Customer for Life

[justgowithit]

This past spring I bought an almost new Kawasaki Jet Ski used from a private owner. Over the last two months I put about 30 hours on it and then the engine blew. I took it to the dealer and they quoted me about $5000 to fix it.

I kept my cool and asked if Kawasaki would consider picking up part of the tab.... err.... perhaps the engine was defective or something (about as long as long shots get). I figured I was in for a very expensive bill considering the repair is almost as much as I bought the thing for.

Long story short: I just heard back from the dealer today and they said that Kawasaki is happy to stand by their product and pay for the entire repair.

I hate it when a happy customer tells ten people and an unhappy customer tells twenty. Kawasaki has made me a VERY happy customer. I figure this forum probably has more than ten readers ;)

How about you? Ever had a totally unexpected surprise from a business that made you a customer for life?

[tim222]

Um, well, a million years ago (OK it was closer to 25 years ago) I had two dirt bikes - A Suzuki PE175, and a Kawasaki KX125. Admittedly, these were two different bikes, since the Suzuki was an enduro and the Kawasaki was a motocross. But I always felt like the Kawasaki was better built.

[Dabrowski]

Similar situation...

I bought a new Ford Fiesta, in my younger days when I couldn't afford the insurance on anything with an engine bigger than a lawnmower.

The starter motor failed after 13 months, just out of warranty period. The dealer quoted me £220 quid, 130 for the new motor and 90 for labour.

I suggested that the starter motor should not have failed so early in it's life, the dealer said they would talk to Ford and get back to me.

I was pleasantly surprised when they said that Ford would pick up the entire tab.

Good customer service is essential, they got my vote.

[weeks]

Epson printers. Awesome customer service, even years later.

[tim222]

Would anyone believe me if I told you I've had good experience with customer service from Dell? Really, it's true! Also with Hewlett Packard.

[martinibuster]

Good customer service is essential, they got my vote.

:) Waiting for the coda: And today you drive a...?

[Dabrowski]

:) Waiting for the coda: And today you drive a...?

:D

I had another Fiesta new, then I had an unplanned break from driving, then a MK2 Fiesta (1986), and now a MK2 Mondeo (1998).

Vowed never to have another car from new though, as I don't know many people who have had one (all makes) that haven't had to go back to the garage for some fault no matter how minor.

[edited by: lawman at 10:16 am (utc) on Aug. 29, 2007]

[wheel]

If you'd have bought a Polaris instead of a Kawasaki, it wouldn't have broken down in the first place.

j/k :).

[justgowithit]

If you'd have bought a Polaris instead of a Kawasaki, it wouldn't have broken down in the first place.

I was going to buy Polaris - but I didn't like the way they looked in the rearview mirrors of my Kawi ;)

[Artstart]

Using the opportunity I'd like to praise Mitsubishi motors and their service.

[ytswy]

A friend's father got Mercedes to honour their anti-corrosion warranty on his fifth hand rust bucket he'd picked up for a song.

Not so much good customer service as repeatedly sending them messages along the lines of: Dear Sir STOP I am retired STOP Please fix my car STOP Or I won't STOP ;)