil most of the customer service expectations for repair that have been stated?
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Post by smegwina »

Bungle-ator wrote:
smegwina wrote: Wed Sep 11, 2019 9:31 pm

Hopefully this is the case, especially as I will be sending in a couple in for warranty repairs.

Actually I won't be sending them. Due to the current issues, I will be dropping them off personally, will be outlining my expectations of a date of repair and return. Once the inspection has been carried out, and have been given a date of completion, I will be on the doorstep on the day that the watch is due to be ready to collect.

We shall see.

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You're not going to be given a date for completion after an inspection. At best you'll be able to collect it when it's ready but you'll never get that date in advance.
That's fine, if they tell me 5-7 weeks, I shall pop in after 6 to check on progress! Image

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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by DavecUK »

I guess this picks out one key issue, the setting of expectations, CW have not really said what the service level is and while this is the case, some customer expectations might understandably be unrealistic.

In Singapore Rolex and AP told me the service and refurb work would take 4 weeks. Rolex & AP called about 2 weeks later to say the watches were ready. knowing the checks they have to do, they would have started working on the watches almost immediately. However, both companies set my expectation at roughly double the time they knew it would take. Rolex servicing is currently stated as 4-6 weeks and when you think about the backup they have and the cost of the watch, I guess that's fair enough. Interestingly they state a service interval of 10 years.

I thought about what I would find reasonable as a service interval from a relatively new and boutique watch company just building up it's brand and service offering. I think my expectation would be 6-8 weeks and a computerised system telling me where in the service chain my watch is. If possible something like this list with a target time in days a watch remains in each area:

1. recpt
2. Inspection and assesment
3. Repair, Service, Regulation
4. Case/bracelet refurbishment (optional)
5. Inspection and QC testing
6. Depatched
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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by albionphoto »

DavecUK wrote: Thu Sep 12, 2019 11:34 am I guess this picks out one key issue, the setting of expectations, CW have not really said what the service level is and while this is the case, some customer expectations might understandably be unrealistic.

In Singapore Rolex and AP told me the service and refurb work would take 4 weeks. Rolex & AP called about 2 weeks later to say the watches were ready. knowing the checks they have to do, they would have started working on the watches almost immediately. However, both companies set my expectation at roughly double the time they knew it would take. Rolex servicing is currently stated as 4-6 weeks and when you think about the backup they have and the cost of the watch, I guess that's fair enough. Interestingly they state a service interval of 10 years.

I thought about what I would find reasonable as a service interval from a relatively new and boutique watch company just building up it's brand and service offering. I think my expectation would be 6-8 weeks and a computerised system telling me where in the service chain my watch is. If possible something like this list with a target time in days a watch remains in each area:

1. recpt
2. Inspection and assesment
3. Repair, Service, Regulation
4. Case/bracelet refurbishment (optional)
5. Inspection and QC testing
6. Depatched
This seems to be a very reasonable proposal. A reliable, mostly automated tracking system for each watch in the service workflow should be a minimum to help the staff and the customer. CW seem to split service and repairs between two sites, Maidenhead and Biel/Bienne (for SH21). They might find it useful to set expectations for SH21 service times a bit longer as the watch has to travel from the UK to Switzerland and back before returning to the customer. Although in the spirit of Lean and continuous improvement they could direct all SH21 repairs straight to Biel via the initial interaction with the customer and customer service. Baby steps, baby steps.
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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by IanKelly63 »

I've recently had work done by CW and the service manager quoted...

4 weeks for a priority repair, and 8 for a regular one.

I had a priority repair that came in at 5 weeks.

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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by lisnalee »

IanKelly63 wrote:I've recently had work done by CW and the service manager quoted...

4 weeks for a priority repair, and 8 for a regular one.

I had a priority repair that came in at 5 weeks.

Ian
That's a similar timeframe I had with a recent warranty repair.
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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by Bungle-ator »

lisnalee wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 8:02 am
IanKelly63 wrote:I've recently had work done by CW and the service manager quoted...

4 weeks for a priority repair, and 8 for a regular one.

I had a priority repair that came in at 5 weeks.

Ian
That's a similar timeframe I had with a recent warranty repair.
13 weeks and counting for mine.
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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by DavecUK »

Bungle-ator wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 11:15 am 13 weeks and counting for mine.
You know what the crafty marketing ploy probably is....buy 2 CW watches you love and then you won't care if one of them is in for a while. ;)

Like the Patek Tagline "we look after your watch, so you can wear the other one more"
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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by Bungle-ator »

DavecUK wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 11:45 am
Bungle-ator wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 11:15 am 13 weeks and counting for mine.
You know what the crafty marketing ploy probably is....buy 2 CW watches you love and then you won't care if one of them is in for a while. ;)

Like the Patek Tagline "we look after your watch, so you can wear the other one more"
:lol: love it
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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by DavecUK »

Or simply do what the best car companies do when they give you a free loan car if yours is in for a long time. Send your watch in for repair and you get this by return post. Now it matters not how long it takes...you're sorted and not putting miles on your watch. Me, I'm full of bright ideas about customer service, but I suppose I shouldn't joke....sometimes can't help it though.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reflex-Round-W ... let&sr=1-6
reflex.JPG
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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by nbg »

DavecUK wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 5:12 pm Or simply do what the best car companies do when they give you a free loan car if yours is in for a long time. Send your watch in for repair and you get this by return post. Now it matters not how long it takes...you're sorted and not putting miles on your watch. Me, I'm full of bright ideas about customer service, but I suppose I shouldn't joke....sometimes can't help it though.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reflex-Round-W ... let&sr=1-6

reflex.JPG
Don’t know if they still offer it now, but about 5-6 years ago Wempe would provide a watch for you to wear whilst yours was being serviced.

The criteria were that to qualify you had to have originally purchased the watch you had taken in for service from them.

I never found out if they provided a like for like brand as the loan watch, or whether if you took in say a PP or ALS they would dumb down by offering you a Rolex as the loan watch.

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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

I'd rather just wear one of my other watches or, if need be, go and buy a stop gap for a couple of hundred quid.

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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by Bungle-ator »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 6:24 pm I'd rather just wear one of my other watches or, if need be, go and buy a stop gap for a couple of hundred quid.

Guy

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A couple of hundred for a stop gap! You must be minted. I'd be getting change from a tenner with a new Casio F91W if I really needed something.
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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

Bungle-ator wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 10:37 pm
Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 6:24 pm I'd rather just wear one of my other watches or, if need be, go and buy a stop gap for a couple of hundred quid.

Guy

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A couple of hundred for a stop gap! You must be minted. I'd be getting change from a tenner with a new Casio F91W if I really needed something.
Oh, I could get an F91W too.

Just that I presumed that if one is buying a stop gap, one would want a respectable watch that is approaching the one you have in service. :lol:

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Re: Bad experience with Christopher ward watch and it's customer services

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Fri Sep 13, 2019 6:24 pm I'd rather just wear one of my other watches or, if need be, go and buy a stop gap for a couple of hundred quid.

Guy

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Guy, of all the people I know, you are one of the handful who would least need a courtesy watch! :D
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