[Resolved]  AO Smith — Unprofessional behavior of Service Area manager

I’m Kavitha from Chengalpet, Tamilnadu. I like to bring to your attention my recent unpleasant experience with your service representative.
I bought a AO Smith Z5 water purifier in Mar 2022 and recently on 18/Nov raised a service request #16917211 as the product has issue.
Despite 24 hours resolution SLA, the engineer called only on 22nd Nov. since I was away at work I asked the engineer to come on 24th Nov and he agreed. However, after 2 days I received a cancellation message stating customer not available. I had to again call the customer care to open a fresh case #16954168 on 26/Nov and was provided Area manager contact number to fix an appointment.

I called the Area Manager for Thiruporur, Chengalpet District and expressed my concern of closing my previous ticket despite my request for rescheduling. He casually said this is a procedure for out of city service that customer should be available when engineer called. I asked shouldn’t the customer have no option to step out for an errand but expected to be available 24X7 from the date service is booked ? He said he doesn’t care but engineers will cancel if the customer is not accepting the visit when called. For the second service request #16954168 I raised, he asked me to remained him on 30/Nov for the visit on 1Dec.

Despite my reminder, as no one visited until 2/Dec, I called the area manager for which he said he came to my home on 1/Dec but I didn’t pickup my phone so he left. When I checked there was a missed call from unknown number at 1.42pm. i still couldn’t understand why an engineer would come at doorstep and give one missed call and leave without checking with the watchman outside my gate. And my CCTV footage shows no evidence of people at my door at that time so It was clear they didn’t visit my home but attempt a quick missed call to claim ‘customer not available’ scenario. My call with that Area manager was again futile and ended up with an escalation conference call with his regional manager where he again justify his act and indulged in heated arguments. At the end, i was left with an unpleasant experience exhausted my energy dealing with such an irrational person.

Therefore, I choose to write here to M/s AO Smith to know, “Does your Company Service policy say that customer have no option to pick up an appointment for out of city service request ?” can you describe the term ‘out of City’ when the sales was made in local address at Chengalpet District. if so, kindly make this mentioned while sales, so we can opt for another product which has better coverage for our area.

I am now more worried about service for my another product AO Smith Water heater that I bought around same time. With such unpleasant experience under warranty service during the 1st year of product purchase, I am left with a opinion that AO Smith is meant for City based users and their service after sales at other districts is not good.

Based on my experience in a respectful position, I can say this may not be the first time this manager show such attitude to customer. The company spend exorbitant amount promoting your Brand & Product but it will go futile unless you have your service professionals be customer friendly and flexible. I am not at least expecting such unprofessional, irresponsible act from an Area Manager.

I am writing with a hope that M/s. AO Smith being a reputed company will quickly look into this issue before you lose a prospective buyers of AO Smith products from this region of Chengalpet District.