repair info

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Re: repair info

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »


stefs wrote:Guy
For heavens sake they have had the blokes watch for three months after agreeing to get it sorted. Please stop defending the indefensible. How would you react!
They havent charged him for a repair but he has paid for a watch that he hasn’t had in ages
Oops. Sorry Paul. Wrong end of the stick.

I know discussion has moved on since but I made my post based on the face value of bpeatman's post, from which I took it that he would be paying for the repair.

I didn't trawl back through the thread to see the context, which you and others have now done.

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Re: repair info

Post by Mikkei4 »

bpeatman wrote: Fri Jul 12, 2019 3:21 pm Well an update I have asked about the status of my repair several times for the past three weeks with no response. Seeing others frustrated with a)quality of the watches and b) responsiveness of the company are concerning.
How have you been communicating with CW?
If it's by email only and especially if you are sending an email by using the form on "Contact Us" stop immediately.

I appreciate that you are in USA but you should now do 2 things (if of course you haven't done so - apologies if you have done this already)
Email direct to Chris Ward and Mike France laying out the timescale of your faulty watch and the repair process to date. Give them your direct telephone number and ask them to ring you within 48-72 hours (your choice of time period).

If you do not receive an email response or direct telephone call within your stated time period then you will have to call them during the overlap of UK and USA working hours. Make an assertive request to whoever answers that you need to speak to at least the Customer Service Manager but preferably Chris or Mike direct. Also tell them that you expect compensation for the cost of your call from USA and your time.

I know that it should not be the customer chasing the supplier for updates, however sometimes with any company it has to be done this way to force the issue. Hopefully you will get to speak to somebody that can give you an update and can bring this to a rapid conclusion.
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Re: repair info

Post by bpeatman »

Thanks for all your input. My I bought my watch onMarch 31. It stopped working at the end of may. I sent to CW and they said I had damaged it (I had not). Finally agreed to fix for free. in June. That's the last I have heard from them. Right now CW has my money and I have no watch and no communication for 12 weeks. I don't really expect to get it back at this point. I don't know if my credit card company would refund the original purchase but that is what I was referring to if I don't receive the watch. Thanks again for the input. It's nice to know that someone is paying attention, even if it is not CW,
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Re: repair info

Post by DavecUK »

A story here, in the vain hope that it gets fed back to CW and perhaps gives the other person some solace.

Very early on in my career, I was in charge of a billing team at BT. The team all had much more work than they could handle and I had to do something that nearly cost me my job. I devolved lots of my authority levels to the team, gave them no requirement to produce comprehensive paperwork, they could waive or maintain cases as they saw fit...they used to advise me what should be done anyway. With no paper work require and a quick click of the system keys (in those days a sheet filled out and given to a system operator), they were able to get through the 3500 cases they had on hand in 3 days, leaving about 200 on hand in a rather large team, about 20 cases each. This was for a team handling about 1 million customers. Or at least the potential billing queries from 1 million people.

The amount of money outstanding went down, the revenue collected went up (which was actually what my job description said). Worker and customer satisfaction was higher and the company made more money. I nearly lost my job over it because it was the typical large corporate attitude. In the end I moved on promotion and my methods were rolled out throughout BT billing.

CW need to take note....if you don't have enough people to do the job the way you internally mandate it to be done...then change the way it's done either until you do have enough people, or you realise that doing it a different way is more cost effective. With immediate effect they should.

1. Fully empower all staff they have with clear and increased authority levels to reduce escalations and speed up resolution
2. Prevent people going direct to Mike France, but empower the CS Manager with all of his authority levels
3. Have the CS Manager present at ALL monthly management board meeting (and for the complete meeting, not just to give a report), the board to discuss all red issues.
4. Implement a RAG traffic light system immediately
5. Effectively feed customer service activities back into production
6. Have a clear set of mandated checks that CS personnel can be trained to do, so they don't waste watchmakers valuable time e.g. pressure testing, timegrapher etc.. Start to video certain tests.
7. Have a common sense benefit analysis of actions e.g. don't repair when a movement replacement is easier, know when you have lost and don't keep digging, turn a refund into a satisfied customer by not refunding but sorting it out etc..

P.S. I suspect they asked the OP what they wanted to do after 61 days because possibly someone had some sense and wondered if you wanted a refund but perhaps didn't express that view clearly.

Jesus Christ, in a way I would love the opportunity to go in and troubleshoot what's obviously going wrong. in another way, I would probably get fecking angry if I found management so entrenched that they wouldn't allow change. Companies can be very resistant to being told what to do and often consultants only used to verify what they wanted to do anyway.

Just recently I gave a recommendation on packing to a prosumer coffee machine company, it went something like. If you pack machines like this every single one will get damaged when they are shipped. I also explained exactly why and how the damage would happen. Their crappy reply was we have shipped pallets to our retailers no problems so far and our packaging was designed by an expert packing company, basically ignoring my more than 15 years experience and basically saying feck your opinion. The problem was they were all shipped to retailers in pallets of 12 machines, handled by forklifts. As soon as single machines were shipped, the courier damage occurred exactly as I predicted, on pretty much 100% of machines shipped in their packaging. Of course they changed the packaging and now listen (a little bit more).
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Re: repair info

Post by Mikkei4 »

DavecUK wrote: Wed Sep 25, 2019 1:47 pm
......in a way I would love the opportunity to go in and troubleshoot what's obviously going wrong.
Dave, I'm sorry to tell you that you're not the first to say that or to list the way forward on this Forum. Many of us have worked in jobs where we have gained an awareness of the art of CS, getting to the base reasons for significant problems and then initiating and running a programme of fixing these and improving customer relations.

I can't believe that there aren't people already in CW or available to hire or that the owners don't have the experience to get to grips with what we think we could fix within a short while of getting in there.

So maybe the problems are more deep seated than we can imagine, maybe this Forum is making too much of them, maybe the management/owners are too entrenched, maybe the IT systems aren't good enough, maybe internal communications are poor, maybe there isn't sufficient numbers of staff, maybe suburb staff aren't as switched on as London/Big City staff, maybe it's going to take more time for good practices and individual empowerment to soak into the CW personnel thought process, maybe none of these.

We certainly have no idea being external to CW and IMO it's pointless us surmising and writing "The Way Forward for CW" here on this Forum. It's been done before. If anybody is so sure their ideas will fix CW then write to Chris, Mike or whoever in CW because there's no point just writing it here on this Forum.

On the CW website they are looking to hire technical staff and people with CS experience so there's the opportunity for anybody to get in there and fix it.

But for the fact that I'm retired and don't want a full time job I'd apply as I'm only about 20mins drive away from the showroom and, probably stupidly, love to dig into such situations.
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Re: repair info

Post by DavecUK »

Mikkei4 wrote: Wed Sep 25, 2019 5:16 pmWe certainly have no idea being external to CW and IMO it's pointless us surmising and writing "The Way Forward for CW" here on this Forum. It's been done before. If anybody is so sure their ideas will fix CW then write to Chris, Mike or whoever in CW because there's no point just writing it here on this Forum.

But for the fact that I'm retired and don't want a full time job I'd apply as I'm only about 20mins drive away from the showroom and, probably stupidly, love to dig into such situations.
I'm the same, I retired just over 15 years ago at 44 and I have no desire to work again. Perhaps you are right and it is pointless writing anything on the forum...I will stop doing so as it's been done so much before. I can then concentrate on more important things I suppose.
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Re: repair info

Post by EddieTheBeast »

bpeatman wrote: Wed Sep 25, 2019 12:39 pm Thanks for all your input. My I bought my watch onMarch 31. It stopped working at the end of may. I sent to CW and they said I had damaged it (I had not). Finally agreed to fix for free. in June. That's the last I have heard from them. Right now CW has my money and I have no watch and no communication for 12 weeks. I don't really expect to get it back at this point. I don't know if my credit card company would refund the original purchase but that is what I was referring to if I don't receive the watch. Thanks again for the input. It's nice to know that someone is paying attention, even if it is not CW,
Hi bpeatman, I've just quickly read the messages on this thread to catch up, but may have missed bits! What reason did CW give for them to say that you had damaged the watch? And what reason did they give for changing their minds and deciding to fix it for free? Please could we have more details - and if possible direct quotes of what CW have said. Give dates with quotes if possible. The more we know the more we may be able to help!
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Re: repair info

Post by Mikkei4 »

DavecUK wrote: Wed Sep 25, 2019 6:00 pm
Mikkei4 wrote: Wed Sep 25, 2019 5:16 pmWe certainly have no idea being external to CW and IMO it's pointless us surmising and writing "The Way Forward for CW" here on this Forum. It's been done before. If anybody is so sure their ideas will fix CW then write to Chris, Mike or whoever in CW because there's no point just writing it here on this Forum.

But for the fact that I'm retired and don't want a full time job I'd apply as I'm only about 20mins drive away from the showroom and, probably stupidly, love to dig into such situations.
I'm the same, I retired just over 15 years ago at 44 and I have no desire to work again. Perhaps you are right and it is pointless writing anything on the forum...I will stop doing so as it's been done so much before. I can then concentrate on more important things I suppose.
Dave, my post was not pointed at you individually. If it read so then I didn't take enough time writing it to make it read as I meant it to be. i.e. we do not know what is the exact situation at CW so cannot be specific stating what they should do. In general terms yes we can say a particular case was not dealt with as you or I or anybody else else on here would have dealt with it.

Me stating that various posts have made several suggestions of action beforehand was a comment not a criticism. I DID NOT write "it is pointless writing anything on the forum.." as the section of my post quoted above shows quite clearly.

Your contributions to date have been interesting and informative and I have read each of them fully and carefully. It is your choice if you wish no longer to contribute but please don't quote me on something I did not write.
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Re: repair info

Post by DavecUK »

I meant, not to bother writing anything about the processes they (CW) should adopt. Basically agreeing with you.

I'll post about other stuff of course, but not waste time in CW processes.
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Re: repair info

Post by peterh »

stefs wrote: Wed Sep 25, 2019 7:30 am With all due respect I believe you have only been active on here for a very short time after 8 years away and so have probably not seen the huge number of threads where customers have felt the need to vent their feelings on so many qc and cs issues.
:mrgreen:
Every time a sentence starts with "with all due respect", you know it's being followed up with a statement that expresses that the "due" amount is usually pretty disappointing.
In this case, the lack of respect is completely irrelevant. The fact that I've been away for many years changes nothing about how credit card companies operate. While I wasn't here, I've been working for quite a few companies in the financial sector... and this is actually relevant to how credit card companies operate. So there's that.

OK, back to the topic at hand.
I have seen quite the odd thread about quality control issues and customer service ****. Just like you, I sometimes shudder at reading this, and it makes me feel bad to read about them, so I guess we're on the same page there.

The only thing that made me disagree with you is where you took a stab (a mild one, but still) at the moderators. I am not a moderator of this forum, and I'd rather throw myself in front of a freight train, but I hold those who do moderate this forum in high regard. Without them, this forum would be as bad as The Book Of Faces.
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Re: repair info

Post by bpeatman »

EddieTheBeast wrote: Wed Sep 25, 2019 6:23 pm
bpeatman wrote: Wed Sep 25, 2019 12:39 pm Thanks for all your input. My I bought my watch onMarch 31. It stopped working at the end of may. I sent to CW and they said I had damaged it (I had not). Finally agreed to fix for free. in June. That's the last I have heard from them. Right now CW has my money and I have no watch and no communication for 12 weeks. I don't really expect to get it back at this point. I don't know if my credit card company would refund the original purchase but that is what I was referring to if I don't receive the watch. Thanks again for the input. It's nice to know that someone is paying attention, even if it is not CW,
Hi bpeatman, I've just quickly read the messages on this thread to catch up, but may have missed bits! What reason did CW give for them to say that you had damaged the watch? And what reason did they give for changing their minds and deciding to fix it for free? Please could we have more details - and if possible direct quotes of what CW have said. Give dates with quotes if possible. The more we know the more we may be able to help!
Hello thanks for the comment. Sorry I don't follow this site often. CW said that the watch has been subject to some kind of severe fall or impact that caused it to stop working. It had not. I told them fine keep the watch I don't want to throw good money after bad. They then said they would fix it for free and send it back in 8 weeks. That was five months ago and I still don't have a watch (or any communication). I emailed a two weeks ago and asked for a refund. They then replied that I would receive my watch soon. I really don't have much confidence in the company and regret buying the watch.
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Re: repair info

Post by Paul Drawmer »

bpeatman wrote: Thu Oct 24, 2019 4:30 pm
Hello thanks for the comment. Sorry I don't follow this site often. CW said that the watch has been subject to some kind of severe fall or impact that caused it to stop working. It had not. I told them fine keep the watch I don't want to throw good money after bad. They then said they would fix it for free and send it back in 8 weeks. That was five months ago and I still don't have a watch (or any communication). I emailed a two weeks ago and asked for a refund. They then replied that I would receive my watch soon. I really don't have much confidence in the company and regret buying the watch.
That is an woeful tale of total disrespect for the customer.
Awful, just bloody awful.
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Re: repair info

Post by Peacefrog »

bpeatman wrote: Thu Oct 24, 2019 4:30 pm Hello thanks for the comment. Sorry I don't follow this site often. CW said that the watch has been subject to some kind of severe fall or impact that caused it to stop working. It had not. I told them fine keep the watch I don't want to throw good money after bad. They then said they would fix it for free and send it back in 8 weeks. That was five months ago and I still don't have a watch (or any communication). I emailed a two weeks ago and asked for a refund. They then replied that I would receive my watch soon. I really don't have much confidence in the company and regret buying the watch.
I have had a similiar experience. My Trident has been returned 3 times in the last 3 years.
CW also said the damage was due to a fall , which it wasn't.
In the end I just gave up and paid the repair bill. Two months later, the watch stoped working again. It is currently shoved in a draw; broken.
CW played the short game by getting a payment for a repair and neglected to think long term and the possibility of a returning customer.
I am currently in the market for a new watch, my thousand plus Euro will be going to Oris instead.
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Re: repair info

Post by Bungle-ator »

Peacefrog wrote: Fri Oct 25, 2019 9:23 am
bpeatman wrote: Thu Oct 24, 2019 4:30 pm Hello thanks for the comment. Sorry I don't follow this site often. CW said that the watch has been subject to some kind of severe fall or impact that caused it to stop working. It had not. I told them fine keep the watch I don't want to throw good money after bad. They then said they would fix it for free and send it back in 8 weeks. That was five months ago and I still don't have a watch (or any communication). I emailed a two weeks ago and asked for a refund. They then replied that I would receive my watch soon. I really don't have much confidence in the company and regret buying the watch.
I have had a similiar experience. My Trident has been returned 3 times in the last 3 years.
CW also said the damage was due to a fall , which it wasn't.
In the end I just gave up and paid the repair bill. Two months later, the watch stoped working again. It is currently shoved in a draw; broken.
CW played the short game by getting a payment for a repair and neglected to think long term and the possibility of a returning customer.
I am currently in the market for a new watch, my thousand plus Euro will be going to Oris instead.
Very odd. I dropped mine from waist height onto a tiled floor and I told them this on the repair form. Then after being quoted a silly amount they ignored me for a fortnight before fixing it under warranty in the most haphazard way.
The end result is that my watch runs better than it ever did, but as above the brand is tainted in my mind and I'd be kidding if I said I didn't regret the purchase a little.
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Re: repair info

Post by bpeatman »

I finally received my watch today. No notice that it had shipped it just showed up. Seems to work. Hoping for the best. Thanks all for your feedback and support.
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