If you are a parent, you are all too familiar with the constant flow of batteries (hopefully rechargeable!) in and out of the sea of toys your children have no doubt inherited. But what do we as parents do once a toy stops working even with fresh batteries in place?
Well in the past perhaps I would have shrugged it off as it being over-played with...and off to toy heaven it would go. (Or stay in the bottom of the toy box).
Since entering the world of toddlerdom where the toy supply is endless I've learned to reach out to the various toy companies when a product isn't functioning, and they are surprisingly helpful!
In the past 2 months, I've had 3 instances where reaching out to the company and explaining the dilemma has proven helpful!
Well in the past perhaps I would have shrugged it off as it being over-played with...and off to toy heaven it would go. (Or stay in the bottom of the toy box).
Since entering the world of toddlerdom where the toy supply is endless I've learned to reach out to the various toy companies when a product isn't functioning, and they are surprisingly helpful!
In the past 2 months, I've had 3 instances where reaching out to the company and explaining the dilemma has proven helpful!
#1 Legacy Grow-With-Me-Pony.
We received this as a Christmas gift, and suddenly one day it stopped working, even with a battery change. (Personally, I have a feeling Liam bit the horse's ears too much and broke something lol). After tracking down the contact information for the manufacturer, I emailed them and within a day or two, had a response I wasn't expecting...they simply asked for my mailing address and said they would send me a new product immediately. I was shocked...but brushed it off as just a really good company.
We received this as a Christmas gift, and suddenly one day it stopped working, even with a battery change. (Personally, I have a feeling Liam bit the horse's ears too much and broke something lol). After tracking down the contact information for the manufacturer, I emailed them and within a day or two, had a response I wasn't expecting...they simply asked for my mailing address and said they would send me a new product immediately. I was shocked...but brushed it off as just a really good company.
#2 Leap Frog Activity Table
After holding down the many buttons for much to long, my son Liam managed to break this table within 3 months of having it. The soundbox of the table was clearly stuck, and if this mama had to hear the word "A" one more time, I quite possibly could have punched someone, lol! Not expecting the same outcome as the horse, but curious if they had any technical support, I contacted Leap Frog. While the steps were a bit more lengthy then simply providing my address, (Leap Frog procedure is for them to assign and damaged number to your product and have you write it in permanent market on the top --to avoid resale, I'd assume-- and e-mail them a photo along with the proper shipping address. Within 2 weeks we had a brand new activity table delivered.
It was at this point that I really started to understand and appreciate the customer service that is provided to parents. And it definitely encouraged me to continue buying from Leap Frog!
After holding down the many buttons for much to long, my son Liam managed to break this table within 3 months of having it. The soundbox of the table was clearly stuck, and if this mama had to hear the word "A" one more time, I quite possibly could have punched someone, lol! Not expecting the same outcome as the horse, but curious if they had any technical support, I contacted Leap Frog. While the steps were a bit more lengthy then simply providing my address, (Leap Frog procedure is for them to assign and damaged number to your product and have you write it in permanent market on the top --to avoid resale, I'd assume-- and e-mail them a photo along with the proper shipping address. Within 2 weeks we had a brand new activity table delivered.
It was at this point that I really started to understand and appreciate the customer service that is provided to parents. And it definitely encouraged me to continue buying from Leap Frog!
#3. Lil' Zoomers SHake and Crawl Fisher Price
This morning I contacted Fisher Price via their online customer service chat window about an issue we were having with this toy. It seemed that while the toys would make car noises, it no longer wanted to zoom. In the back of my mind I knew that I had purchased this item on clearance at Target, and wondered if Fisher Price would still honor this item, if it's no longer being sold. I also am aware of the multitude of products Fisher Price sells, and I wasn't so sure I would be able to recover yet another brand new toy, but I was wrong. The customer service agent I chatted with was extremely helpful, and assured me that they apologized for the inconvenience and would have a new toy out to me within 14 business days. THANK YOU FISHER PRICE!
This morning I contacted Fisher Price via their online customer service chat window about an issue we were having with this toy. It seemed that while the toys would make car noises, it no longer wanted to zoom. In the back of my mind I knew that I had purchased this item on clearance at Target, and wondered if Fisher Price would still honor this item, if it's no longer being sold. I also am aware of the multitude of products Fisher Price sells, and I wasn't so sure I would be able to recover yet another brand new toy, but I was wrong. The customer service agent I chatted with was extremely helpful, and assured me that they apologized for the inconvenience and would have a new toy out to me within 14 business days. THANK YOU FISHER PRICE!
Overall, as a family on a budget, I am extremely impressed with how well toy companies treat their customers. Surely every toy that breaks will not be replaced (and lets be honest here, some are so annoying do we really want them to work?), but i think it's important for us to reach out to manufacturers and give our opinion on the products we spend our hard earned money on! In a world where take take take without and giving is all too prevalent, I find it refreshing that quality customer service still exists!
A Few Tips
1.Save your paperwork on the toys your purchase and send in those registrations! If for no other reason then safety recalls, sending in registrations are super important!
2. Kindness goes a long way! When you call customer service, there is no reason to be huffy immediately! Calmly explain to them your problem, you'd be suprised how far that can take you.
3. Check online forums for technical suggestions. Chances are you aren't the only person experiencing problems with your toy. By reaching out online and searching forums you can learn and tips or fixes other parents did that worked for them!
<3
A Few Tips
1.Save your paperwork on the toys your purchase and send in those registrations! If for no other reason then safety recalls, sending in registrations are super important!
2. Kindness goes a long way! When you call customer service, there is no reason to be huffy immediately! Calmly explain to them your problem, you'd be suprised how far that can take you.
3. Check online forums for technical suggestions. Chances are you aren't the only person experiencing problems with your toy. By reaching out online and searching forums you can learn and tips or fixes other parents did that worked for them!
<3