**Disclaimer: This is the result of my personal experience with Samsung ECR, and my repair tech who just happened to be a former phone rep for Samsung Tech Support. It may be inaccurate, however as of my recent experience all the information below holds true and is Samsung policy.**
The first thing any Samsung customer should know is that they have two distinct service tiers, Customer Service who you deal with at the generic support 1-800 number level. These people are the first line of defense, their job is to steer you clear of samsung ECR at all costs, and only if you are a truly upset deserving customer, will they transfer you to the next tier of service.
Meet ECR, or Executive Customer Relations - these are the people Samsung hires to keep the most unhappy of customers satisfied. They have the authority to do almost anything for you, from a rushed repair, to an exchange or even full refund of the purchase price.
In my experience with Samsung support I have learned the hard way that low level CS is a step best skipped. Most of you probably don't realize this is even possible, but it is, ECR has a direct number which you can call and skip all the BS, provided you have a ticket number from an online scheduled repair.
The number one rule with samsung is to get ECR on your side.
The process works like this:
1) Book your repair ONLINE, you avoid the useless low-level CS they have, and it will ultimately set you up since once you have a ticket number, you can talk to ECR all you want.
2) After you have had the tech come out, if you are happy with their work great, if you want more - call ECR (directly!).
Samsung ECR Direct Line - 1-800-522-7341 (Option 2).
3) ECR's ground rules for TV service:
TV service is generally done on a 2-3 strike basis. If you get a TV repaired twice for minor repairs, and after that it is still not rectified, you can get ECR to do an exchange. If a major part is replaced once and the problem recurs (such as my case where the entire plasma panel was replaced) you are eligible for ECR intervention.
Little known options ECR agents can give you but are always on the table:
Sorry for the long post, in my humble opinion, Samsung support is horrendous, UNLESS you are dealing with Executive Support, in which case, it is world class.
The first thing any Samsung customer should know is that they have two distinct service tiers, Customer Service who you deal with at the generic support 1-800 number level. These people are the first line of defense, their job is to steer you clear of samsung ECR at all costs, and only if you are a truly upset deserving customer, will they transfer you to the next tier of service.
Meet ECR, or Executive Customer Relations - these are the people Samsung hires to keep the most unhappy of customers satisfied. They have the authority to do almost anything for you, from a rushed repair, to an exchange or even full refund of the purchase price.
In my experience with Samsung support I have learned the hard way that low level CS is a step best skipped. Most of you probably don't realize this is even possible, but it is, ECR has a direct number which you can call and skip all the BS, provided you have a ticket number from an online scheduled repair.
The number one rule with samsung is to get ECR on your side.
The process works like this:
1) Book your repair ONLINE, you avoid the useless low-level CS they have, and it will ultimately set you up since once you have a ticket number, you can talk to ECR all you want.
2) After you have had the tech come out, if you are happy with their work great, if you want more - call ECR (directly!).
Samsung ECR Direct Line - 1-800-522-7341 (Option 2).
3) ECR's ground rules for TV service:
TV service is generally done on a 2-3 strike basis. If you get a TV repaired twice for minor repairs, and after that it is still not rectified, you can get ECR to do an exchange. If a major part is replaced once and the problem recurs (such as my case where the entire plasma panel was replaced) you are eligible for ECR intervention.
Little known options ECR agents can give you but are always on the table:
- Exchange can either happen through Samsung directly, or through the store you purchased it from under two conditions.
1) You have uploaded a receipt.
2) They are an authorized dealer. - You do not have to take the exact model you have now, often you can ask for a different model, even an upgrade, depending on the agent and your situation you may get offered more. In my case I was offered a 50" set from my 42".
- Samsung internal policy is very strict on timelines. All issues are expected to be resolved within a 21 day period, this means if you are not given an exchange offer or satisfactory repair, they are required to offer you either exchange or full refund (conditional on a copy of the receipt).
- If an agent won't help you to your satisfaction, call back the next day. In my experience with them, Bryan is by far the best of the bunch, he bent over backwards to make me happy, refunding my full purchase price so I wouldn't have to wait too long on a replacement.
Sorry for the long post, in my humble opinion, Samsung support is horrendous, UNLESS you are dealing with Executive Support, in which case, it is world class.