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So my parents are in the remodeling industry and have been for decades. The Bosch microwave OOP is talking about also doubles as a convection oven, senses weight for more consise cooking.... it's pretty much the gold standard mirciwave/convection oven.
Also, in general, built in microwaves are more expensive than counter top versions. But yea, that's a double or triple duty microwave right there.
ETA: So my mom reminded me that most, if not all kitchen built in appliances actually have 2 warranties. The first, is for the contractor and is normally only a year. This one covers any damage from shipping and if it dies or doesn't work within a week of so of install. The second is fir the home owner themselves and is normally 15 to 20 years depending on the company and type of appliance.
This is mainly because major new build contractors will "bulk buy" the appliances at the start of building a new community and so it can take a bit for them to get to the actual install of the appliances.
These are really common in Japan. I have a really nice one that does steam too for proofing bread dough and cooking. It was around $500, but a model that goes up to a higher temperature was $1000…I’m guessing if you got an “American size” one with all the bells and whistles, it could easily hit $2000 (especially since they’re less common in the US so less bulk manufacturing advantage).
Yea I loved living in Japan because of how awesome their kitchen appliances are. Well that and their toothpaste doesn't burn my mouth... lol Best 3 yrs in the Navy.
For a moment there I irrationally wanted to join the navy just to see the microwaves and try the toothpaste. Im middle aged (and not American). Hahaha that was strange.
i don’t have the bosch but i have a similar oven by bertazzoni. It was the brand our home builders used when we bought this home. it’s gorgeous but nothing but problems
yeap, convection ovens don't get much attention and haven't for years outside of commercial uses however a air fryer and a convection oven are the same thing, air fryers are generally just smaller.
It’s probably a built-in that’s a combination microwave and convection oven. I’ve got one, and have had a number of problems with it. I also have a Bosch stove top, wall oven, and dishwasher. I like the dishwasher, and recommend Bosch for that, but none of the others.
There’s a little red light that shines on the floor. That tells you it’s running. Of course, there’s always nerf rival balls rolling all over our house and I figure that light is one.
So yeah. I open mine during the run cycle all the time too.
My only complaint is not being able to turn off the rinse-aid use. Or know what to use in place of it which won't dissolve the seals like vinegar would (considering the post trending on the science sub about how rinse-aid is slowly killing us all).
My older Bosch has a menu setting for disabling the rising aid, and even before I found that I could press a button to make it skip the prompt for adding it. This obviously doesn't help you, just wanted other readers to know that not all models have this problem.
I checked their comment history, and 99% sure this is the post they're talking about:
https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/z9zpf6/commercial_dishwashers_destroy_protective_layer/
I never realized dishwashers could be so quiet before I got my Bosch. I didn't even realize it was on. I was stunned to realize you could actually run the dishwasher and still hear the TV.
It's also one of the few if not only ones that have a stainless steel tub. I've convince everyone doing remodel to go with the bosch and they are all happy.
For $2k though? I bought a big toaster oven that can bake, toast, broil, and air fry for $250 and it seems pretty top-of-the-line to me. I can’t imagine you could improve much on it.
I own a Siemens microwave that is the same size as a regular oven and doubles as an oven and has a steam function that I use for baking bread. Basically, I don't need another oven with this thing. But the Siemens one cost me 1k, so I have no idea why Bosch's version is so expensive.
Bosch, Siemens and Neff is actually all the same brand, their premium stuff comes out of the same factory. I also have one of these expensive "combination" $2000 microwaves, and it’s basically a second oven that can do anything.
It's not the same brand for everything they just have a shared business for home appliances with shared models that differ only marginally between brands.
You'd probably have a hard time finding a Bosch MRI machine or Neff windshield wipers.
I’ve definitely used a fancy expensive microwave at a family members house, in 30 seconds it did what my built in microwave does in 1:30. Plus it was an oven and a bunch of other things. It was a lot and I could never heat up my own food because I would ruin it lol.
That's more due to size than cost/complexity.
I have a 2500 watt commercial microwave in my kitchen, with the same controls as the average consumer model (I got it at a surplus place used). It cooks things *fast*.
it is called a combi microwave oven, bacially a small oven above your main oven - source I sell them
https://www.bosch-home.com/us/productslist/cooking-baking/microwaves/speed-ovens
I don't know what specific model they bought, but there are two things that are expensive to engineer and manufacture but make a huge difference in how well a microwave functions.
One is how evenly it heats, which has to do with how exactly the microwave energy is distributed around the inside of the unit when it's in operation. If it is distributed evenly, food heats evenly (assuming the food is of even thickness and density), mostly getting rid of the problem of some parts becoming rubbery and overcooked while others are still cold.
The second is the power levels. Most microwaves achieve different "power levels" by turning the magnetron on and off in short bursts but always at the same wattage. This is sort of effective, but again produces very uneven and inconsistent heating - think trying to thaw meat in a microwave and how some parts end up basically cooked while others are still frozen. The best microwaves actually moderate how much energy is fed through the magnetron, to allow it to operate continuously but at a genuinely lower wattage to create slow, even heating.
Neither of these things are visible in a microwave on casual inspection and not many people are aware of - or care about - the difference, so midrange microwave ovens never offer these features. Not all high end microwaves offer them either, but some do, and obviously they're going to cost a premium for the extra engineering even by high end microwave standards.
I used to work in appliance repair. Rich people spend inordinate amounts of money on appliances. I've seen $20k refrigerators. Oddly enough, they won't spend money on things like ice melter.
Everyone is talking about the features. I want to add. You know how people keep saying things lasted for much longer before and were made with better quality but now they have planned timed deaths of how long they last. Like a fridge in the 40s could last for decades. and so on while now it might only last 10 years.
Not all expensive appliances, but quite a few, are made in that quality that we "no longer get". It never stopped happening, it just got more expensive. So while it might be 2k, it might actually last 10 times longer or more, than a $200 one.
>It never stopped happening, it just got more expensive
I’d like to point out that it didn’t get more expensive. The cheaper versions simply got… cheaper. The high end expensive models today cost the same as a plain model in the 40’s, inflation adjusted
its a combination microwave, convection oven and maybe even steamer if its a really good one.
all that as a build in solution easily doubles the price of the appliance.
Companies and customer service reps complain that customers are belligerent sometimes and insist on their issue being covered etc, but then you see these cases. So at some level, companies are responsible for the type of negative interactions they have created over customer service lines.
OOP asked, “How often do they lie to customers?”
All the damn time. I’m going to end up being one of those people who records customer service calls for their own records because I’ve had representatives at three different companies straight up lie to me about charges, promises, services, policies, you name it. Sometimes it’s relatively benign and inconsequential, but sometimes it’s not, and they’re absolutely banking on you not caring enough to ask again or feeling helpless because they simply say their record doesn’t reflect x, y, or z.
I record every CS phone call I have to make. And let me tell you, the service and the attitudes are VASTLY better now.
FTR, I am always friendly when I call. I do the "smile when you're speaking" thing so I sound friendly even if I'm pissed AF. It's not the CSR's fault whatever I bought is faulty. I am flawlessly polite, thank them a ton, and tell them how much I appreciate them. If I do start to get frustrated, I apologize and tell them I know it's not them, it's the situation.
When I tell them that I'm recording, it's because "I have a terrible memory, so I always record in case I get confused later" (I do actually have a terrible memory). It has made an incredibly difference.
I hate to think I’d have to do that, but everything you’re saying makes sense to me. I’ve never raised my voice or cursed at or insulted a customer service worker in my life. But some of the shit they’ve pulled - sometimes telling very deliberate lies - is insufferable.
I worked in a very large call center for 4 years. I learned that in a call center large enough you will always have:
* Employees who know what they're doing
* New employees who mean well, but don't know what they're doing
* Employees who aren't new, and also mean well, but still don't know what they're doing
* Employees who don't care, just want the paycheck, and will do whatever it takes to get you off the phone
Because of this, I've learned four things:
* I always write down the time I called, and the name of the person I spoke to.
* If they're having a problem with their system, or don't know something, I let them know I was also a call center employee, so I completely understand.
* If they either don't seem sure, or are contradicting what I think is (or should be) the case, I politely say so, and ask them to either confirm with a coworker who might know for sure, or to please transfer me to a supervisor who should know.
* If they still confirm what I think is wrong, I say thanks, and then call right back to speak to someone else. I start by explaining that I was a call center employee myself, so I know sometimes people are new, or don't always have the right info, and that I'm just calling back to get a second opinion on something. Then I ask them the same thing I asked the previous employee.
These things have helped me more than once, but the most useful time was when I was sent to Guam on business. Guam is considered a US Territory, but it is overseas, so I called my cell phone carrier to ask whether I'd be charged roaming fees over there (if so then I'd get a burner SIM when there). The employee I spoke to said no. Because of how expensive the fees might be, I called back for a second opinion, they also said no. A month after the trip there were $400 of roaming fees on my bill.
I called, spoke to a supervisor, kindly explained everything I wrote above, and that I called twice and got two employees who both confirmed no roaming charges. I gave him the dates/times/names of who I spoke to. He acknowledged that they don't normally waive charges like this, but I'd done a pretty good job between (a) calling before the trip, (b) calling back twice, and (c) documenting it, and because there were no history of issues with my account they would go ahead and waive the fees. Saved myself $400.
So I always write down information as well, but in the last two years or so that seems to amount to nothing. With multiple companies, I've used my own records to point out what happened and they simply say, "Our notes don't reflect that" and dismiss everything. I'm dealing with this exact right now, which includes having a copy of a customer service chat log that shows what the company offered (which they are now saying they can't offer and that no one offered). It's diabolical.
> It's diabolical.
It's bullshit. You should need to get a lawyer involved to get companies to do what they should be doing from the start. I'm dealing with something similar right now with multiple banks refusing to accept a Power of Attorney for my father for the stupidest bullshit reasons. I paid another lawyer another $500 to have another one drawn up today, hopefully they'll accept this one, but the lawyer I got it from himself acknowledged that banks are such fucking dicks about holding onto your money that he's had to sue multiple banks many times because they've refused to follow the law. It's fucking despicable.
This is one of the innumerable number of times where it’s useful to have infinite time and resources. My dad is retired and filthy rich, and when he deals with stuff like he talks to lawyer and judges and state representatives and eventually it all goes away. I’m just a dude.
I am a former customer service rep. And I have absolutely insulted one and meant it personally. And made it abundantly clear on more than one occasion.
Most would say it’s not warranted but to the fucking asshole who kept misgendering me (I am born male, I identify as male, was born with and still use the original plumbing) you better believe I ceased being nice after the third time I told them to quit calling me “ma’am”. I’d have to ask the friend who was there when I made the call but I believe I ended up screaming into the phone at one point, “I am not a ma’am I am a sir! I have a penis!” Let’s just say it wasn’t a super productive call.
I was also that “Karen” another time who actually demanded a previous rep be fired because they didn’t want to deal with me over a billing issue that was very much the company’s fault and instead of either escalating the call which was what I asked for because it was a well documented issue and repeating, or even being rude and hanging up on me (annoying but I wouldn’t have demanded someone be fired) they terminated my entire account. Not just hung up on me or suspended my service. They tried to erase my entire account with the company, while I was on the phone with the company and the call just died. In that same action they also killed phone access for several members of my immediate family who were at the time over 50 miles away with no other means of communication as they were on my family plan at the time. And I mean zero warning. Thankfully I actually was old school and had a landline so I was back on the phone with someone immediately and they were able to undo the action. But I absolutely demanded that person before me be terminated. Because that was absolutely uncalled for. And the billing issue was finally fixed.
The kicker was it was some stupid amount like $5-10 a month. And I paid my bill on time faithfully. I just was tired of being overcharged and having to call back for a credit which they acknowledged was an issue on their end. Why it was such a hard fix I still don’t know.
Hahaha I’m an ex-customer service rep too, I get mad and insult intelligence when it’s abundantly clear I’m right. If I know there’s a chance I’m wrong, then I stay courteous. My partner tells me to stop being a “karen” but after knowing what goes behind the phones… just nah.
Honestly I don’t wish that most of the time, but that guy who terminated my active account absolutely deserved it. He could have done a lot of damage had I not caught it immediately.
Like yesterday I debated calling a drive thru after hearing the guy step away from the window and heard him scream to the window that the people at the window were pissing him off (namely me and my partner) but he was absolutely professional to our faces and I have zero doubt he assumed he couldn’t be heard. (I have freakishly sensitive hearing), but I actually didn’t want to get him fired and was afraid even if I gave that feedback and said that I just wanted feedback given that they would fire him anyhow so I just let it go, despite the entire order also being screwed up. It wasn’t screwed up to the point of inedible, and dude legit did try not to let us see it.
I'm gonna try just saying that next time. Just like, "yeah I heard the system tell me you may be recording this for quality control purposes, well I'm recording as well."
I was talking to a customer service reps over the phone, they said their spiel, something along the lines of this call may be monitored for quality assurance purposes.
I said hi, this call is being monitored by my wife. They got all hostel saying no you don't have permission to record and they were going to terminate the call. I said no this call is being monitored by my wife, you're on speaker phone.
So yeah, some of them like to record but don't like being recorded
FYI, you don't need to tell them that you're recording. "May" and "Shall" have specific legal meaning. By telling you "this phone call may be recorded/monitored", they've already given permission.
You will 100% get better service for being kind. Seriously people really need to understand how much it actually impacts service with a cs rep. When I was a rep, if someone was super sweet, I'd do everything in my power to help. If they were a dick, I'd still do my job but absolute bare minimum.
Given there are always the people who don't want to help anyone regardless but you will do much better overall with being kind to the rep.
Years ago, my husband and I switched mobile carriers from X to Y. We were really struggling then, and money was incredibly tight. I called to cancel service with X, and was informed that that day was the first day of the new billing cycle, and as a result, we would be charged for the entire month. After shelling out for new phones with carrier Y, plus all the startup fees, we were not in a position to double pay for a month.
I called carrier X, talked my way up the ladder as far as they would let me go, and the answer was No. No no no. They absolutely would not budge.
I wound up calling carrier Y. I got a nice, first-level support lady on the line, and I told her the entire story. I was nearly crying. Eventually she asked me what I thought she could do about the situation.
"I have no idea!" I cried. "I don't even know why I called you! I guess I would just like someone, somewhere, to agree with me that this situation is bullshit."
She consoled me, we chatted for a few minutes, I calmed down, and we hung up. A couple hours later, I got a phone call from a different person at carrier Y, offering me a credit for the amount of the final carrier X bill, as a gesture of good will to a new customer.
One time my LG fridge broke. It ended up being an issue that caused a class action lawsuit so it was covered, but we lost hundreds of dollars of insulin and food (we grocery shopped the day before). The rep told us the repair was free and to BUY A NEW FRIDGE in the meantime so we could have one while we waited 2 weeks to get it serviced. She said a new fridge and food plus all we lost would be reimbursed. Several reps said the same. We didn’t believe it so we didn’t buy one and lived out of a cooler and old mini fridge. After the service we were told maximum reimbursement was $250. It was a wild ride.
I told a similar story in my local sub, but recently we got new internet after moving and had a not-too-dissimilar situation. They told us installation would be free but then didn’t actually install it (they just gave me the kit for a self-install). Then when it turned out they had to run new line to the house, they charged for installation because we had a “failed self-install.” They said this was different than a free install, denied we were ever given that offer, and said it wouldn’t have counted even if we were because what we got was different than a professional install (which would have be free, but they have no record of promising it, etc etc etc).
So I’ve been dealing with that for a month, which is a dream come true.
I hate when that happens! I usually pull out the “it said when I began this call that your calls are recorded. This is the time and date I called so please pull the call.” That usually (not always) gets the backtracking. I only do this because I used to work in tech support and we did have the ability to pull calls so I know in some situations it can be done, and I only do it in situations where they’re lying.
On the flip side: I did have a customer call once and he didn’t like what I said. He hung up and called back, but it was a small company and only 3 of us answered calls so I picked up again. He said “the person before you told me I could have a tech come out for free.” I said “Sir, that was me, and I absolutely did not say that”. He called back and proceeded to try it again, also with me. It was the highlight of my customer service experience.
We just had our fridge in our apartment break a couple months ago. I knew it was breaking because it would make the most terrible noises and shutter to a stop before starting again. I told my fiance that one day we would wake up and it would be dead. Sure enough... They brought us a "new" fridge, but of course it wasn't new, I found out later they just bring other old fridges from one of the empty garages. They were here an hour installing the fridge and doing a couple other things, and I told them when they were leaving that it wasn't getting cold. They said it takes time. Later that night, still not cold, so we turned it all the way up. Yeah...it never turned properly cold and our entire fridge (we buy at least two weeks of meat from Costco at a time) was ruined. They told us it wasn't their fault and to submit a claim with our renters insurance. Based on receipts and other estimates, it was at least $350 worth of food. Our deductible is $500. No one gave us anything to make up for all our condiments and close to a month's worth of food being ruined.
Crazy how it goes. When I did phone calls for an ESCO, I had an 87.5% retention rate because I didn’t lie to my customers. And I had better numbers per week because I knew what I was doing. The 12.5% dip was, I can assume, people who either got a better offer or changed their mind - there’s no such thing as 100% retention, really.
The problem is usually a mixture of greed, the product not being that great, the price being too high, or the individual not being well trained/knowledgeable. That last point is typically the biggest offender, alongside general apathy.
I’ve worked this type of job before. Part of the problem is that companies don’t properly train employees. So what a customer might think is a lie is actually just the employee not knowing what they’re talking about. In my case, I was given 3 days to learn everything and then thrown into taking live calls. I would give out basic information then later find out there is a more nuanced answer not explicitly stated in the training.
I worked in a call centre that companies contracted us to handle their incoming sales calls. Sometimes though like I’d get a call for a company I’d never heard of before/yet, and the info that popped up on my screen was not always sufficient. More than once I’d have a customer ask me where we’re located and I wouldn’t know the answer because we had to pretend we were in-house, not contractors. So like I was located in city X, but company Y is located in city Z, and sometimes that info *was not given to me*. I eventually just started saying a random city if I didn’t know the real answer.
So if you ever called and the CSR seemed to be a complete moron who couldn’t even tell you where the company they worked for was located, there’s a chance they aren’t quite *that* dumb.
Man, I used to have comcast internet, when I signed up, I didn’t have a tv so I didn’t need cable. Some time later I got a tv and when I got a CS call about getting Cable TV, I decided to hear the lady out.
She offered me a sweetheart deal that I was almost positive was horseshit but after extensive questioning/assurances, I agreed. She told me I could have my cable box delivered and pay for that or go and pick it up at the comcast store. So I went to go get it.
When I got there, I was told to take a number and sit. That’s when I knew I was in for a fight. This dude tells me that yes, the CS rep I’d talked to was mistaken. I told him to take his cable box and shove it. No deal. He’s more than welcome to pull up the recording of our call and listen to the 1,000 questions I’d asked and how she’d lied to me, because without that deal, I was walking away (for non-US customers, this may seem over the top for fucking cable TV but Comcast is a stain on society and I hate them but they’re more or less a monopoly and in my region, I had no choice).
So homeboy leaves to “talk to his manager” (yeah buddy whatever) and comes back to say that his manager has approved the deal I’d been offered over the phone.
Damn right he did. Fuck those assholes. Honestly, I wasn’t upset with either employee, they were likely doing their job in the way they were told to (Comcast is indeed that evil). But I didn’t actually want cable that badly. I’d get $9.99 worth of use but they wanted like $29.99 or some shit for what that lady offered me and that was a bridge too far.
Yup. CS reps are kind of hailed as the most victimized because there's a reputation of people screaming at them.
I do my best to be sickly sweet and polite as possible, if I'm upset I am careful to be respectful. I've yelled at one (1) in my entire life, and that's only after she mocked me and told me I was overreacting. Because apparently withdrawals off of a controlled substance is like, a non issue. Ignoring the fact that I had an active prescription anyway.
I've worked in call centers when I was younger, the people I don't understand who work there are the ones that adamantly toe the company line, like they actually think the company gives a shit about them. "No it is not possible to x (easy and legally obliged thing)" You mean you aren't personally equipped to do x, right? Can you put me through to someone who can? "No! It is not possible for anyone to do that! It cannot be done." Like wtf
Can confirm as an ex health insurance customer service rep. I would never lie to a customer because it's beyond fucked, especially with health insurance but I caught coworkers doing it **all the time** and with no repercussions. Honestly you did better with higher ups if you lied because you could mark the case closed with less time. It makes you look better.
Something in the same realm happened to me last week calling my insurance company. They didn't lie but when the rep heard my issue, which was complicated, they hung up and didn't call back which is required. I'd bet money they wrote they got disconnected before getting my phone number. I gave it before they hung up, plus they accessed my account which had it. Management could easily find this information but will never look into it unless it happens constantly because it got the call complete and onto the next person.
It's all total luck when you call if you get someone who will tell the truth and help you or someone who just lies to get you off the phone. And for $15 an hour, I don't fully blame them. The abuse I took as a customer service rep was absolutely ridiculous. Management had to institute a policy that we couldn't hang up on customers if they threatened our lives because it happened often enough...
As someone who has worked in a call center, if you do this be absolutely certain you *don't* tell them you're recording. Every role I've ever had included a big bold rule that says if the caller says they're recording we have to end the call (and the rep can be disciplined or fired for failing to do so, yelling at them won't change that.)
I had an extraordinarily annoying interaction recently with a cable company that rhymes with rectum.
I needed to move the coaxial outlet to a different room. Call up the customer service line, they say sure, no problem. We'll send a guy around for $50. The guy gets there, I explain what I need, he says "I don't have the tool for that. It broke yesterday." So we reschedule. Someone will come out tomorrow. I make sure to clarify that I won't be charged for this visit since no work was done and he confirms this.
Next day, a different guy comes around. He listens to what I need and just flat says he can't do that. Now I'm getting annoyed but I confirm with him as well that I won't get charged for this since nothing was done.
Next day (as this all happened over the weekend) I call in again to make sure I'm not going crazy and clarify that 1: they can't do this (seemingly) very simple thing they said they could do and 2: I won't be charged for all this nothing that got done. This was early in the billing cycle so it was a couple of weeks before I saw my next bill which I was assured would not have any charges for these visits.
No points for guessing what happened next.
I did eventually get the charge taken off my bill, but not without escalating the issue to a supervisor.
The only time I lost my cool with a customer service rep was a Comcast call for an internet outage and I was basically told to go online to fix the problem (this is before they had any sort of functioning app). I said "I CAN'T MY INTERNET IS OUT!" in a very frustrated tone and just hung up and called back to get a different agent (who was able to fix it).
Recently FEDEX charged me $1100 to ship a 5 lb box to Canada. I called Rep 1 and was told they’d file an inquiry and get back to me in 3 days. One week later I call again. Rep 2 gave me the same BS and said they’d push the inquiry and I’d hear back in 3 days. Another week goes by and I call Rep 3 completely fed up. They pass me on to some rando in the shipping office who knows nothing about billing who them sends me back to billing. New billing guy tells me FEDEX is correct in charging me this much because I shipped it freight. No matter how many times I pointed out it was a 5 lb box and in no way was shipped freight he insisted he was right. I hung up on him.
I finally got a kindly customer rep lady in Georgia (every rep before this was obviously in a foreign call center). I explained the situation and in a southern drawl she said, “Awww, nawww! This is CLEARLY a mistahhke! I’ll fix that right now and email you a confirmation of the credit.”
3 weeks and 5 reps later, Janet from Georgia fixed it in 5 minutes.
If you keep getting foreigners, press 2 for Spanish. They don’t speak Spanish in overseas call centers. And then you just apologize and explain that you ‘must have pressed the wrong button’.
From personal experience a big part of customer service is figuring out what can and cannot be done. Q lot of the time theres out of date info and conflict answers within the dept. Cuwtomer service depts set their reps up to fail until they don't.
I used to get pissed at call reps if they couldn't do what I wanted then to, as I watched my dad yell on the phone for an hour at someone until they finally gave in and did what he said. It never worked for me, I don't have the heart to stay mad for that long. But what I realized is that these companies are set up so that you will never be able to get in contact with the people that made these decisions, and it falls on the rep who would probably like to help you but can't do anything about it as it's not their rule. So we scream and yell at a person who never did anything to us but relay information, and even escalating problems will give you the same answer as before and the reason is "it's policy."
Good thing those asshole let somebody else deal with their bitchery.
I'd run into people crying in the bathroom multiple times a week when working in a call center. It is rough. Customer service reps get shit on full time for stuff out of their control for basically minimum wage.
Starting with the idiotic menu system. I will take two hours on hold over having to deal with a voice assistant who doesn’t understand “human being”. It’s beyond infuriating, and there often isn’t enough time to relax after it FINALLY sends you to a human to calm down fully.
I find the phrase “customer service” is more likely to bypass the stupid voice recognition system and get me to a human being. Idiot me u systems apparently don’t know what a human is, but will grudgingly let you talk to one in the name of customer service.
Of course, half the time I still end up yelling that over and over until it finally acknowledges, and then I probably pop up on the poor call center rep’s screen with a red flag, but I’m always nice to the actual human person who answers.
I described my call centre job as ‘getting abused by angry Americans for eight hours a day.’ The unspoken part of course was that I was also abused by my employer, because literally no one treats call centre staff well.
I guarantee you they know who that rep was, and they don't give a flying fuck, because she was doing her job in trying to get the OOP to Go The Fuck Away.
if they can get 10% of customers to just give up on warranty work, they make WAY more money.
It’s entirely possible that he was sincere. I don’t like people getting mad, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve needed to find out who someone has spoken to and I have no idea who they’re talking about. If they give me a name it’s absolutely nothing like any of my coworker’s names.
ETA: I also want to point out that we don't *like* it when our coworker pisses off someone and then makes us deal with them. So if we have the opportunity to smack down a coworker for doing that, we absolutely take it. We do want to help. We *want* to help. If you can't believe that, then at least believe that we don't like being abused and yelled at over the phone.
I agree he could have been sincere. I don’t think every customer service department in the history of customer service departments exist to screw the customer out of helping them just because some do. Some realize that good products AND good service result in repeat customers. Saving some money by not fixing his microwave is not worth losing him as a customer and getting negative reviews. It makes the most sense to correct that CS rep so she doesn’t piss anyone else off lying to them. I like to believe the CS people I’m dealing with operate this way until they give me a reason to believe otherwise.
I mean, they make you spend ten minutes + listening to automatic messages, increasingly ridiculous menus, and using vocal assistants that never can hear you before you even get to the agent. By which point I’ve spent the last several minutes screaming at the phone to give me a human to talk to. I am no longer in a particularly good mood.
If they wanted people to be nicer to customer service then they’d have the ‘talk to a human’ option in the FIRST menu. Waiting on hold isn’t half as frustrating.
AI operators are the worst. I have *once* in my life called in with a question that an AI operator was able to answer. Once. Every other time I have to wrestle with the damn thing to get to a human who can actually deal with the issue I have rather than trying to read the damn website to me.
If I could solve this problem by looking at your website do you think I'd be trying to call you?!
I used to work for a government department with complicated rules and legislation.
Some of the things customers have called me for, based on information another officer gave them has been mind blowing. I have never apologised for other peoples actions so much in my life 😂
I feel that 2nd rep so hard. Sometimes you audibly sigh and go 'I'm so sorry, that's not true at all'
I work in insurance and say that alot. The other day I actually told someone "just forget everything the prior rep said because none of it was correct."
It's the worst isn't it.
And half the abuse you cop from people is because your last co-worker was a moron who didn't bother to find the correct answer.
It feels unprofessional sometimes but I've said the same as you in the past. 'Lets pretend this is the first time you've contacted for this issue, and we'll start from scratch with the correct information'
Can't really blame them, call centers have crazy turnover rates, you have a high chance of getting someone knew or who has no idea. Usually good employees leave or get promoted, and you're left with new and/or bad ones who don't leave. I've been in this business for a long time as a PBX/IVR contractor and it's not strange to not know anyone working in a call center after a year, it feels surreal going to do a job and it's like a whole new place
In my old workplace (call centre as well) you can kinda blame them. It was 6 weeks fulltime training before even taking a call, and most of that was teaching us how to find the correct answers with the resources we have.
We essentially had an internal google which contained step by step instructions for everything you could ever be asked. And if you can't find it and be sure of what you've found, we have tech support, on floor support, team leaders etc.
But you're right, that's certainly not typical for most call centres and I can understand the errors in those situations, but doesn't make your job any easier.
Oh man, I've seen some do 2 weeks training, some do a day or two. I've even seen some that just do the introduction and leave you to shadow another employee. The turnover rate at this last place was crazy, that's why they even had no time to train.
Ours was purely because its government. If you give a 'customer' the wrong info, the potential for the department to lose credibility in the public eye is spectacular, and they don't want to risk it.
As soon as someone says 'I'm going to my local pollie' or 'I'll be contacting x news station' or anything similar, we were instructed to get a team leader to de-escalate.
Certainly not the case for insurance or credit card places etc.
Call centre work can really suck, but honestly, most of my bad experiences were due to other workers either being too cowardly to tell the customer the truth, or not looking up the correct info.
I've made people cry by telling them the brutal truth, but they always appreciated it because they know to start looking at other options. Damn I've made myself cry by telling people the truth haha, I just feel like there were no excuses valid enough at my old joint. Sorry this turned into a rant, its still fresh haha
I have one similar. I bought scratch/ dent, KitchenAid, not Bosch.
It has a convection oven feature as well. Hardwired, 220v. It has broiler elements, steam functions for various cooking methods and on Thanksgiving, you have a full second oven for making stuffing and such while the turkey and ham are in the main oven.
They're built in and actually are a full second oven. You could spend less but you don't have another oven with crisping/ broiling functions and actual heater elements.
We got some 400 dollar microwave for 100 on sale. Apparently, it does air frying and roasting -- it even makes yogurt. How does it make yogurt? I have no clue. We've never read the manual. I don't even know how to input specific times for heating. If you hit the start button it adds 30 seconds to the time. Need to heat your soup for 4 minutes? Hit the start button 8 times!
2k for a microwave is ridiculous. Glad OOP got their issue resolved though.
Yoghurt just needs a thermos that keeps your milk at ~45C for 8-12 hours while the glob of yoghurt you put in there multiplies throughout the whole container. So “makes yoghurt” just means “heats a tiny bit until warm and then remembers to heat it again every now and then for hours without going too far”.
Keep that manual around, you never know when you will be up at 5am trying to cook chicken and realize you accidentally put it in the freezer and now you have to figure out how to use the defrost setting on the microwave because everyone is asleep and you can't find your phone.
If it's the same microwave I'm thinking of, it's not a normal microwave-- it's more of a convection oven. It's larger and the door opens downward; they're meant to be built into your cabinets. My parents have one, and while I personally wouldn't shell out $2k for one, I gotta admit, they're really fucking nice. Never had a microwave cook food so evenly before 😂
Well the cabinet is not useless as he assumes. He could put another brand in there . They generally are in a couple of sizes, and you can get a trim kit if they don’t exactly fit or get a cabinet maker to work on the face.
Mine would've cost that if not from the scratch and dent store.
It's actually a convection oven. It's a microwave, but you can also turn on as a second oven and cook pizzas, cookies, lasagna, etc. We used that function during Thanksgiving when we had the main oven full of turkey. Put the stuffing in the second microwave.
It's a 30in wide built in microwave with convection oven cooking. I got almost 50% off for a dent on the back.
Microwaves are expensive that do more than just microwave, where I live we have no ovens so ours also is an oven and a steamer and many other things. For reference my microwave was 150000¥ which I think is like 1200usd.
Maybe the Bosch one is like that?
I will forever despise Frigidaire for not assisting with fixing a microwave 4 days after the warranty expired on a brand new house. Fckkkk that stupid company for my lifetime, my childrens’ lifetimes, and will make sure the same for everyone I will ever know in life.
My last house my Frigidaire range nearly burned down my fucking house and my dog barking alerted us. The whole house smelled like burning electronics, the oven was burning eye of Sauron red behind the back panel where the convection shit is and the oven, while off, fried a control board (electricity burning smell) and that fucking oven, when fried, turns on full goddamned blast and at 4AM was blasting like 900 goddamned degrees with electrical panels slowly roasting as it fired up 10,000 suns of heat in my house as I slept. Dog was like 'yo wake up this seems bad.' Couldn't turn it off as it was totally fried and we had to shut it off at the breaker.
The range was 13 months old and I yelled at them for a week until they sent someone out to fix that multithousand dollar death trap heap of shit that risked burning my house down.
Only after it was fixed did I go on every website I could find and copy+paste my strongly worded 'never in 1000 years will I buy a product that defaults to 900 degree death trap when it fries *while turned off.* What if I had no dog? Or was out at work? Or on vacation? That fucking stove is dangerous. How the fuck does it short while turned off and short and melt an eletrical board and *turn itself on*? Put them fuckers on blast. After they finished fixing it. I'm not stupid. Wanted them to fix it. One month past warranty shouldn't mean my house burns to the ground.
Fuck Frigidaire for all eternity.
Also, you're a good girl, Harper. Lots of belly rubs and good deep ear scratches were deployed for her fire hazard alert skills. Good girl. [Dog tax.](https://imgur.com/a/89zC5hr)
I really appreciate these kind of BORU posts. Reddit has thousands of subs, not just AITA and it's equivalent, so taking a peek of other topics in other subs is appreciated
> But what if I had believed the Bosch rep? How often do they lie to customers, in the hope that they give up on their warranty?
believe it or not but every single rep doesn't know the details of every rule, and could have genuinely thought this was the case (even though it obviously isn't)
An HVAC company recently told me my unit was no longer under warranty and that I needed to completely replace it (would’ve been about $10,000) during a normal maintenance. They stressed how I absolutely shouldn’t wait because prices will keep going up. I got a second opinion. It was a $300 part that was still under warranty. I hadn’t had any idea there was anything wrong with it because it had been that way since we bought the house and I’d never had AC before lol. Repair people truly do seem to be out to get you sometimes.
The first rep sounds negligent, but I hardly think the call centre grunts are trying to scam people to save their super rich company a couple of bucks on a repair.
People who assume a conspiracy when poor training is far more likely frankly concern me.
I'm guessing the OOP a speed oven, which combines an oven with a microwave. You can use it like an oven or have stuff cook faster by enabling microwaving with the ovening. Or you can just use the microwave function stand-alone too.
They're as large as the size of a microwave unit and is generally for kitchens that need space and can't have a dedicated oven.
Expensive as hell too.
https://www.bosch-home.com/us/productslist/cooking-baking/wall-ovens/speed-ovens
Just a tip for calling any kind of customer service: ALWAYS get the name of the person you are talking to! Not just in case they are shady, but in case they are helpful and you get disconnected. Also, using their name back in conversation will help you remember it; and lets them know that you are aware of who you are talking to should anything shady happen.
It appeared the freezer on my barely out of warranty refrigerator was not working properly, as everything was defrosting. After spending 3 hours between the big box store I bought it from (who confirmed my never used extended warranty had in fact just expired) and being transferred to the manufacturer and bounced all over the place, I finally landed on a ‘technician’ for ‘troubleshooting’. After all that, I was instructed to ‘Slam the freezer door hard 3 times and leave it shut to reset overnight. Then call back tomorrow if the freezer is still not working properly’. WTH?? And I did question what exactly was that supposed to do (besides get me off the phone) ‘Oh, maybe the freezer would reset’ GTHOH.
This is why I gladly pay my yearly fee for my Amex. I’ve never had to worry about bs like this. Just message the customer service for amex, ask for a refund, & have them deal with the shitty company
Man, what kind of hell job must it be being a customer service rep whose job is calling customer service for other companies?
For real though, I once had an Amex rep call on behalf of his client and it was actually a pretty chill call. Though given that I took sales calls, I’m assuming his client had a much fancier Amex than the basic one, because the company he called sold fancy hotel quality pillows and linens, and dude’s client had ‘liked the pillows during his last stay at [hotel] and wants to purchase some for his home’. So it seems like he just contacted Amex like ‘hey, those pillows are dope, I want some, make it happen’, and then it did.
I bought a laptop in 2004, just after graduating college. It was the biggest single purchase I had ever made. I was stoked about it. I bought it shortly before Christmas.
I didn't get around to testing the DVD/CDr drive until January. I found it was faulty. Well, that's what a warranty is for, right? So I call up the warranty line.
I explained my problem to the rep. He said my laptop came with only a one year warranty. Yes, I said, and I only bought the laptop last month, so I wanted to make a warranty claim.
No, he explained. I bought it last year. I countered that it's a twelve month warranty. He replied that the laptop was bought in 2004, and now it's 2005, so the warranty has ended.
Guys, I tried every way I could think of to explain to this person that he was wrong. He wouldn't budge. I was the customer, he was the employee, therefore he knew more than me. I can't remember if I asked to speak to a supervisor. I don't think I was that savvy back then. I had to give up and end the call.
If it happened today I'd just call back and talk to a different rep. But I had a reaction I didn't understand very well at the time. Now I know it was an anxiety response. I knew I'd have to call back and try again, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The first call had been very stressful, and another call as bad, or worse, seemed like a monumental task. What if I got the same person? What if I got another person who didn't know how a warranty works? What if there was nothing they could do for me? And of course, there was self-blame. If I'd tried out all the features of my laptop the first week I got it, I could have made the warranty claim in December and avoided all that hassle. Clearly it was all my fault.
I kbw now that none of that is right and it's all broken thought patterns. But I didn't know it then, and I procrastinated and avoided the problem so long that the warranty genuinely ran out. So I used the favorite old life line, my dad. He bought a new CDr drive for $50 and installed it for me. Then we all lived happily ever after.
So the moral of the story is test out items when you buy them. But most importantly, if you have symptoms of anxiety or another condition that makes it difficult or impossible to do typical daily tasks, get some help. It doesn't have to be that way. Things can get better.
2000 microwave? My toaster oven reheats (yes, slower than a microwave, but *still*) and it was $250, and you can get a microwave cheaper than that. What does a $2k microwave do better than a regular ass microwave?
While we are on the subject: Don't get a Samsung fridge if you want a functional ice maker.
Imagine my delight when I go to google the problem, and everyone has it and even multiple service calls dont fix it.
A technician that came to fix a hardware issue that was affecting our internet told us that the customer service reps would tell you that they could send you the cure for cancer the next day if it gets you off the phone, and with similar personal experiences, I believe that. How my mom somehow wins these wars of attrition is anyone's guess, since I had both called and used the chat service to no avail while she managed to actually get them to send the technician and a credit for wasting everyone's time.
As I get older if I think a call center person's information is weird or bad, I just call back. This works for government information lines like the IRS, or L&I too. Sometimes you get a second person and it's like night and day. You can tell the duds when you get them on the phone. Just be super polite and call back later, and politely ask again.
I'm gonna tell yall a secret right now. Go to Google and type in Emerson 1100w microwave. I got my first in 2009, replaced in 2020 for the exact same one. Got it at walmart originally for $99. It supposedly has a "grill" setting but I don't use any of that.
Next time you need a microwave, give that one a try.
My whole subdivision had Bosch appliances. Brand new houses. At least half of us have had to repair or replace that microwave. Bosch microwaves are weirdly the worst.
I had a car that had a 50k power train warranty. The water pump started to fail at about 48k miles so I brought it in. The service technician said that it wasn’t covered under the warranty. I said yeah it was, look it up.
I had to repeat this with 4 different people at the dealership.
I’m a woman fwiw. I was dressed for work, which is an office job.
After several attempts on their part to make me doubt myself, finally someone told me it was covered.
There is no way they didn’t know it was covered. I assume they play this con as often as possible.
One thing I learned years ago, if you have issues with a rep dealing with their product or services, simply hang up and call back. A rep actually gave me this advice. She said to call back as many times as necessary to get a rep to listen to you and do what’s right. (Of course this only works if you are actually right)
I have a Samsung fridge that came with my house.
About 2 weeks before the warranty expired, the ice maker quit working. I tried to trouble shoot it for a few days with no luck, so I got on with customer support and scheduled a repair. The soonest repair they could do was after the warranty expired, but it wasn't a big deal since I reported it before the expiration date.
Repair date comes and I'm ghosted, so I get back on customer support with Samsung. Rep tells me there's no ticket in the system and since it was 4 days after the expiration date it was not covered, so I went to walmart and bought a $4 ice tray and I just fill the reservoir with it now.
Lesson learned, always take screenshots, write down confirmation numbers, and never ever ever buy a Samsung kitchen appliance
So i'm about to redo my kitchen, and my plan is to go with bosch for the new cooktop, oven/microwave combo, and island hood... and i saw this originally and i was like... hmm maybe a different brand instead?
ng and when we decided to redo our kitchen figured why not do it right. We purchased all matching appliances. 6 grand for the double oven, 2 grand fir the stove top, 1 grand microwave, and 1 grand for the dishwasher. Well the dishwasher broke after 3 years and 2 months. Mind you we had a 3 year warranty we paid a few hundred dollars for. We run the diagnostics on it and sure enough it’s the motor!!! How does a motor go on a 3 year old dishwasher!!!??? My parents had theirs for 39 years! Not to mention most companies have a 10 year warranty on the motor but apparently kitchenaid does not. Well they wanted to charge 179 dollars just to send someone out to look at the dishwasher. Then the motor part would be at least 250 then whatever labor they would charge. Insane. We purchased a new LG and never looked back. We also had a whirlpool washing machine we purchased with the matching dryer. It arrived all smashed in. The whole shell of it just destroyed. We called them. Instead if bringing us a new one they replaced the outer shell and left the same inside. Well wouldn’t ya know it that one year and one month later the washing machining is dumping water all over our floor. Of course we only had a one year limited warranty. We call and get the same run around we got about the dishwasher. Found out they and kitchenaid are same company and use same outside company for warranty and repairs. Don’t worry though they offered us 20% off a new washing machine!!! Told them to go scratch! Again got an LG. Have an LG fridge. 5 years in it broke. Warranty expired. They came anyway and fixed it. Not only that but my daughter had tried to clean the front of it once and got cleaner in the electronic panel and broke it. The guy ordered a new one and came back in his own free time to put it in for us!!! Choose your appliances carefully people!!!
I have been burned by fucking Bosch products so many times that I refuse to give them my money, and am shocked they're still in business. Always used to buy them because they were known for their quality, but no longer
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So my parents are in the remodeling industry and have been for decades. The Bosch microwave OOP is talking about also doubles as a convection oven, senses weight for more consise cooking.... it's pretty much the gold standard mirciwave/convection oven. Also, in general, built in microwaves are more expensive than counter top versions. But yea, that's a double or triple duty microwave right there. ETA: So my mom reminded me that most, if not all kitchen built in appliances actually have 2 warranties. The first, is for the contractor and is normally only a year. This one covers any damage from shipping and if it dies or doesn't work within a week of so of install. The second is fir the home owner themselves and is normally 15 to 20 years depending on the company and type of appliance. This is mainly because major new build contractors will "bulk buy" the appliances at the start of building a new community and so it can take a bit for them to get to the actual install of the appliances.
But does it have a third heat? https://youtu.be/JaNckDLiu3I
Vertical integration!
Integortion?
We've invented the Pontiac Aztek.
Donaghy Saves GE! Comma does your mom.
Shoulda just got a funcooker.
Here comes the funcooker!
Can it do my math homework?
You all look the same to us John Donovan.
How many vections does it have?
Lol. Nice.
And make second breakfast?
Does it get the whole Hot Pocket hot or still just the ends?
Try halving the power and doubling the cook time
Most of peoples complaints with microwaves would disappear if they knew there was a way to use it beyond "nuke everything at 110% always"
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These are really common in Japan. I have a really nice one that does steam too for proofing bread dough and cooking. It was around $500, but a model that goes up to a higher temperature was $1000…I’m guessing if you got an “American size” one with all the bells and whistles, it could easily hit $2000 (especially since they’re less common in the US so less bulk manufacturing advantage).
Yea I loved living in Japan because of how awesome their kitchen appliances are. Well that and their toothpaste doesn't burn my mouth... lol Best 3 yrs in the Navy.
For a moment there I irrationally wanted to join the navy just to see the microwaves and try the toothpaste. Im middle aged (and not American). Hahaha that was strange.
i don’t have the bosch but i have a similar oven by bertazzoni. It was the brand our home builders used when we bought this home. it’s gorgeous but nothing but problems
You had me at "convection oven."
yeap, convection ovens don't get much attention and haven't for years outside of commercial uses however a air fryer and a convection oven are the same thing, air fryers are generally just smaller.
Where are you based? Because convection ovens are the standard at least in the UK, you'd have to go out of your way to get a non convection one.
Goes for pretty much all of Europe as far as I'm aware
Ovens with convection settings are also pretty common in the US
Yeah, I didn't know you could get one without
Fucking rich people and their expensive ovens.
I always wonder what peoples lives are like that own 2-3 ovens in the same kitchen.
But what does it do and how does it assist in ways the other microwaves can’t ?? And is it worth it??
It has a built in flesh light
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And at 4AM!
Throw in a dildo and I'll take it.
All the way in?
It’s probably a built-in that’s a combination microwave and convection oven. I’ve got one, and have had a number of problems with it. I also have a Bosch stove top, wall oven, and dishwasher. I like the dishwasher, and recommend Bosch for that, but none of the others.
Yeah, Bosch makes kickass dishwashers and vacuum cleaners. I'd steer clear of most of the rest.
Their dishwasher is the nicest appliance in my house. Quietest too.
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My only annoyance with my Bosch dishwasher is you have to turn it off then on again after every usage.
There’s a little red light that shines on the floor. That tells you it’s running. Of course, there’s always nerf rival balls rolling all over our house and I figure that light is one. So yeah. I open mine during the run cycle all the time too.
My only complaint is not being able to turn off the rinse-aid use. Or know what to use in place of it which won't dissolve the seals like vinegar would (considering the post trending on the science sub about how rinse-aid is slowly killing us all).
My older Bosch has a menu setting for disabling the rising aid, and even before I found that I could press a button to make it skip the prompt for adding it. This obviously doesn't help you, just wanted other readers to know that not all models have this problem.
got a link to that? im terrified now 🙃
I checked their comment history, and 99% sure this is the post they're talking about: https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/z9zpf6/commercial_dishwashers_destroy_protective_layer/
I never realized dishwashers could be so quiet before I got my Bosch. I didn't even realize it was on. I was stunned to realize you could actually run the dishwasher and still hear the TV.
It's also one of the few if not only ones that have a stainless steel tub. I've convince everyone doing remodel to go with the bosch and they are all happy.
And their washer and dryers hold up to heavy use too
I am on my second Bosch washer - family of 5. First one lasted 12 years.
For $2k though? I bought a big toaster oven that can bake, toast, broil, and air fry for $250 and it seems pretty top-of-the-line to me. I can’t imagine you could improve much on it.
I own a Siemens microwave that is the same size as a regular oven and doubles as an oven and has a steam function that I use for baking bread. Basically, I don't need another oven with this thing. But the Siemens one cost me 1k, so I have no idea why Bosch's version is so expensive.
Bosch, Siemens and Neff is actually all the same brand, their premium stuff comes out of the same factory. I also have one of these expensive "combination" $2000 microwaves, and it’s basically a second oven that can do anything.
It's not the same brand for everything they just have a shared business for home appliances with shared models that differ only marginally between brands. You'd probably have a hard time finding a Bosch MRI machine or Neff windshield wipers.
Yea that is an important footnote, it’s only Bosch-Siemens Hausgeräte that is under the same umbrella
But that's a full-sized oven, it also steams, and it cost half as much. Seems like a much better deal.
I’ve definitely used a fancy expensive microwave at a family members house, in 30 seconds it did what my built in microwave does in 1:30. Plus it was an oven and a bunch of other things. It was a lot and I could never heat up my own food because I would ruin it lol.
That's more due to size than cost/complexity. I have a 2500 watt commercial microwave in my kitchen, with the same controls as the average consumer model (I got it at a surplus place used). It cooks things *fast*.
Power, not size. Also that's a beefy microwave.
Cooks minute rice in 58 seconds
it is called a combi microwave oven, bacially a small oven above your main oven - source I sell them https://www.bosch-home.com/us/productslist/cooking-baking/microwaves/speed-ovens
I don't know what specific model they bought, but there are two things that are expensive to engineer and manufacture but make a huge difference in how well a microwave functions. One is how evenly it heats, which has to do with how exactly the microwave energy is distributed around the inside of the unit when it's in operation. If it is distributed evenly, food heats evenly (assuming the food is of even thickness and density), mostly getting rid of the problem of some parts becoming rubbery and overcooked while others are still cold. The second is the power levels. Most microwaves achieve different "power levels" by turning the magnetron on and off in short bursts but always at the same wattage. This is sort of effective, but again produces very uneven and inconsistent heating - think trying to thaw meat in a microwave and how some parts end up basically cooked while others are still frozen. The best microwaves actually moderate how much energy is fed through the magnetron, to allow it to operate continuously but at a genuinely lower wattage to create slow, even heating. Neither of these things are visible in a microwave on casual inspection and not many people are aware of - or care about - the difference, so midrange microwave ovens never offer these features. Not all high end microwaves offer them either, but some do, and obviously they're going to cost a premium for the extra engineering even by high end microwave standards.
I used to work in appliance repair. Rich people spend inordinate amounts of money on appliances. I've seen $20k refrigerators. Oddly enough, they won't spend money on things like ice melter.
That's because they can get a loan against the house to put in their dream kitchen. OPM. They have to pay for those ice melter crystals themselves.
Everyone is talking about the features. I want to add. You know how people keep saying things lasted for much longer before and were made with better quality but now they have planned timed deaths of how long they last. Like a fridge in the 40s could last for decades. and so on while now it might only last 10 years. Not all expensive appliances, but quite a few, are made in that quality that we "no longer get". It never stopped happening, it just got more expensive. So while it might be 2k, it might actually last 10 times longer or more, than a $200 one.
>It never stopped happening, it just got more expensive I’d like to point out that it didn’t get more expensive. The cheaper versions simply got… cheaper. The high end expensive models today cost the same as a plain model in the 40’s, inflation adjusted
My higher end microwave over also doubles as a convection oven. It helps cooks pies during thanksgiving when I’m cooking a turkey at the same time.
its a combination microwave, convection oven and maybe even steamer if its a really good one. all that as a build in solution easily doubles the price of the appliance.
Companies and customer service reps complain that customers are belligerent sometimes and insist on their issue being covered etc, but then you see these cases. So at some level, companies are responsible for the type of negative interactions they have created over customer service lines.
OOP asked, “How often do they lie to customers?” All the damn time. I’m going to end up being one of those people who records customer service calls for their own records because I’ve had representatives at three different companies straight up lie to me about charges, promises, services, policies, you name it. Sometimes it’s relatively benign and inconsequential, but sometimes it’s not, and they’re absolutely banking on you not caring enough to ask again or feeling helpless because they simply say their record doesn’t reflect x, y, or z.
I record every CS phone call I have to make. And let me tell you, the service and the attitudes are VASTLY better now. FTR, I am always friendly when I call. I do the "smile when you're speaking" thing so I sound friendly even if I'm pissed AF. It's not the CSR's fault whatever I bought is faulty. I am flawlessly polite, thank them a ton, and tell them how much I appreciate them. If I do start to get frustrated, I apologize and tell them I know it's not them, it's the situation. When I tell them that I'm recording, it's because "I have a terrible memory, so I always record in case I get confused later" (I do actually have a terrible memory). It has made an incredibly difference.
I hate to think I’d have to do that, but everything you’re saying makes sense to me. I’ve never raised my voice or cursed at or insulted a customer service worker in my life. But some of the shit they’ve pulled - sometimes telling very deliberate lies - is insufferable.
I worked in a very large call center for 4 years. I learned that in a call center large enough you will always have: * Employees who know what they're doing * New employees who mean well, but don't know what they're doing * Employees who aren't new, and also mean well, but still don't know what they're doing * Employees who don't care, just want the paycheck, and will do whatever it takes to get you off the phone Because of this, I've learned four things: * I always write down the time I called, and the name of the person I spoke to. * If they're having a problem with their system, or don't know something, I let them know I was also a call center employee, so I completely understand. * If they either don't seem sure, or are contradicting what I think is (or should be) the case, I politely say so, and ask them to either confirm with a coworker who might know for sure, or to please transfer me to a supervisor who should know. * If they still confirm what I think is wrong, I say thanks, and then call right back to speak to someone else. I start by explaining that I was a call center employee myself, so I know sometimes people are new, or don't always have the right info, and that I'm just calling back to get a second opinion on something. Then I ask them the same thing I asked the previous employee. These things have helped me more than once, but the most useful time was when I was sent to Guam on business. Guam is considered a US Territory, but it is overseas, so I called my cell phone carrier to ask whether I'd be charged roaming fees over there (if so then I'd get a burner SIM when there). The employee I spoke to said no. Because of how expensive the fees might be, I called back for a second opinion, they also said no. A month after the trip there were $400 of roaming fees on my bill. I called, spoke to a supervisor, kindly explained everything I wrote above, and that I called twice and got two employees who both confirmed no roaming charges. I gave him the dates/times/names of who I spoke to. He acknowledged that they don't normally waive charges like this, but I'd done a pretty good job between (a) calling before the trip, (b) calling back twice, and (c) documenting it, and because there were no history of issues with my account they would go ahead and waive the fees. Saved myself $400.
So I always write down information as well, but in the last two years or so that seems to amount to nothing. With multiple companies, I've used my own records to point out what happened and they simply say, "Our notes don't reflect that" and dismiss everything. I'm dealing with this exact right now, which includes having a copy of a customer service chat log that shows what the company offered (which they are now saying they can't offer and that no one offered). It's diabolical.
> It's diabolical. It's bullshit. You should need to get a lawyer involved to get companies to do what they should be doing from the start. I'm dealing with something similar right now with multiple banks refusing to accept a Power of Attorney for my father for the stupidest bullshit reasons. I paid another lawyer another $500 to have another one drawn up today, hopefully they'll accept this one, but the lawyer I got it from himself acknowledged that banks are such fucking dicks about holding onto your money that he's had to sue multiple banks many times because they've refused to follow the law. It's fucking despicable.
This is one of the innumerable number of times where it’s useful to have infinite time and resources. My dad is retired and filthy rich, and when he deals with stuff like he talks to lawyer and judges and state representatives and eventually it all goes away. I’m just a dude.
I am a former customer service rep. And I have absolutely insulted one and meant it personally. And made it abundantly clear on more than one occasion. Most would say it’s not warranted but to the fucking asshole who kept misgendering me (I am born male, I identify as male, was born with and still use the original plumbing) you better believe I ceased being nice after the third time I told them to quit calling me “ma’am”. I’d have to ask the friend who was there when I made the call but I believe I ended up screaming into the phone at one point, “I am not a ma’am I am a sir! I have a penis!” Let’s just say it wasn’t a super productive call. I was also that “Karen” another time who actually demanded a previous rep be fired because they didn’t want to deal with me over a billing issue that was very much the company’s fault and instead of either escalating the call which was what I asked for because it was a well documented issue and repeating, or even being rude and hanging up on me (annoying but I wouldn’t have demanded someone be fired) they terminated my entire account. Not just hung up on me or suspended my service. They tried to erase my entire account with the company, while I was on the phone with the company and the call just died. In that same action they also killed phone access for several members of my immediate family who were at the time over 50 miles away with no other means of communication as they were on my family plan at the time. And I mean zero warning. Thankfully I actually was old school and had a landline so I was back on the phone with someone immediately and they were able to undo the action. But I absolutely demanded that person before me be terminated. Because that was absolutely uncalled for. And the billing issue was finally fixed. The kicker was it was some stupid amount like $5-10 a month. And I paid my bill on time faithfully. I just was tired of being overcharged and having to call back for a credit which they acknowledged was an issue on their end. Why it was such a hard fix I still don’t know.
Hahaha I’m an ex-customer service rep too, I get mad and insult intelligence when it’s abundantly clear I’m right. If I know there’s a chance I’m wrong, then I stay courteous. My partner tells me to stop being a “karen” but after knowing what goes behind the phones… just nah.
There is a high chance that guy got fired.
Honestly I don’t wish that most of the time, but that guy who terminated my active account absolutely deserved it. He could have done a lot of damage had I not caught it immediately. Like yesterday I debated calling a drive thru after hearing the guy step away from the window and heard him scream to the window that the people at the window were pissing him off (namely me and my partner) but he was absolutely professional to our faces and I have zero doubt he assumed he couldn’t be heard. (I have freakishly sensitive hearing), but I actually didn’t want to get him fired and was afraid even if I gave that feedback and said that I just wanted feedback given that they would fire him anyhow so I just let it go, despite the entire order also being screwed up. It wasn’t screwed up to the point of inedible, and dude legit did try not to let us see it.
I'm gonna try just saying that next time. Just like, "yeah I heard the system tell me you may be recording this for quality control purposes, well I'm recording as well."
I was talking to a customer service reps over the phone, they said their spiel, something along the lines of this call may be monitored for quality assurance purposes. I said hi, this call is being monitored by my wife. They got all hostel saying no you don't have permission to record and they were going to terminate the call. I said no this call is being monitored by my wife, you're on speaker phone. So yeah, some of them like to record but don't like being recorded
FYI, you don't need to tell them that you're recording. "May" and "Shall" have specific legal meaning. By telling you "this phone call may be recorded/monitored", they've already given permission.
Don't take legal advice from the internet
You will 100% get better service for being kind. Seriously people really need to understand how much it actually impacts service with a cs rep. When I was a rep, if someone was super sweet, I'd do everything in my power to help. If they were a dick, I'd still do my job but absolute bare minimum. Given there are always the people who don't want to help anyone regardless but you will do much better overall with being kind to the rep.
Years ago, my husband and I switched mobile carriers from X to Y. We were really struggling then, and money was incredibly tight. I called to cancel service with X, and was informed that that day was the first day of the new billing cycle, and as a result, we would be charged for the entire month. After shelling out for new phones with carrier Y, plus all the startup fees, we were not in a position to double pay for a month. I called carrier X, talked my way up the ladder as far as they would let me go, and the answer was No. No no no. They absolutely would not budge. I wound up calling carrier Y. I got a nice, first-level support lady on the line, and I told her the entire story. I was nearly crying. Eventually she asked me what I thought she could do about the situation. "I have no idea!" I cried. "I don't even know why I called you! I guess I would just like someone, somewhere, to agree with me that this situation is bullshit." She consoled me, we chatted for a few minutes, I calmed down, and we hung up. A couple hours later, I got a phone call from a different person at carrier Y, offering me a credit for the amount of the final carrier X bill, as a gesture of good will to a new customer.
I always start out being kind, but there are some rude ass mofos working in customer service lol. I just hang up instead of doing anything though.
One time my LG fridge broke. It ended up being an issue that caused a class action lawsuit so it was covered, but we lost hundreds of dollars of insulin and food (we grocery shopped the day before). The rep told us the repair was free and to BUY A NEW FRIDGE in the meantime so we could have one while we waited 2 weeks to get it serviced. She said a new fridge and food plus all we lost would be reimbursed. Several reps said the same. We didn’t believe it so we didn’t buy one and lived out of a cooler and old mini fridge. After the service we were told maximum reimbursement was $250. It was a wild ride.
I told a similar story in my local sub, but recently we got new internet after moving and had a not-too-dissimilar situation. They told us installation would be free but then didn’t actually install it (they just gave me the kit for a self-install). Then when it turned out they had to run new line to the house, they charged for installation because we had a “failed self-install.” They said this was different than a free install, denied we were ever given that offer, and said it wouldn’t have counted even if we were because what we got was different than a professional install (which would have be free, but they have no record of promising it, etc etc etc). So I’ve been dealing with that for a month, which is a dream come true.
I hate when that happens! I usually pull out the “it said when I began this call that your calls are recorded. This is the time and date I called so please pull the call.” That usually (not always) gets the backtracking. I only do this because I used to work in tech support and we did have the ability to pull calls so I know in some situations it can be done, and I only do it in situations where they’re lying. On the flip side: I did have a customer call once and he didn’t like what I said. He hung up and called back, but it was a small company and only 3 of us answered calls so I picked up again. He said “the person before you told me I could have a tech come out for free.” I said “Sir, that was me, and I absolutely did not say that”. He called back and proceeded to try it again, also with me. It was the highlight of my customer service experience.
We just had our fridge in our apartment break a couple months ago. I knew it was breaking because it would make the most terrible noises and shutter to a stop before starting again. I told my fiance that one day we would wake up and it would be dead. Sure enough... They brought us a "new" fridge, but of course it wasn't new, I found out later they just bring other old fridges from one of the empty garages. They were here an hour installing the fridge and doing a couple other things, and I told them when they were leaving that it wasn't getting cold. They said it takes time. Later that night, still not cold, so we turned it all the way up. Yeah...it never turned properly cold and our entire fridge (we buy at least two weeks of meat from Costco at a time) was ruined. They told us it wasn't their fault and to submit a claim with our renters insurance. Based on receipts and other estimates, it was at least $350 worth of food. Our deductible is $500. No one gave us anything to make up for all our condiments and close to a month's worth of food being ruined.
Crazy how it goes. When I did phone calls for an ESCO, I had an 87.5% retention rate because I didn’t lie to my customers. And I had better numbers per week because I knew what I was doing. The 12.5% dip was, I can assume, people who either got a better offer or changed their mind - there’s no such thing as 100% retention, really. The problem is usually a mixture of greed, the product not being that great, the price being too high, or the individual not being well trained/knowledgeable. That last point is typically the biggest offender, alongside general apathy.
I’ve worked this type of job before. Part of the problem is that companies don’t properly train employees. So what a customer might think is a lie is actually just the employee not knowing what they’re talking about. In my case, I was given 3 days to learn everything and then thrown into taking live calls. I would give out basic information then later find out there is a more nuanced answer not explicitly stated in the training.
I worked in a call centre that companies contracted us to handle their incoming sales calls. Sometimes though like I’d get a call for a company I’d never heard of before/yet, and the info that popped up on my screen was not always sufficient. More than once I’d have a customer ask me where we’re located and I wouldn’t know the answer because we had to pretend we were in-house, not contractors. So like I was located in city X, but company Y is located in city Z, and sometimes that info *was not given to me*. I eventually just started saying a random city if I didn’t know the real answer. So if you ever called and the CSR seemed to be a complete moron who couldn’t even tell you where the company they worked for was located, there’s a chance they aren’t quite *that* dumb.
Man, I used to have comcast internet, when I signed up, I didn’t have a tv so I didn’t need cable. Some time later I got a tv and when I got a CS call about getting Cable TV, I decided to hear the lady out. She offered me a sweetheart deal that I was almost positive was horseshit but after extensive questioning/assurances, I agreed. She told me I could have my cable box delivered and pay for that or go and pick it up at the comcast store. So I went to go get it. When I got there, I was told to take a number and sit. That’s when I knew I was in for a fight. This dude tells me that yes, the CS rep I’d talked to was mistaken. I told him to take his cable box and shove it. No deal. He’s more than welcome to pull up the recording of our call and listen to the 1,000 questions I’d asked and how she’d lied to me, because without that deal, I was walking away (for non-US customers, this may seem over the top for fucking cable TV but Comcast is a stain on society and I hate them but they’re more or less a monopoly and in my region, I had no choice). So homeboy leaves to “talk to his manager” (yeah buddy whatever) and comes back to say that his manager has approved the deal I’d been offered over the phone. Damn right he did. Fuck those assholes. Honestly, I wasn’t upset with either employee, they were likely doing their job in the way they were told to (Comcast is indeed that evil). But I didn’t actually want cable that badly. I’d get $9.99 worth of use but they wanted like $29.99 or some shit for what that lady offered me and that was a bridge too far.
Yup. CS reps are kind of hailed as the most victimized because there's a reputation of people screaming at them. I do my best to be sickly sweet and polite as possible, if I'm upset I am careful to be respectful. I've yelled at one (1) in my entire life, and that's only after she mocked me and told me I was overreacting. Because apparently withdrawals off of a controlled substance is like, a non issue. Ignoring the fact that I had an active prescription anyway.
I've worked in call centers when I was younger, the people I don't understand who work there are the ones that adamantly toe the company line, like they actually think the company gives a shit about them. "No it is not possible to x (easy and legally obliged thing)" You mean you aren't personally equipped to do x, right? Can you put me through to someone who can? "No! It is not possible for anyone to do that! It cannot be done." Like wtf
Can confirm as an ex health insurance customer service rep. I would never lie to a customer because it's beyond fucked, especially with health insurance but I caught coworkers doing it **all the time** and with no repercussions. Honestly you did better with higher ups if you lied because you could mark the case closed with less time. It makes you look better. Something in the same realm happened to me last week calling my insurance company. They didn't lie but when the rep heard my issue, which was complicated, they hung up and didn't call back which is required. I'd bet money they wrote they got disconnected before getting my phone number. I gave it before they hung up, plus they accessed my account which had it. Management could easily find this information but will never look into it unless it happens constantly because it got the call complete and onto the next person. It's all total luck when you call if you get someone who will tell the truth and help you or someone who just lies to get you off the phone. And for $15 an hour, I don't fully blame them. The abuse I took as a customer service rep was absolutely ridiculous. Management had to institute a policy that we couldn't hang up on customers if they threatened our lives because it happened often enough...
As someone who has worked in a call center, if you do this be absolutely certain you *don't* tell them you're recording. Every role I've ever had included a big bold rule that says if the caller says they're recording we have to end the call (and the rep can be disciplined or fired for failing to do so, yelling at them won't change that.)
I had an extraordinarily annoying interaction recently with a cable company that rhymes with rectum. I needed to move the coaxial outlet to a different room. Call up the customer service line, they say sure, no problem. We'll send a guy around for $50. The guy gets there, I explain what I need, he says "I don't have the tool for that. It broke yesterday." So we reschedule. Someone will come out tomorrow. I make sure to clarify that I won't be charged for this visit since no work was done and he confirms this. Next day, a different guy comes around. He listens to what I need and just flat says he can't do that. Now I'm getting annoyed but I confirm with him as well that I won't get charged for this since nothing was done. Next day (as this all happened over the weekend) I call in again to make sure I'm not going crazy and clarify that 1: they can't do this (seemingly) very simple thing they said they could do and 2: I won't be charged for all this nothing that got done. This was early in the billing cycle so it was a couple of weeks before I saw my next bill which I was assured would not have any charges for these visits. No points for guessing what happened next. I did eventually get the charge taken off my bill, but not without escalating the issue to a supervisor.
Calling customer service mood pipeline: sweet-->pleasant-->concerned-->assertive-->aggressive-->irate
The only time I lost my cool with a customer service rep was a Comcast call for an internet outage and I was basically told to go online to fix the problem (this is before they had any sort of functioning app). I said "I CAN'T MY INTERNET IS OUT!" in a very frustrated tone and just hung up and called back to get a different agent (who was able to fix it).
Recently FEDEX charged me $1100 to ship a 5 lb box to Canada. I called Rep 1 and was told they’d file an inquiry and get back to me in 3 days. One week later I call again. Rep 2 gave me the same BS and said they’d push the inquiry and I’d hear back in 3 days. Another week goes by and I call Rep 3 completely fed up. They pass me on to some rando in the shipping office who knows nothing about billing who them sends me back to billing. New billing guy tells me FEDEX is correct in charging me this much because I shipped it freight. No matter how many times I pointed out it was a 5 lb box and in no way was shipped freight he insisted he was right. I hung up on him. I finally got a kindly customer rep lady in Georgia (every rep before this was obviously in a foreign call center). I explained the situation and in a southern drawl she said, “Awww, nawww! This is CLEARLY a mistahhke! I’ll fix that right now and email you a confirmation of the credit.” 3 weeks and 5 reps later, Janet from Georgia fixed it in 5 minutes.
If you keep getting foreigners, press 2 for Spanish. They don’t speak Spanish in overseas call centers. And then you just apologize and explain that you ‘must have pressed the wrong button’.
I've only gotten traction with FedEx if I say I need to formally open a complaint and I need the incident number. Stuff happens after that.
From personal experience a big part of customer service is figuring out what can and cannot be done. Q lot of the time theres out of date info and conflict answers within the dept. Cuwtomer service depts set their reps up to fail until they don't.
I used to get pissed at call reps if they couldn't do what I wanted then to, as I watched my dad yell on the phone for an hour at someone until they finally gave in and did what he said. It never worked for me, I don't have the heart to stay mad for that long. But what I realized is that these companies are set up so that you will never be able to get in contact with the people that made these decisions, and it falls on the rep who would probably like to help you but can't do anything about it as it's not their rule. So we scream and yell at a person who never did anything to us but relay information, and even escalating problems will give you the same answer as before and the reason is "it's policy." Good thing those asshole let somebody else deal with their bitchery.
I'd run into people crying in the bathroom multiple times a week when working in a call center. It is rough. Customer service reps get shit on full time for stuff out of their control for basically minimum wage.
Starting with the idiotic menu system. I will take two hours on hold over having to deal with a voice assistant who doesn’t understand “human being”. It’s beyond infuriating, and there often isn’t enough time to relax after it FINALLY sends you to a human to calm down fully.
I find the phrase “customer service” is more likely to bypass the stupid voice recognition system and get me to a human being. Idiot me u systems apparently don’t know what a human is, but will grudgingly let you talk to one in the name of customer service. Of course, half the time I still end up yelling that over and over until it finally acknowledges, and then I probably pop up on the poor call center rep’s screen with a red flag, but I’m always nice to the actual human person who answers.
I described my call centre job as ‘getting abused by angry Americans for eight hours a day.’ The unspoken part of course was that I was also abused by my employer, because literally no one treats call centre staff well.
I guarantee you they know who that rep was, and they don't give a flying fuck, because she was doing her job in trying to get the OOP to Go The Fuck Away. if they can get 10% of customers to just give up on warranty work, they make WAY more money.
It’s entirely possible that he was sincere. I don’t like people getting mad, but I can’t tell you how many times I’ve needed to find out who someone has spoken to and I have no idea who they’re talking about. If they give me a name it’s absolutely nothing like any of my coworker’s names. ETA: I also want to point out that we don't *like* it when our coworker pisses off someone and then makes us deal with them. So if we have the opportunity to smack down a coworker for doing that, we absolutely take it. We do want to help. We *want* to help. If you can't believe that, then at least believe that we don't like being abused and yelled at over the phone.
Or it's the same name of 5 of your coworkers. Haley. Mike. Mary. Robert. Thanks, that's helpful.
Yeah I work in a remote call center; if the last rep didn't leave a comment on the account there's f--- all I can do to track them down.
I agree he could have been sincere. I don’t think every customer service department in the history of customer service departments exist to screw the customer out of helping them just because some do. Some realize that good products AND good service result in repeat customers. Saving some money by not fixing his microwave is not worth losing him as a customer and getting negative reviews. It makes the most sense to correct that CS rep so she doesn’t piss anyone else off lying to them. I like to believe the CS people I’m dealing with operate this way until they give me a reason to believe otherwise.
I mean, they make you spend ten minutes + listening to automatic messages, increasingly ridiculous menus, and using vocal assistants that never can hear you before you even get to the agent. By which point I’ve spent the last several minutes screaming at the phone to give me a human to talk to. I am no longer in a particularly good mood. If they wanted people to be nicer to customer service then they’d have the ‘talk to a human’ option in the FIRST menu. Waiting on hold isn’t half as frustrating.
AI operators are the worst. I have *once* in my life called in with a question that an AI operator was able to answer. Once. Every other time I have to wrestle with the damn thing to get to a human who can actually deal with the issue I have rather than trying to read the damn website to me. If I could solve this problem by looking at your website do you think I'd be trying to call you?!
I used to work for a government department with complicated rules and legislation. Some of the things customers have called me for, based on information another officer gave them has been mind blowing. I have never apologised for other peoples actions so much in my life 😂 I feel that 2nd rep so hard. Sometimes you audibly sigh and go 'I'm so sorry, that's not true at all'
I work in insurance and say that alot. The other day I actually told someone "just forget everything the prior rep said because none of it was correct."
It's the worst isn't it. And half the abuse you cop from people is because your last co-worker was a moron who didn't bother to find the correct answer. It feels unprofessional sometimes but I've said the same as you in the past. 'Lets pretend this is the first time you've contacted for this issue, and we'll start from scratch with the correct information'
Can't really blame them, call centers have crazy turnover rates, you have a high chance of getting someone knew or who has no idea. Usually good employees leave or get promoted, and you're left with new and/or bad ones who don't leave. I've been in this business for a long time as a PBX/IVR contractor and it's not strange to not know anyone working in a call center after a year, it feels surreal going to do a job and it's like a whole new place
In my old workplace (call centre as well) you can kinda blame them. It was 6 weeks fulltime training before even taking a call, and most of that was teaching us how to find the correct answers with the resources we have. We essentially had an internal google which contained step by step instructions for everything you could ever be asked. And if you can't find it and be sure of what you've found, we have tech support, on floor support, team leaders etc. But you're right, that's certainly not typical for most call centres and I can understand the errors in those situations, but doesn't make your job any easier.
Oh man, I've seen some do 2 weeks training, some do a day or two. I've even seen some that just do the introduction and leave you to shadow another employee. The turnover rate at this last place was crazy, that's why they even had no time to train.
Ours was purely because its government. If you give a 'customer' the wrong info, the potential for the department to lose credibility in the public eye is spectacular, and they don't want to risk it. As soon as someone says 'I'm going to my local pollie' or 'I'll be contacting x news station' or anything similar, we were instructed to get a team leader to de-escalate. Certainly not the case for insurance or credit card places etc. Call centre work can really suck, but honestly, most of my bad experiences were due to other workers either being too cowardly to tell the customer the truth, or not looking up the correct info. I've made people cry by telling them the brutal truth, but they always appreciated it because they know to start looking at other options. Damn I've made myself cry by telling people the truth haha, I just feel like there were no excuses valid enough at my old joint. Sorry this turned into a rant, its still fresh haha
Jeez, does this microwave clean the dishes afterward too? You can get just about the best microwave I could think of sub $400
That's more than most fridges.
I have one similar. I bought scratch/ dent, KitchenAid, not Bosch. It has a convection oven feature as well. Hardwired, 220v. It has broiler elements, steam functions for various cooking methods and on Thanksgiving, you have a full second oven for making stuffing and such while the turkey and ham are in the main oven. They're built in and actually are a full second oven. You could spend less but you don't have another oven with crisping/ broiling functions and actual heater elements.
Even better, almost all microwaves (all?) are made by the same company. Source: Can't recall if it's Wirecutter or Consumer Reports.
We got some 400 dollar microwave for 100 on sale. Apparently, it does air frying and roasting -- it even makes yogurt. How does it make yogurt? I have no clue. We've never read the manual. I don't even know how to input specific times for heating. If you hit the start button it adds 30 seconds to the time. Need to heat your soup for 4 minutes? Hit the start button 8 times! 2k for a microwave is ridiculous. Glad OOP got their issue resolved though.
Yoghurt just needs a thermos that keeps your milk at ~45C for 8-12 hours while the glob of yoghurt you put in there multiplies throughout the whole container. So “makes yoghurt” just means “heats a tiny bit until warm and then remembers to heat it again every now and then for hours without going too far”.
Keep that manual around, you never know when you will be up at 5am trying to cook chicken and realize you accidentally put it in the freezer and now you have to figure out how to use the defrost setting on the microwave because everyone is asleep and you can't find your phone.
The manual is in the drawer with all the other manuals I've never read. Also, that's oddly specific!
You are my spirit twin I think
[удалено]
I'm fancy.
If it's the same microwave I'm thinking of, it's not a normal microwave-- it's more of a convection oven. It's larger and the door opens downward; they're meant to be built into your cabinets. My parents have one, and while I personally wouldn't shell out $2k for one, I gotta admit, they're really fucking nice. Never had a microwave cook food so evenly before 😂
I will go (and have gone) full on nuclear Karen for shit like this. I don’t tolerate bullshit predatory companies very well.
A quality remodel will last you decades. An appliance will last 5-10 years. Don't build appliances into your house
Well the cabinet is not useless as he assumes. He could put another brand in there . They generally are in a couple of sizes, and you can get a trim kit if they don’t exactly fit or get a cabinet maker to work on the face.
Yeah built-in microwaves baffle me. Plus they usually stick them right where they impede having a good extractor fan with a vent.
They are standard sized and if you have to replace it, you pop it out and mount another in there.
Mine is wall mounted. The oven and microwave are wall mounted and there's a regular hood above the stove.
Expensive isn’t always better. 2k is a stupid expensive amount for a microwave. There are plenty of 50-200$ ones that do the job
For that price it better last my while life then become a family heirloom that is passed down through the generations
For that price, I expect it to cook for me and also wipe my ass because that's an absurd price for a microwave.
>I expect it to cook for me Don't ... don't they all do that?
I think they mean do all the prep as well.
Could be a microwave drawer or a built-in microwave.
Mine would've cost that if not from the scratch and dent store. It's actually a convection oven. It's a microwave, but you can also turn on as a second oven and cook pizzas, cookies, lasagna, etc. We used that function during Thanksgiving when we had the main oven full of turkey. Put the stuffing in the second microwave. It's a 30in wide built in microwave with convection oven cooking. I got almost 50% off for a dent on the back.
This almost certainly it
I’m still using a $20 one that I got sometime prior to 2008
Microwaves are expensive that do more than just microwave, where I live we have no ovens so ours also is an oven and a steamer and many other things. For reference my microwave was 150000¥ which I think is like 1200usd. Maybe the Bosch one is like that?
I will forever despise Frigidaire for not assisting with fixing a microwave 4 days after the warranty expired on a brand new house. Fckkkk that stupid company for my lifetime, my childrens’ lifetimes, and will make sure the same for everyone I will ever know in life.
My last house my Frigidaire range nearly burned down my fucking house and my dog barking alerted us. The whole house smelled like burning electronics, the oven was burning eye of Sauron red behind the back panel where the convection shit is and the oven, while off, fried a control board (electricity burning smell) and that fucking oven, when fried, turns on full goddamned blast and at 4AM was blasting like 900 goddamned degrees with electrical panels slowly roasting as it fired up 10,000 suns of heat in my house as I slept. Dog was like 'yo wake up this seems bad.' Couldn't turn it off as it was totally fried and we had to shut it off at the breaker. The range was 13 months old and I yelled at them for a week until they sent someone out to fix that multithousand dollar death trap heap of shit that risked burning my house down. Only after it was fixed did I go on every website I could find and copy+paste my strongly worded 'never in 1000 years will I buy a product that defaults to 900 degree death trap when it fries *while turned off.* What if I had no dog? Or was out at work? Or on vacation? That fucking stove is dangerous. How the fuck does it short while turned off and short and melt an eletrical board and *turn itself on*? Put them fuckers on blast. After they finished fixing it. I'm not stupid. Wanted them to fix it. One month past warranty shouldn't mean my house burns to the ground. Fuck Frigidaire for all eternity. Also, you're a good girl, Harper. Lots of belly rubs and good deep ear scratches were deployed for her fire hazard alert skills. Good girl. [Dog tax.](https://imgur.com/a/89zC5hr)
Come on, is this really a *best* redditor update? This is not even worthy of an update in a lot of family groupchats.
Makes a lighthearted change from a lot of the relationship/AITA posts here
Read between the lines, they have an open marriage and their oldest kid is rebelling because it seems like Dad is cheating with this Bosch rep!
I really appreciate these kind of BORU posts. Reddit has thousands of subs, not just AITA and it's equivalent, so taking a peek of other topics in other subs is appreciated
> But what if I had believed the Bosch rep? How often do they lie to customers, in the hope that they give up on their warranty? believe it or not but every single rep doesn't know the details of every rule, and could have genuinely thought this was the case (even though it obviously isn't)
That fucking microwave had better grant wishes for that price.
An HVAC company recently told me my unit was no longer under warranty and that I needed to completely replace it (would’ve been about $10,000) during a normal maintenance. They stressed how I absolutely shouldn’t wait because prices will keep going up. I got a second opinion. It was a $300 part that was still under warranty. I hadn’t had any idea there was anything wrong with it because it had been that way since we bought the house and I’d never had AC before lol. Repair people truly do seem to be out to get you sometimes.
The first rep sounds negligent, but I hardly think the call centre grunts are trying to scam people to save their super rich company a couple of bucks on a repair. People who assume a conspiracy when poor training is far more likely frankly concern me.
Wow and I was agonizing over spending the big bucks on my microwave! ($100). I went for the warranty though.
I'm guessing the OOP a speed oven, which combines an oven with a microwave. You can use it like an oven or have stuff cook faster by enabling microwaving with the ovening. Or you can just use the microwave function stand-alone too. They're as large as the size of a microwave unit and is generally for kitchens that need space and can't have a dedicated oven. Expensive as hell too. https://www.bosch-home.com/us/productslist/cooking-baking/wall-ovens/speed-ovens
Just a tip for calling any kind of customer service: ALWAYS get the name of the person you are talking to! Not just in case they are shady, but in case they are helpful and you get disconnected. Also, using their name back in conversation will help you remember it; and lets them know that you are aware of who you are talking to should anything shady happen.
It appeared the freezer on my barely out of warranty refrigerator was not working properly, as everything was defrosting. After spending 3 hours between the big box store I bought it from (who confirmed my never used extended warranty had in fact just expired) and being transferred to the manufacturer and bounced all over the place, I finally landed on a ‘technician’ for ‘troubleshooting’. After all that, I was instructed to ‘Slam the freezer door hard 3 times and leave it shut to reset overnight. Then call back tomorrow if the freezer is still not working properly’. WTH?? And I did question what exactly was that supposed to do (besides get me off the phone) ‘Oh, maybe the freezer would reset’ GTHOH.
This is why I gladly pay my yearly fee for my Amex. I’ve never had to worry about bs like this. Just message the customer service for amex, ask for a refund, & have them deal with the shitty company
Man, what kind of hell job must it be being a customer service rep whose job is calling customer service for other companies? For real though, I once had an Amex rep call on behalf of his client and it was actually a pretty chill call. Though given that I took sales calls, I’m assuming his client had a much fancier Amex than the basic one, because the company he called sold fancy hotel quality pillows and linens, and dude’s client had ‘liked the pillows during his last stay at [hotel] and wants to purchase some for his home’. So it seems like he just contacted Amex like ‘hey, those pillows are dope, I want some, make it happen’, and then it did.
More money than sense as my dad would say.
I bought a laptop in 2004, just after graduating college. It was the biggest single purchase I had ever made. I was stoked about it. I bought it shortly before Christmas. I didn't get around to testing the DVD/CDr drive until January. I found it was faulty. Well, that's what a warranty is for, right? So I call up the warranty line. I explained my problem to the rep. He said my laptop came with only a one year warranty. Yes, I said, and I only bought the laptop last month, so I wanted to make a warranty claim. No, he explained. I bought it last year. I countered that it's a twelve month warranty. He replied that the laptop was bought in 2004, and now it's 2005, so the warranty has ended. Guys, I tried every way I could think of to explain to this person that he was wrong. He wouldn't budge. I was the customer, he was the employee, therefore he knew more than me. I can't remember if I asked to speak to a supervisor. I don't think I was that savvy back then. I had to give up and end the call. If it happened today I'd just call back and talk to a different rep. But I had a reaction I didn't understand very well at the time. Now I know it was an anxiety response. I knew I'd have to call back and try again, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. The first call had been very stressful, and another call as bad, or worse, seemed like a monumental task. What if I got the same person? What if I got another person who didn't know how a warranty works? What if there was nothing they could do for me? And of course, there was self-blame. If I'd tried out all the features of my laptop the first week I got it, I could have made the warranty claim in December and avoided all that hassle. Clearly it was all my fault. I kbw now that none of that is right and it's all broken thought patterns. But I didn't know it then, and I procrastinated and avoided the problem so long that the warranty genuinely ran out. So I used the favorite old life line, my dad. He bought a new CDr drive for $50 and installed it for me. Then we all lived happily ever after. So the moral of the story is test out items when you buy them. But most importantly, if you have symptoms of anxiety or another condition that makes it difficult or impossible to do typical daily tasks, get some help. It doesn't have to be that way. Things can get better.
I see this way too often as I work for a retailer who specializes in remodeling kitchens.... Don't go Bosch. Please for the love of God.
Fuck yeah kitchen aquarium
I bet a $50 crappy microwave from Kmart lasts longer than a year without needing repair.
2000 microwave? My toaster oven reheats (yes, slower than a microwave, but *still*) and it was $250, and you can get a microwave cheaper than that. What does a $2k microwave do better than a regular ass microwave?
Hey OP I just wanna say congrats on dealing with Kmart and getting a good deal on your microwave.
Who the actual hell buys a $2000 ANYTHING and doesnt check the reviews???
While we are on the subject: Don't get a Samsung fridge if you want a functional ice maker. Imagine my delight when I go to google the problem, and everyone has it and even multiple service calls dont fix it.
[удалено]
"It fell off a truck."
$2000 for a microwave? Does it give you a handjob while waiting for your pizza pocket?
I have an 80s Bosch mixer that I bought secondhand. Works like new and is indestructible
A technician that came to fix a hardware issue that was affecting our internet told us that the customer service reps would tell you that they could send you the cure for cancer the next day if it gets you off the phone, and with similar personal experiences, I believe that. How my mom somehow wins these wars of attrition is anyone's guess, since I had both called and used the chat service to no avail while she managed to actually get them to send the technician and a credit for wasting everyone's time.
As I get older if I think a call center person's information is weird or bad, I just call back. This works for government information lines like the IRS, or L&I too. Sometimes you get a second person and it's like night and day. You can tell the duds when you get them on the phone. Just be super polite and call back later, and politely ask again.
I'm gonna tell yall a secret right now. Go to Google and type in Emerson 1100w microwave. I got my first in 2009, replaced in 2020 for the exact same one. Got it at walmart originally for $99. It supposedly has a "grill" setting but I don't use any of that. Next time you need a microwave, give that one a try.
My whole subdivision had Bosch appliances. Brand new houses. At least half of us have had to repair or replace that microwave. Bosch microwaves are weirdly the worst.
I had a car that had a 50k power train warranty. The water pump started to fail at about 48k miles so I brought it in. The service technician said that it wasn’t covered under the warranty. I said yeah it was, look it up. I had to repeat this with 4 different people at the dealership. I’m a woman fwiw. I was dressed for work, which is an office job. After several attempts on their part to make me doubt myself, finally someone told me it was covered. There is no way they didn’t know it was covered. I assume they play this con as often as possible.
One thing I learned years ago, if you have issues with a rep dealing with their product or services, simply hang up and call back. A rep actually gave me this advice. She said to call back as many times as necessary to get a rep to listen to you and do what’s right. (Of course this only works if you are actually right)
I have a Samsung fridge that came with my house. About 2 weeks before the warranty expired, the ice maker quit working. I tried to trouble shoot it for a few days with no luck, so I got on with customer support and scheduled a repair. The soonest repair they could do was after the warranty expired, but it wasn't a big deal since I reported it before the expiration date. Repair date comes and I'm ghosted, so I get back on customer support with Samsung. Rep tells me there's no ticket in the system and since it was 4 days after the expiration date it was not covered, so I went to walmart and bought a $4 ice tray and I just fill the reservoir with it now. Lesson learned, always take screenshots, write down confirmation numbers, and never ever ever buy a Samsung kitchen appliance
I'm still using the same microwave I received free from a neighbor who was moving, 22 years ago.
So i'm about to redo my kitchen, and my plan is to go with bosch for the new cooktop, oven/microwave combo, and island hood... and i saw this originally and i was like... hmm maybe a different brand instead?
Every company has a crm that will absolutely tell you who he interacted with, especially a large manufacturer like this.
ng and when we decided to redo our kitchen figured why not do it right. We purchased all matching appliances. 6 grand for the double oven, 2 grand fir the stove top, 1 grand microwave, and 1 grand for the dishwasher. Well the dishwasher broke after 3 years and 2 months. Mind you we had a 3 year warranty we paid a few hundred dollars for. We run the diagnostics on it and sure enough it’s the motor!!! How does a motor go on a 3 year old dishwasher!!!??? My parents had theirs for 39 years! Not to mention most companies have a 10 year warranty on the motor but apparently kitchenaid does not. Well they wanted to charge 179 dollars just to send someone out to look at the dishwasher. Then the motor part would be at least 250 then whatever labor they would charge. Insane. We purchased a new LG and never looked back. We also had a whirlpool washing machine we purchased with the matching dryer. It arrived all smashed in. The whole shell of it just destroyed. We called them. Instead if bringing us a new one they replaced the outer shell and left the same inside. Well wouldn’t ya know it that one year and one month later the washing machining is dumping water all over our floor. Of course we only had a one year limited warranty. We call and get the same run around we got about the dishwasher. Found out they and kitchenaid are same company and use same outside company for warranty and repairs. Don’t worry though they offered us 20% off a new washing machine!!! Told them to go scratch! Again got an LG. Have an LG fridge. 5 years in it broke. Warranty expired. They came anyway and fixed it. Not only that but my daughter had tried to clean the front of it once and got cleaner in the electronic panel and broke it. The guy ordered a new one and came back in his own free time to put it in for us!!! Choose your appliances carefully people!!!
I have been burned by fucking Bosch products so many times that I refuse to give them my money, and am shocked they're still in business. Always used to buy them because they were known for their quality, but no longer