The service experience at Google Pixel service centers in India can be mixed, as illustrated by a recent experience shared by a user-facing slow charging issues with his Google Pixel 7 Pro. This article delves into the specifics of his ordeal and the challenges encountered with the service center.
The Service Center Saga
The user’s journey (MohipGhosh1 on X) began when he noticed his out-of-warranty Google Pixel 7 Pro was charging slower than usual. It took 1 hour and 40 minutes to charge 35%. After raising a complaint with Google India, he followed their troubleshooting steps, including a factory reset, to no avail.
Subsequently, he paid an inspection charge of INR 850, and his device was sent for repair. The service center diagnosed the issue as requiring a re-flashing of the software, for which he was charged INR 500.
What’s puzzling to me is how the service center employees failed to diagnose the issue and recommended a software re-flash for a charging issue. If you are into custom ROMs, you would know that software re-flash formatting the data and cleanly flashes the firmware.
The Disappointment
Despite the repair, the user found that the charging issue persisted. He provided evidence of the ongoing problem and continuously communicated with the service center to create another repair ticket.
However, on the next attempt, the service center claimed to have found a new issue, “Device clean,” for which they demanded an additional INR 500. The user, understandably frustrated, questioned the necessity of this charge, especially since the initial problem was not resolved.
The service center replied that they found no issues with the device and that it can complete a full charge in 1 hour and 37 minutes (usually, the Pixel 7 Pro takes 2 hours for a full charge using a 30W adapter). When asked for evidence on the same, the service center denied it and instead insisted on the “device clean” procedure.
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So, was the user’s charger or the USB cable faulty? Likely not. We confirmed with the user that he had tried multiple chargers before sending the device to the service center.
The service center has kept hold of his phone and is not ready to ship it back unless he pays INR 500. Their policy doesn’t allow them to return phones without performing a repair or charging the user.
The Appeal for Fairness
The appeal is simple: basic tasks like factory resets or software re-flashing should not incur such high charges, especially when the user can do them without any specialized equipment.
Also, if the initial issue was not resolved, the user should not be charged for subsequent repairs. Most importantly, why is the service center holding back the phone when, according to their assessment, it is functioning within normal parameters?
This highlights a lack of transparency and customer-centricity in the service center’s policies, which should prioritize resolving issues efficiently and effectively.
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What’s Next?
The user has undoubtedly been disappointed with the service experience and deserves better. Also, since his phone has been with the service center for the past few days, it must be hindering his daily life.
While the service experience can vary from service center to service center, the policy that a device must not be returned unless repaired is not very consumer-friendly.
If the device functions correctly, why would you not return it to the customer? And why would you not give him the evidence or the assurance that your device has been fixed and has no issues?
I urge Google to address this issue promptly and ensure the user’s concerns are resolved satisfactorily. Google’s service centers must prioritize customer satisfaction and provide transparent and effective solutions to user issues.
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