Navico (Lowrance) customer service

[coldfront]

I wanted to share with all you all my recent experience with customer service needs from Navico/Lowrance.

I ran an HDS-7 all summer with out a hitch...late in the season, we ended up with two tournies that were fished in 8 hours of downpour...unit ran/performed like a champ.  in the last tourney, I got a case of the 'stupids' (make that 'really' stupids) and broke my trolling motor mount...

while prepping the boat to take it in for repairs (the TM issue was such that I'd have had to completely remove it from the deck)...I took out everything...and detached the HDS-7 unit.

Turning it over, I heard water sloshing around in it...didn't think too much...but after I got the boat back, I replaced the unit...and it wouldn't 'fire up'...so yeah, water + electronics = no good...

Placed a call to Lowrance (unit was 1 year old)...they said to box it up; send it in...it was under warranty...and they'd turn it around in 20-30 days...since my season was over...no big deal....and I bet IF I'd have HAD my BASSPRO receipt, I probably could have exchanged it at BPS...oh, well...

At any rate, I contacted Navico Oct.  22...set up the RMA and mailed the unit in a couple days later...got it back today (Nov 11)...brand new unit...

and best of all?  kudos to Lowrance customer service...I was only on hold for about 1 minute before I got a live person...who helped me through the entire situation.

[Lee Smith]

Glad to know they are improving! 

[bassindude]

Glad to here you they took care of you CF.  I still havnt made up my mind which unit to get, so while Im waiting to strike it rich, Im trying to keep up with what is going on with the SI units.

[coldfront]

Glad to here you they took care of you CF.  I still havnt made up my mind which unit to get, so while Im waiting to strike it rich, Im trying to keep up with what is going on with the SI units.

bingo...

fwiw:  they're all good units...AND it's not like Navico didn't have a hiccup in service...but in my estimation they've responded like champs ...

[Todd Driscoll]

Coldfront, great to hear, thanks for sharing!

[coldfront]

Coldfront, great to hear, thanks for sharing!

Todd, I am unashamedly a Lowrance product fan.  To the point I held off on purchasing Side Imaging until Lowrance came on the market with theirs...and truth be told, if they'd have been one year slower, I'd be running HB's...

Having put out the 'full disclosure' part of this post...the other reality is this:  if I do ever get less than satisfactory service from Lowrance I will share the experience on this board as well.

I have posted in the past that here used to be a typical 30-45 minute wait to visit with a person...with the transfer of the company under Navico, that has changed dramatically...

Over the past 6-7 years that I've been running Lowrance units I have had numerous calls to discuss technical issues with the folks at Lowrance and have always been able to find someone who could and would help...it was not always the first person I talked to...sometimes I had to ask to be 'moved up' the chain of command (as I recognize that some levels are limited in what they can do...that is a customer service system...)

and I was able to 'meet' folks whom I could ask my questions of direct via email...but I didn't ask to much, too often...


Was I disappointed in my unit not functioning properly?  yes...and in this case there was no 'down-side' or true inconvenience to me...


My primary point in sharing my own personal experience is that I hate hearing stories from folks who 'know someone who knows someone who had an issue'...

Good, bad or ugly...I'm not bashful about spelling it out as I see it...


and one more thing:  I have not said anything in this note that I have not discussed/shared directly with Lowrance Customer service professionals...first.