Sony TV : Cheating the customers in the name of post sales support KDL-43W800C

KDL-43W800C

While Sony claim itself to be world best TV producer, it has certain problem which needs to be fixed at grass root level world-wide. Why my case if from India, but I need to send a message to Sony where it needs to Improve.
Just to set the context of this post, this is the second time I have been finding SONY make having a poor after sales services. This time it is related to technology and price it asks customer's to pay in case of defect. Which itself shows product design is wrong.

I purchased SONY TV model KDL-43W800C an year and half back with a proud ownership of Bravia Smart TV series with Android OS. It cost me around INR 60000/- ( US$900/-) in NCR, New Delhi. The showroom guy offered me one year standard warranty and I was happy. 😅
The TV almost work perfectly for 1.5 years and in last May'17 it gave it famous RED blinks 3 times. 😕   I tries searching the WEB regarding this 3 red blinks. While Idid not found specifics but I found the following:

Sony Bravia KDL LCD TV error codes for red led blinking flashing light

Red led light blinks flashes, red light error code troubleshooting Chart, TV shutsdown
Always try power reset, unplug powercord for 5 mins then factory reset tv & update with usb drive from sony site- http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-download.pl?upd_id=7151
0 no red standby light-check powercord or bad main logic board or power board, check standby volts
1  red blink not used
2 red flashes is bad power board, solution replace power board
3 red flashes is bad main logic or power board, check for standby volts if ok replace main logic board
4 red blinks- can be LD board or main logic board, check inverter board wires for arcing to ground
5 red flashes- bad lcd panel connection or internal lcd short- squeeze bezel to locate bad connection
6 red flashes- backlight issue, bad main board, or power board or inverter boards- check standby volts on power board. "backlight on" volts should be 3-5v from main logic board then 24v to inverter
7 red flashes- main board over heating, can be short on power board or main logic board
8 red flashes- main board sp prot, try power reset, update with usb, or replace main logic board
9 blinks- check fan error, * if TV has fans
10 blinks- digital board or tuner board * some Sony TVs may not have this board
11 red flashes- bad main board, bad IC, replace main logic board
12 red light flashes is tcon error bad T-con board or bad LCD panel, replace tcon board usually
13 red flashing is backlight balance error bad lcd panel or inverter boards (common) or bal board on kdl-52v4100 only, replace inverter board usually then main logic board
14 red flashes HFR- bad TCON or Bad LCD panel, replace tcon board. unplug tcon board if tv stays on without tcon board replace tcon board.

 The 3 times  red flash means  --> Bad Main logic or power board, check for standby volts if OK replace main logic board.

I could not do much except to log a call on Sony support centre. First they visited for diagnosing the problem and said, the complete board needs to be replaced. How much it cost? Approximately INR 10000/-( US$ 150/). I was aghast to hear this. 😞    I did not have a choice now. I agreed for the replacement otherwise my investment for US$1000/- would have gone in drains. The support guy told us that the board will come from Singapore , hence it will come with in a week. No choice again. 

Next time, the support guy came and replaced the complete board and the TV started working normal. However, I had a look at the motherboard and asked several question which he was not able to answer. Here is a picture of mother board:

 After looking at the motherboard, I think I could understand SONY's mindset of manufacturing: 

1. Every module cramped into a single board? Where does the modularity went. We have seen modularity of mobile, PC, software. So while creating the firmware, why it was a single board computer that was fitted. Could have created multiple logical board with a in-between bus. 

2. None of the part is replaceable as said by support engineer. Anything happens, whole board has to change!!!  Means loose your US$ 150/- again for a TV of US$1000/-. 

3. A massive 15% support cost  year on year, if you are unfortunate enough!

This is called fleecing the consumer money in the name of support. If it does not work for a country's climate like india then why did you launch the product. Every enterprise like Samsung, LG etc comes to India after modifying to indian ( country specific) need. Why not SONY? Even if you try to compare the product segment for classes, not masses, why anybody will pay a whooping 15%  Y-O-Y for support cost.

So, Dear Sony, you can have a product strategy in whatever way you like, but if customer is not happy, you are bound to loose the market share and hence washed out of market with that product. The product design needs to be done keeping the customer experience in mind which means product  modularity , sales and marketing, after sales  support and consumer wallet share.

As we could see, SONY's every product gets cannibalised in market in long run, may it be camera, radio, walkman  and most probably TV. It is time to get your act smart Bro!!  😮

Customer experience thrown to garbage

*****This blog is not to malaise some company but to speak out the real experience******

There is always a good and bad taste of interaction with service providers. May it be your travel, hotel booking, mail/parcel transfers, telecom, banking, hospital, real estate agent, lawyer or police, the proposition of service remain same i.e you are heard, service provided and you are satisfied. Every industry understand well  that if service is not provided as committed, you are bound to be doomed. Still sometimes they do mistakes mostly because the communications regarding importance  of customer services.

This blog of mine is regarding my interaction with a courier company  called  Desk To Desk Courier(DTDC,India) and one example of their customer services

The timeline of events were like this:

31-Dec-12 : a parcel was dispatched to my in-laws places with a promise to reach in 7 days, max.

7-Jan-13 : Web site opened and tracked for that dispatch advice. It showed that it has left Delhi. Local office guy contacted. They confirmed, it has reached Patna station. Needed to collect and dispatched to Gaya.

14-Jan-13 : Same status. Further enquiry revealed that the police/excise department has remanded the courier bag in which apart from my courier there were others’ courier as well.

After this, me and my wife followed  the courier company almost every day but they are not in a mood to solve the problem i.e. delivery of my parcel. I wrote to their corporate office feedback mail. I got one reply and on follow up, second reply but not a resolution.

I send one of my acquaintance to Patna station where items were remanded. He asked the local DTDC guy in Patna to come, so that he can get my courier out of package. The DTDC guy told him that I will come only when he will get freed up all the courier bundle!!!! Great!!!! My acquaintance returned empty handed.

Today, it is 28-Feb-2013, almost 2 months, but the every time I talk to local delhi guy, he give all sort of excuses…This happens, I will talk to head office, I am not in town etc etc.  

Now,  Let me tell you, the package is worth Rupee 1000 only(US$20), but the emotional value attached to it is very high. I contains lots of love for my brother-in-law’s  little Son. It was sent quickly, so that my father-in-law and his grandson can wear the hand made woolen sweeter in this winter.

How can this loss be given back in terms of monetory value ? What will be the cost of emotional suffering and numerous call made to the courier guys, leave apart the visits?

Don’t know, who all in the world would have gone through such a tragedy. How come big organization like DTDC does this to millions and still surviving?  We are Netizens and we can stop such things by spreading awareness.

Please forward it to as many as you wish to raise awareness.