Are you being served?

There seems to be a general consensus in Malta that customer satisfaction is by no means the top priority for suppliers of goods and services, and that there is much to be desired when is comes to ensuring that, once purchasers have acquired a product or a service, they have no cause for complaint.

A two-year guarantee seems to be mandatory for household items such as freezers, cookers, washing machines etc. However, what exactly does the guarantee achieve? Does it mean the purchaser can rest assured that, if the product fails to achieve the required performance, then it is replaced without question? This should be the ideal solution, but it is not the case in reality.

Any complaints made to suppliers with regard to unsatisfactory products or services are dealt with by immediate reassurance of repair or modification and there is never any question of replacement by a new product or a cash refund. The very words "cash refund" strike terror in the breasts of any suppliers and, consequently, it is only at the point of sale that cash refunds are made.

In essence, one would argue that, if the product is faulty, proves unsatisfactory or unusable, then is should be replaced by another fault-free machine or product. Surely, if one were to consider purchasing a brand new dishwasher, for example, one would expect it to work properly. If it were to prove unsatisfactory in washing one's dishes, then one should have the right to redress - or so one would assume.

However, the reality is somewhat different. For example, a woman I know who bought a dishwasher two years ago seemed doomed to disappointment from the outset.

Previously, she had used another brand of dishwasher for several years and all had gone well until it became obsolete and needed to be replaced.

The newly installed dishwasher was a non-starter from the outset. It performed miserably, did not wash properly and left the dishes wet and requiring hand washing. The owner of this new dishwasher complained loudly and bitterly and found it very difficult to persuade the supplier that the machine was faulty.

However, in time this was accepted as being true and another model was sent in as a replacement. However, this 'new' dishwasher was a display model and, in time, 18 months later to be exact, it failed miserably. The suppliers' technician came out to view the problem and pronounced that the motor had failed and needed replacing.

This was obviously a major problem. The supplier quoted three months for delivery of a new motor and this, not unnaturally, was totally unacceptable to my friend. At this stage, the supplier should unquestionably have offered a totally new replacement. The guarantee had obviously failed, the product had failed and the only way to resolve the question was to provide a new replacement.

However, this was not to be. A new motor was produced from some alternative source and she had to be content with her old machine now fitted with a 'new' motor. The saga continues...

On the other hand, recent events in another part of the island have renewed one's faith in humanity. A San Gwann establishment seems to take a rather more conciliatory approach to similar problems. A tumble dryer was purchased in October and, within a few months it developed a nasty sounding squeak which became gradually louder.

The owner of the machine contacted the service section and a technician was quickly sent over. He diagnosed the fault immediately and informed her that the belt was inaccurately connected to the pulley hoist and that this was causing friction on the belt, which would eventually snap making the machine inoperable.

The owner of the tumble dryer objected strongly to its being removed for a week for the belt to be replaced. Alternative suggestions were proposed and, wonder of wonders, it was agreed that the tumble dryer could be mended on site.

This is another area where the service supplied is a bone of contention. Any machine which breaks down has to be removed and taken to the premises of the repairer where it seems to take a week to be mended. Surely, some entrepreneur might consider sending several technicians to the UK, for instance, to find out how their technicians seem able to arrive, fix the fault in half an hour, get paid and depart, leaving both customer and supplier happy with the situation.

In case the reader thinks this is the end of the saga, please be reassured that it is not. The owner of the tumble dryer was not satisfied with the proposed repair on the premises. She felt very strongly that the machine was only a few months old and, indeed, the fault had developed within three months of the purchase, but she had disregarded the ominous squeaks because it was impossible to have a faulty 'new' tumble dryer (so she thought).

Well, the story ended happily. The suppliers viewed the case sympathetically and a brand new tumble dryer arrived the very next day to replace the faulty one. So, there is hope.

Slowly but surely, if the consumer persists in demanding his or her rights, then gradually, the suppliers will accommodate their clients and all will prove far more satisfactory. How lovely to have a happy ending!