The Breitling Watch Source Forums

OK, time for a minor gripe!

As I mentioned at the time I had a warranty issue with my Zenith - the date stopped changing (no I didn't try to use the quick set date in the danger zone) - some kind of problem with the grande date complication that was causing the wheels to clash.

I took it into the local service centre in person on November 8th for them to fix. After about 4 weeks they advised that it would have to go back to Switzerland to be fixed and they needed my approval to send it - no problem.

Yesterday I get a message that it's ready to be collected so I go into the service centre this morning to pick it up.

They grab the travel box from the back and hand it to me to check - it's a Tag box

I comment on the fact that my nice Zenith is being returned to me in a Tag box and the guy just shrugs and says "they're all part of the same company I guess they just had more Tag boxes". What the heck is that - I don't care how many boxes they happen to have of each type - I paid for a Zenith and if I have to live without it for 3 months because they couldn't produce it properly then they should darn well send it back in the proper packaging.

Is it that big a deal, no, but it's the principle. Still, not this guy's fault so I won't give him a hard time. Next thing I notice is that the watch isn't wound or set. Before I can say anything he tells me "we didn't set it or anything, you'll have to do that". Maybe that's a good thing as clearly he doesn't care that much, but really - what's going on here???

When I get back to my office and take my watch out to set it I then discover - they hadn't cleaned the clasp. The watch was obviously clean as it had been worked on, and the strap had been cleaned, but the clasp was as it was when it went to them. I do look after my watches so it wasn't caked in mud - but it also clearly hadn't been thrown into the ultrasonic!

I've never had any issues with the service centre in terms of the work that they do, and part of this is out of their control anyway as the watch came from Switzerland, but really - am I expecting too much to think that everyone involved might want to try and keep a customer happy who was experiencing warranty problems??

/rant

i think you are expecting what a good service should be...all about details.

it´s a shame...this is what make rethink about a brand....

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Kiudog

Hi the forum

Well, when you buy a luxury watch, you buy a customer service too. I mean, You also buy the services of the service center !
I agree with you, the watch need to be cleaned, and manipulated by the center service with gloves.
And, the least they could do, is set it !

I disagree with you for the box. If they can't give you the proper travel box, it's no big deal, right ?
But, they could give some goodies !

Anyways, If you're not satisfied by the services, you should write to Zenith.

Tristan

This does seem to be unexceptable from a luxury watch brand, such as Zenith. I would also recommend a letter to Zenith and voice your concerns. At the least it might make them aware of a internal problem. At most it might lead to a Zenith goodie bag to haelp passify the customer.

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Breitling Steelfish(black)
Breitling Steelfish(silver)
Panerai PAM 312
Bell & Ross BR03-92 Phantom
Steinhart BreitlingSource LE #5/15

Ironic timing. I've been meaning to post a topic this week asking for people's experience with Zenith customer service.

BSource is the only forum that I visit. But after falling in love with sharkman's new 36k vph, I've spent some time the last couple of weeks checking out other forums, reviews, etc for info on Zeniths, looking for common complaints/issues/concerns that people have, their experiences with the watches, with customer service, etc.

The number one complaint is customer service. Seems like there are a lot of horror stories about the LVMH service center in New Jersey. A common recommendation is to send the watch yourself directly to Switzerland. While experiences with Switzerland seemed mixed, it seemed to lean to the positive side.

In answer to your questions - no, you are not expecting too much. To me, that is a poor customer experience and extremely poor brand marketing.

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Breitling Colt GMT
Breitling Navitimer World
IWC Portuguese Automatic
Breitling Transocean Chronograph LE

Maybe the store switched the box? It seems unfathomable that Zenith would think that its okay to send back a Zenith watch in a tag box. And this has nothing to do with either brand's status; it has to do with the fact that its the wrong freaking box. Winding doesnt really bother me. Its a nice gesture, but considering that every single one of us would go home and re-sync it ourselves anyway (I know, its a sickness), its no big deal to me. And yeah, the clasp should have been cleaned. Sometimes its just the small details that separate a great experience from a shitty one.

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-RJ

+1



+ 1

Yes It Is A Sickness, But It Would Of Been A Nice Gesture Nonetheless!

Best,

Enezdez

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IWC - Big Pilot 5002 - 01
IWC - Pilot Chrono 3717 - 04
Panerai - 183
Omega - Speedmaster 145.012 / 67
Rolex - Explore II (Black Dial) - 216570
Rolex - Explore I 114270
Blancpain FF 5015

I certainly don't think you are expecting too much at all Roff.

After all, we're not talking about $10 watches here - we're talking about premium quality items (allegedly) that are sold for a premium price. IMO premium quality service should ABSOLUTELY go hand in hand with that, and you are absolutely correct to pull them up on that if they fall short.

As an aside I'm just about to enter into a "debate" with BMW about just this very issue - the selling of an allegedly premium quality product at an undoubtedly premium price, but with distinctly sub-standard (read, non-existent) customer care.

Companies need to learn that responsibility to deliver on their promise doesn't end at the point of sale.

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Driver8

Site Moderator

Well I have another complaint now - I don't think it's my strap on it.

I went to put the watch on this morning and the deployant was too tight - no big deal, they would have had it off so that's possible. When I went to adjust the deployant there was a black mark on the strap where the deployant had been. I have a hard time believing that the mark could have been caused just by the deployant sitting closed during shipping so I think that I got someone else's strap back on my watch - and presumably they got mine.

Communication with Zenith is definitely in order.

You're absolutely not expecting too much. I'd be very upset if I got the treatment you got. But could you please be a bit more quiet about it? I've just started to think about if I should keep mine or to sell it...

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Collection: http://s540.photobucket.com/albums/gg32 ... mview=grid

About time... They'd better come through for you in the end. Sounds like a terrible experience thus far. I sure hope they wake up.

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“The only reason for time is so that everything doesn't happen at once.” - Albert Einstein

Strange, I've never had such an issue with BMW for the last 33 years.

But you should certainly speak up if they don't meet their standards. And I do not only mean premium price standards




That is absolutely correct but I do not think that we've ever had a complaint of such extent with Breitling on this forum. Certainly not to the point that they're not even capable of putting YOUR strap back after servicing or using another brand's box to ship it back to you! IMO that is reason enough to deny the brand as whole, in spite of the watches they're making. At least for future purchases...

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- This is Ghost Rider requesting a fly-by. - Negative Ghost Rider. The pattern is full.

the box i might be able to swallow granted they really didnt have any others (which i highly doubt). however the clasp not being cleaned and the box being different together would have put me over. obviously there is not too much you could say to the sales rep. but you should write an email to Zenith and just let them know youre dissapointed.

Roff, your experience seems absolutely appalling to me. As I read through this thread, I was highly agitated BEFORE I got the the post about putting the wrong strap back on; I can't image how pissed you were when you realized this. The incorrect box seems really strange. I'd almost bet someone at your AD swapped them out. Regarding the winding, I'd rather get it back untouched and set it myself. I don't like other people messing with my watches. However, the long wait, the uncleaned clasp and the WRONG STRAP are unacceptable in my book.

I've been lusting after a Zenith Chronomaster for quite a while, but this definitely makes me rethink my brand loyalty. Even though my Chronomat B01 has failed to be fixed the two times it's gone back to BUSA, it came back in a Breitling box, completely serviced and cleaned, had the correct bracelet, and only took less than two weeks. I may have bought a "Friday afternoon" watch, but I can't complain about the service I've received from Breitling. Now if they could just actually fix the watch properly . . .

I hope Zenith resolves this matter appropriately.

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Chronomat 01- Sierra Silver/Steel
Navitimer 01- Limited Edition #1337/2000

I can't believe this. Wrong box, wrong strap. I'm quite sure you've checked but......make sure it's your watch. Now that would be the final straw.