Sony India — Sony Xperia Miro Service center charging huge amount to fix lock/unlock button

Address:

Bangalore, Karnataka

I would like to share my bitter experience with the Sony mobile services with all of you after I visited their service center on 27th September 2014. I bought Sony Xperia Miro on[protected] for Rs 13290 Recently I started facing problems with the lock/unlock button. The button suddenly stopped working and I could not unlock/lock/switch on/switch off. Hence I took it to the Sony Authorized Service Center ABHIVRUDHI TECH, #235/12, Suraj Center, Ground Floor, 27th Cross, 7th Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore – 82. When one of their service executive checked, she quoted Rs 8500 just to fix the lock/unlock button. I was baffled by her response, because the actual price of the mobile is same as the price to fix the button. I asked her “Do you have sense, are you aware of the price of the mobile. The price you are quoting is almost 64% the price of the mobile”. Her response was “No I do not have sense”. This was the arrogant reply I received. So I asked to speak with her manager as speaking with person who has no sense wouldn’t solve my problem. When I reported the manager about the behavior of her executive in the service center, the manager replied that she is newly appointed and asked sorry. I replied to the manager “Her executive being a new employee is not my problem, it was the manager’s responsibility to train her staff adequately”. Again she replied sorry. So, coming to the problem I was facing with my mobile, I asked her how do they justify the service charges of fixing just a button is almost 64% price of the mobile? She said, “I can give a discount and bring it down to Rs5700, the mobile device had a manufacture problem when it was launched. If it was within warranty period I could do it for free. But now the charges will be Rs 5700”. I asked the manager's name and she replied that she had no name. They did not even investigate the problem with the mobile, to do such investigation they charge Rs 150 and quote the actual amount to fix it, which may be more or less than the initial amount they quoted. So I asked her if the product has manufacture defect and the service is also costing so much, instead of putting my money to fix the button I can buy another mobile of a different brand whose service is far better compared to Sony. Her response as a Sony service center employee was that I can go ahead and do that. What is the value for the customer’s money and trust on the brand when the brand’s employee is not protecting its image? As I came out of the service center these are the disappointments I had after buying a Sony product. Sony’s service is the worst I have experienced so far. Sony being such a reputed brand worldwide, the kind of the service they provide does not stand up to the expectations we had on the brand. Since the problem with my mobile still persists, I now ask for your advice on the problem. I am not able to use my phone at all due to this problem. Also, I ask you on how you plan to restore a customer’s trust on the brand after such a bitter experience?