How HTC got it right with Customer Service

Its been a while since my latest blog but the reason for that has been the inspiration behind writing this. Over a week ago I dropped my HTC One X causing the screen to smash. I was just unlucky but still, I nearly sobbed on the side of the street... (restricted blogging, no mobile internet and worse still, less Twitter for a week!!) anyway, this leads me on to a bit of a story about customer service. In the same way that is important to highlight when a company treats you poorly, it is equally important to highlight when a company does something right and impresses a consumer.
     Now we all know about bad customer service. We have all experienced it, and we all complain about it but more as a moan to each other. I've had my fair share of bad experiences (Virgin with their broadband and Orange contribute to the majority!!) but what do we expect from customer service? If you get what you want are you satisfied and content? Or are you happy? Conversely, if we don't get what we want, do we then give up too easily because it is what is expected?

My journey with HTC began in 2008 where I got the first HTC flagship phone, the phone that put the Taiwanese company on the map - The Hero. Since then I have owned the HTC Desire, and the Desire HD before in June, I purchased the HTC One X. Am I an HTC fanboy? I wouldn't say so. Although interested in all new HTC releases I do not queue in anticipation and upgrade immediately. I would be more than happy to select a different phone if I believed it was better. For example, I could have gone with the Samsung Galaxy Series, or I could have gone with the Sony Xperia for example but I love HTC. I love the quality that HTC produce, but without the pretension.

(Sidenote: I wasn't a big fan of the attempted period of market saturation by HTC, even though they still managed to produce  high-quality budge phones like the Wildfire, but that is a different story.)

I digress. So what happen to me when I dropped my phone? As someone who recommends HTC to everyone, alongside having owned a succession of HTC phones without any problems or requests for repair, I decided to make a point of a couple of issues in addition to the smashed screen and send them to HTC. I had been previously told that it would cost between £125-£150 to get the screen repaired which is, in anyone's books, a large amount of money. I voiced my concern about the amount, plus explaining that the phone was occasionally refusing to automatically recover coverage after it was lost and occasionally overheating. In the greater scheme of things, these were minor issues, certainly not affecting my enjoyment and delight with the One X but I felt it necessary to point these out when considering repairing the phone. In the main, I was hoping to get a bit of money off the repair!!
     I forwarded the email to the Head of UK Customer Care and very quickly received a phone-call back. The woman was delightful. Apologetic, helpful and understanding. The major difference was that I felt like my case was important to HTC; I felt like a valued customer. This is a theme that continued. HTC offered to pick-up my phone, free of charge, so that the technical team could look it over. Quickly, efficiently and conveniently my phone was collected. Following this, I was informed that HTC would repair my screen, look at the phone and provide me with a complimentary case, all free of charge.

Now, obviously I was delighted by this news but what should be taken from this was the professional and entirely appropriate way that HTC handled my situation. For that, they need great praise. They didn't have to do this but they valued me as a customer and it showed. What they have guaranteed is that I will continue to buy HTC phones, continue to praise HTC and encourage others to choose their devices, all of this from a small screen repair and a friendly yet professional employee. Not much eh!

The point of this blog is certainly not to encourage people to cause a fuss for no reason but to give due praise HTC where I believe it has been earned. Whilst it isn't what happened to me, it is almost customary for the British to moan about customer service without trying to rectify it. It is really important for consumers to get what they deserve from a company. If you have paid good money for a product, and it doesn't meet those expectations, then talk to the company. Give them a chance to help you out. I did with HTC and look where it got me.

P.S: As another positive sidenote for HTC, even with a badly smashed screen, the One X was exemplary and performed without fault. Just another reason why it is one hell of a phone!!