What guarantees do you offer customers?

[horsefeathers]

What guarantees do you offer customers?

More directed at UK lockies I guess (since I am one). Lets take the Chubb 3g114e 2004. Chubb offer a 25 yr guarantee on the box. Now I dont want some customer ringing me up in twenty two years time (after I have retired and now living in Spain) moaning that his lock doesnt work... So of course I dont offer that length of guarantee.

Just wondered what you guys offer as regards warranties on locks fitted (excluding wear and tear obviously). How much do your warranties differ from the manufacturers.

regards

[HeadHunterCEO]

taillight guarantee of course

[nhughz]

25 years is the manufacturers guarantee, if the lock fails within that guarantee the customer would have to take it up with them. You should guarantee your fitting and workmanship etc. If the lock failed because of faulty fitting it would come under your guarantee. Only you can decide what guarantee to offer, but i'd say at least 12 months.

[Jaakko]

Okay, I'm not a UK lockie, but from Finland, so I'll just give a comparison

In Finland there is a sort of "consumer protection law". It provides a clause, that within a reasonable, expectable time from purchase, the product is to be fixed without cost if there is manufacturing error or some other not-wear-and-tear -error. The law only works between the end user and a company, but the consumer can ask for refund or the replacement of product or fixing it from the company the product was purchased or manufacturer or the importing firm.

The expected living time for things is arbitrary, but mostly goes hand in hand with price. For example, a basic 600 EUR TV should last for five years without errors or faults. And if a product is sold for customer with false statements about the product, the customer has the right to get his money back, even the phone calls made for solving the problem can be asked for the company to pay.

The company can provide a guarantee other than what the law provides for customer, for example a guarantee longer than what you'd expect by the law.

And because the locks sold and installed in Finland are basically only Abloys, the Abloys guarentee for their products is what locksmiths provide to the end user.

This whole thing might seem a little "what the lock", but it is good and works and prevents the companies from pissing the customers

[Raccoon]

Eh... I simply guarantee my work for 30 days of installation. I leave them the packaging of the locks, that include the phrase "lifetime warranty on parts and finish" and they can deal with the manufacturer directly. I do not consider malfunction after 30 days a part of my responsibility.

[horsefeathers]

Wow! That seems a little short imo. I wouldn't be too pleased if, as a customer, a product I bought went wrong after just over a month, only to be told by the fitter/supplier that I have to go to the maufacturer!

I offer 12 months as standard, but I like your idea of leaving the packaging with warranty details etc.

regards

[freakparade3]

I think 30 days seems reasonable enough. If the equipment fails due to faulty installation it seems likely that it will happen in under a month. I think I will adopt Raccoons 30 day policy for my business.

[Raccoon]

I should also note that I do not install cheap-o locks, so I don't consider it my fault for a quality lock to become damaged/destroyed after a month's use. Just because someone breaks the handle off while moving their new furniture in 6 months down the road; why should I be the one to clean it up at no charge?

It's also a lot more difficult to stand your ground on such things as warranty and repair when you're an independent locksmith. Customers believe they can get away with murder on the grounds that your reputation is at stake-- where as large companies like Schlage don't give a shyte and will hang up on a dumbass.

[digital_blue]

... where as large companies like Schlage don't give a shyte and will hang up on a dumbass.

Actually, in all likelihood, large companies like Schlage will just bit the bullet and replace it to shut the person up. I've seen it happen hundreds of times, and it's probably the thing I MOST hated about retail. It's the "squeaky wheel gets the grease" philosophy and it drives me because it's so wrong, but virtually every big company will fold to the consumer, almost regardless of how ridiculous the complaint, just to make them go away.

db

[Raccoon]

True that DB. Though, there are some pretty outstanding customers out there that seem almost too ridiculous to exist outside of my personal world. Certainly they only live in my head to drive me to delirium, or visa versa.

[globallockytoo]

My standard warranty on labour is 90 days with conditions.

Effectively, weathering is a condition that needs to be spelled out time of job. In many locallities, the change in weather conditions can have an effect on the fittings especially a wooden door on a wooden frame.

When there is extended heat after installing a deadbolt during a rainstorm or at the end of spring for example and summer comes along, the wood expands and contracts sometimes (often) causing a strike placement to be off (the door might drop slightly).

This condition is common and results in the bolt not extending into the strike correctly which causes clients to call up complaining that your fitting is wrong.

For this reason, it is necessary to make them aware at the initial job that certain conditions might affect the warranty clause.

Often after fixing the problem (on a warranty call back), three months later, when the weather conditions change again...you will receive another call from the same client with the same or similar complaint.

It depends on how you value your labour. Call backs typically kill your business reputation.

The commercial locksmith business relies on repeated calls from clientelle. I suggest being very careful with offering too long a warranty period.

Manufacturers warranties are not reseller warranties and therefore the client must approach the manufacturer to remedy faulty parts.

[lockpick1968]

I usually allow 90 days warranty, for installations,ect, that is more than fair length of time and then customers take it up with the manufacture for coverage afterwards.