LG Does Not Stand For "Good Customer Service"

I bought the above phone via Verizon in November, 2008.  It was necessary, as my previous LG phone (my second) had died.  Well I was satisfied enough that I went back to LG for this - the Env2.

Ugh.

Very early on, I noticed the phone would just die.  I figured my battery charging skills were bad.  WRONG.  This thing would just shut down as it pleased.  In the middle of typing a text, or dialing a number - bam.  Off.  In a pocket?  Gone.  Just sitting on a desk?  See ya.

I must turn it on three to five times a day.  I've missed countless calls - some important.  Even important texts (they do occasionally happen).  Carrie knows that when she doesn't hear a response from me, it's normally because of the phone.

Effing thing.

I complained while it was still under warranty, in 2009.  The answer I received from the geniuses there (not to be confused with Apple's geniuses - that's a whole different thing) was that they would fix it.  GREAT!  Right?

Nope.  They needed to get the phone from me...leaving me phoneless.  Which, in reality, I've mostly been a cell phone user exclusively since about that time.  I turned my land line off.  So that wasn't much of an answer or option.

(Granted, I should have just gone to a Verizon store.  That's my bad.  But still...)

As the phone got older (and these things don't have much of a life span), more began to go wrong.  The front panel has stopped working, meaning to answer the phone, I must open it, hit "send" THEN close it to talk.

I complained again in 2010 - not looking to have them fix it, but to tell them what incredible screw-ups they were (and are).  Their response was laughable, when they ignored everything I wrote and told me that any repair costs would come out of my pocket.

Was I looking for a freebie?  No - just some recognition that something was wrong.  Ignoring the concerns of the customer isn't going to make for a good relationship.

So today, they got the following from me:

I purchased this phone in November, 2008 and it has been nothing but annoying. For two solid years, I have watched the phone turn off at random - sometimes as I typed, even with a full battery. More recently, the front panel of the phone has completely stopped working.

I've written to you twice - once in 2009, and once in 2010. The first time, I was told that I could send the phone to you and have it fixed. And what was I supposed to do while you were fixing it? The second time, after writing purely to express my frustration, I was told that you'd fix it and the cost would come out of my pocket. I'm comfortable, based on those two experiences, in thinking that LG does not read these messages clearly.

So at this point, I'm purely writing to say good bye. I'm so angry at the customer service experience that I've had with LG that I no longer recommend your products. Nor will I. I'm moving to a new phone as soon as possible. I can assure you it won't be with LG.

That's it.  There was a time when they were my company of choice.  Microwave, phone, and so on.  Now?  Screw em.  I'm done.
 
That's where customer relations makes the difference between customer retention and "adios."  And I'm gone.

As soon as I can afford to do so, I'm heading the Android route.  LG phones are available.  Not a chance.  Further, my mother is on the lookout for a new phone (she goes for the no-frills type).  Again, an LG is available.  I won't let her consider it.

They thought purely writing back was good customer service.  Wrong.  It takes more to have a satisfactory experience.  Think outside of the box.  Work with the consumer (I just had this go on with Ikea recently, and the results were outstanding).

Oh, I get it.  They don't care and all that happy stuff.  Whatever.

I'll keep you posted.