SOME companies resolve consumer complaints in ways that are both efficient and empathetic, demonstrating not just a grasp of what defines good service but also the ways that brand loyalty is nurtured. Then there is Whirlpool.
Q. We bought a Whirlpool microwave oven online last summer. It worked for four of the six months we’ve owned it, and it has been visited five times by repairmen from Whirlpool-authorized service companies. Four parts have been replaced. During the most recent visit, the repairman informed us that many of the parts that had been replaced needed to be replaced again. Those parts are currently on back order.
It will be mid-March, we were told in mid-February, before any further repairs occur. After scheduling service call No. 5, I contacted Whirlpool directly by phone to discuss our continuing problem. I was hoping that we could trade in this lemon for another microwave. No chance. I was told that not only did I need to wait for the one-year warranty to expire, but that even then, Whirlpool can choose to take an additional six months to consider an exchange — and only after yet another repairman has verified the issue.
I’ve had enough. Can you help?