Complaint Review: Circuit City

I was an SCO tech for CSP, and while I was there I wanted so badly to side with customers on many concerns.

The company can and will do anything they can to keep from replacing parts and/or devices. The QC techs will scour the Internet looking for any teeny-tiny, obscure piece of info they can find that will make the techs' troubleshooting look incomplete. And, don't think that just because it was "tiered" that you're home free - there's another group of folks in QC that looks over cases to see if there's any little bitty detail that would warrant and justify a "sendback."

The company does not give a good god d**n about pissing people off, they're cheap, they're greedy, and they lack sympathy.

The company has a habit of hiring employees who don't know they're a*s from a c:\> and it shows. If you don't speak english and have an accent, you're hired.

If you think they treat their customers bad, they treat their employees 100x worse. The 1st level techs are your advocates. Treat them well. They want to help you, but the powers that be make them jump thru more hoops than the customers have to jump thru.

Don't b***h about being put on hold. The longer you're on hold, the higher the chance of the tech trying to convince their TL (team leader) and/or QC that your stuff needs replacing.

I could offer so much advice to customers who buy GEZWM warranties, but that's another post all together.

I am ex-QCR for G.E. Zurich Warranty Management for the Circuit City CSP Extended warranty. & i would like to let people know that the warranty is mostly a pain in the a*s just as much for employee's as it is customers.

First off I have many years there , starting off as a tech "TSR"{technical service represenative}
{{Ps -no I dont belive in spell check , so any smart asses if you cannit figure out what I type then thats your problem}}

anyway on with the tid bits , first off as a "TSR" I started dout when the warranty was calle G.E. National Tech team , which in was eventually bought out by Zurich , making it G.E. Zurich Warranty Management inc . . Anyhow , the policy changed from day to day as to what we would cover & what we could not , so for many customers , whether or noth they got serviced or not was dependant on what day they called,& the bosses would & still do just RIDE the employess , constantly bitchin about call times , trying to look so important , it got to the point were customers as we say were just "punted" off a call on bullshit just to save the employees call time , so now that customer would need keep calling in , but as far as the bosses are concerned , that was ok , because as long as we had high call volume & low calll times , we looked good to Circuit City.

example { customer calls in with a printer with no power - the tech tells them to go buy whats called Kleen sheets & calll back } end of call right , well how the hellis Kleen sheets gonna help a no power issue , Also many customers would call with hard drive , modem , video or sound issues , & the tech would have them run a thurough scandisk & end the call ,, all this for faster call times. Truth be known ,can the warranty helpyou , well yes & no ,. It can helpif you go thru all the crap & finally once issue is proven , yes somehow you will get serviced with re-furbished parts , most which dont work , or fail shortly after. Also another issue is many techs are not technical , many never even seen the inside of a computer , but they are going to ask the customer to open it up & pull parts out ,this is a act the tech your talking to most likely never did on there own , I know for I eventually made QCR - {2nd level - Qualty Control Rep} , the techs call us when there is a issue , & I used to get so mad for you expect the customer to have questions , but when a tech calls second level with questions they should have known the answer to before ever applying for the job call , that was so frustrating , & let me know this customer was in for a ride.This in turn led to customers calling in really pissed off , they would then ask for a boss & our response to that is suppposed to be {there is no-one availible right now , but I can leave them a e-mail & they will get back to you within 48 hours} , this is just a blow off , for the bosses just do not want to take the call , i hav already heard bosses or should I say Team Leaders say "that is not my job , the customer is your job" just so they would not have to take the call , , also if the customer is really aggressive , and still demands the TL , we are to tell them that the boss is in a meeting.Either way , rarely does the customer get the boss , & if your follow the reason for this , it all boils down to Pushy bosses ridding the employee & constant changes to whats covered & what is not.The bosses like to think they are better than the employee & they constantly write you up & warn you for every little thing , just to push the techs & be-little them.Also another BIG factor here is Circuit City mis-representing the warranty , I personally went to a couple store pretending to be interested in buying a computer with the warranty , & boy did the sales guy tell me a line of BS on the warranty , I feel if your gonna sell a warranty , at least sell the truth , but hey when can you ever trust a sales man/woman.

I belive the company covering the warranty should not be , but at the same time I care about everyone there & would not want these people to loose there jobs.No-one I know there likes the job , but most of them have no-were else to go ,however if they want to remain in business the bosses & the warranty need to be straightened out BIG TIME.

Now wait , the job is very stressfull for employees , as I said the bosses always ridding you , your are written up , or as they say "Coached" on d**n near everything , hell I had diaherra one & they docked me a 1/2 hour of pay , & I was told to breaks are for restroom no matter what...Also booses should be treated the saem, my ex-boss came in late all the time , took extended lunches , went home, I even at one time had a boss leave for a wedding & no-one ever knew the difference. If your ever late , regaurdless the reason or go home sick , even thou you have time accumulated , you will be written up , but this does not apply to bosses , pretty shitty heh.

I they jerk you around, & the pay really sucks , Imean the pay checks , people are always missing hours , once they even forgot to pay me all together , I had 89 hours comming ,they said they could not find my hours , so they eventually cut me a check for 80 hours , I still to this day never got my 9 hours of overtime I worked , I was mad , I complained , but it did no good , every other check missing a hour here a half hour there. After a while I gave up , I even stopped checking my hours cause it made me mad & i am poor & cannot get a lawyer , so I like many employyees got ripped off as well & let it go , but I am sure the company claimed it correctly on there taxes.Also another kicker is , if you ever need to call in late or sick , or whatever , the phone number is notlisted , & if you ask the operator to search by address you get a listing for a building that hasn't exsisted in years , hows that for hidding something.As for me I have that info if anyone needs it , and yes I was fired , I can tell you even aftre fireing they still mess with you . I figure I can say the truth about stuff now , for I could never while employeed with them for they monitor this site foremployees then if found they are fired. But me I got stressed out by the calls , I did my job well , the techs liked calling me cause they knew I cared , and for careing & being honest , sometimes a bit cranky got me fired without notice , but since I am gone ,I feel so relieved that I am glad it happend. but even now they mess with me , I talked to one boss to get my personal belongings , & they sent me to another boss , so after a week I got to the other boss aftre waiting outside in the rain for over a hour , only for him to sendme back to the previous boss & still my stuff sits there , , All i asked for was 10 minutes to get waht is mien , & they will not do it , they are acting like they are the only big dogs on the porch "so to speak" , and get this they even have a high priced lawyer that fights ALL unemployemtn claims ,

All in all I have years of inside information , bad spelling , & alot of messed up stories , I could tell or answer for you , but I wish a journalists would talk to me & just do it , for I am bad at writting , but if I can help anyone in anyway ,let me now , I think this thing posts my e-mail

either way the warranty hurts customers as well as employees , but note, some poeple do get helped , alot depends on who they talked to & what the issue is , and people please , if you call in a issue that happened a few days ago , don't say its been like his since you bought it , that only makes your case much harder & alot longer.Take care everyone , best of luck to all , & maybe one day the warranty will get better , if not there are others out there , but read your contract before buying & be nice to the techs , they are just trying to get by & do there job.

After reading Mike's commentary, I can tell you without a doubt that he was a former employee, just like myself. Unlike Mike, I quit after continually having to lie to people day after day.

Rules changed on a daily basis, covered items were altered as well as added to the list of non-covered items.

I was disciplined for making a "boot" disk for a customer who had no other way to obtain one, and using my own time and money to mail it to them, in order to complete the ridiculous troubleshooting process.

I would spend countless hours with a customer, calling them back as many as 3 times a day, to try and resolve their issue.

When I assisted a customer with a software problem or even suggested how the customer could go about fixing the problem, I was "called on the carpet" for that as well!

It is not the Techs that customers should be angry with, it's the management.

I cannot prove it, but it is painfully obvious that QCR (fancy name for second level tech), have instructions to deny as many requests for replacements as possible. Like Mike, I would check daily to see who was working in QCR that day to see who I was up against. Most techs either leave or get fired, once they know just what to say to QCR in order to get a part replaced.

Definition of replacement part:

A part with the same 'specs' as the original.
This need not be the same brand, nor does it need to be a NEW part, and it seldom is.

Anyway........Keep in mind that your computer comes with a 1 year manufacturers warranty and after that 1 year it will be out dated anyway. Most computer parts are just about disposable now-a-days, and spending $200 - $400 for an extended warranty is ludicrous.

Hey! I used to be on the "Terminator's" team at GE-Zurich. That is what my boss's boss wanted me to call it.(the company, not my TL...the guy hates the name "The Terminator", but "if the shoe fits...")

I was a TSR, and I used to answer the phone: "Thank you for calling Computer Support Plus, can I have your first name, please?" That should clear up any doubts there may be regarding my claim of being a former employee. QCR, also known as Quality Control Resource, even though they really, REALLY seem to be payed to find a way to say "no," are a pretty good bunch of people.

They know how it goes! QCR DID NOT HAVE A UNIFORM DECISION MAKING POLICY WHEN I GOT FIRED! I used to go up to QCR to see who I was "up against" each day. I personally knew several prople who's job made them sick. They did not, or WILL not last long! Hardware people are not allowed to help with software issues!

End users (customers) had to pay $34.95 per incident when they called for software support, too. The issue is not in the management structure, either! Management just does what they are told. That is my understanding, anyway. Management is ok! I know most of the ones down in Dallas, anyway.

Computer Support Plus was purchased by GE. GE went into a joint venture with Zurich America. That is to the best of MY knowledge, anyway. Zurich is one of the largest insurance companies in the world! as a matter of fact, Zurich is partly what is known as a RE-insurance company. They hold parts of policies that other companies could not afford to pay is a major claim came in. They insure COMMERCIAL JETLINERS AND OFFICE BUILDINGS, for one thing. Can you say Osama Bin Laden?

In a nutshell: TSR's (the people you talk to on the phone when you call) have to maintain certain statistics, not focus on customer service. The company cannot make any money if it pays for every little glitch that the end user experiences. Admit it, folks... most of you are computer illiterate!

Some of you are downright dumb where computers are involved. This has all been the experience, mixed with a little opinion, of a fairly disgruntled former employee of this company. Do you have any idea how much it would cost you to go out and hire a computer technician to come to your house, troubleshoot your machine, acuire the defective part, if there is one, and put in it your machine?

Think about it, people! CSP is a good thing, for the most part. Get a copy of your contract, or READ IT before you buy it. PT Barnum had a saying about people.....what was it? There's a WHAT born every minute?

Hay come on now kids, get a life please. Grow up.

Look, if you have a Floppy drive that is broken we go to the das prompt and check it there. And if it still does not work there, no problem we setup the form and send it up. Then the part is sent out to a tech where you live and they call you so you can tell them when to come to your house, lets say the next day. and that's it. Some one who could not fix even a small problem like this in a million years... :) Bought our warranty has got it fixed in about 5 to 7 days tops.

I would buy this warranty with no problem. And my Mother did also. her $800 LCD Monitor went out once and was sent a remanufactured one that was like knew and it was better then the one she bought which had a few dots out or how they go out on an LCD monitor. Then is got no picture and we tested it for the nice person on the phone. and boom! we were mailed a even better monitor. Whatever! You know what I'm saying.

And I'm glad it was remanufactured I'm a proud American. And I love that monitor they gave my mother and am glad it went to us and was not sent to a land fill to farther polute our cool world we all have to live in.

Ok Ok... I'm OK now.. :)

Bottum line we will replace your bad part and have some one out to do it for you, NO Problem. Of course you'll want to be nice with us over the phone so we send out the right part. I mean don't be irate and rush us or we may get it wrong (Not on purpose) and then you'll be madder then ever. Well some will Because MOST people are very nice and we have no problems and they are very happy with the warranty.

Hay I know.. when your at Circuit City ask for our # and call us up. we'll be very happy to tell you anything about the warranty, we should know about it we do it every day.

P.S. Trouble shooters make better lovers...

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: not@telling.you
Their name: Blissfully Anonymous

Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion

Rebuttal:
I agree with the tech. GE-Zurich Warranty Management is as sleazy as it is cheap. I worked there too for more than a year, and finally quit because I could no longer take the crap!

Do you realize how hard it is to get a minor problem like a broken floppy drive past the Quality Control Department? We have people whos computer was on fire and the QCR make us have the customer plug the computer back in and try it! This company is horse s**t! My advice as an employee of this company is to NOT BUY ANYTHING WITH THE NAME GE-ZURICH on it!!!!!

And another thing: the contract says nothing about pre-existing conditions! If the customer had a problem the night before the manufacturer warranty expired and he went to bed and waited till the next day to call about it he's F**KED! It's pre-existing, no ifs ands or buts about it! DON'T DEAL WITH GE-ZURICH!!!!!

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:

Their email: not@telling.you
Their name: Blissfully Anonymous

Their relationship to the company: Consumer Suggestion

Rebuttal:
I agree with the tech. GE-Zurich Warranty Management is as sleazy as it is cheap. I worked there too for more than a year, and finally quit because I could no longer take the crap!

Do you realize how hard it is to get a minor problem like a broken floppy drive past the Quality Control Department? We have people whos computer was on fire and the QCR make us have the customer plug the computer back in and try it! This company is horse s**t! My advice as an employee of this company is to NOT BUY ANYTHING WITH THE NAME GE-ZURICH on it!!!!!

And another thing: the contract says nothing about pre-existing conditions! If the customer had a problem the night before the manufacturer warranty expired and he went to bed and waited till the next day to call about it he's F**KED! It's pre-existing, no ifs ands or buts about it! DON'T DEAL WITH GE-ZURICH!!!!!

They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:



Their email: skuster80@hotmail.com

Their name: Shelly Kuster



Their relationship to the company: Advocate



Rebuttal:

I think what you stated, the circuit city employee, is BS. I was just reading all of the complaints. My parents purchased a home computer through your store and didn't listen to me or my brother. If you purchase through a regular store like circiut city, you will not get the satisfaction you get if you order through mail order with Gateway or Dell.



I purchased Gateway and I am VERY pleased with them. I am on my second upgrated computer with them. They worked with us over the phone, we only have one phone line. They found the problems and sent us a new video card and monitor first then we sent back the faulty ones with no charge. Our second computer we have had no problems with and had it for a year. I am so glad I listened to my brother after hearing about your warrenty lies.



Mail order is the way to go folks because you deal directly with the company and not someone who just wants your money for their commissions. I dread if my parents have a problem with there computer they purchased with circuit city. Matter of fact they did, but they got it cleared up with their credit card people.

This email is a rebuttal to RipOff #4532.

It was sent by Rebuttal King at Katitewd@hotmail.com.



Circuit City Contracts rip-off ..these practices are criminal beware--follow up.... (#4532)



They filed the following rebuttal to the above Rip-Off Report:



Their email: Katitewd@hotmail.com

Their name: Rebuttal King



Their relationship to the company: Advocate



Rebuttal:

OK, near as I can tell you are basically an idiot Jack. Haven't you ever heard of spell check? And it is no mystery to me why you are no longer employed at GE-Zurich.



Now lets get a few facts straight. The name of the Company prior to January 1, 2001 was GE-Tech Team. GE was outsourcing their tech support division to National TechTeam. A company that was contracted to provide technical support to their CSP warranty customers. As of January 2001 the company changed hands and has become GE-Zurich Warranty Management.



At no time has any technician ever been instructed to do anything but attempt to resolve an issue over the phone. Technicians are thouroughly trained and carefully monitored. As a "second level technical supervisor" you should be well aware that if an item is proven faulty, the item is replaced according to the terms and conditions of the contract. You also stated that is does not say in the contract that the consumer is required to troubleshoot over the phone, but is stated in the contract which as a supervisor you should have read at least once. It is also stated in the contract that GE-Zurich reserves the right to replace with used or rebuilt parts.



As a GE-Zurich employee, I am continually amazed at the number of consumers that do not possess a copy of their contract and have no idea that there is a contract. Who the heck buys a warranty and doesn't ask to see the terms and conditions first?



How's that for a rebuttal?