For Warranty Returns on Sweepers:
Send In Your Old Parts
by Ranger Kidwell-Ross
When a customer calls in needing a faulty component replaced, most sweeper company personnel do everything they can to get the required item sent to their customers quickly and without charge. What you may not know, however, is that most invoicing and tracking systems actually charge for the part, then issue a credit for it upon receipt of the defective unit.
I want to remind everybody that when they are supplied with a part that is covered under warranty, in most instances they still need to send in the old one before their account will be credited. This is true for several good reasons. One is because parts manufacturers typically won't issue credit until they are provided with the defective piece. They want to confirm that their component did break. Most also have a failure analysis department which takes a look to determine why it failed. That's one of the ways that their product lines can be improved.
Unfortunately, once the new part is in hand it is all too easy for people to forget to send in the old one for credit. Often nothing is heard until a phone call (some more irate than others) is received from the customer, who wants to know why a bill has shown up for a part which was supposedly covered under warranty. Usually the problem is that the old part hasn't yet been received.
It is also important that parts are returned in a timely fashion. You may have noticed that manufacturers now stamp their parts with a date and quality-control code. That's something which is reviewed when parts are returned for credit. Especially if an item breaks within the warranty period but then isn't received back at the factory until after the warranty has expired, everyone involved will have a lot more trouble getting credit for it. That is why most organizations ask that all warranty parts be returned within 30 days of the time the new ones are sent.
Most companies also find it extremely helpful if you accompany your returns - whether under warranty or for some other reason - with their original invoice. That makes it much easier to confirm parts numbers and pricing. With or without an invoice, however, a note explaining exactly why you are returning the part is always helpful. If, for example, a pump is being sent back because you think it has a bad solenoid, say so in your note. That will provide a big headstart in routing it correctly. Also include whether it is being returned under warranty or for some other reason.
All the information you can provide will be appreciated by your manufacturer and will also transfer into improved quality control, speedier turnaround and a better level of customer support all the way down the line.
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