By Sherry

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK PANASONIC CANADA FOR HAVING TRULY EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE. I RECENTLY PURCHASED A PANASONIC BATTERY CHARGER, AND WHEN IT MALFUNCTIONED, THE COMPANY NOT ONLY REPLACED IT WITHOUT CHARGE, THEY REPLACED IT WITH A BETTER ONE, AND SENT ALONG A FEW COMPLIMENTARY BATTERIES AS WELL. THIS COMPANY PROVIDED TRULY EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SUPPORT AND SERVICE AND THEY STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS, WHICH I HAVE FOUND TO BE OF EXCELLENT QUALITY. I DID NOT EXPECT THIS LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE, AND IN FACT, I ALMOST DID NOT CALL THEM, BECAUSE IN THE PAST, I HAVE HAD SOME VERY POOR EXPERIENCES WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM OTHER COMPANIES. I FIGURED I WOULD HAVE TO BUY A NEW CHARGER IF MY CHARGER HAD INDEED STOPPED WORKING, BUT I CALLED THE COMPANY TO INQUIRE IF PERHAPS THERE WAS SOMETHING I WAS DOING WRONG THAT I COULD CHANGE, OR IF THE UNIT COULD AT LEAST STILL BE USED TO CHARGE BATTERIES ALTHOUGH THE LED INDICATOR WOULD NO LONGER FUNCTION. I EMAILED THE COMPANY WITH MY QUESTION AND THEY CALLED ME BACK ON THE VERY NEXT BUSINESS DAY. I WAS AMAZED AT THEIR HELPFULNESS - WHEN THEY ASCERTAINED THAT THE UNIT WAS NO LONGER FUNCTIONING, I THANKED THEM FOR THEIR HELP AND WAS ABOUT TO LEAVE, BUT THEY STOPPED ME AND ARRANGED TO SEND OUT A REPLACEMENT. I HAVE A NUMBER OF PANASONIC PRODUCTS IN MY HOME - MICROWAVE, PHONES, BATTERIES AND CHARGER,S ETC. - AND THEY ARE ALL OF EXCELLENT QUALITY. NOW THAT I’VE LEARNED THAT THEY ALSO HAVE EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS, I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOOK FOR AND BUY PANASONIC OVER THE ALTERNATIVES.

(INCIDENTALLY, I HAVE PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED NUMEROUS ENERGIZER BATTERY CHARGERS, AND I HAD A VERY POOR EXPERIENCE WITH THEIR PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. I HAD SIX CONSECUTIVE CHARGERS MALFUNCTION AFTER ONLY A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AND VERY LIMITED USE, AND I REPLACED EACH ONE MYSELF, UNTIL FINALLY THE SEVENTH FAILED ON ONLY THE SECOND OR THIRD USE. I FINALLY CALLED THE COMPANY, AT WHICH TIME I LEARNED THAT THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS OF THE SAME POOR QUALITY AS THEIR PRODUCTS. I WAS ADVISED THAT I WOULD NEED TO SHIP THE UNIT BACK TO THEIR P.O. BOX AT MY OWN COST, AND TOLD THAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT REPLACE IT THEREAFTER. I REQUESTED AN ALTERNATE SHIPPING ADDRESS THAT COULD ACCEPT A COURIERED DELIVERY AS I WOULD NEED SOMEONE TO PICK UP THE DELIVERY FROM MY HOME, AND I EXPLAINED THAT I COULD NOT GET IT TO THE POST OFFICE MYSELF AS I HAVE A BROKEN BACK. THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP, A YOUNG MAN, LAUGHED AT MY PREDICAMENT AND MADE SOME VERY RUDE, SNIDE COMMENTS. HE TOLD ME I SHOULD GET WHOEVER HELPS ME WITH MY GROCERIES AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS I APPARENTLY CAN’T DO TO TAKE IT TO THE POST OFFICE AS I APPARENTLY COULDN’T ‘RUN’ IT THERE MYSELF. ALTHOUGH I WAS INSULTED BY HIS ATTITUDE AND HIS COMMENTS, I ATTEMPTED TO EXPLAIN THAT I HAVE HAD TO MAKE ALTERNATE ARRANGEMENTS FOR MY NECESSITIES AND THAT I DO NOT HAVE A PERONAL HELPER TO DO MY BIDDING. I FOUND THIS PARTICULARLY INSULTING - I DIDN’T APPRECIATE THE CONDESCENDING, RUDE BEHAVIOUR OR SNIDE COMMENTS. I FOUND THE ENERGIZER PRODUCTS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE TO BE EXTREMELY POOR AND IN STARK CONTRAST TO THE PANASONIC PRODUCTS AND CONSUMER SERVICE.)

I WOULD MOST CERTAINLY BUY PANASONIC PRODUCTS IN THE FUTURE, BECAUSE THEY ARE OF EXCELLENT QUALITY AND THE COMPANY OFFERS EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE AND STANDS BEHIND THEIR PRODUCTS. THIS IS APPARENTLY NOT ALL THAT COMMON - SO I WANT TO GIVE MY BUSINESS TO THE COMPANIES WHO DO PROVIDE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE. WITH ANY LUCK, COMPANIES WHO DON’T OFFER THIS KIND OF SERVICE WILL FLOURISH, AND THOSE THAT DON’T WILL HAVE TO IMPROVE, OR PERISH.