Yesterday I called the toll-free number to Polaris, hoping to get some insight on my 280's problems. The owner's manual clearly indicates that one can call them for troubleshooting assistance and even gives you a worksheet of information to have at hand when you call...serial number, the RPMs it's doing, info on the jets, the cleanliness of the inline or Quick disconnect filter, etc. All these items, I diligently checked out.
After maneuvering through several phone trees and then being placed on hold for 15 minutes (I actually completed another project while waiting), I was finally connected to a customer service rep.
I started by asking for some direction as to what type of a problem this sounded like. Without ever hearing what the problem was or asking for any of the info on the troubleshooting worksheet, the rep simply said they couldn't troubleshoot over the phone...my unit should go into an authorized dealer for repair. Excuse me???? She stated she couldn't give me any insight because what if I followed her advice and then found out I needed something else or what if I ended up not needing the recommended item at all.
When I mentioned that it was a 280 (remember...she never asked for any info), she said something like, "Oh-h-h-h, especially with that one, you should take it to a dealer because it's all gear-driven."
So what is customer service for??? Why put a troubleshooting worksheet in the owner's manual, stating that one should have all that info before placing a call to Customer Service, if Customer Service can't troubleshoot?
Well, I said I'd take it from there. But I was thinking, "Thanks for nothing." :x
So, we did a little more investigation on our own and discovered that the wheel teeth had worn away in one area on one of the wheels. We've swapped out the wheel positions and it now works like a charm. It seems like this would be a relatively common issue so the service rep should have been able to point me in the right direction - IF she hadn't put up the "No Troubleshooting" wall right away. Had she told me it might be the gears on the wheels and to look under the rubber guards to check for wear or broken teeth, I would've thought Polaris people were the best! Instead...
After maneuvering through several phone trees and then being placed on hold for 15 minutes (I actually completed another project while waiting), I was finally connected to a customer service rep.
I started by asking for some direction as to what type of a problem this sounded like. Without ever hearing what the problem was or asking for any of the info on the troubleshooting worksheet, the rep simply said they couldn't troubleshoot over the phone...my unit should go into an authorized dealer for repair. Excuse me???? She stated she couldn't give me any insight because what if I followed her advice and then found out I needed something else or what if I ended up not needing the recommended item at all.
When I mentioned that it was a 280 (remember...she never asked for any info), she said something like, "Oh-h-h-h, especially with that one, you should take it to a dealer because it's all gear-driven."
So what is customer service for??? Why put a troubleshooting worksheet in the owner's manual, stating that one should have all that info before placing a call to Customer Service, if Customer Service can't troubleshoot?
Well, I said I'd take it from there. But I was thinking, "Thanks for nothing." :x
So, we did a little more investigation on our own and discovered that the wheel teeth had worn away in one area on one of the wheels. We've swapped out the wheel positions and it now works like a charm. It seems like this would be a relatively common issue so the service rep should have been able to point me in the right direction - IF she hadn't put up the "No Troubleshooting" wall right away. Had she told me it might be the gears on the wheels and to look under the rubber guards to check for wear or broken teeth, I would've thought Polaris people were the best! Instead...
