Presentation Transcript

1. Warranty Tips & Tricks

   Written & Presented by Jennifer Webert
2. “USA – Industry Abbreviations” At the most recent USA Convention in Texas you may have heard several abbreviations used that have left you thinking “WHAT” are they talking about. USA is getting bigger and better each and every year and the information and content throughout the year that goes out to members is ample. With so much to share, abbreviations are often used and can be very confusing. So what do all of the abbreviations mean?
3. “USA – Industry Abbreviations” TPA – Third Party Administrator (contract companies, ex. American Home Shield, Assurant) OEM – Original Equipment Manufacture (manufacturers, ex. Samsung, Dacor, Electrolux) NTM – National Technical Manager (The “boss” of that representative that takes care of your account) NSM – National Service Manager or National Sales Manager (The “boss” of that representative that takes care of your account)
4. “USA – Industry Abbreviations” RTM – Regional Technical Manager (The representative for the contract co. or manufacturer that takes care of your account) RSM – Regional Service Manager or Regional Sales Manager (The representative for the contract co. or manufacturer that takes care of your account, whether it be service or sales) USA – United Servicers Association ASTI – Appliance Service Training Institute
5. “USA – Industry Abbreviations” RTM – Regional Training Meetings “hosted by USA” APDA – Appliance Parts Distribution Association NESDA – National Electronic Service Dealers Association NARDA – North American Retailers Dealers Association
6. VIKING Service Bench “entitlement” is the key to filing Viking claims, checking warranties, purchase or installation dates as well as Viking recalls and their details. In order to do any of the above you must look the appliance details up through entitlement. You need to have a good model and serial number in order to get the appliance and it’s details to populate. (That includes removing dashes and manufacture date codes before the letter in the serial number or the version on some appliances.)
7. VIKING Example: * Displayed on the tag as: Model # VCBB362L-VB, Serial # F03120101867 Entered in entitlement as: Model # VCBB362LVB, Serial # F03120101867  * Displayed on the tag as: Model # VCSB483SS, Serial # 092804G0000001722 Entered in entitlement as: Model # VCSB483SS, Serial # G0000001722
8. VIKING * Displayed on the tag as: Model # DDFF136SSS1, Serial # KY4204337 Entered in entitlement as: Model # DDFF136SS, Serial # KY4204337 Once the appliance details are displayed you can check the purchase date and recalls that apply specifically to that model/serial number, the parts that are covered as well as the recall expiration date.
9. VIKING This is also the same screen that you go to start a warranty claim by simply clicking the “New Claim” button at the bottom of the screen. The majority of your claim details will be automatically populated on your warranty claim and you can simply fill in the missing information and submit your claim.
10. LG Parts Account & Monthly Warranty Statement LG warranty statements list each claim separately, broken down into labor and parts, with each part number listed on a separate line and a dollar amount. Sometimes the dollar amounts listed in a part column is $0, indicating that you did not get credit. When you find a part that was not credited on the claim, you must submit a second claim for part(s) only. LG asks that you use the same claim reference number and put an A at the end. (You can bill more than one part at a time on a resubmitted claim.)
11. LG Parts Account & Monthly Warranty Statement Watch your claims very closely because LG has a 30-day late submission policy. (Yes, they call these resubmitted, part only claims – late submission claims.) If you claim is over 30 days old, you must contact your LG Field Service Manager for a late submission authorization and if you ask for these authorizations too many times, LG will cut you off.
12. LG Parts Account & Monthly Warranty Statement You can get your warranty statement at anytime on LG’s website by clicking on “Reports”, and then “Wty Processing” Statement. Set your date parameters and click on Claim List. LG also emails out a complete Monthly Statement of authorized servicer’s Parts and Warranty Claims account.
13. LG Parts Account & Monthly Warranty Statement ***Whenever you file an LG claim with the special claim code “RD” (melted light issue repairs), you MUST put a $1 in the other field on the claim so that the warranty department will manually review and process your claim. Your claim will get rejected with a note asking you to remove the $1 from the other field and resubmit the claim again. *** (LG says this will ensure you get credited for all of the parts on these types of claims.)
14. “Frigidaire ~ Icemaker Kit Dud Claims” Have you been returning your Frigidaire icemaker kits for the $10.00 dud fee? Have you been receiving the $10.00 dud payment? Most likely you are not getting paid unless you are regularly checking your claims in Service Bench. It has been my experience that all icemaker kit dud claims are getting rejected and unless you call (1-888-842-3660) or email (servicer.assistance@electrolux.com) Frigidaire to inform them that the claim is rejected and needs to be approved by them, it will remain rejected and un-paid.
15. “Frigidaire ~ Icemaker Kit Dud Claims” Here is the process for returning icemaker kit duds and getting paid: Receive the icemaker kit and install it. Use the pre-paid FedEx label that was sent with the kit to return it. Make sure to fill out the card that was sent as well so that Frigidaire knows what company the dud came from. Frigidaire will receive the “dud” and file a claim in Service Bench for your company under your account.
16. “Frigidaire ~ Icemaker Kit Dud Claims” Go to the “Claim Inbox” in Service Bench and set the parameters to “Frigidaire” as the Service Administrator, the status to “disallowed” and the max number of days allowed “99”, select search. Compile a list of rejected claims and either email your list to the Frigidaire Claims Department or call them on the telephone. (Keep in mind, Frigidaire has a three claim per phone call policy.)
17. “Frigidaire ~ Icemaker Kit Dud Claims” You should receive confirmation that your claim(s) has been approved, however I would double-check them in Service Bench. Dud claims are being paid on your weekly Service Bench Warranty Claim Payment Statement.
18. “Samsung Mileage & new Stock Repair policy” MILEAGE – A few months ago, Samsung changed the way they pay mileage. The new process requires a bit more work, especially if you are a service company that doesn’t receive dispatched calls from Samsung. All mileage must be requested and approved through a Samsung SAW (Service Action Work). The process is time consuming but it’s been my experience that it’s monetarily worth it.
19. “Samsung Mileage & new Stock Repair policy” STOCK REPAIRS - The “stock” repair policy has changed. Samsung allows one stock repair per appliance with in the first 18 months of the manufactured date. (Manufacture dates can be checked on their website under – Business - Master Data – Warranty Basic Information – Serial Number Check)
20. “Dispatches are now Mandatory!” As you are likely aware, G.E. and Samsung recently decided to make dispatches, or as they label them, ticket and call #’s, mandatory in order to get your claim(s) paid. There isn’t much wiggle room with these new rules and both policies are in full swing. Those who want to continue on with these manufactures must comply.
21. “Dispatches are now Mandatory!” General Electric: If you get a phone call directly from a consumer requesting service on an in-warranty G.E. brand appliance, you must direct them to take one of the two steps: *Go to www.geappliances.com to schedule service *Call the G.E. call center @ 800-432-2737
22. “Dispatches are now Mandatory!” ALL G.E. warranty service calls MUST be dispatched via Service Power with a valid G.E. call # & the claim submitted using the dispatch. (This policy went into effect on August 1st) *It is my opinion that G.E. is attempting to keep their factory service centers busy with this new policy. Keeping your zip codes and availability up to date in Service Power will give you a better chance of getting dispatches.*
23. “Dispatches are now Mandatory!” • This policy does not apply to servicing dealers when it comes to showroom floor appliances and their own consumers. Servicing dealers are allowed to continue to service as usual. • This policy does not apply to Lowes stock and Lowes consumers. It must be noted on your claim that the dealer is Lowes and I would reiterate who the dealer is again in the “Service Performed” field on the claim.
24. “Dispatches are now Mandatory!” Samsung: If you are contacted directly by a customer or store, please contact Samsung on behalf of the customer/store to have a Samsung ticket created.  Please use one of the two steps: *Email: ticketsupport@sea.samsung.com with a request for a ticket #, make sure to include all consumer and appliance details *Call Samsung at 888-341-2561 (select option #1)
25. “Dispatches are now Mandatory!” All Samsung tickets must be accepted by the service center within 24 hours or it will be re-assigned. When you receive a new ticket #, be sure to go into the ticket and update with a scheduled service date and repair status, if applicable.  This policy applies to ALL warranty repairs, stock and consumer. (See question 5 issued on Samsung’s Q&A Regarding Submission of Warranty Claims Memo)
26. “Dispatches are now Mandatory!” Question & Answer: Question: I have a routine where I visit a Dealer on a certain schedule. Do I need to have the tickets generated by Samsung before I repair the units? Samsung’s answer: While we prefer the tickets for all repairs to be created by Samsung before the repair is completed, we do understand this is not practical in all cases. However, a Samsung generated ticket will be required before a warranty claim is submitted. This applies to customer repairs, dispatched calls through Service Bench and dealer stock repairs.
27. “Getting the most out of your warranty claims” When you bill warranty claims are you billing all of the parts that were used in the repair? I’m not talking about water valves and evaporator fan motors; instead I’m referring to the RTV sealant that was used to seal an air gap between the gasket and door on a refrigerator. Or maybe your technician used insulation tape to wrap the refrigerant lines to reduce the vibration sounds. What about the dye drier the technician installed to find out where the sealed system leak was prior to performing the sealed system repair.
28. “Getting the most out of your warranty claims” I often find that the technician will indicate the use of these types of parts in his repair description on the claim but the part numbers won’t be listed with the other parts on the claim. These types of parts can add up and get expensive; however they are billable on warranty claims. In order to bill these parts on your warranty claim they must be purchased from an authorized part distributor, have a valid part invoice and manufacture part number.
29. “Getting the most out of your warranty claims” I keep a list of these common part numbers and when a technician indicates he’s used them, I add them to the warranty claim. Here is a list of some of the parts that I have found are commonly used in repairs but aren’t always listed on the claim: Whirlpool - Insulation Tape – part # 12002793 Whirlpool – RTV Sealant – part # 482338 Whirlpool – Drier w/Dye – part # W10143759
30. “Getting the most out of your warranty claims” Frigidaire – Insulation Tape – part # 297268700 Frigidaire – RTV Sealant – part # 5304469950 Frigidaire – Drier w/Dye – part # 5303918358 Frigidaire – Super Lube/Dielectric Grease – part # 5304485963 Frigidaire – Perma Gum Cord – part # 5300900118
31. “Stock repairs at The Home Depot” Does your company do stock repairs for any of the major appliance manufactures? Have you ever completed a stock repair at The Home Depot and the manufacture rejected your warranty claim? Though it’s always best to check manufacture dates, remember that cosmetic parts are normally never covered on a stock appliance and know each manufactures’ stock repair policies before you complete a repair, you don’t have to take rejected Home Depot stock repair claims as a loss.
32. “Stock repairs at The Home Depot” No matter the reason your claim was rejected, if the manufacture won’t pay your claim, you can call N.E.W.’s Home Depot Division (Phone # 866-856-1937) to report the rejected stock repair claim. A service request number (S.R. #) will be assigned to your company on Service Bench to be used to bill your claim to N.E.W. They will pay servicers $65.00 for a diagnosis (no repair) and $98.00 labor + parts for a completed repair. The repair total cannot exceed 50% of the cost of the appliance.
33. “Stock repairs at The Home Depot” For example: If the appliance cost $300.00, the maximum repair that N.E.W.’s Home Depot Division will approve for the claim is $150.0 (labor & parts). If the repair exceeds 50% of the cost of the appliance, N.E.W.’s Home Depot Division requires that the repair tag from the unit be signed by the store RTM and faxed to them for approval. (Fax # 703-480-1937)
34. “NEW RULES – FISHER & PAYKEL” The new policies are listed on Fisher & Paykel's Cool Blue World web page under "North America ASC Procedures Guide Sept 2012".I highly recommend that authorized servicers review this policy and procedures document if they haven't already. Here is a basic overview:
35. “NEW RULES – FISHER & PAYKEL” CUSTOMER EDUCATION & INSTALLATION CORRECTIONS - "NOT COVERED"These types of service calls/repairs will not be covered or paid on a warranty claim.  Fisher & Paykel will cover "one" blocked pump on a washing machine and "one" blocked rotor on a dish drawer within the manufacture's one year warranty.
36. “NEW RULES – FISHER & PAYKEL” COSMETIC REPAIRS - "COVERED FOR SEVEN (7) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF DELIVERY"Proof of purchase needs to be e-mailed to the Customer Care Center (WarrantyEnquiries@fisherpaykel.com).  (I would recommend calling Customer Care as well to make sure that you will be paid for the repair.)  (1-888-936-7872). Dealer display and/or floor models are sold "as is" and do not have cosmetic warranty coverage.  These types of repair requests must go through the dealers Fisher & Paykel Sales Rep.
37. “NEW RULES – FISHER & PAYKEL” CONCEALED DAMAGE - "COVERED FOR SEVEN (7) DAYS FROM THE DATE OF DELIVERY & MUST HAVE AUTHORIZATION"(Concealed damage: Damage to an appliance that was concealed by the box or packing material.) Customer Care must be contacted to discuss the damage and receive a repair authorization covering both parts and labor (1-888-936-7872).  The customer must provide proof of purchase from an authorized dealer.  That proof of purchase needs to be e-mailed to the Customer Care Center (WarrantyEnquiries@fisherpaykel.com).
38. “NEW RULES – FISHER & PAYKEL” DEALER STOCK & IN STORE REPAIRS - "MUST HAVE A REPAIR AUTHORIZATION"Authorization must be obtained from the servicers Regional Service Manager on all dealer stock repairs.  There is no exception to this rule and claims will be rejected until an authorization is given. Dealer stock does not have concealed damage warranty coverage.  These types of repair requests must go through the dealers Fisher & Paykel Sales Rep.
39. “NEW RULES – FISHER & PAYKEL” PARTS RECEIVED DAMAGED - "A CREDIT REQUEST MUST BE MADE THROUGH THE CUSTOMER CARE CENTER"Any part that arrives damaged needs to have a credit request made through Customer Care, (1-888-936-7872), within seven (7) days of the receipt of delivery. Customer Care may request a photo or return of the damaged part prior to issuing a credit.  (A return request of the damage part can be made for up to sixty (60) days.)(Do not claim damaged parts on warranty claims.)
40. “NEW RULES – FISHER & PAYKEL” NON-OPERABLE PARTS UPON INSTALLATION - "A CREDIT REQUEST MUST BE MADE THROUGH THE CUSTOMER CARE CENTER"Any part that is non-operable immediately upon install needs to have a credit request made through Customer Care, (1-888-936-7872).  Customer Care may request return of the non-operable part prior to issuing a credit.  (A return request of the non-operable part can be made for up to sixty (60) days.)(Do not claim non-operable parts on warranty claims.)
41. “NEW RULES – FISHER & PAYKEL” NON-OPERABLE ELECTRONIC BOARDS - "FISHER & PAYKEL'S TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER MUST BE CONTACTED"All electronic boards  that are non-operable immediately upon install must be verified as being such with Fisher & Paykel's Technical Assistance Center.  (1-866-936-7327) Returned and tested non-operable boards could be deemed as "not faulty" by Fisher & Paykel and a charge back for the part to the servicer might occur, as well as any labor paid for the warranty claim involved with the board.(Do not claim non-operable electronic boards on warranty claims.)
42. “NEW RULES – FISHER & PAYKEL” FAILED REPLACED PARTS WITHIN THE ONE YEAR PART WARRANTY - "A PART ONLY CLAIM MUST BE SUBMITTED ON COOL BLUE WORLD"Any replacement part that fails within Fisher & Paykels one year replacement part warranty must have a part only claim filed for credit on CBW.  The servicer must provide the invoice number and installation date of the originally installed/failed part and the replacement part.(A return request of the failed part can be made for up to sixty (60) days.)
43. “Labor Warranty Periods” If you happen to be an LG factory authorized service-company then you’ve most likely heard the news that they are now requiring servicers to honor their labor on warranty repairs for 90 days. I have attempted to find out their reasoning behind this change but I am still unclear. Until I can get a straight answer from LG, here is a list of several manufactures and their warranty labor requirement. (Please keep in mind that these warranty periods are the standard for each manufacture but are not necessarily the rule, as a service center may have negotiated a different warranty period on their private contract.)
44. “Labor Warranty Periods” ASKO – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days AVANTI – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days BERTAZONNI - servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days BROAN ~ NUTONE – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days BSH – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days
45. “Labor Warranty Periods” BROWN STOVE WORKS – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days DACOR – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days DANBY – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days DELONGHI – servicer is require to warranty their labor for 30 days EQUATOR - servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days
46. “Labor Warranty Periods” FISHER & PAYKEL – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days FRIGIDAIRE ~ ELECTROLUX – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 60 days GENERAL ELECTRIC – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days HAIER – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days LG – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 90 days
47. “Labor Warranty Periods” MAGIC CHEF – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days MARVEL – service is required to warranty their labor for 30 days MIELE – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days NORTHLAND – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days PEERLESS PREMIER – service is required to warranty their labor for 30 days
48. “Labor Warranty Periods” SCOTSMAN – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days SHARP – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days SPEED QUEEN – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days SUB ZERO – “Service of the future - Premier” servicer is required to warranty their labor for 90 days “Standard” servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days
49. “Labor Warranty Periods” TURBO CHEF – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days ULINE – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days VIKING – servicer is required to warranty their labor for 45 days WHIRLPOOL – “Preferred” servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days “Non-preferred” service is required to warranty their labor for 90 days
50. “Labor Warranty Periods” WOLF – “Service of the future - Premier” servicer is required to warranty their labor for 90 days “Standard” servicer is required to warranty their labor for 30 days
51. “General Electric makes changes to defective ~ damaged part claims policy” Effective February 1st, 2013 G.E. made the following changes to their warranty policy: Service centers must hold any defective or damaged part(s) for 60 days after the part warranty claim is submitted to the part distributor. G.E. may ask that the part(s) be returned for inspection and will reject the credit if the part is not returned.
52. “General Electric makes changes to defective ~ damaged part claims policy” All part warranty claims must be submitted within 30 days from the time the part failed. The claim must have a valid description of the defect/complaint, as well as a complete repair explanation. A full Model & Serial number from the serviced appliance must also be on the claim. (Service Desk users – you can select the “generic” form from the “finished-form” document option to use as your defective/damaged part claim.)
53. “General Electric makes changes to defective ~ damaged part claims policy” Submitting a warranty part claim is the only way to obtain your warranty part credit from G.E. They will not be issuing any part credits with a warranty claim.
54. “LG does away with individual State Service Reps” As of February 28th, LG will no longer have individual representatives assigned to servicers by state. There is now a “Service Support Team” that has been formed to assist servicers with the following: (Phone # 800-847-7597, opt. 3 (available Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (central time)) ~ or via email @ asc.admin@lge.com)
55. “LG does away with individual State Service Reps” Warranty inquiries & Claim assistance Accounting assistance “Held” Part orders Account Profile Changes (ex. address or email change/update) Zip code coverage Product Authorization Policy & Procedure inquiries Pre-authorization for mileage and/or extra labor
56. “LG does away with individual State Service Reps” In addition, LG has formed a new team of representatives to help servicers meet the performance goals set forth by LG via the new 2013 contract, KPI (Key Performance Indicator) section. These representatives are assigned to servicers via their state and will be contacting servicers on a regular basis by telephone or email to discuss pending dispatches and any other issues that could hinder a servicer’s performance.
57. “LG does away with individual State Service Reps” So what will this newly formed team be looking for from their factory authorized service companies? Here is a “KPI” breakdown: Repair Turn-around Time (RTAT) - the # of calendar days a repair is completed in (from the date the customer called to the date the repair is finished) Long RTAT – Repair turn-around time taking longer than 15 days
58. “LG does away with individual State Service Reps” Reclaim Rate – the # of recall/re-service claims within 90 days of each other Work in Progress - # of days past the first schedule date that the dispatch status is updated Promise Visit Date Observance - # of service calls that were run on the 1st assigned promised date Net Promoter Score (NPS) - # of customer’s that indicate that they are willing to purchase or recommend LG products (derived from survey results)
59. “LG does away with individual State Service Reps” Submit Lead Time (SLT) - # of days between repair completion and warranty claim filing (Please check your companies 2013 contract to see LG’s score requirements for KPI.)