THE WELCH COMPANY
440 Davis Court #1602
San Francisco, CA 94111-2496
415 781 5700
rod@welchco.com
S U M M A R Y
DIARY: June 28, 2005 02:07 PM Tuesday;
Rod Welch
GE call on refrigerator issue with Home Depot.
1...Summary/Objective
2...Home Depot Submitted Repair Invoice for Quality Control Resolution
..............
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CONTACTS
SUBJECTS
Refrigerator Leaking Again Contacted Home Depot for Referral to Anot
GE Offers Half Price Plus Deliver and Setup Paid by Customer to Repl
0504 -
0504 - ..
0505 - Summary/Objective
0506 -
050601 - Follow up ref SDS 14 0001 ref SDS 13 0000.
050602 -
050603 -
050604 -
050605 -
050606 -
050608 - ..
0507 -
0508 -
0509 - 1410
0510 -
051001 - Home Depot Submitted Repair Invoice for Quality Control Resolution
051002 -
051003 - Follow up ref SDS 14 VY5O, ref SDS 13 VY5O.
051004 -
051005 - Customer Service Department.
051006 -
051007 - 800 386 1215 #2
051009 - ..
051010 - Model and serial number are listed in the record on 041026. ref SDS 7
051011 - VY91
051013 - ..
051014 - None of the options sounded like something to replace defective
051015 - products; so, selected option 1 to schedule service.
051017 - ..
051018 - Talked to Miss Jones.
051020 - ..
051021 - She has Millie in the data base for her telephone number.
051023 - ..
051024 - Miss Jones says we have to talk to Customer Relations, not Customer
051025 - Service.
051027 - ..
051028 - She says the number is...
051029 -
051030 - 800 386 1215
051032 - ..
051033 - This is the number we called to get Miss Jones. She went off line to
051034 - investigate, and came back about five (5) minutes later and advised
051035 - that the extension to get Customer Relations is...
051036 -
051037 - 800 386 1215 #5
051039 - ..
051040 - Miss Jones transferred the call.
051042 - ..
051043 - Line is busy.
051045 - ..
0511 -
0512 -
0513 - 1431
0514 -
051401 - Talked to Fredora.
051402 -
051403 - Presented the record reported to Home Depot on 050623. ref SDS 13 VX58
051405 - ..
051406 - She indicates GE cannot offer a solution because the product is out
051407 - of warranty.
051409 - ..
051410 - Fredora suggested talking to someone else on this matter.
051412 - ..
051413 - She transferred the call to a supervisor, Mrs Turner.
051414 -
051415 -
051417 - ..
0515 -
0516 -
0517 - 1442
0518 -
051801 - Talked to Mrs Turner.
051802 -
051803 - She said this matter has been assigned to...
051804 -
051805 - Case Number: 4944578
051807 - ..
051808 - Mrs Turner advised that Fredora has briefed her on the the record
051809 - reported to Home Depot on 050623. ref SDS 13 VX58
051811 - ..
051812 - Mrs Turner advised that freezer drain leakeage is not a known issue on
051813 - this model of refrigerator that is listed by Customer Relations.
051815 - ..
051816 - Mrs Turner said that GE cannot solve the problem because the customer
051817 - did not pay an extra $50 to hire a GE mechanic to perform the repair
051818 - on 050620. ref SDS 13 0001 She indicated that if a GE technician had
051819 - performed the service, like Pete did on 051027, ref SDS 8 0001, then
051820 - he could have called GE Customer Relations, and in that case Mrs
051821 - Turner would be authorized to make an offer on replacement. She did
051822 - not discuss the challenge GE would have faced in the event the service
051823 - technician lacked the experience to recognize a design flaw and so
051824 - failed to call Customer Relations.
051825 -
051826 - [On 170214 0931 received letter from MondySavingPro.com
051827 - explaining Home Warranty Insurance to cover all routine
051828 - home and appliance repairs for cost of $300 to $500
051829 - annually. ref SDS 18 EM73
051830 -
051831 - https://www.moneysavingpro.com/home-warranty/
051833 - ..
051834 - We reviewed options available to Mrs Turner for solving the problem in
051835 - the event a GE technician had performed the service, since based on
051836 - the record of this transaction showing repetitive failure cited in the
051837 - repair invoice on 050623, ref SDS 13 IG59, this problem will occur
051838 - again in about six (6) months.
051840 - ..
051841 - Mrs Turner said that if a GE service technician reported a repetitive
051842 - problem that appeared to be a design or manufacturing flaw that is a
051843 - "documented issue," then she could offer the customer a 50% discount
051844 - on the price of a new refrigerator. The customer would also be
051845 - responsible for delivery and installation charge.
051847 - ..
051848 - Mrs Turner indicated that GE's report on 041026 that condensate
051849 - freezer drain leakage is a "common problem" with this model,
051850 - ref SDS 7 PQ3P, suggests that GE customer service representatives who
051851 - schedule repairs may know of an issue that has not yet been
051852 - "documented" by Customer Relations. Mrs Turner further noted that
051853 - comments on 050616 by two (2) separate third party service providers
051854 - lend weight to GE's earlier report. ref SDS 12 7X6O
051856 - ..
051857 - Mrs Turner feels that customers encountering a common problem that is
051858 - not a documented issue presents a challenge for Customer Relations to
051859 - fashion a reasonable remedy, where, as here, the problem takes longer
051860 - than the warranty period to initially become manifest, and then
051861 - repeats in 6 months, causing customer dissatisfaction and increased
051862 - costs, as reported on 050620. ref SDS 13 VX5I
051864 - ..
051865 - Mrs Turner further agreed with Kathy at Home Depot who indicated on
051866 - 050616 that GE should report issues to vendors for disclosure by sales
051867 - people that affect customer buying decisions. ref SDS 12 YR42
051869 - ..
051870 - Mrs Turner indicated that the report by a third party service
051871 - technician on 050620, who found a flawed product based on repetitive
051872 - failure, ref SDS 12 7X6O, therefore deserves attention, since this can
051873 - aid GE engineering to make corrections that maintain customer
051874 - satisfaction. GE can then document a new issue for disclosure of a
051875 - common problem to customers.
051877 - ..
051878 - Mrs Turner said that under this record GE can offer to replace the
051879 - refrigerator at half the cost of a new unit. She proposed that the
051880 - customer pay for delivery and installation.
051882 - ..
051883 - We considered the advantage of getting a refrigerator with a different
051884 - design from the model we have, GTS201CNAWW, reported on 041026,
051885 - ref SDS 7 VY91, which has a flaw that has already failed twice, so
051886 - that this scenario is not repeated again in six (6) months.
051887 -
051888 - [On 050630 GE proposed a replacement with a similar model
051889 - GTS22JCPWW, ref SDS 15 FX6J, however, nothing is submitted on the
051890 - design change to the drip trough. ref SDS 15 FX69
051892 - ..
051893 - Mrs Turner indicated she is unaware of differences in the design of
051894 - this feature on GE refrigerators. She will contact GE engineering
051895 - people for feedback to clarify this issue.
051897 - ..
051898 - Mrs Turner indicated it will take 2 weeks before she can determine if
051899 - a replacement refrigerator is available from GE with a different
051900 - design for the condensate drip drainage, because the two people she
051901 - can ask are in a training class.
051903 - ..
051904 - She will try contacting them via internal communications, and will
051905 - respond in two (2) days to confirm whether this will take more time
051906 - to resolve.
051907 -
051908 - [On 050630 Pat called and left a message that GE proposes
051909 - swapping out the refrigerator for a new model GTS22JCPWW.
051910 - ref SDS 15 FX6J
051912 - ..
051913 - [On 050707 GE quotes an additional $507.79 to replace the
051914 - defective product, which doubles the cost for getting a
051915 - servicable product. ref SDS 16 9C43
051917 - ..
051918 - Mrs Turner advised that her boss does not allow timely written
051919 - documentation to confirm accuracy of communications. She cannot send
051920 - nor receive email, and she is not permitted to send customers
051921 - confirmation to verify accuracy of case history written by her as a
051922 - Customer Relations representative into GE's computer. Mrs Turner
051923 - indicated that GE policy is to rely solely on conversation working
051924 - with customers.
051926 - ..
051927 - This aligns with experience working with Kaiser, reported on 041130.
051928 - ref SDS 10 YR8F
051930 - ..
051931 - We reviewed common practice to confirm accuracy of communications,
051932 - illustrated in the movies, reported on 020927. ref SDS 5 W682
051933 -
051934 - [On 050728 Susan in the Executive Office confirmed that GE has
051935 - given up on communication. ref SDS 17 AN98
051937 - ..
051938 - We further reviewed published standards calling for feedback to refine
051939 - accuracy of communications, reported on 950721. ref SDS 1 1740
051940 - Fortune reported a former GE CEO empowered GE to succeed by sending
051941 - out feedback to verify accuracy of understandings from meetings and
051942 - calls, like today, reported on 990625. ref SDS 3 LH30 Intel's CEO
051943 - agrees with GE. Andy Grove says that copious notes are essential to
051944 - avoid errors from the ambiguity of mental maps, reported on 980307.
051945 - ref SDS 2 3668
051947 - ..
051948 - Why is feedback effective for GE's CEO to work accurately, but not for
051949 - GE's customers? Without feedback, how does GE protect itself against
051950 - everyone going in different directions, rather than collaborating as
051951 - part of the team to solve a problem?
051953 - ..
051954 - Mrs Turner said the policy is set above her level. There is nothing
051955 - she can do.
051957 - ..
051958 - Feeling helplesss reflects Congressional testimony by the Chief
051959 - Administrator at NASA who reported on 030826 that bureaucracy fosters
051960 - a culture of denial that stifles initiative to improve leading to
051961 - catistrophic disasters like loss of the space shuttle Columbia,
051962 - because people couldn't do anything to line up communications using
051963 - approved tools and methods. ref SDS 6 8K4G
051965 - ..
051966 - On 020504 study shows professional standards for communication
051967 - practices and requirements on good management specified in FAR, ISO,
051968 - Health Care, Covey, Drucker, law, contract notice provisions, and
051969 - 2,000 years of literacy for contemporaneous documentation for
051970 - alignment and feedback to work intelligently, quickly, and accurately
051971 - are ignored in government, business, health care, every sector.
051972 - ref SDS 4 NS6F
051974 - ..
051975 - Mrs Turner said the only way customers can communicate with GE on
051976 - communication policy for saving time and money by working quickly and
051977 - accurately is to send a printed letter to...
051978 -
051979 - Ray Graft
051980 - Manager Consumer Relations
051981 - AP6 Suit #129B
051982 - Louisville, KY 40225
051984 - ..
051985 - 502 459 7481
051987 - ..
051988 - Answer Center 502 339 3330
051990 - ..
051991 - Sales........ 502 426 0131
051993 - ..
051994 - Information Operator... 502 452 4311
051995 -
051997 - ..
051998 - Research on working with GE Customer Relations yielded the
051999 - following....
052000 -
052001 - http://www.complaints.com/july2001/complaintoftheday.july30.2.htm
052002 -
052003 - ...describing a customer's report of "bait and "switch" experience.
052004 -
052005 -
052006 -
052007 -
052008 -
052009 -
052010 -
052011 -
0521 -