Hello? IRobot?

I must preface this Roomba Review by saying that I absolutely LOVE the product! But I said from the very beginning that in order for my Consumer Reports on Roomba to mean something - I vow to tell the truth about my experiences (good or bad). That being said, even with a state of the art Roomba vacuum -- the "human being" factor can still get in the way to muck things up. I try very hard not to be a pessimist! But over the years dealing with various customer service representatives I have learned that Murphy's Law usually prevails. You can have the greatest product on the market - but you better have the greatest Customer Service to back it up if you want it to succeed.

What qualifies me to speak about customer service quality?

So glad you asked! Everyone knows that excellent customer service is vital in a marketplace where there is competition for any products or services -- including Roombas. I know about customer service because I have "lived" it for the past 30 years. For example:

• I have held Vice Presidential positions at two large Customer Service call centers.
• I have been directly responsible for the coaching and development of several Call Center Managers and hundreds of customer service associates.
• I understand the challenges involved in maintaining and motivating a staff of individuals who talk to customers over the phone (all day!) for a living.

Is anybody out there?

During my quest for my Roomba Scheduler replacement, I had to call iRobot's Customer Care department several times. And while I applaud the knowledgeable and friendly staff they have, in order to give a fair Review of Roomba, I must say that every time I called I found myself on hold forever. Call centers measure part of their success by a low ASA. ASA is Average Speed of Answer - which is call center speak for how long it takes them to answer a phone call. In this day and age it is totally unacceptable to have an ASA of 20+ minutes! And my experience in corresponding with them via their Email Customer Support was totally unacceptable and frustrating to say the least. If you are going to get resolution to an issue you must call them -- just be prepared for it to take some time.

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