CoralVue Customer Service

I know folks don't like to spend a lot of time listening to complaints. On the other hand, we all buy from these companies and its nice to know what you're getting in to. I'm posting below my email conversation with CoralVue regarding some things wrong with an otherwise amazing light that needed fixing. The conversation is cut and pasted from gmail with parts taken out to protect identies. It is also a little incomplete if my memory is correct, but reasonably accurate. I am fairly sure at least one email is missing, but I don't believe it changes the significance of any of this. I've tried to leave my comments in warts and all. If I'm wrong, its fair you know that too.

What is so frustrating is the lack of attention. I still don't know how to register the light for the warranty. I still don't have an answer on how I get the ballast installed. I do have new glass and a new ballast, but I only know what to do with half of that. While the light is working, the non-standard ballast the electrician installed means I need to ballast the other side to keep it level. I'd like to have it right eventually. I'll cite this experience as the reason I'll always own Vortechs and not CoralVue's Gyre.

CoralVue: Hello David,
Checking with Giesemann on what we should check first, I will get back to you shortly.
CoralVue: Giesemann believes the T5 ballast is bad. Giesemann will send a replacement ballast, are you willing to exchange the ballast out yourself?
David: I can try. Will they give some guidance?
CoralVue: You can call me and I will help. Please reply with your address.
David: My address is:
XXXX XXXX XXXX
Stafford, Texas
77477
Thanks!
David: One other note. I haven't been able to find this light on the Coralvue website to register it for warranty purposes. Since the warranty paperwork is in German, I'd prefer to do it in a language I'm likely to get right. Can you help?
David: One last thing. One of the glass panels is chipped. I don't mind paying, but it seems a good idea to get a spare or replacement if you can help.
CoralVue: Hello David,
The Giesemann fixtures have been added to our site, please go ahead and register.
David: Several Geissman fixtures have been added, but not the Infiniti Spectra. Could you please get it up so I can register it.
David: As for the light, I had an electrician come out. The ballast was bad but we've replaced it and it now works. I know my impatience isn't your problem, but I'd hope you guys are upset enough at having sold a top of the line light that doesn't work out of the box that you're inclined to do something to make it right in future.
David: I haven't heard anything in a while so I wanted to check in. Any word on getting the light onto the site so I can register it? Any help on the cracked glass? Any thoughts on the t5s?
CoralVue: Sorry I missed the part about the cracked glass, can you send me a photo to pass on to Giesemann? I notified Giesemann of the bad ballast and they are sending a replacement. Giesemann uses the best T5 ballast available, they said it rarely happens. I'll remind IT to get the remaining fixtures listed.
CoralVue: I first asked you if you were willing to replace the ballast yourself. If the answer was no, I would then had arranged to collect your fixture and either repair or replace.
David: You did ask if I was willing to replace the ballast and I appreciate it. Here is the problem however. I bought the light because I wanted a light. I didn't want a light two weeks from now or next month or whenever. I was hoping to have the light in a reasonably timely manner. All of my choices, repair, replace, or provide a ballast involve me sitting around and waiting for some unknown period without the light. It has now been I think 8 days since I first contacted you.
I realize I'm impatient. I don't think it's completely unreasonable. As for the glass, I'll try to get you a picture. I hope you appreciate though that I was peeved because its petty. If Geissman is curious how the damage occurred, you can let them know the glass had slipped its tracks during shipping (both pieces) and the unbroken one was hanging by one side from those tracks. The result was one of them seems to have slipped the tracks but stuck at one corner, taken a knock, and broken loose. A picture will tell them the corner of the glass is broken. To get it, I have to go disassemble the light this evening after it cools down. It's probably not more than a few minutes work, but the way the side plate is mounted on 6 screws that use metric allen keys to unscrew, it's not a negligible task either. For the $20 the glass might have cost, it was easier for me to pay than go to the trouble of remembering and doing the work (especially since the broken one is still a semi-servicable spare).
I apologize for my impatience and for being direct, but I hope you appreciate that timeliness is a serious interest for a customer as well.
CoralVue: I'm sorry I missed your message about the broken glass. With a photo I can show Giesemann the damage during shipping and ask them to make the necessary corrections and to send replacements.
CoralVue: I would not have expected you to have to pay for anything and will do everything to get you satisfied.
CoralVue: The photo request was mainly to give feedback to Giesemann so they can improve their processes. I already submitted the replacement request and will keep you updated on their progress.
CoralVue: Also, please let me know the fixture length, I forgot to include this to Giesemann on my request.
CoralVue: Got it, thanks. replacement glass ordered.
David: I'm just curious where we are on this. Was I really supposed to sit around all this time without a functioning light?
CoralVue: I ordered the glass, will check on the status of the shipment. Is there other problems with the fixture besides the chipped glass?
David: I don't want to seem rude, but is there a supervisor or something we can escalate this to? I'm very disappointed with the urgency my concerns are being afforded.
CoralVue: I apologize that you feel like your concerns are not being addressed in a timely manner. I can assure you that Chris is doing everything he can to get your replacement glass to you as soon as possible. Unfortunately when dealing with a company on another continent for replacement parts that we don't have in stock here, it can take longer than we'd like, and often it takes a bit longer than we'd like to hear back from them on things when we're anxiously awaiting answers for our customers.
You mentioned that you are sitting around all this time without a functioning light... is there something more than the chipped glass that is wrong with it? If that is all that's wrong, there is no reason the light cannot be run with the chipped glass until the replacement glass arrives. If there is more going on, please let us know because that is all we are aware of.
We appreciate your patience and do understand that having to wait on things can be frustrating. Thanks for your understanding.
David: My intent is not to beat up on XXXX. He was kind and courteous. I do wish there could have been better communication however. I think the fact that you think the only problem is a broken glass is indicative of a coordination problem.
I actually have three problems. While I'd be happy to forward previous emails, I'll try to recap.
1. The ballast on one of the sets of t5s was bad. My light, as delivered, did not work correctly. Chris did offer to get Geissman to replace the ballast and promised to help me make the replacement when it arrived which were both very kind. I actually received the replacement today; one month later. Since this will be a big job for me and because work keeps me busy, replacing it will have to be this weekend when I'm guessing no one is available to guide me. As it is, the reason the light currently works is I paid an electrician to come out and replace the defective ballast. I may have to get him to come out again in order to keep my incompetence with electronics from ruining things. Had I not done that, I'd have owned a $2000 paperweight for a month. You can imagine that would have been frustrating. I'm totally happy to pay for top quality stuff. Having bought a first class product, I would have thought someone would have been sufficiently embarrassed by these snafus to try to make me feel like I was receiving the quality I paid for, then paid again for to get fixed.
2. The glass was broken. I actually didn't ask for a replacement because the broken glass is still serviceable. I asked how I could purchase a spare. I appreciate the two new screens Geissman provided, but I was annoyed, given what else was wrong with the light, and given that I was willing to pay for the glass, that we had to go through the petty process of requiring a picture of the damage before honoring the warranty.
3. As for the warranty, the documents I received are in German making registration for me impossible. I tried to register this light on your website, but the item I purchased was not included in the product list. Even after a change was made to include Geissman products, this light was still not on the list. In the past month, I have yet to get a follow-up telling me how to get the light registered.
I've really asked for nothing for free in this process. Being required to prove up the damage is irksome. Being a month in and not having been told what the full remedy for my situation is is frustrating.
Thank you for the help,
CoralVue: I understand your frustrations and irritation with the whole situation, however, we have done everything we can to rectify it on our side. I apologize that the time it took was longer than desirable, but unfortunately it was out of our control since we are dealing with a company on another continent and things just don't happen overnight. I wish there was more I could do to make you feel better about the inconveniences you experienced.
David: I'm honestly about to post this conversation on the forums. Up until now I've said nice things about the light. You're honestly telling me that if I want to install the ballast I have sitting in a drawer I can either go to trade school and become an electrician or hire one and this is no concern of yours? What about registering my warranty? Is that beyond Coralvue's capabilities? Really?

 

Wow! Your problems still aren't answered? I'd be ticked off too servillius. Thanks for posting the emails, I wouldn't have as much patience as you. It seems as once your purchase is done the buck gets passed on when there's a problem. If your selling German parts then the said company should be more than prepared to handle the problems that arise. Not being able to register a light for warranty that they sell? That's just pure laziness and if I owned or managed that buisness I'd be embarrassed. Hope it gets resolved soon.

 

Thanks. The shocking thing is their inability to even acknowledge the easy stuff. Forget telling me how to register the warranty - they're acting as if they never heard there was a problem.

That said, the light is pretty amazing. If it were more complex technology though, I don't know where I'd be.

 

I think that's the most frustrating part is the lack of acknowledgement. I feel a business has an obligation to make every problem no matter how big or small a priority and making sure that the customer feels that it's getting resolved in the quickest time frame. I fix garage doors and any warranty work is resolved the same day no matter what the problem is. It's my obligation to make my customers feel that there important and the said problem and satisfaction is my priority no matter if they spent 50 dollars or 5 thousand dollars. That light looks amazing above your tank, I dream of owning one. On another note, I switched out a bad ballast on my current halide fixture with a ballast from a fixture I don't use anymore , also a current, and I felt like the man! Took me 4 hours but man I was proud. Lol

 

I can understand that it was out of Coralvue's hands for the replacement parts and they were waiting to hear from them, but i get the feeling there were days between their emails to you and good customer service would have kept you updated. I am sure an email explaining they are still waiting for X from Giesemann would have gone a lot farther with you and would have taken them less than 5 minutes to send.

 

If I tried anything electrical, my wife would make popcorn, fix coffee, and start a Facebook pool on how long before I electrocuted myself. The brackets would be 10 second blocks.

 

It is that, but it's more than that. There is no number to call. They're not responding to emails. As of yet, they still refuse to acknowledge that the problem with registering the warranty even exists. They are still not recognizing that I'm sitting here with a ballast in a drawer and no way to install it properly short of paying an electrician to come back and do it. If they'd just say something like "sorry there are problems we can't help further with," that would be vastly preferable to the deeply insulting "sorry you feel that way."