Sure spoil?!!!

I finally got my laptop back from servicing yesterday. Replacing the spoilt keyboard was $80 and reformatting the harddisk plus their service charge was also $80, total $160 and this was before GST! 

I told the guy at the service center that the other day his colleague told me I could opt for the extended warranty for another 2 years for about $150 and they could absorb the incurred costs within the extended warranty but I had to backdate my expired warranty to 3 months ago. So I asked this man now if I could do that. He said no, impossible. I have to pay for the $160 PLUS about $150 if I wanted extended warranty. He said: "Where got such thing, then everyone spoil already then come and buy extended warranty, how can? Does not work this way".  I am not saying he was wrong and I understand business logic, but I was informed I could do that earlier, that was why I asked again. If I had wanted to be nasty, I would have insisted he get his colleague together and explain to me both different versions I was given. They had sure to deny everything. But I was not going to subject myself to all these and make myself unhappy. So I let it go.

I really think service centers should train their staff properly so whatever they preach to the customers are all in sync. And also explaining the "cannots" to the customers in a better and more sensitive manner would not hurt either. This would lessen misunderstandings and complaints and already-frayed emotions at the service center where, often, not everyone's mood is fantastic because they have to cough blood money at the same time. It does not make sense to antagonise your customers further as they could easily opt for your competitors next time since laptops/PCs prices are so attractive nowadays. So much for customer retention.

I decided to leave my laptop to fate and not pay an extra $150 for extended warranty. I must be crazy to want to pay $300++ after only one year of using the laptop which had cost $1300.  I might as well buy another new laptop if it crashed again one year later (buy another brand). Or I shall just get any outside technician to service it for about $50. I only went to this brand's service center because I needed to replace the keyboard.

That man's parting shot... "Next time, remember to buy extended warranty at the point of purchase because laptops sure spoil!!!"  **FAINT**  I was thinking..... "Next time, I'll buy your competitor's brand...". So much for GEMS (Going the Extra Mile for Service)....