Agilent responded to the U1272A problems within 3 weeks, and have a nice present for all current owners to boot.
Mini rant time too - Manufacturers take note, this is how you respond to problems and keep customers happy.
Here is the Agilent notice:
http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/U1272A-02.pdf
FLUKE RESPONSE:
No surprise really, Fluke have responded.
I got a call from them and they have not only fixed the GSM problem (official explanation, they found a few RF sensitive components), but a new revision board is being tested as we speak.
I'll hope to have a lot more on this a later date...
So although they didn't get back to us on the progress, they have been head down bum up fixing it. Good to see!
Mini rant time too - Manufacturers take note, this is how you respond to problems and keep customers happy.
Here is the Agilent notice:
http://cp.literature.agilent.com/litweb/pdf/U1272A-02.pdf
FLUKE RESPONSE:
No surprise really, Fluke have responded.
I got a call from them and they have not only fixed the GSM problem (official explanation, they found a few RF sensitive components), but a new revision board is being tested as we speak.
I'll hope to have a lot more on this a later date...
So although they didn't get back to us on the progress, they have been head down bum up fixing it. Good to see!
Hi Just a quick follow up on the u1272a Agilant multimeter problem I had about just over 3 weeks ago now I reported it I showed a video basically I found a problem where you would switch it on and it would lock up and if you managed to, you know, just change it slowly between ranges. It'll give you weird readings and lock up and all sorts of weird stuff. So I put the video up there and a lot of people thought that I killed it during the tear down. and of course I didn't.
a meter like this isn't going to die during a tear down. Of course it's not as a lot of Uh Eev blog viewers reported on the Forum and uh to me directly that their meter had very similar problems. so it was actually inherent out there inherent in the products. Been out for quite some time and nobody's bothered to actually find it and report it to Agilent.
But I did just that and instead of just sweeping it under the carpet as a lot of big companies like like that Agilant biggest test and equipment manufacturer in the world, right? they could have just swept that under the carpet. No one would know, but they didn't They took it seriously and the response within 3 weeks. Okay, they had not only taken it seriously at the top levels they had investigated, it found it was a firmware issue. They admitted that there was a problem with it.
They fixed it. Get a new firmware update you can download from their website no problem. and better yet they have are also offering a free USB cable to every owner of the U1272a or the Um or the Lesser version of this as well which has the same problem to upgrade your firmware up until November I Think so. Take advantage of that.
Get your free USB cable download to your meter. Beauty Problem solved and I Find this just a classic example of how to respond perfectly to customer complaints. In the new world of social media, where reputations can be made or broken overnight, things can spread virally, news gets around so easy that your particular product is a heap of crap. Okay, you can't just sweep things under the carpet anymore.
You know there's this thing. It's called the Information Revolution and all these big corporations out there scratching their head trying to figure out how to take advantage of it. Well, classic example as is you remember this: the Microchip Pick Kit 3 which I Absolut Ely Savage compared to the Pit Kit 2. What did Microchip do? The CEO called me up personally and apologized and fixed the problem and you saw that the classic hilarious video response they gave.
this is now a textbook example of how to respond to customer complaints like that. Instead of sweeping it under the carpet right, you just respond: admit your mistakes, Fix it. Do it in a humorous way. Do it back via the channels that you got the complaint from so that word can spread that you take these things seriously.
Nobody wants to deal with a company that just sweeps things under the carpet. They don't. You remember the fluke right? And the GSM mobile phone problem. You could brick it or, uh, lock it up by putting a GSM mobile phone next to it. What did Fluke do? Nothing. Haven't heard a peep out of them. What are you doing Fluke, huh? You've got the industry's best reputation for multimeters. Do you want to lose it? How about you respond? Huh? like Agilant did Like uh BK Precision did with their meter.
You remember this: the Minmax functionality didn't work on this meter. I Reported to BK Precision. they investigated, they fixed it, firmware issue. No problems at all.
Xtech is another company who responded brilliantly. You remember their little uh Pen pocket multimeter which blew up in my face, right? They admitted that was there was a problem with it. They investigated. they fixed it.
In fact, they redesigned the whole product. Brilliant. That's what people want to see to build up confidence in your products in your company. They don't just want you to ignore things Agilant again.
You remember the Uh scope which blew up I had one of the early production unit. Scopes They investigated it within days, found the problem, fixed it. End the story beautiful. I Love it.
Oh big companies out there buy a clue. It's not hard, take issues seriously and respond to them and do it through the channels that you had the complaint through. We all understand these types of products are complicated and to develop and there's going to be issues especially in the test and Equipment uh area. we understand this.
it happens. but if you fix admit your mistakes, respond, fix it no problem at all. The Goodwill you will gain is massive and companies just don't seem to get it. They spend millions of dollars to these PR agencies telling them oh, how Do We deal with Social Media? This is how you deal with social media for goodness sake.
Oh, it's not rocket science.
The producer of 121GW could learn from Agilent.
As I'm going though all episodes in order, I'm glad I found a later episode where Fluke made good on the problem, after all. … Almost crossed out Fluke as an option for my expensive future meter. I already have an old [crappy] Craftsman — and bought the Extech 330 as one of my inexpensive ones that Dave recommended (actually came with 2 HRC fuses).
Yes fully agreed with u
That's inherently the problem with most corporations these days, they don't do the product testing they say they do, filling the department/store shelves with their product, resulting from specified release dates &/or hurried deadlines, and have absolutely little to no customer service – profit before people. I will add, that most particular political powers deeply involved with these corporations help them do nothing, this is due to the ideologies involved, tax cuts, the political donations received and cuts made to the public system of the product testing divisions etc. This allows these corporations to circumvent, &/or change/amend through their donees, the applicable consumer laws and the consumer affairs department(s) protocols in pro-capitalist countries, ultimately giving and promoting substandard products and services, completely negating the rights of the purchaser.
And this only got 31 thousand views… in 7 years.
What is happening with this world?
+EEVblog since you have had a few issues with Agilent devices (12000$ smoke and this) has your opinion on Agilent and keysight been hurt, or has the way they dealt with this issue helped it get back to where it was
Great job Dave!
Some of these companies know about the problems but won't fix them unless someone exposes them.
Great review, I can't help but question where is quality control during the engineering phase of development and the absence of quality control during the production process. Does anyone with some degree of authority thoroughly test these products prior to distribution or do they roll the dice and hope ย the unsuspecting consumer will not detect the inherent design discrepancy? ย Where is pride in their designs? Have they deduced that poor design costs them more money ย over time versus taking the time to thoroughly test these instruments before production begins? Do they care about their reputation, and that includes all manufacturers of electronic testing equipment? ย ย
Did they fix the continuity tester ?
Hi Dave
I really appreciate your blog and the great work you are doing. However, I disagree on two points:
-1st: A multimeter is not better because it is made by a large company. That has just nothing to do with quality.
-2nd: A company releasing a device for reliable measurements and lets pass serious flaws through its quality assurance does not deserve trust. Serious flaws include cold joints, firmware bugs resulting in wrong measurements or out of spec and thus invalid measuring results.
Now if Microsoft did this…
Yes, this is the point, someone like me never give any response, so we need to filtering this question with very care.
I just use Fluke 87… no other
Can same one help me with this soldering brand:
I'm thinking to buy X-TRONIC" MODEL #4040 – 4000 SERIES Soldering Iron Station and I'm wandering if this soldering is good brand.
If you want to see an example of how not to respond to customer complaints, try googling "paul christoforo", or "penny arcade ocean marketing"..
Good for you, man. And now the same thing, only in Russian, please.
@Wragie Maxim got such a bad rep over delivery problems that they had to actually change the company slogan!
@spuzzdawg Yes it can. Some details on the EEVblgo forum thread on this.
Felicitari! Bravo! Si multumesc pentru video!
well Dave you did a revolution in the world of electronics, we all thank you
I have a fluke 77 had i tfor a few years only one thing I like about it it has a lifetime warranty I am sending it back as the backlight has stopped working I hope they return it as least as fast a you meter got fixed.
Bravo, Agilent!!!
@eevblog when will a review of the meter come out????