[Resolved]  Whirlpool — whirlpool washing machine service

Address:

Maharashtra

Date 25/01/10


To
Managing Director,
M/s Whirpool of India Ltd.
Whirpool House
Plot No. 40, Sector 44,
Gurgaon – 122002
Haryana.
Sub: Whirlpool white magic machine-Cannot be repaired!

Dear Sir,
I have been trying to get my whirlpool white magic machine repaired for almost 6 months now! I entered into a service contract paying about Rs 4000 thinking that I will get proper service after paying such a heavy sum. I have repeatedly given complaints but the response has been poor and far between. Whirlpool engineers have visited my house on four or five occasions during this period but so far no one has been able to repair it properly.
The problem with the machine is that it works intermittently. It works for a day or two and then suddenly without warning it refuses to co-operate with all our attempts to make it work. A few hours later it will be in a in a helpful mood and start washing as suddenly and as inexplicably as it had stopped. At times it does not work for days together.
We are staying about 10-15 km from your nearest service agent. The plea given by the service agency is that we are on the outskirts therefore they cannot be given prompt service. I myself travel 30 km to my workplace in Pune every day. Can a service engineer not visit us sooner? Or is it asking for too much. If you think that I am asking for too much I think that you have also charged too much for the service contract.
I will explain to you my latest attempt to get the machine repaired. I first lodged the complaint on 29/12/09 my complaint number was recorded as [protected]. Nobody turned up to repair the machine while we continued to wash with the intermittent washing machine. I next lodged a complaint on 15/16 th of January complaint no pn [protected]. When I asked about my complaint of December I was told that the complaint has been closed because the Engineer visited our house and he found it locked. We are both working and it is likely that we were not at home when he called. But he has not even made an attempt to call us. In this age of communication can the service engineer or your office or call centre not fix up an appointment before visiting. Is it proper to close a complaint because the customer was not at home. I think a complaint should be closed only after ensuring that the service engineer has been successful in repairing the machine to the satisfaction of the customer.
After repeated calls to the call centre , service centre and the Pune whirlpool centre I could coax the service engineer a Mr Ranjeet to visit our residence. He came on a Sunday and to our distress the washing machine was working when he visited. He looked at the machine and said “the machine is working I cannot not do any repair work.” I told him that it works intermittently. Kindly have a look at the wiring as there may be some loose connection. He refused to comply with my request and told me to use a hair drier to heat up the region around the control buttons as it may be a moisture problem. Is a Whirlpool washing machine supposed to work like that or is Whirlpool in the hairdryer business too?
I then pointed out that the machine also has one more problem i.e. the water level sensor does not work properly it either senses the lowest level or works only at the highest level. Very reluctantly he agreed to replace the sensor. After replacing the sensor he was in a tearing hurry to leave. I called him and asked him to wait to confirm that the level sensor was now working properly. He refused to wait even after I offered him tea and walked away rudely. I ran out to call him back but he refused to wait. I decided to test the machine. I had to connect the water pipeline on my own because the service engineer had not bothered to fix it back. A rubber washer had fallen off and the joint was leaking. After some time I noticed the rubber washer lying on the bathroom floor and after I had inserted it properly the joint was not leaking. I started the wash cycle and soon found that the machine was overflowing. I switched it off immediately and called the service engineer again and requested him to come and repair the machine. He said that it was not possible for him to come back now, but would come back the next day. He may have left my residence just 10 minutes before and must have been hardly a few kilometers from my house but still he refused to comply with my request. I got very angry with him--- and you cannot fault me for that.
I called the whirl pool call centre and lodged my strong complaints and advised them not to send the same service engineer to our house again. Nobody turned up to repair the machine for a whole week then. Initially they promised to send the engineer on Wednesday they then postponed it to Friday. When I called on Friday they informed me that the engineer will visit me at 11 am on Saturday. I did not get a call from the service engineer even at 12 am so I called the whirlpool call centre and told them that I have been waiting all morning for a service engineer but he has not even bothered to call. They called up the service centre and informed me that the engineer was in my area and would be visiting me soon. At 1500 hrs I had to leave for an important religious function so I left asking my wife to return from office as early as possible because the service engineer may turn up any time. Can a visit not be scheduled? The service engineer finally came at 1800 hrs. It was the same service engineer who had messed up the machine before, Mr Ranjeet. Customers cannot be choosers especially after the payment is made!
My wife had managed to come back by then but there was no power. My wife convinced him to go ahead with the repair. He repaired the machine and left. Again within 10 minutes or less power was restored and my wife called him. He assured us that the machine would work and that he need not come. Power shut downs all over Maharashtra is scheduled is it not possible to send the service engineer when there is no power shut down.
I advised my wife to test the machine and to our relief we found that the machine was working fine. On 25th Jan Monday morning I got a call from the whirlpool office asking me if the machine was working fine I told that it was working properly. At 2100 hrs on the same day in the middle of a wash cycle I find that the machine is beeping away In protest. It had stopped working suddenly as of old.
I believe these machines do not work if they are not wired properly. Sensors may not behave as expected if the earthing is not proper. This time I was not at home but the last time the engineer opened it for repair I saw a lot of loose wire hanging around in the machine. I believe it is a case of shabby maintenance powered by poor knowledge and lethargy.
I do not feel that whirlpool has the capability to repair a washing machine. The amount of inconvenience and hardships caused by the poor service cannot be expressed in words nor can it be easily compensated by money. In spite of that I request you to only refund the amount I paid for the service contract so that I can buy a new washing machine preferably of some other make. The amount could be sent to me by cheque to the following address.
K J Thomas,
Row House No 48,
Lake Paradise, Opposite CRPF,
Mumbai Pune Highway,
Talegaon Dabhade,
Taluka Maval, Pune 410 507


I request you to kindly look into the matter gracefully and get back to me at the earliest.

Thanking You,

Yours faithfully


K J Thomas