So, how does a person get the most from warranties on the products and services that they have purchased? It’s pretty easy.
Did you know that companies make an enormous amount of money on warranties, especially extended warranties, because a huge number of people never take full advantage of them or do not use them at all? Well, I am going to give you the 5 keys to getting the most from warranties. Here they are.
1. The first key to getting the most from them is to record the date that it ends (expires) on your current and future calendars. In addition, enter reminders in your calendar when you have 2 years, 1 year, 6 months, and 1 month remaining on your warranty.
2. The second key to getting the most from warranties is to check the condition of your product on the reminder dates you wrote on your calendar as described in the first key. You are looking for problems so you can get them fixed using your warranty as you go along. You’ll be more successful in getting issues solved by doing it this way than trying to fix 10 problems during the last month. It’s important to know that it sometimes takes several months to fix a problem. So if you wait until the end, you may lose out.
3. The third key to getting the most from warranties is how you approach representatives who are servicing your warranty. This is the most important key of all. Whoever you deal with, be positive about the company, enthusiastic about the product, and extremely polite and respectful. However, this will only work if you can find it within yourself to do these things with sincerity.
Consider the job of a customer service representative. Throughout each day, they listen to angry, demanding, impolite customers who are ripping apart the company and the products they represent. Then someone (like you) comes along who speaks well about the company and the products and is polite and respectful. What happens is amazing. They will go out of their way to help you as much as possible.
If you sense that you are not getting a favorable initial response from the person you are talking to, politely end the call so that you can call back and speak to someone else. If you are face-to-face, politely end your conversation and meet with another representative on another day or go to another location.
4. The fourth key to getting the most from warranties is diplomatically taking the problem to a higher authority. Often, frontline representatives are only given a narrow range of authority to solve warranty problems. Therefore, it may be necessary to take the matter to their boss.
Here’s the secret. Ask for the representative’s permission, in effect, to speak to a supervisor or manager. If you ask for their permission, they are more likely to support you in discussions with their boss and not get defensive. Just say, “This has no connection to your performance, but I was wondering if I could talk to a (NOT your) supervisor or manager about this matter?” By the way, most customer service representatives will give their permission without argument. If they don’t, tell them what you want firmly but politely. You might say, “I appreciate what you’re saying, but I want to talk with a supervisor or manager now.”
5. The fifth key to getting the most from warranties is contacting the manufacturer when the retail store cannot secure approval. This is particularly useful when dealing with an automobile dealer. Dealers are usually only given a specific range of authority to approve work on factory warranties. As mentioned in the fourth key, to get the dealer on your side, ask their permission to call the manufacturer if you’re working closely with them on a particular issue.
Tell the dealer upfront that you have no issues with their performance, but you want to see what the manufacturer can do. Just say, “This has no connection to your performance, but I was wondering if you’d mind if I contact customer service at the manufacturer’s headquarters?” Dealers will never deny this request. It would not be in their best interest to do so since the warranty work will likely come back to them. However, getting their support is crucial because the manufacturer may ask them to inspect or diagnose the vehicle and submit a report on their findings.
Use the same strategies discussed in the third key to ensure success when talking to the manufacturer’s customer service representatives.
Except for automobile dealers and similar companies who provide warranty services at their retail facilities, I recommend contacting the manufacturer’s customer service department straightaway. Most retail outlets are not set up to provide warranty services unless you purchase their in-house and/or extended warranty.
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To read about my warranty victories and to get more tips on dealing successfully with customer service representatives, I strongly encourage you to read my article “How to Get Good Customer Service and Save Money.” It covers a lot more.