Whirling
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Profit Margins Wide on Watches, Narrow on Service
We hear so many stories about apparently-poor service from very high-end brands. I suspect that this is because the profit margin on having those skilled watchmakers making new pieces is so much wider than the profit margin on those watchmakers servicing pieces. Of course, the brands should properly consider all servicing, whether under warranty or for a fee, to be a part of the "cost of doing business," which is, of course, the selling of new watches.
I also wonder how many high-end watches are sold to people who only buy one or two of them, so that encouraging repeat business through superlative service isn't cost-effective. Most the people on here are serial offenders when it comes to buying watches, but are we actually a substantial portion of the market?
As multiple people, including the original poster, said above, I think a gesture would have been called for in this matter. At the very least, covering the costs of reshipping the watch to them, but also some little gift or a credit toward the next service. This is what would happen in service industries that rely hugely on repeat business, such as hospitality or car repair.
Regards,
Jon
Linde Werdelin lack of Quality Check?!
This is a post about my experience with the Linde Werdelin customer service and timepiece service. Somehow I felt that I needed to post this as this experience drastically changed my view on the Linde Werdelin brand. Let me start of by saying that I love ...
Though frustrating, it seems like an acceptable outcome to me
Mistakes happen, and they solved the issue in a week without any fight. I personally can't fine fault in the outcome, although the dirt and smudges on the inside of the crystal and dial should clearly have never happened. As to the initial lume issue, who...
What kind of compensation did you expect?
If a work is screwed up, one normally expects the fault to be corrected, and one normally expects an apology for the inconvenience. What at least I do not expect is an additional complimentary gift, or a reduction of the original price for the work done. ...
I don't let them
I don't let them down because they didn't go further. I let them down because clearly they are not yet drawing straight lines within the company and because I feel the way I've been treated is not acceptable within the high end luxury brands. I don't know...
People make mistakes
Seems like you're taking this all very personally. You shouldn't. People make mistakes. They are human. Yes, QC at Linde Werdlin should have caught this. They didn't, but then they VERY promptly corrected the mistake. It's not an affront to you. I am huma...
Sounds like LW handled it very appropriately...
Could and should they have noticed the minor details and blemishes the first time? Yes. But I don't see how LW should be faulted here other than them leaving fingerprint/dust on the dial and thus you having to send the watch back a second time. An inconve...
PoorService
I completely agree with Stijn, The lume coming out isn't something that would have bothered me too much. I'd be prepared to accept that as wear. There's however no justifying at all for leaving smudges and any other muck inside a high end watch, then pack...
Agree ....
LW has to be blamed for the flawed service quality, there is no excuse for leaving fingerprints and dust inside a client's watch in the first place, and not finding these flaws and remove them before shipping back the watch in the second. So far I fully a...
Yes!
I see your point Marcus, You're right. I still do have a lot of sympathy for the owner, having experienced how 'traumatic' it is to find that kind of shabby work on a precious personal belonging. Most good restorers take fine care and work with equal pass...
Well...
Marcus, I do agree that mistakes happen but I find it hard to accept these kind of mistakes at such a high level of luxury goods. The high quality standard is a thing why we choose to pay top dollar for isn't it? LW being such a small manufacturer I would...
I know how it feels like
Similar thing happened to me when one of my watches dive bezel dropped off. I sent an email to feedback and no reply came back. Then, I sent it to the AD and it took a while before it came back. All was well it appeared until I went diving, and the bezel ...
Non-transferable warranty is one issue - and full service for missing lume?
To me, the non-transferable warranty is another big issue that LW and too many other companies are adopting. There is really no excuse for this - it is the object that should be under warranty, and not the owner. The explanation for this has been along th...
I don't understand it...
and never have... why would a watch guarantee not be transferrable? The company is guaranteeing the watch and not the owner, if you have the warranty card then it should be enough proof that the warranty is within date of when you purchased it (if stamped...
Jus thinking
Could it be this after sale service is totally outsource. Frankly it's not surprising and I know more and more companies especially the smaller who focus only on design, sales and marketing and outsource the rest to others.,. That's always the diff btw th...
The full service was my request
I requested a full service since they advise it after 2 years. The previous owner also told me it was in his watchbox for quite a long while so I thought it wasn't bad giving it a complete service. I replied to rishad771 his reply concerning the "compensa...
Profit Margins Wide on Watches, Narrow on Service
We hear so many stories about apparently-poor service from very high-end brands. I suspect that this is because the profit margin on having those skilled watchmakers making new pieces is so much wider than the profit margin on those watchmakers servicing ...
Mistakes happen and it's part of everyday life
What makes a person / company stronger is how he/it deals with mistakes and what he/it does from there on. LW made a mistake but rectified it quickly. I'm disappointed to hear they didn't give you a "gift" for the mistake, such as a LW baseball cap or any...
