My Dad called me at work the other day to ask me if I could look up the price of an AC charger for the new Garmin nuvi GPS that he had recently purchased. In his retirement he has taken on a job that requires him to drive all over Indianapolis every day, picking up senior citizens for their cataract surgeries. He picks them up at their homes, takes them to the eye clinic, actually holds their hands during surgery (I’m not kidding… that’s part of his job) and then after their surgery, he takes them back home. He relies heavily on Microsoft Maps and Streets software to help him find addresses, but he also likes to use a GPS.
The nuvi that he bought only came with a car charger. He wanted to also get an indoor AC charger for it. Since he doesn’t have access to the internet and isn’t all that tech saavy, he called me. In the end, there was some confusion as to if he needed another dock for the GPS in order to charge it, so I went to the Garmin site and got him the 1-800 number so that he could call them.
He called me yesterday to let me know that the person that he had spoken with was super nice and said that he would take care of him. He took his address and said that he would mail him some stuff. Dad said great and asked how much it would cost him. The agent said “nothing, that’s what we’re here for”. Dad received a package a few days later with several cables and instructions. He’s very happy and plans to call the customer service number again this week to try to get ahold of the same guy to thank him.
It sure is refreshing to hear some GOOD news about a company’s customer service people. Thanks Garmin!
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Julie,
I was deeply pleased to read your post. First and foremost, kudos to your Father for his remarkable efforts to help people in medical need. I can hardly imagine a more worthy investment of time or technology than the work he is offering.
Secondly, kudos to Garmin. While I can’t imagine them not being swayed by your Father’s compelling work, I do imagine that the explanation is no greater than the fact they ‘get it’.
Therefore, I offer a respectful tip o’ the LAFD helmet to them both, for their collective investment in helping people lead safer, healthier and more productive lives.
Please keep up your great work on the blog, which is a daily must-read.
Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,
Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department
LAFD Blog: http://lafd.org/blog
This is typical Garmin. This is why I am willing to spend a tad more for a GPS to get a Garmin. Their customer service is some of the best I’ve seen in any industry.
It’s only too bad other companies do not recognize the value of great customer service like Garmin does.
I write letters to companies (both praise and complaints) and Garmin is one of the very few to get a positive letter from me.
[Edited at January 27, 2008 20:34:11 PM.]
My dad had his laptop stolen when all of his Garmin cables in it. When he called to get new ones that guy at customer service sent him cables for free too. My dad was like “but it’s not your fault, they were stolen”.
I too feel good about spending my money with them.
Brad
I have heard excellent things about Garmin’s customer service. Just a tad bit off thread, but other technology places I have experienced superior and excellent customer service:
Pimlico Software (makers of Datebk 6.x software) – they keep their users frequently informed about the status of releases and work very hard at resolving issues whenever they release an update. Also, they have a very liberal upgrade policy.
DDH Software, makers of HanDBase database for Palm. Although their release of version 4.x was a long time coming, the company did a fantastic job of keeping the users informed of the status. The owner/developer personally addresses users concerns/problems when a person upgrades.
Surprisingly, BrightHouse/Time Warner of Tampa Bay. In an age where customer service gets lost amidst the mega corporations, I am please to live in an area where the mega corp still provides superior customer service. I have never waited more than 10 minutes on the phone, and the reps have worked quickly to resolve my issues. This includes everything from in effective cable box s/w program pushes, hijacked email accounts (I use road runner!) to even telling me how to report and log the origin of a DNS attack because they take those things very seriously. A corporation that cares?! Unbelievable!
I disagree, I have recently been asked to look at a broken antenna on a Quest GPS unit by a friend. This GPS is out of warranty, so I called Garmin to ask them to send me a new antenna, that I am willing to pay for. Their answer is an emphatic no! If I give them $150 plus shipping and handling, they will fix it for me. This is a simple fix for me but they will not allow anyone but them to repair. That is robbery and B/S. My experience has left me with a bad taste and I will not buy their products.
Also, they conveniently have no easy access to complain.
The’re cowards.
May 3 cents worth
i cant get to the map because password i dont know what to do