Image courtesy of www.topnews.in
Dear Fashion PULIS,
It has been a week of feeling frustrated over the after-sales service of Swatch for me. I am from Iloilo, a province from the Visayas. I bought a Swatch March of last year when I went to Cebu. After a few months of use, I observed that gave me the wrong time from time to time.
When I went back to Cebu October last year, I had the watch check by the store. The lady checked the battery and it was fine. She advised me to leave it for 3 weeks for observation. I did not agree because I had to go back to Iloilo and they refused send the watch via LBC after the 3 week observation period.
The watch got permanently busted last February 2011. By busted I mean no movement for the second’s hand. I called the Manila Swatch service center about it. They said they will check the watch provided that the three conditions will be met:
1. Hand in the watch personally or through someone I know.
2. Leave the watch for 2-3 weeks for "proper" observation.
3. Pick up the watch from them after the 2-3 week "proper" observation period.
Since I had no way of going to Manila and I do not know of someone I could ask to help me fulfill the 3 condition, I felt no reason to despair because I had another full year left of warranty.
The lady who took my call also gave me hope when she told me that she understood that I could stay longer than 3-5 days if ever I go to Manila. I believe she said that she could bypass the rules and give me special consideration. After the phone call, I was still hopeful and decided that I would just wait for the time when I have a scheduled trip to Manila.
I was happy when I heard that my tita was scheduled to fly to Manila on May 28, but she will just stay there for just 3 days. Before she flew to Manila and go to Swatch, I made sure to call the service center. I informed them about my situation and the fact that I can't leave my watch for 2-3 weeks. I just did not want to leave the Swatch there in Manila and get it from them after a year or so.
After the phone call, I got the impression that Swatch will accommodate my request. So when May 28 came, my tita personally hand in my Swatch to the Glorietta store. They discovered that the battery was busted but since they ran out of battery that morning, my Tita had to leave the watch. They also told her that after they replace the battery, they need to observe it for 3 days, in time for my tita's flight to Iloilo.
Three days later at 5 PM, my Swatch was released. They told my tita that just by replacing the battery my Swatch will now work fine. The Swatch was set at 5:15 pm. It was placed inside a case before it was handed to my Tita.
Believe it or not, I got the watch at 5:15 PM the following day. I was thrilled because it gave me the correct time after months of frustration! However, I noticed that although the time was right, the seconds hand did not move one nanometer. What are the chances that the watch was ok the 3 days while it was under the custody of Swatch and it just got busted again when it was handed to me?
Once again I called the Glorietta branch and they did not know how it could happen. As far as they know, it was working perfectly when they gave it back to my tita. They spent the whole 30 minutes of NDD call explaining the policies of Swatch to me. The lady I was speaking to asked their head office if they could offer a solution. She told me minutes later that there was nothing they could do unless the 3 conditions they told me before were met.
I let the weekend pass, and decided to spend another NDD call to their head office. The Swatch guy (I know his name, but I doubt if it's important to refer to it) told me that they couldn't do anything unless I complied with their policy. As far as he is concerned, I am no longer entitled to feel frustrated or think of them as anti-consumer since necessity left me with no choice but to pull out the unit only after 3 days. Also, as per policy and SOP, they have fulfilled the correct after sales support. He did give me an email address though where I can send my letter of complaint. I have sent the letter for quite some time but I have received no reply from Swatch.
It's just so frustrating and this is why I decided to write to you, hoping to get my story published and circulated online. The Swatch that I bought might not be expensive, I may not have connections. I have no value to them, so I do not matter? I know that they have all the money to get celebrity endorsers, do some CSR and charity works to show an image of an upright, credible, community-oriented company, but they have forgotten to offer good after sales service to a loyal customer.
I had my first Swatch 18 years ago when I was in grade 1. When it got busted, I bought a different brand of watch since Swatch was not available in Iloilo. I wore the watch from Grade 6 till last year when I finally bought my first Swatch using my own money. When it was still working properly last year, I couldn't think of buying any other brand of watch but Swatch. I have a total of 4 Swatch (only one left working properly), and each has a sentimental value to me. I never buy anything if it does not have value to me. This is why I going through great lengths to voice my frustrations.
I know I am just one person. And my cause is hardly anything significant or controversial. But here I am, attempting to help improve the quality of customer service we have here in the Philippines.
Yours truly,
Maria Frances Anne Lorena
P.S. Calling on Swatch, please feel free to email your side of the story to michaelsylim@gmail.com. I will publish it as soon as I receive it.
i really get your point.. ganyan din ang feeling ko kapag may nangyayari saking ganyan... pag sa ordinary na tao lang, bago ka makapagpa-exchange/replace/re-imbursed ng damaged na nabili mo sobrang pahirapan talaga kahit pa within the warranty period pa yan.. super panget ng customer service dito sa atin.. di gaya sa states, nasira lang vibration ng iphone ko, replace agad after inspecting it, wala pang 1 hour yun... samantalang dito sasabihin sayo upon bayaran na 7 days daw replacement kung may factory defect pero pagbalik mo sasabihin iinspect pa nila kung candidate for replacement pa... hay naku! nakakainis.. pero kapag artista ang magpapaganito sa kanila ok lang lahat, isang tweet lang or interview sa tv or print ng story sa radyo, ayun takot lang nila masira, papalitan na nila agad, may freebies pa yang kasama...
ReplyDeleteganyan din ang nafefeel ko kahit sa mga concerts dito... no offense meant sa mga artsita, yung iba naman di nila kasalanan kasi sila din naman binibigyan ng libre, kahit naman ako tatanggap din ng libreng ticket.. pero sakin lang sa mga organizers sana lang fair naman... libre na nga yung mga artista, sa vip pa sila, pero yung mga bumili talaga ng vip tickets nasa likod pa at sulok nilalagay ng vip section.. yun palang vip section may super vip pa.. kung alam ko lang na may super vip di sana yun na lang binili ko.. yun pala bibigay lang nila ng free sa artista.. sana ipriority nila yung mga nagababayad.. di ko kasi makuha yung point na libreng ticket sa artista sa mga concerts di naman sila endorsers, di naman nakatulong magpromote.. sana fair lang.. and mas worst pa pag sa moa grounds yung concert, kasi sa pagpili ng seat or area kung walang upuan nakalagay vip kita mo as in harap.. pero pag oras na ng concert lalagyan nila ng upuan sa harap pa nung napili mong seats, ang labo.. di sana nakita na yun bago pa lang mo bilin yung ticket... tapos libre lang pala.. nakakainis.. ok lang naman basta alam mo lang beforehand di yung para kang niloko..
sana iprioritize nila yung paying customers dahil yun ang nagbibigay sa kanila ng income at di yung mga celeb na libre lang lagi.. di naman lahat sana, mga endoresers lang di yung lahat libre...fair lang.. consumers act!
Unfortunately Customer Service is really bad in the Philippines, unlike in other countries it is where they spend a lot of money. If you can try to email their Main branch or main office and just emphasize how loyal you are and how they are destroying the SWATCH brand here twitter account is @swatch website : http://www.swatch.com/zz_en/services/contact.html
ReplyDeleteIf this is in the US or other countries, im sure they will replace your watch no questions asked!
ReplyDeleteWhy can't they do it here? lagi na lang pahirapan!!!! Let's LEVEL UP naman!!!
Hugz to Maria.
~ Korean Net Diva
Cut the girl some slack! Give her what she deserves.
ReplyDeleteReading your story, I don't thing Swatch had bad customer service at all. Yes, they could have given you better after sales service, but you didn't want to participate as well. Maybe you should just comply with their recommended course of action, Fedex the watch and ask for an email receipt. Or you should have asked your tita to leave your watch there for observation and asked for a receipt as proof your watch is with them. If after the recommended period you still haven't received your properly repaired watch back you would have proof and you did your part.
ReplyDeleteIf you really value your watch as you say, you would also do your part in making sure your watch is repaired or replaced. Put yourself in their shoes, what would you have done if the customer isn't willing to subscribe to the recommended solution, replace the watch willy-nilly? That's already a loss to them, moreso if after observation they found that the watch is good and functioning, they couldn't sell it anymore. Rather than waiting months for someone to go to Manila, isn't it quicker, easier and cheaper to just Fedex the watch and have them Fedex it back to you? I think it is only fair to complain if you have done everything you could and still get no support from them.
Did you read the whole letter?
Deletetita virgie! give this girl a new watch pls.
ReplyDeleteSuch bad service...poor you =(
ReplyDeleteits a good thing i got to see this letter before I bought my own swatch. pangit pala ang after-sales service nila. second thoughts... iba na lang siguro.
ReplyDeleteKudos to fashionpulis for giving ordinary citizens like us a venue where our voices can be heard. FP may just be the next DTI secretary!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, this incident is very unfortunate but some service industry people do not really care about customers. To Frances, due to distance and policy constraints, the best you can do is just NOT to patronize the brand again. You have been vindicated. Word of mouth advertising is the most powerful of all, and being such, is the most difficult to create.
FP, kudos again. More articles like this!
- Gambas
i hope swatch/virgie ramos will just give you a free watch which she does all the time to so-called "loyal" celebrity clients.
ReplyDeletePaging Tita Virgie ramos!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSatcha
c'mmon SWATCH!...nkakahiya sa ibang bansa ang customer service nio!...i live here in California and one thing is for sure that wen u buy anything from a store (watever it is, if its defective..either we can get a refund or theyre going to replace it.super hassle naman sa customer na ito!..naku dapat i-boycot yan for poor customer service!EH SIRA NGA E BKIT NDI PALITAN OR GAWIN!tsk tsk tsk!
ReplyDeleteI read FP everyday and comment regularly. For this post, however, I feel that in order to give credibility to the person complaining, she should have included/specified/mentioned what the Swatch policies were as enumerated by the Swatch customer service. This is so that comments become more fair and reasonable.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think FP should be more cautious about random outcries such as this. In the same way, I think it would be best for those who plan to write and sort of "expose" things to do their due diligence first and not turn FP into a venue of I-didnt-get-what-I-want-so-I-am-writing-FP scenarios.
Oh well....
ReplyDeleteNext time just buy a Timex...
Outgrow your Swatch na lang, and use your phone to check the time.
ReplyDeletemy question- bakit mo pinapahirapan ang sarili mo? you could have just your tita dropped off the watch, leave it there , make sure it is fixed and leave them a pre-paid FEDEX to mail it back to you
ReplyDeletenaku , i wont stress out and waste my time sa ganyang cheap local brands, sana kung tag or rolex yan
after sales service is POOR, WHY???? nasa 3rd world country tayo, what do you expect?
EVERYTHING in this 3rd world country is BELOW STANDARD compare to 1st world country
To the letter sender: Sinabi naman pala sayo na 2-3 weeks ang observation. I know na malayo ka at mahirap ang byahe pero kung ganun talaga kaimportante ang watch sayo, sinunod mo na lang sana ang conditions/terms nila instead of pushing for a shorter period. Ikaw ang pasaway. Tsk. Wala akong sympathy sa story mo.
ReplyDeleteHi!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who also had after-sales issues with a foreign outdoor bag brand. She was also frustrated by customer service in the Philippines, so she decided to write the regional head office in Singapore, detailing the crappy after-sales service of their branch in the Philippines. She also mentioned that just because the Philippines is a third world country doesn't mean that crappy service should be given to customers. Just thought you should know. Maybe you can do the same. Personnel in foreign branches are more mindful of customer service.
I do think that services of company degrades after they have sold their goods. Its the same thing with Casio! My brother bought one Dec 2010. It says it waterproof and all. January 2011, we went to boracay, it got splashed by some sea water (take note it did not get fully submerged). I stopped working so my brother went to the store he bought it from (SM Sta. Mesa branch) and the sales person said maybe its only because of the battery but they could not replace it yet as they were OUT OF STOCK of that certain battery and told my brother to come back after 2 weeks. 2 weeks passed, my brother went back and still, no available battery! So he decided to wait until the last week of february, and for the 3rd time, no available battery! anyhow, since my brother badly needed for the watch as he runs every night and needed something to record his time, he decided to just have the battery replaced in another watch store since the sales all the time claim that it may just be from the battery even if he already mentioned the water incident. When the repairman from the watch store opened the watch, law and behold it has rust on it already! No wonder it was not working! Then he went back to casio and mentioned this and guess what they said "Sir, sorry, the warranty is not applicable anymore since you have another service center open it" WHoa. Well if you were just kind enough to open it a month before maybe my he would not have opted to have another store check it right?!
ReplyDeleteI don't have an experience with Swatch. But there are a lot of companies here in the Philippines wherein their customer service sucks! I know what you feel, I may have purchased one of the cheapest postpaid line but that doesn't mean I am less of a customer. I've been on that postpaid since last year and NEVER have I gotten a decent service. It's either I get dissed by their agents in their shops OR I wait 20 mins on hold then get a poor service from the person on the other line. They should have a training for their after-sales people, they aren't nice at all!!
ReplyDeleteI work in Marketing. When you sell and advertise something, your after-sales must be better.
Tsk tsk. Gusto ko pa naman bumili ng Swatch, pero wag na.
ReplyDeleteswatch watches are "disposables" like the ones we buy in 168 stores.. =(
ReplyDeleteI've been using it since I was little and I love my watches dearly. My dad gave me my first ever Swatch back in grade school, and it still works! I love the brand but there are certain branches *cough*megamall*cough* that their DURING sales (ok I made that one up) service was just horrible. I was about to purchase one of their more expensive watches along with a replacement strap and this lady couldn't be bothered to answer my question about ordering replacement parts (which I saw on the Swatch site) with something other than "hindi ko po alam". Wala ka bang matanong? I just wished she made *some* effort into finding out. I don't care if you're tired or if you have a tragedy going on in your personal life; if you're in the puppy store so do your puppy job. I walked out and bought the watch somewhere else. I don't know if that lady is still there but I now go to either the Glorietta or Trinoma branch, they're much nicer.
ReplyDeleteI guess since Swatches were made to be disposable, they encourage customers to purchase a new watch instead of having their busted ones fixed. But hello, di pa nga nabibili ganyan na? :P
I agree with the "VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE" here in the Philippines.
ReplyDeletei bought four swatch watches abroad and until now they are working fine. are the swatch watches here tampered or anything that it gets busted that easily? just asking
ReplyDeleteI've had my Omega serviced twice in the last 5 years. I always look forward to get my battery changed because I love having a reason to set foot in the 5th Ave store and feel like a million dollars. The staff are respectful even if I walk in looking daggy (after cycling from downtown), and their stationery for the receipt is OA in a posh way. This quality of customer service leaves a lasting impression and makes me want to get more luxury watches than I need.
ReplyDeleteQuit Swatch na and save up for the luxury brands. But if you urgently need something for utility, a durable Japanese watch will do.
Super agree very poor customer service here in the Philippines, pero di kasalanan ng tao kung Swatch ang kaya nyang bilhin di ROLEX or TAG diba. Di porket nasa 3rd world country or working in a not so famous brands like rolex or any other brand pa di ka na pwede magbigay ng magandang after-sales customer service. I have worked abroad and local company which gives service to others I may say pareho lang pero di ko iniisip na kasi ganito ang guest/client ko ito lang ang kaya nyang ibayad kaya ganitong service lang ang matatanggap nya.
ReplyDeleteTo maria sayang lang ang pagiging loyal mo sa swatch, I agree na best pa rin ang word of mouth sana lang ma-alarm sila dito.
To FP kudos to you,,
Given that the person does not live in Metro Manila, I think Swatch or any company should go out of its way to accommodate her request. Its unreasonable for them to demand that the person to go to Manila SOLELY just to have a defective item checked. Not everyone can afford to travel just for something like this nor take the time out to do so.
ReplyDeleteIf we were in another country, like in the US, you ship the item for them to check or drop it off at a nearby outlet and they ship it back to you. End of story. I don't see why they have to make it so complicated. As if shipping charges to ANYWHERE in the Philippines would reach a thousand pesos or more. And, even if they cannot shoulder it by some company policy, they should have suggested that the consumer pay for the shipping. All means should be exhausted.
A reminder to all companies, if your brand has no after-sales service in the provinces, don't sell it there. You owe it to your consumers to provide them with a thorough after-sales service, especially if the products involved have some sort of machinery / technology in them.
binebenta nila yung allocation for replacements ....
ReplyDeletesad to say..very poor customer service is really "normal" here. I also bought Ice Watch pieces in Market2x & 4k din each ha. One of it just didn't work so i handed it back for repair..hahaaay, nag-close nalang ang outlet nila sa Market2x, hindi pa naibalik ang Ice Watch ko..poor me..lessons learned.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that aside from having the worst airport in Asia, we are also ranking in the top spots (if not the top) of the worst customer service, our people are not trained to properly handle complaints kasi. They rely on scripts, or they think they can get away with their smiles on a personal complaint approach. Or, they would just call the supervisor who, in the end, cannot do anything as well.
ReplyDeleteIf there are steps that you need to do in order for Swatch to address your complains, you should've done it. If after all that, your watch still was not fixed, then that's the time you really complain, kasi you already did your part. Wala silang pwedeng isumbat sayo. That has always been the right "bala."
Ang hirap kasi sa atin, we also complain over the littlest things and dakdak lang ng dakdak- let's also consider how it is to be on the other side, would we want to be nagged for something so minute?
This serves as a lesson for you, make good investments, not because your favorite artist is endorsing it, doesn't mean it's a good quality product :) that's a sad fact.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeletemy question- bakit mo pinapahirapan ang sarili mo? you could have just your tita dropped off the watch, leave it there , make sure it is fixed and leave them a pre-paid FEDEX to mail it back to you
naku , i wont stress out and waste my time sa ganyang cheap local brands, sana kung tag or rolex yan
after sales service is POOR, WHY???? nasa 3rd world country tayo, what do you expect?
EVERYTHING in this 3rd world country is BELOW STANDARD compare to 1st world country
June 9, 2011 8:08 AM
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SWATCH is not a local brand. Do your research. And regardless of the origin of the brand, be it local or international, if you feel that you are aggrieved, assert your rights. Do not shortchange yourself. Please do not think that just because you are poor, unemployed, ignorant, illiterate, from a third-world country, you have no standing in life. It is precisely because you think this way that you also treat people this way. Our rights are not compromised simply because of our station in life. We should not also feel entitled because we are rich.
agree ako sa lahat na customer service in the P.I. is bad.
ReplyDeleteKaso, comparing it with those of first world countries? C'mon guys! There is no point of comparison. Let's make it fair...let's say, by comparing the customer service of Swatch vs. Casio or Timex, or Globe vs. PLDT, or BDO vs. BPI. Di ba? same grounds.
Wa ako masabi. this pseudo expose will not prevent me (or others) from buying their timepieces. With regard to their customer service, okay lang. Not top of the line, but it's what they can do, so just deal with it. Besides, you get informed beforehand how the procedure works, so what you do or plan to do or not do is your responsibility. Deal with or not deal with it. Ganun lang ka simple.
ReplyDeleteAno ba naman ang ibang commenters dito. Yung letter sender na nga ang binigyan ng sirang relo at na-hassle, tapos sya pa rin daw ang may kasalanan! Where's the justice in that? I think Swatch should definitely foot the bill for sending the watch back to her since they sold her nga a broken watch.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree! Even Globe, there's this time my sister had connection interruption, so we complained via twitter (@talk2globe). apparently its not an isolated case because almost everyone were complaining: celebrities, bloggers and kiss ass tweets they replied. I sent more than a dozen of tweets and didn't get any reply at all!
ReplyDeleteThat's how sucky customer service in our country is!
-A. Yao
may conditions and terms naman pala. sana sinunod mo nalang coz hindi naman para sau lang kundi sa lahat. sop ikanga. i agree with anon june 9 8:55. u have your faults too sis. wag mo lahat isisi sa kanila. sumusunod lang din sila sa instructions. mag reklamo ka ng bongga if u complied with the 2-3 weeks then sira pa din
ReplyDeleteSWATCH to SWITCH
ReplyDeleteI'm considering Swatch as a gift for my niece who just graduated from high school(I have 5 more nieces to graduate next year), but after reading your story,changed my mind already. I'll switch to other brand. I am into sales as well that is wat I hate it when i read/hear these kind of stories.
I hope people from Swatch especially bosses could be able to read this and do something about it, otherwise, they will loose big time! I will also tell my friends to not to patronize Swatch because of this. Yes! Anti-Swatch Campaign ang gawin ko sa mga friends ko. Hmp! *inis*
-Gab
This is not how you treat a customer - in any way at all!!! Period! If not for the buying public, where will be these companies go? Gets nyo? Halos 99% sa Filipino di naman mayaman, at porke't di mayaman di dapat bigyan ng pansin. I'm sure everyone will agree with me kung sasabihin ko na 'sayo kaya mangyari yan, matutuwa ka ba?' EXACTLY!
ReplyDeletemy thoughts exactly, Anon June 9 12:40pm
ReplyDeleteRe John Mirit's comment, this is what you call freedom of speech and ideas, dude. That's what's nice about it. Don't expect EVERYONE to sympathize especially if the writer is also at fault. Cheers!
i bought an ANNE Klein watch during one of Rustan's sale.. After a few weeks, the glass cracked due to a freak accident. We sent it back to rustan's asking if the warranty covers replacement of the glass cover. They simply took the watch, the case and the receipt and sent it to their Hongkong Service Center. I got it back a month after with a new glass cover at no cost at all.
ReplyDeleteI suggest to the letter sender to bring her complaint to any of the higher-ups cos minsan mas mabilis sila magdesisyon and they can suggest better solutions.
I find it weird na walang service centers ang Swatch in VisMIn...dapat meron yun considering that the brand is sold all over the country
HSBC has a very poor CS as well! Patayan pero ill keep in mind to email their main foreign office. Worse, there are some requests they wont accommodate via email. Dapat tawagan daw sila! Ugh!
ReplyDeleteFor those who have no sympathy for the letter sender, the conditions for Swatch to honor their after sales service is ridiculous for someone in Manila and all the more for someone who lives outside of Manila. Imagine depriving you custody of a fully paid product for 2-3 weeks so that they can observe it? Ano yan, are they germinating seeds or cultivating a new bacteria? It's a simple analog watch for crying out loud! Why the hell would they need 2-3 weeks to observe it? And that's just the observation period. Are they so inept that they can't determine the watch's problem sooner than that? Ang problem sa tin ung pwede na mentality, puro substantial compliance lang. It appears that they drafted the so-called conditions para lang di masabi na walang after sales service. But when you scrutinize the terms of these conditions, it creates a situation that seems to discourage consumers from using the after sales service. It's a common ploy, make it difficult for the customers to complain so they won't bother. Maria I sympathize with you. It's unfortunate that we're just common people so companies like Swatch can't be bothered with our complaints no matter how valid. I've had only 1 Swatch in my lifetime and yes it's disposable. My Guess watches fared better, 20 years later they are still working great and I have to replace their batteries every 2 or 3 years lang even if I technically don't use them anymore - I keep them for sentimental reasons. I agree in part with the other comments on how it's time for you to move on to better watch brands. Forget Swatch.
ReplyDeleteOk. Since you're quite confident about not going anywhere near Cebu or Manila, which renders your warranty pretty much useless... And how Manila-centric most of the companies are... Aren't there any watch repair services in Iloilo?? Maybe a Swatch affiliated ones in the mall that can ship it for you instead?
ReplyDeleteI think your Swatch has short circuit. If there's no movement, then very likely na short circuit na yan. I think DEFFECTIVE NA YUNG PRODUCT from the START.Watch repair stations can't fix that anymore.
ReplyDeleteSwatch should replace your purchased watch.It's a quality assurance issue.And any expenses incurred by you should be reimbursed.Your time and money ang na waste. I hope you can get a good replacement from them.
naku buti na lang di ko pa nabibili yung Swatch na gusto ko. wag na lang!
ReplyDeleteI'll stick to my Rolex & Panerai!
Excuse me I beg to disagree that we have the worst airport in Asia, why did you already traveled to the 48 Asian countries to say that our airport is bad? Don't compare ours to 1st World Asian countries. Look at Bangladesh and Vietnam, Sri Lanka our old NAIA airport is better, the problem with us Filipinos were always looking at the bad story and not the good side, if your not contented migrate to other countries and for sure you will get the discrimination because your a 3rd class citizen that comes from a 3rd world country.
ReplyDeleteFor those people who always compare our system in the U.S. don't you know that 80% of all companies in the U.S. customer service is handled by Filipino Call Centers and their headquarters are here in the Philippines its handled by a caring Filipino Call Center agent!!!
For the complainant of the Swatch watch, its a known fact that swatch didn't last long specially if your using it on a daily basis I grew up also wearing swatch and maximum is 2 years usage specially if you replaced the battery with another brand. It becomes loose and not water resistant.
And for your information I'm not a call center agent I worked as a Filipino expat in Europe and U.S. before and I also had my bad experience of Bad customer service from outside so please don't generalize all Filipinos because I'm a proud Filipino !!!
not the critical authors of swatch service here are generalizing but you by falling back on the most generalizing but totally empty statement to be a proud overseas Filipino worker with bad experiences everywhere in the world. WTF !
DeleteI bought my son a Swatch watch at Dubai Duty Free, in less than 3mo the watch stopped working. I had the battery changed at SM watch service and the watch worked after that. However, for less than a week the watch conked out! Got me to thinking that the Swatch that I used to love so much is now comparable to any watch you buy in the sidewalk!
ReplyDeleteAnd so many commenters are telling us here to just accept this kind of quality (or lack of it) because we are poor, third world, and suggesting that Swatch is a cheap brand...Tsk! Tsk! Sounds so much like Gucci Gang.
shucks marami palang cases na defective na item ung swatch kala ko rare case ung saken... ung battery holder naman nung saken na chipped off a week after i bought it... more than 1 month and 3 weeks before ko nakuha sa kanila sabi 3 weeks lang :(
ReplyDeleteIMO customer service is fine, in my case the plastic that holds the battery got chipped off after a week of using it. i thought it was just a rare case but after reading some of the comments here made me think that the quality of SWATCH items today is comparable to those that can be bought on the sidewalks :(
ReplyDeleteMs. Lorena, you can file a complaint against SWATCH (or the store where you bought the watch) with DTI. I think the latter can help you.
ReplyDeletesadly, its more like customers should be vigilant (read aggressive) to insist on what needs to be done. otherwise, you'll end up feeling frustrated with where things are going. you might want to retrace your steps to the store where you bought the watch, call them at least thrice a week to let them feel that it matters to you. they know what is best to be done since they sold you the item and have liability on it given the warranty. they just can't sell something without anticipating that things could go wrong with the product, that's what warranties are for i think.
ReplyDeleteif they can't be of help, at least, they should facilitate the communication between you and the main branch, if it comes to that.
This is not a case of dahil hindi ka mayaman hindi ka inentertain. Hindi naman alam ng kausap mu sa phone kung mayaman ka o hinde e. Ikaw ang tumawag sa Manila office nila kaya sabi nila sayo na idala dun yung watch mu. Sana tumawag ka sa Cebu branch kung san mu binili and insisted they repair or replace your watch. Fine dapat shoulder na nila ang LBC pero kung ayaw talaga edi ikaw na magshoulder, maayos lang nila yung watch. Cebu is just one Supercat away compared to Manila mas hassle. When it comes to warranties kasi mahirap talaga pag sa ibang lugar mu binili. Kahit naman luxury watch pag sa ibang bansa mu binili ikaw din magdadala dun pag nasira. I agree that customer service here in the Philippines is bad, but in your case you didn't exhaust all solutions to get your watch repaired or replaced.
ReplyDeleteAnd to people who are ranting that the owner of the store gives free stuff to celebrities, what's wrong with that? Im sure they also give free stuff to their relatives. Anu gusto nyo bibigyan kayo e hindi naman nya kayo
kilala? And anung logic naman yung porket namimigay sya ng free stuff sa gusto nya e bibigyan din nya lahat ng nagccomplain. Edi wag na sya mag negosyo kung ganun.
To Cynthia
ReplyDeleteArranging for the watch to be shipped to and from where she bought it would have been an apt solution. But the letter sender doesn't want to part with her watch, which is necessary for it to be repaired or replaced because of company policy. With that, I guess there's nothing much Swatch can do.
I'm sure there is still a measure of after sales service that Swatch provides to its provincial branches but she's from Ilo-ilo and not Cebu where she bought the watch.
got the same problem when i received a gift from my friend, it took me 1 month before wearing it , when i use it, i notices that the hands are not working... when my friend returned it, they changed it with new one after 3 weeks cause of mechanical problem....but here in UAE....
ReplyDelete---swordknife---
naku , i wont stress out and waste my time sa ganyang cheap local brands, sana kung tag or rolex yan
ReplyDelete---- ummmm swatch is swiss made. swatch is not local.
I've a rolex but I still love my old swatch watch. I think the point of the complainant is the poor customer service.
To those saying na she should have complied and waited 2-3 weeks, e whu did customer service of Swatch agree? Moreover, ibinalik sa kanya saying na ayos na, battery lang at ok na if they are not sure? They should know better, the customer would always want the replacement asap so it's up to the customer service to live up to their standard and tell the customer na hindi yun ang SOP, and that they have certain quality checks to perform before i-release and product. Sana they just flat out refused to service it kung ganun na hindi nila pala kayang ayusin according to the time table given by the customer. Lumabas lang, ginawa nga for the sake na masabing ginawa, worse, parang lumabas na nanloko pa in saying na ayos na at battery lang when the truth is the watch is defective.
ReplyDeleteI always see press releases and photo-op of Virgie Ramos giving away these watches ng libre tapos hindi naman ginagamit ng karamihan ng pinagbigyan niya. This girl PAID for her watch, can't they give her a break please and replace the darn watch?
I had my first Swatch when I was in Gr. 5, I collected them and recently I was given the "Cory Swatch" designed by Zobel and I can really see the difference in quality, pati itsura/yung shape somehow parang hindi na pareho..
My aunt bought me a "Swatch" from Vietnam for the equivalent of P150 in 2004. After two battery changes, it was still working when I lost it early this year! Yan ang quality product! Hahahaha!
ReplyDeleteagree here! i also experienced something similar.....IN 1995. and apparently, not only in the philippines. my swatch got busted and they could not do anything here. they told me that i may want to bring it to the US if any of us are going!!!! fortunately, the family had a schedule (i was just a student then) and brought it to New York City. the reply? they could not fix it and we may want to take it personally to Switzerland!!! damn this brand! i threw the watch at the Hudson River and never did i buy this brand again!
ReplyDeleteMagkano ba ang isang Swatch ngayon? Parang nauubosan ka na ng blind items ah pati Swatch nasali dito.
ReplyDeleteThe problem isn't with the watch, but the customer service here in the Philippines.
ReplyDeleteand FYI SWATCH isn't a local brand.
I have 8 swatches already and lahat sila walang problema and some are since 2007 pa.
Kung gusto ninyo makaranas ng totoong SWATCH, buy it in another country.
hindi po kamahalan ng swatch kumpara sa ibang brand. pero yung after service po ang pinag uusapan d2. baka po pag sinunod ng buyer ang rules ng swatch para ma repair ang watch niya ay konti na lang ang i-aabono niya pwede na ulit siyang bumili ng bago. opinion ko
ReplyDeletelang po!
Poor customer service talgaa nag Pinas, lalo na pag after sale, i bought my swatch in Paris, after a week, i returned it, no question asked, they returned my money.
ReplyDeleteMatibay ang swatch pag sa ibang bansa binili. Mura pa at nag bibigay pa ng 10% discount.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteMagkano ba ang isang Swatch ngayon? Parang nauubosan ka na ng blind items ah pati Swatch nasali dito.
June 9, 2011 11:59 PM
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mukha ngang naubusan na c ate ng blind item eh, pati swatch minetion nya d2. chepeast is 39€
yes, the point of my response was the POOR AFTER SALES SUPPORT, NOT that i am recommending foreign vs local brand, and that is true for watches, appliances etc, i am sure swatch is a good brand, but sometimes you get a defective product, again that is true even with toyota cars, rolex watches, swertihan lang BUT AGAIN THE POINT is , if we encounter these issues dapat they have to fix it , THAT IS THE REASON OF HAVING WARRANTY, to fix what is fixable otherwise lahat ng gamit eh isosoli ng consumers
ReplyDeletebut to be objective- me fault din naman ang letter sender, you are suppose to follow their rules , if you followed it and yet defective pa rin ang watch then YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN
Mag fossil na lang. :) 2004 ko pa binili and it's still working. Twice pa lang din pinalitan ng batt :)
ReplyDeletebetter buy fake Swatch, 150 lang sa divisoria. kahit ilang beses ka magpalit palit ng relo buong araw sa budget ng orig na Swatch kung ganyang lang din man ang kanilang after sales service.
ReplyDeleteyung fake pag masira di ka maghihinayang itapon.
Wala bang service center sa Iloilo? Dun mo na lang sana dalhin para maiwan mo talaga sa kanila ang relo. Ngayon kung wala, ibalik mo na lang ulit sa Cebu (between Mla & Cebu mas maliit magagastos mo sa pamasahe) kung saan mo binili, iwanan mo dun at ipaki-usap talaga na ipa-LBC na lang sayo at your own expense since sa Iloilo ka pa. Ngayon kung ayaw talaga at para hindi ka na magastusan ng husto eh ipa-repair mo na lang dyan sa mga watch repairman. pabuksan mo, kung battery lang naman ang problema eh papalitan mo na lang hindi ka pa gagastos ng malaki. ngayon kung ang problema eh ang second hand ng watch na ayaw nang umandar eh yan ang hindi kayang gawin ng local watch repairman. kase katulad ng timex, disposable ang mga ganyang klase ng relo. pag yun ang nasira totally papalitan na ang loob ng relo ng bago. wala kasing spare parts yan, isang buo yun na ipapalit sa nasira at nakita ko na ng pabuksan ko. Ganyan ang nangyari sa relo ko na timex. ang nakalagay dun water proof, pero nung hinugasan ko lang para linisin nagka-pawis ang loob ng relo tapos ayaw ng tumakbo. BTW, binili ko yun sa Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Nung ipa-check ko sa kanila, okay ang battery pero ayaw na ngang tumakbo so ang sabi ay ipapadala sa main branch which is in Jeddah at magbabayad ako ng 160 riyals kase lapse na ang warranty. Since pabakasyon na ko sa pinas, I decided na dyan na lang sa atin ipagawa. Nung dalhin ko sa WalterMart branch in Calamba, Laguna dun ako itinuro sa SM-MOA. Nung dalhin ko ron ang tanong nung attendant na babae eh kung saan ko raw binili, sabi ko sa Saudi, ang sagot sa akin eh sa Saudi ko daw binile kaya dun ko rin dapat ipagawa at yun daw model ng relo na yun eh pang export lang, meaning hindi available yung model na yun sa pinas. Ganon? ang naisagot ko, kahit made in the Philippines pa yan? oo ganon nga daw. Pero siguro naman pare-pareho lang yan ng spare parts since Phil. made yan? Eh ipinagmamatigasan ng babae na hindi available ang spare parts sa pinas ng nabile kong timex watch kaya umalis na lang ako. Tapos nung dalhin ko sa timex service center dito sa Saudi ang relo ko at sabihing hindi available ang spare parts sa pinas eh natawa sila. Pano daw mangyayari yon eh sa pilipinas gawa ang relo na yun... hahahah what a way to escape the responsibility ng babae na yon eh babayaran ko naman ang serbisyo. At least, na-repair na ang relo ko. Yun nga pinalitan ng buo kase pag disposable, walang spe-spare parts yan.
ReplyDeleteLesson learned... hindi na ulit ako bibile ng timex watch na ini-endorsed ni Piolo Pascual. hahah kaya nga siguro ako napabile ng timex watch kase nagandahan ako sa braso ni papa p na suot-suot ang relo. Hindi ko naman kase alam na disposable pala ang mga relo na yan. At ngayon ko rin lang nalaman na disposable rin pala ang swatch, good thing nabasa ko to. hindi na rin ako bibile ng swatch. at pati pala casio disposable? sayang, me balak pa naman akong bilhin na casio watch... huwag na lang. hahah
Thx sa mga information na nabasa ko above & FP, thx for posting the swatch problem of this girl sender. Sana maayos nya problema... pag hindi na, huwag na syang bumile ulit ng swatch. Sino bang nawalan... di sila!!!
"but to be objective- me fault din naman ang letter sender, you are suppose to follow their rules , if you followed it and yet defective pa rin ang watch then YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMPLAIN
ReplyDeleteJune 10, 2011 9:37 AM"
Sakto! to the letter sender, teh, sana di mo na pinost pangalan mo. Kakahiya e.
A year ago, I had the same experience as this one. The only difference is the brand, mine is Timex.
ReplyDeleteI contacted the customer service and the lady advised me to hand them my watch to fix it and observe for any damages. She assured me that less than a month I can have my watch back. Unfortunately, it took them 6 months to repaired it and without my consent they sent the watch to Manila for repair.
Swatch is a swiss-made watch. So it is imported from Switzerland. But the fact that it is now in the Philippines, I think I'd rather buy it from other countries. Considering the fact that the service here is not that exceptional.
ReplyDeleteIf you comply with their terms sana hindi ka na na stress. May policy/procedure dapat sundin. Hirap sa iba, ayaw sumunod kasi mahihirapan sila. Tsk.
ReplyDeleteive stopped buying swatch in grade school. i remember poor customer service. they don't really care about you if you've bought a watch from them, they could get naman big stars as sponsors di ba, namimigay sila ng watch sa mga istars.. thing is, itong mga artista na to, they get their watches for free (endorsement ang kapalit), and not just one, it's always more than one..eh tayo, we have to buy from them. thinking na it's quite pricey, then it must be durable... but it's not always the case. if i pay right and i pay for the brand, i expect quality service.
ReplyDeleteDito saudi Arabia ...lifetime warranty like palinis at pagpalit ng battery saglit lang ..no need pila just inform the swatch accredited store sa problema na swatch tulad nasabi instantly maayos agad nila ..sa kasama ko pinalinis wla pa one minute nakuha na
ReplyDeletenow im having second thoughts of bringing my swatch irony to a service center. closest service center to me is megamall.. reading through some comments, and i do agree service here in the Philippines is bad, pero parang na-zero in ang services ng megamall branch(?) nila..
ReplyDeletestill worth the try? any ideas?
haayhh...