PDA

View Full Version : A parts quest with a happy ending



audiomagnate
11-15-2011, 12:29 PM
No, not THAT kind of happy ending. I need a strapping bar for my SVA2100s so I gave JBL a call. After a few transfers I ended up in India with a horrible connection and an a guy with an almost undeciferable accent. After taking my name and number and repeating the model number a few times he told me they didn't have the part. Oh well, the hunt goes on. I hung up and went about my business. About five minutes later the phone rings and it's my friend from India. It turns out they do have the part, sold only in pairs (anybody need one?) and it would cost me $13.75 including shipping and I should have it in a few days. It made my day!

Titanium Dome
11-15-2011, 09:14 PM
Good news! I have a pair of extras I could have sold you, but getting factory originals is quite a victory. :)

Good for JBL parts.

audiomagnate
11-22-2011, 03:58 PM
They sent me the wrong part. When something seems too good to be true... It's a strapping bar alright, it's just not a strapping bar for my speaker.

4313B
11-22-2011, 04:29 PM
They sent me the wrong part.I can't imagine...

audiomagnate
11-22-2011, 04:34 PM
AND, the Indian woman on the phone told me I was mistaken, and it was the correct part! I asked for a supervisor and was put on hold for fifteen minutes. AND they said I was buying a pair, yet they sent only one. The part I need is on the left, the one they sent is on the right. They're looking into. I should get a call in a few days or so.

Audiobeer
11-22-2011, 05:54 PM
AND, the Indian woman on the phone told me I was mistaken, and it was the correct part! I asked for a supervisor and was put on hold for fifteen minutes. AND they said I was buying a pair, yet they sent only one. The part I need is on the left, the one they sent is on the right. They're looking into. I should get a call in a few days or so.

I'd ask for Peggy! :D

grumpy
11-22-2011, 11:14 PM
:rotfl: (re "Peggy", not problem)

audiomagnate
11-28-2011, 10:06 PM
No call, no email, no refund. How can the one of the largest, most distinguished audio conglomerates in the world (Harman) have such an incredibly lame parts department? I worked in the service division of Mitsubishi and Nakamichi in the 80s and 90s and this level of service would have gotten department heads fired. Pathetic. Who is Peggy, and how do I reach her? Is this how they treat their Mark Levinson customers? I really am amazed. When I offered to send a photo of the correct part and the one they sent me, I was given this email address: [email protected]. I told the guy, "That sounds pretty generic, are you sure you'll get it? Don't you have your own email?" He said, "Don't worry, I'll get it." Again, pathetic. The Rolls Royce of audio has the Trablant of customer service.

grumpy
11-28-2011, 10:22 PM
I can empathize... but mixing Trabant and Peggy in the same paragraph just adds to the unfortunate humor element ("Peggy" being a poorly stereotyped eastern European man, fielding credit card service requests... poorly, in a series of televised commercials). I'm sure we're all rooting for your eventual success.

Mr. Widget
11-28-2011, 11:57 PM
Is this how they treat their Mark Levinson customers? I really am amazed.I think they expect the dealers to run interference for them. We certainly do... when our customers call us, we answer and when we need to raise hell up the food chain at JBL, Revel, Mark Levinson etc... the call is returned.

I realize that is no excuse for this level of poor service, but rest assured, if you had purchased a new product from a legitimate dealer you would have much better service.


Widget

4313B
11-29-2011, 07:38 AM
I realize that is no excuse for this level of poor serviceYou nailed it. Nothing more need be said.

JeffW
11-29-2011, 07:57 AM
My go to girl at Harman is Jamie. Call 1-800-336-4525, negotiate the menu until you get to "buy parts", tell the first operator you have an issue and want to speak to Jamie.

audiomagnate
11-29-2011, 11:51 AM
I'd ask for Peggy! :D

Now I get it! Hilarious! I feel pretty stupid for asking for her contact info. It's also kind of ironic that the sound quality of the phone connection is so muffled that it sounds like the person you're talking to is buried under a two foot thick pile of blankets.

EDIT:

Called India, asked for Jamie, transferred and put on hold. Disconnected after eight minutes.

Called India again, after a 21 minute hold I got through to Jamie, who immediately credited my account and assured me she will either find the correct part or let me know it's NLA. She was awesome!

Titanium Dome
11-29-2011, 06:32 PM
If it's NLA, I can start digging around for my spare, though it might be for an SVA1800. We'll need to check to see if they're the same size.

JeffW
11-29-2011, 06:42 PM
Now I get it! Hilarious! I feel pretty stupid for asking for her contact info. It's also kind of ironic that the sound quality of the phone connection is so muffled that it sounds like the person you're talking to is buried under a two foot thick pile of blankets.

EDIT:

Called India, asked for Jamie, transferred and put on hold. Disconnected after eight minutes.

Called India again, after a 21 minute hold I got through to Jamie, who immediately credited my account and assured me she will either find the correct part or let me know it's NLA. She was awesome!

That's why I always use the 800 number. I'd say 21 minutes is about the norm in my experience, do you still have "Give Me the SImple Life" playing in your head?

audiomagnate
11-29-2011, 06:51 PM
That's why I always use the 800 number. I'd say 21 minutes is about the norm in my experience, do you still have "Give Me the SImple Life" playing in your head?

Is that the ultra low fidelity jazz piece that keeps looping? Yes, that and the muffled "Thank you for contacting JBL, we apologize..." That repeats about five thousand times during that 21 minutes.

Ti Dome, thanks for the offer, I may have to take you up on that. We'll see if Jamie gets back to me. She seemed competent and professional. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I remember reading somewhere that you prefer regular wire to the straps. I just think they look cool and I can't hear any difference.

audiomagnate
12-02-2011, 02:01 PM
It had been a few days since I heard anything from Harman, so I contacted my credit card company to make sure the credit had been issued, and it had. I just assumed the part was NLA and was going to contact Ti Dome in a few days to get a strap from him when I got an email from Harold Kevelos at Harman saying the part was NLA, BUT they are sending me an entire crossover network, which includes the straps, at NO CHARGE. Wow. I'm assuming it will also contain the terminal cup and terminals, which are nicely done on this speaker and must cost a bundle.

4313B
12-06-2011, 09:27 AM
The Internet is a real bee in the bonnet of corporations/governments...

Wornears
12-06-2011, 02:43 PM
Based on your JBL Customer Service Hell experiences so far, I await pics of the free crossover when it arrives.
But if I were you, I'd head over to Lowe's or Home Depot or a metal supply house for some metal and make my own strapping bar(s). :D

I've managed a few automotive performance customer service departments. Getting and keeping good people in those positions is difficult.
I find myself being more amazed these days when customer service actually works because the norm with so many companies is it is useless.

audiomagnate
12-06-2011, 05:56 PM
Based on your JBL Customer Service Hell experiences so far, I await pics of the free crossover when it arrives.
But if I were you, I'd head over to Lowe's or Home Depot or a metal supply house for some metal and make my own strapping bar(s). :D

I've managed a few automotive performance customer service departments. Getting and keeping good people in those positions is difficult.
I find myself being more amazed these days when customer service actually works because the norm with so many companies is it is useless.

I started out in customer service at Mitsubishi in the 80s. Our CEO couldn't speak English, but he let it be known he wanted "regendary customer service." We had a dog of a TOTL $800+ vcr back then that chewed up tapes worse than a rabid pomeranian. When people called to complain, even way out of warranty, we calmed them down and sent them our latest and greatest TOTL vcr for free. No questions asked. They were astounded, and customers for life.

JeffW
12-06-2011, 06:11 PM
Based on your JBL Customer Service Hell experiences so far, I await pics of the free crossover when it arrives.
.

Man, you ain't seen JBL Customer Service Hell. Send busted 15" woofers back and forth for months and check back. Spend good chunks of an hour on hold at least monthly, more often around shipping/destruction/receiving time. Open boxes of what should have been high quality drivers only to see unuseable piles of rubble.

Now we're talking JBL Customer Service Hell.

A shorting strap? Not even.

Mr. Widget
12-06-2011, 07:55 PM
Man, you ain't seen JBL Customer Service Hell. Send busted 15" woofers back and forth for months and check back. Spend good chunks of an hour on hold at least monthly, more often around shipping/destruction/receiving time. Open boxes of what should have been high quality drivers only to see unuseable piles of rubble.I'm no fan of ginormous international corporations, but give Harman a break... you managed to buy drivers that are not even supposed to be available. It is no wonder they had no proper packaging for it... I'm not saying that Harman hasn't seriously screwed the pooch a few times, but you created your own hell. You have also paid a pretty heavy price, but at the end of the day you have been rewarded.:D


Widget

JeffW
12-06-2011, 08:09 PM
I'm no fan of ginormous international corporations, but give Harman a break... you managed to buy drivers that are not even supposed to be available. It is no wonder they had no proper packaging for it... I'm not saying that Harman hasn't seriously screwed the pooch a few times, but you created your own hell. You have also paid a pretty heavy price, but at the end of the day you have been rewarded.:D


Widget

Almost, but not quite.

I was able to place into my shopping cart, on the Harman site, a pair of 1500FE drivers.

They sent me (1) 1501FE driver, intact. They took it upon themselves to send me the wrong thing.

But not wanting a single 1501FE, I called them up to at least get two matching drivers. After witnessing their packing prowess, I wanted to minimize the number of packages that got shipped.

So granted, I could have sent the single 1501FE back, the driver that was never meant to be sold, and reset the clock on the pair of 1500FE I purchased. But having a single intact driver is such an enormous accomplisment, it seemed to me that just getting one more intact driver was the most logical choice. Who knows how many trips it would have taken to get the pair of 1500FE here intact? Hindsight, I guess...

But I never posted about the destroyed ME150H experience. Those drivers were also right there on the shopping list, ready to be added to the cart.

I think I did mention the available for purchase off the Harman website the pair of LE14H-3 that came rattling around without packing in a cardboard box. They weren't destroyed, but I can't see how.

audiomagnate
12-06-2011, 08:35 PM
For all of our Asian friends out there, I have to apologize or the "regendary" remark. It sucks to have a politically correct girlfriend looking over your shoulder. I got shipping confirmation today, so it's on it's way. If they messed up on a pair of LE14H-3s, I would get freakin' UGLY. That is just not right. But I am jazzed to see what a SVA2100 crossover looks like.

JeffW
12-06-2011, 08:55 PM
If they messed up on a pair of LE14H-3s, I would get freakin' UGLY. That is just not right.

Yeah, until you compare the cost of the 1501FE to the LE14H-3 and they send you this:

Mr. Widget
12-07-2011, 01:07 AM
Almost, but not quite.

I was able to place into my shopping cart, on the Harman site, a pair of 1500FE drivers.

They sent me (1) 1501FE driver, intact. They took it upon themselves to send me the wrong thing.

But not wanting a single 1501FE, I called them up to at least get two matching drivers. After witnessing their packing prowess, I wanted to minimize the number of packages that got shipped.

So granted, I could have sent the single 1501FE back, the driver that was never meant to be sold, and reset the clock on the pair of 1500FE I purchased. But having a single intact driver is such an enormous accomplisment, it seemed to me that just getting one more intact driver was the most logical choice. Who knows how many trips it would have taken to get the pair of 1500FE here intact? Hindsight, I guess...

But I never posted about the destroyed ME150H experience. Those drivers were also right there on the shopping list, ready to be added to the cart.

I think I did mention the available for purchase off the Harman website the pair of LE14H-3 that came rattling around without packing in a cardboard box. They weren't destroyed, but I can't see how.I guess you mis-understood me.

Your shopping cart was filled due to a mistake on the part of Harman's webmaster or whoever is in charge... is anyone in charge? :D But seriously, even though those couple of line items were available, if you had phoned up a local dealer and asked him to order them, the response would have been, "We are no longer in the raw driver business, and no longer sell raw drivers other than a very limited number through JBL Pro."

I don't mean to belittle the real frustration you went through, but I'd say you were quite lucky to get any of the merchandise fulfilled. Every attempt I have made through "normal" channels has been declined.


Widget

4313B
12-07-2011, 01:53 AM
Your shopping cart was filled due to a mistake on the part of Harman's webmaster or whoever is in charge... is anyone in charge? :D But seriously, even though those couple of line items were available, if you had phoned up a local dealer and asked him to order them, the response would have been, "We are no longer in the raw driver business, and no longer sell raw drivers other than a very limited number through JBL Pro."

I don't mean to belittle the real frustration you went through, but I'd say you were quite lucky to get any of the merchandise fulfilled. Every attempt I have made through "normal" channels has been declined.It is a mechanism for Harman to purge overruns. It has to do with their buyer/planner/vendor business model.

Crown takes the stance that no one gets a replacement driver for their Synthesis Products without a valid serial number. They will not sell raw drivers because they have zero interest in DIY and they are combating counterfeiting, primarily overseas. They are also making the attempt to protect their Synthesis Dealer network.

Harman really couldn't care less. If Harman has a 1500FE sitting on the shelf for whatever reason they'll sell it rather than inventory it. The third party vendor actually fulfilling the order and shipping it wouldn't know the difference between a 1500FE or 1501FE, it's all just a bunch of junk to them and they package it accordingly. From my data over the past decade I'd say said driver has roughly a 50-50 chance of making the journey intact.

JeffW
12-07-2011, 07:34 AM
I guess you mis-understood me.

Your shopping cart was filled due to a mistake on the part of Harman's webmaster or whoever is in charge... is anyone in charge? :D But seriously, even though those couple of line items were available, if you had phoned up a local dealer and asked him to order them, the response would have been, "We are no longer in the raw driver business, and no longer sell raw drivers other than a very limited number through JBL Pro."

Seems simple enough, if they don't want to sell the stuff, then take down the website where it's for sale. Problem solved.


I don't mean to belittle the real frustration you went through, but I'd say you were quite lucky to get any of the merchandise fulfilled. Every attempt I have made through "normal" channels has been declined.
Widget

I got the happy ending, so all's well and all of that. I was just commenting that if somebody thought getting the wrong shorting strap was JBL Customer Service Hell, then they were really only on about circle 1 or 2 of 9.

audiomagnate
12-07-2011, 08:11 AM
Yeah, until you compare the cost of the 1501FE to the LE14H-3 and they send you this:

Is that a crack or a dog hair? Just so you know, if you buy something from me, it's bound to have a dog hair or two. I can't even take a picture of my stuff without my hairy mutt gettin' in the way. I converted an ESS worshiping JBL hater last night! Do I get bonus points? I will post pics of my free crossover when it arrives so all the non-believers can get some religion. Jamie is awesome. She's a one person customer service department for a huge conglomerate. Amazing. Too bad she can't supervise packing and shipping. At Nak in the early 90's we had a Mexican guy back there that thought it was OK to drink on Fridays. His name was Jose. But that foam injection machine prevented any damage for the most part. Big oversized boxes with that machine prevented shipping damage. The tragedy was incoming TX1000s and Dragon CTs improperly packed. The best turntables ever. I was the guy that had to call the owner and tell him, not only can we not fix it, but the glass platter broke in shipment and it is NLA, and you're s*** out of luck. Not a good call. But that's how I got my Dragon CT, so it's not all bad.

JeffW
12-07-2011, 08:45 AM
When I first saw that, I thought it was like a string of hardened glue or something. I was trying to rub it off when it finally dawned on me what it was. My mind just wasn't processing "crack in cast driver frame".

audiomagnate
12-07-2011, 09:00 AM
When I first saw that, I thought it was like a string of hardened glue or something. I was trying to rub it off when it finally dawned on me what it was. My mind just wasn't processing "crack in cast driver frame".


So it is a crack?

JeffW
12-07-2011, 10:04 AM
Was a crack. That one went back to them in March I think.

4313B
12-07-2011, 10:41 AM
Seems simple enough, if they don't want to sell the stuff, then take down the website where it's for sale. Problem solved.It is a mechanism for Harman to purge overruns. It has to do with their buyer/planner/vendor business model.

Rolf
12-07-2011, 04:22 PM
Harman does not want us to be able to det parts from "the old good stuff". I wonder what they wil do with the guarante redarding the -DD66000.

China made? Mexico Made? Don't know. Mybe I get a pair of DD66000 soon,. (original drivers made in the US, cabinets made in Denmark) We will see, if the prise is right.

audiomagnate
12-08-2011, 07:34 PM
53966

Titanium Dome
12-08-2011, 09:58 PM
It sure is purty, ma. :thmbsup:

audiomagnate
12-08-2011, 10:19 PM
There is a Santa Clause!!!!!

Rolf
12-09-2011, 02:52 PM
So, parts to the DD66000 is not available?

4313B
12-09-2011, 04:05 PM
So, parts to the DD66000 is not available?They are available through Crown if one has a valid serial number. Crown handles service for the Synthesis Systems. The easiest thing to do is to let your Synthesis Dealer deal with it.

There has been a rumor floating around that Crown might end up handling service for everything JBL, including Harman Consumer Group and Pro (gasp!). That rumor has been around for a couple years now.

Rolf
12-10-2011, 03:50 PM
Thanks. The reason I ask is that maybeI can get a pair.


They are available through Crown if one has a valid serial number. Crown handles service for the Synthesis Systems. The easiest thing to do is to let your Synthesis Dealer deal with it.

There has been a rumor floating around that Crown might end up handling service for everything JBL, including Harman Consumer Group and Pro (gasp!). That rumor has been around for a couple years now.

audiomagnate
12-16-2011, 07:37 PM
Now this is really weird. I was about to toss the box, when I found a pair of straps in a little ziplock bag in the bottom of the box. All I needed was one strap, and I was sent an incorrect strap, four correct straps, a crossover, and a terminal board. And my money was refunded so I paid nothing. I'm not saying I'm not grateful, but what the heck are they smoking in the parts department at Harmon?

54098

grumpy
12-16-2011, 08:49 PM
Heh, well you now have a fair start at assembling parts for a matching center channel :D

audiomagnate
12-16-2011, 09:58 PM
I could order a woofer, they'll send me the tweet and the waveguide by mistake. I'll complain and they'll refund my money and then send me two woofers a month later and I'll be set!

4313B
12-17-2011, 04:15 AM
I'm not saying I'm not grateful, but what the heck are they smoking in the parts department at Harman?We don't know if it has to do with pharmaceuticals or if it's simply in the water. We do know that they often do really nutty things. My personal favorite is the several hundred DX-1 networks that ended up in the trash. Even the President of JBL Consumer was flabbergasted by that one. :rotfl:

My caring and concern has turned to detached disgust over time. We all can understand a screw up or two and move on but when it becomes a way of doing business year after year it's no longer understandable.

Wornears
12-17-2011, 08:06 AM
"My personal favorite is the several hundred DX-1 networks that ended up in the trash. Even the President of JBL Consumer was flabbergasted by that one."

Yeow! :eek: Gotta love a company with that kind of internal control. Maybe they should contract out Customer Service to a group that gives a care -- like L-H forum members!

Who's with me! <G>

audiomagnate
12-17-2011, 10:31 AM
We had a guy at Nak in the early 90s, Jose, in parts/shipping who used to drink on Fridays. Everybody knew about it, it wasn't a secret. We all thought it was funny. Wasn't there some urban legend about how you didn't want a GM car that was built on a Friday?

Rolf
12-17-2011, 10:45 AM
We had a guy at Nak in the early 90s, Jose, in parts/shipping who used to drink on Fridays. Everybody knew about it, it wasn't a secret. We all thought it was funny. Wasn't there some urban legend about how you didn't want a GM car that was built on a Friday?

Only on Fridays? I drink a couple of beers when if I want. Friday, Tuesday or any other day.:)

audiomagnate
12-17-2011, 12:29 PM
Only on Fridays? I drink a couple of beers when if I want. Friday, Tuesday or any other day.:)

At work? In the US even having a beer at lunch is frowned upon. We were founded by Puritans and they're taking hold again. But Jose drank Tequila, LOTS of Tequila on Friday. By the end of the day he was sh**faced.

Rolf
12-19-2011, 07:39 AM
At work? In the US even having a beer at lunch is frowned upon. We were founded by Puritans and they're taking hold again. But Jose drank Tequila, LOTS of Tequila on Friday. By the end of the day he was sh**faced.

No, not at work. But as I am retired because of a large back operation, I can take a beer whenever it suits me.

audiomagnate
12-19-2011, 11:40 AM
No, not at work. But as I am retired because of a large back operation, I can take a beer whenever it suits me.

Good for you, you lucky dog!

Rolf
12-19-2011, 03:09 PM
Good for you, you lucky dog!

Well, I miss the "good days" at work. I was never drinking at work. Not bad ones., But, I am happy to have hobbies. Like my dog, taking photos etc. Right now it is not so great, as a very good friend of mine is on a (don't know the english word) place, just waiting to die. He was 60 on Dec 10. I visit him 2 -3 times a week. Just to see that it is going "down hill". He has a brain tumor. But he is my long time friend, and I would not dream to abandon him. To many of his "so called friends" has done that"

Many things I could say, but this is enough for now.

Robh3606
12-21-2011, 11:28 AM
To many of his "so called friends" has done that"


Not to make excuses for them but many people have a hard time facing that type of situation. It's not easy to watch someone you care for steadily decine like that. Some people can get past what they see and have the inner strength to do it others don't. Doesn't make them bad people we all have our strong points.

Rob:)

Rolf
12-21-2011, 11:50 AM
Not to make excuses for them but many people have a hard time facing that type of situation. It's not easy to watch someone you care for steadily decine like that. Some people can get past what they see and have the inner strength to do it others don't. Doesn't make them bad people we all have our strong points.

Rob:)

I am aware of this Rob, and I don't say they are bad people. But, when I was making some calls about a week before his birthday, many say they could not come, and that is OK. I asked them "why not send a card"? No cards showed up. The 10 of us that showed up had a nice couple of hours, and thou he has lost his ability to talk and write, I can tell you he appreciated it.

Now... In situations like this my personal meaning is that, and it is tuff, but one must take a deep breathe, and just go. I need at least 1 day, 2 is better just to take another deep breath, and visit him again.

audiomagnate
12-25-2011, 04:55 AM
Not to make excuses for them but many people have a hard time facing that type of situation. It's not easy to watch someone you care for steadily decine like that. Some people can get past what they see and have the inner strength to do it others don't. Doesn't make them bad people we all have our strong points.

Rob:)

So true. I lost my twin brother to leukemia last year, and the steady decline was sad for me and the rest of the family, but really not something for "outsiders" to observe or be a part of. We pretty much kept his last month or so private. I probably would have been one of the uncomfortable ones before this experience.

Rolf
12-25-2011, 07:07 PM
Thank for shearing our thoughts.


So true. I lost my twin brother to leukemia last year, and the steady decline was sad for me and the rest of the family, but really not something for "outsiders" to observe or be a part of. We pretty much kept his last month or so private. I probably would have been one of the uncomfortable ones before this experience.

jhal
12-25-2011, 08:38 PM
"My personal favorite is the several hundred DX-1 networks that ended up in the trash. Even the President of JBL Consumer was flabbergasted by that one."

Yeow! :eek: Gotta love a company with that kind of internal control. Maybe they should contract out Customer Service to a group that gives a care -- like L-H forum members!

Who's with me! <G>

So what I heard about the DX-1's is true.:blink: Here I am owning a pair of XPL-200A's, wishing I had a DX-1, and willing to pay a REASONABLE sum of cash for it, and these fools threw a bunch in the trash. :dont-know: Boggles the mind. Idiots are taking over the world.