The Microsoft Customer Service Horror Show

Number of lights that I've encountered: 9 flashing red ones

Number of calls to 1-800-4MY-XBOX since March: 22 calls

Number of callbacks promised: 15

Number of callbacks received: 3

Number of SR's started: 9

Number of SR's closed or replaced due to being set up incorrectly: 5

Number of SR's closed due to issues actually being resolved: 2

Most Number of times I was asked my name and phone number during a single call: 11 times

Number of times I was told "Microsoft will contact you when the investigation is complete": 40+

Number of times that I ended up on the Spanish language hold line: 8

Total spent on Xbox 360 related products: $3120.78

Amount of XBL content not working properly: 25,600 points ($319.87)

Total time spent on the phone with 1-800-4MY-XBOX: 1 day, 2 hours, 55 minutes

Total time spent trying various remedies: 1 day, 9 hours, 55 minutes

TOTAL TIME TRYING TO RESOLVE ISSUES WITH MY XBOX 360's: 2 days, 2 hours, 50 minutes

I actually have to call up MS to report my red rings...every time I read one of MS customer service stories , I get scared. Hopefully my experience will be betteragni_1

They were fine with me.The bad experiences are the exception, not the rule. Although the whole thing a pretty bad experience. Darn faulty consoles.

Mine never had a prob except 1 scratched disc thatI fixed my-self.Never called Microsoft support. I don't play too much hours with it and I keep it cool.

btw: putting the console on the horizontal fix the scracthing problem because it can't move a lot this way.

They have been awesome in my experience. 1 call, took 10 minutes. Received my labels within 2 hours. Shipped the next day, 17 days door to door.

No complaints at all, other than the initial console break :)

there are tons of stories like this one out there, but still, MS is not coming up front and deal with the problems. that really makes the consumers to lose confidence in them.

look like their rushed system one year head start strategy is biting them back on their a$$.

Number of lights that I've encountered: 3 flashing red ones

Number of calls to 1-800-4MY-XBOX since March: 7 calls ( 4 calls between the last month)

Number of callbacks promised: 0

Number of callbacks received: 0

Number of SR's started: 4

Number of SR's closed or replaced due to being set up incorrectly:3

Number of SR's closed due to issues actually being resolved: 1

Most Number of times I was asked my name and phone number during a single call: 18 times ( amazing isn't?)

Number of times I was told "Microsoft will contact you when the investigation is complete": 40+

Number of times that I ended up on the Spanish language hold line:0 ( though I wouldnt really care considering I'm Dominican)

Total spent on Xbox 360 related products: $1039.83

Amount of XBL content not working properly:0 points

Total time spent on the phone with 1-800-4MY-XBOX: 5 hours,35 minutes

Total time spent trying various remedies: 1 day

TOTAL TIME TRYING TO RESOLVE ISSUES WITH MY XBOX 360's: 2 days

and I like to add....

Total Time Spent gettin a stupid repair box here : 7 weeks.

Even though I think this is just fanboyish, this is my experience with MS customer service...frankly we gotten all admit it sucks. But i'm pretty sure Sony's a Nintendo's was bad at one time so....

My experience was good :)

I was out of warranty (3 year warranty only covers red rings, I can prove it) but I called and for free they gave me an extra 2 months as a good will gesutre. As soon as my fixed 360 comes back I am trading it in, great games and software but at the moment it has bad hardware so I am going to wait a year then get an Elite :)

there are tons of stories like this one out there, but still, MS is not coming up front and deal with the problems. that really makes the consumers to lose confidence in them.

look like their rushed system one year head start strategy is biting them back on their a$$.

Game13a13y

The few people i know that have had one died on them called once and got a box within a week. Sent it back to them and had another 360 at their house within a week and a half. Neither of the 2 has had a problem with their console since.

Bottom line: Experiences differ. Whine about it, cry about it...it's fixed for free. This is honestly very old news...no customer support is perfect.

Mine never had a prob except 1 scratched disc thatI fixed my-self.Never called Microsoft support. I don't play too much hours with it and I keep it cool.

btw: putting the console on the horizontal fix the scracthing problem because it can't move a lot this way.

Etherninty

And before anyone asks, there are no earthquakes, my 360 was on a stable surface and I never move the 360 when a disc is in it.

Looks like i will be testing them out again. I just loaded up Halo 3 and then BAMN.

It froze, i loaded up again and RROD.

I only got it back about a month ago. I don't f$&*ing believe it.

:cry:

You know I've been waiting over 2 months now to have my $2,000 Samsung HDTV repaired.... Guess what? It's still not fixed.

I called Samsung I don't know how many times to find out whats going on with the repair dude and nothing,.. So I have to spend my money on long distance phone calls just to check out my status.

I was promised last week the repair man would be coming out... Nope, never even showed up or called... So wtf am I to do?

Please don't cry about dumbthings. When there are much worse things out there.

Atleast you can get some where... Where as I am stuck.

So after spending about £800 on a games console and games i'm not allowed to complained when it breaks again, because someone else has it worse?

I love my 360, but i am entitled to complain if it breaks again.

So after spending about £800 on a games console and games i'm not allowed to complained when it breaks again, because someone else has it worse?

I love my 360, but i am entitled to complain if it breaks again.

wiganath

I'm talking about costumer service... I already called the Xbox hot line 3 or 4 times and found them to be about average. So what if they are not 5 star...? At-least you can get somewhere. Where as I am stuck.

I've had three RRoD systems as well, and I only have pleasant things to say about MS's customer service, especially compared to some other companies out there *cough Comcast cough*...

The only major issue I had was losing my system for a week to two at a time, and the only time that really stunk was during the Halo 3 beta. All in all, I wish MS would have designed a better system, but I am happy with the system as a whole, and I have no negative things to say about the customer service.

Like always, I don't see the problem.

Moore told you "stuff breaks". Tough S**t you bought it anyway. Enjoy.

Bought My 360 December 2005 Worked great, Till Sept 2007 recieved three red lights,One phone call to Microsoft set up my repair, 3 days later box arrived Sent out my console, Got a refurbished console one day before the HALO 3 release. So My guess is they just dont like you

Almost every company has people with customer service horror stories. This is no different. Being I used to play MMO's a ton in my past (thank God I stopped). I can say from my experience Sony Online Entertainment has the worst gaming customer service I've ever encountered.

It happens in life, but just wait until you try airline or credit card customer service...

Hi guys, I was just told that this was posted here, and thought I'd come by to weigh in.

First, I didn't write this as an attack on the Xbox 360--there is no fanboyishness here, I rather wanted to bring attention to the fact that the combination of a restrictive DRM and a defective console can result in all downloaded content not working properly when not connected to Xbox Live with your primary profile.

There seems to be some confusion across the web about how my content was limited. There are a total of FOUR Xbox Live profiles on my Xbox 360, but Speaker Ender is the only one that has been used to purchase anything. Since content is only able to be used either A) by anyone of the original console it was downloaded to, or B) the purchasing profile on any console, all four profiles could use the games before my console died. After the first console died, though, no one but myself could use ANY of the Xbox Live Arcade games. That is the problem with DRM's.

As for those who have accused me of being a loyal "Xbot" (not here, but I've seen it on other forums), I've been around long enough to know that defective consoles are a part of being an early adopter. I have had a Dreamcast, a Game Gear, a Colecovision, a Playstation, and 4 PS2's (in 3 months!) die. I am glad I did not give up on the PS2 so early, since it ended up being the best console around last generation. I feel the same way about the Xbox 360 (but again, I am addicted to achievements!). Apparently Nintendo is the only company that can make consoles with nearly perfect reliability, in my experience.

And finaly, I know that every time I post, someone seems to attack me as an imposter. I am Speaker Ender, and rather than accusing me of being a liar, just shoot me a PM at achieve360points, send me an email, or send me an Xbox Live message to at least give me a chance to verify that I am me.

Cheers!

Hi guys, I was just told that this was posted here, and thought I'd come by to weigh in.

First, I didn't write this as an attack on the Xbox 360--there is no fanboyishness here, I rather wanted to bring attention to the fact that the combination of a restrictive DRM and a defective console can result in all downloaded content not working properly when not connected to Xbox Live with your primary profile.

There seems to be some confusion across the web about how my content was limited. There are a total of FOUR Xbox Live profiles on my Xbox 360, but Speaker Ender is the only one that has been used to purchase anything. Since content is only able to be used either A) by anyone of the original console it was downloaded to, or B) the purchasing profile on any console, all four profiles could use the games before my console died. After the first console died, though, no one but myself could use ANY of the Xbox Live Arcade games. That is the problem with DRM's.

As for those who have accused me of being a loyal "Xbot" (not here, but I've seen it on other forums), I've been around long enough to know that defective consoles are a part of being an early adopter. I have had a Dreamcast, a Game Gear, a Colecovision, a Playstation, and 4 PS2's (in 3 months!) die. I am glad I did not give up on the PS2 so early, since it ended up being the best console around last generation. I feel the same way about the Xbox 360 (but again, I am addicted to achievements!). Apparently Nintendo is the only company that can make consoles with nearly perfect reliability, in my experience.

And finaly, I know that every time I post, someone seems to attack me as an imposter. I am Speaker Ender, and rather than accusing me of being a liar, just shoot me a PM at achieve360points, send me an email, or send me an Xbox Live message to at least give me a chance to verify that I am me.

Cheers!

Speaker_Ender

If my Xbox 360 dies I'll just but a new one...

:shock: So your really the guy they are talking about? do you even have an xbox nemore? after all that id imagin youd just give upGarchomPro

As it stands, I have since sent Xbox #3 in, but I have no idea when it will get back. My UPS tracking states that they received it on October 10th, but when I called on October 12, they had no record of it arriving yet, I am currently on hold awaiting an update.

22 phonecalls = 1 day, 2 hours, 55 minutes?

22 phonecalls = 1 day, 2 hours, 55 minutes?

Haee

Well, the average phone call was 1 hour and 15 minutes. The longest conversation was over 4 hours. And by conversation I mean sitting on hold waiting to be escalated, having to retell the story from the start, referencing every single SR# as the issue evolved and more and more (often incorrect or lazily entered) notes were added to my file, waiting while Supervisors tried to get ahold of someone at Microsoft who could get me an ETA, etc. Believe me, it all adds up.

Luckily, most of the time that I spent on hold I had my laptop in front of me. I actually watched the entire first season of The X-Files during all of this, and got a decent start on Season 2!

[QUOTE="GarchomPro"]:shock: So your really the guy they are talking about? do you even have an xbox nemore? after all that id imagin youd just give upSpeaker_Ender

As it stands, I have since sent Xbox #3 in, but I have no idea when it will get back. My UPS tracking states that they received it on October 10th, but when I called on October 12, they had no record of it arriving yet, I am currently on hold awaiting an update.

Thats some really bad luck there bro, wish u'd able to Sue M$ for that.

[QUOTE="Speaker_Ender"]

[QUOTE="GarchomPro"]:shock: So your really the guy they are talking about? do you even have an xbox nemore? after all that id imagin youd just give upnaughtydog360

As it stands, I have since sent Xbox #3 in, but I have no idea when it will get back. My UPS tracking states that they received it on October 10th, but when I called on October 12, they had no record of it arriving yet, I am currently on hold awaiting an update.

Thats some really bad luck there bro, wish u'd able to Sue M$ for that.

I could, but to tell you the truth, I'd rather just get in touch with someone who can make things right. My problem is somewhat unique and falls outside of the scripted responses, so the customer service agents really just don't know what to do with me at this point... the system doesn't seem like it's set up for such extreme situations.

And as an update, even though my tracking shows that MS received my 360 on October 10th, when I called 1-800-4MY-XBOX, they still had no record of having ever received it.

I could, but to tell you the truth, I'd rather just get in touch with someone who can make things right. My problem is somewhat unique and falls outside of the scripted responses, so the customer service agents really just don't know what to do with me at this point... the system doesn't seem like it's set up for such extreme situations.

And as an update, even though my tracking shows that MS received my 360 on October 10th, when I called 1-800-4MY-XBOX, they still had no record of having ever received it.

Speaker_Ender

Im not from the US, im from the a country that sueing almost doesnt exist. Just wondring, wont you be able to cash in if you were able to sue them ? is it very hard?

I usualy hear some crazy stuff in the US, people sueing companys for millions :p

I'm quite amazed that he's having so many problems with MS customer Service when I've had no problems at all. When my first 360 red lighted, I called them up, and in less than 10 minutes, I had ordered my coffinn and the customer service rep was bidding me a good day.The_Game21x

Its you and your luck, he was very unlucky.. and u were very lucky..

Unlucky. I got 3 red lights, got quick free replacement easily and the one I got back has worked perfectly since.

I also had a broken headset once, got to talk to a lovely hot sounding girl who sent me a new headset for free without even asking for my old one back

I'm quite amazed that he's having so many problems with MS customer Service when I've had no problems at all. When my first 360 red lighted, I called them up, and in less than 10 minutes, I had ordered my coffinn and the customer service rep was bidding me a good day.The_Game21x

And trust me, my wife was quite attached to that Oblivion horse armor... you do NOT want to deal wth a horse armorless wife under ANY circumstance!

[QUOTE="The_Game21x"]I'm quite amazed that he's having so many problems with MS customer Service when I've had no problems at all. When my first 360 red lighted, I called them up, and in less than 10 minutes, I had ordered my coffinn and the customer service rep was bidding me a good day.Speaker_Ender

And trust me, my wife was quite attached to that Oblivion horse armor... you do NOT want to deal wth a horse armorless wife under ANY circumstance!

Ah. That is a big problem indeed.