When my bluetooth headset slipped off my head while jogging I became Mr Angry. But the good people at Jabra turned the customer service dial up to 11 and now I am Sir Chillaxed.
My lovely sleek Halo2 bluetooth headset from Jabra has all the features you’d expect and generally looks cool. Bonus: it has no wires. I hate getting tangled up in wires. The device folds down fairly small and can be slipped into a bag or pocket quite easily. The battery lasts about eight hours playing music non-stop. Sound is good. All in all I’ve been more than happy with it.
It was all going so well…
The problems began when I was out running. Any rapid or jerky movement and the damn thing fell right off my bonce. Highly annoying when one is attempting a personal best.
So I emailed Jabra asking if there was any way to tighten up the headset’s grip. The company rep came back to me within a few hours. Not bad considering Jabra is based in a different timezone (Nashua, north of Boston, US).
Greta (from Jabra) diplomatically explained that the Halo2 isn’t made for sport. She said:
The Halo2 is actually made for use when sitting not for when working out. We have specific products for that use. The Jabra Sport, Sport Corded, and Active for the active lifestyle segment. They are shock, dust and sweat resistant. Not sure how well the velvet and foam on the Halo2 would hold up to sweat as well. Sorry for any confusion. The Halo2 is a great product. One of my family’s favorites. Great sound quality for the price, just not meant for working out.
… … … … I had bought the wrong product!
Rather humbled, I thanked Greta as it dawned on me I would have to buy a new headset specifically for running. And at that very moment Greta offered to send me a new sport headset, gratis! I was gobsmacked.
Customer service lessons learned
During our exchange Greta had:
- Apologised for any problem I had encountered
- Identified my issue (which was my mistake, not that of the product)
- Supplied information on possible alternatives
- Unbidden, offered me a new headset.
And all done with the utmost grace and diplomacy. I don’t know about you but I’d call that excellent customer service. Guess what? I am an evangelist for Jabra!
Here’s some more posts on Customer Service.