Readers may remember that we have beaten up Chicco for their customer service (or lack thereof) over the years. Good news: things seem to be getting better, according to our reader email. An example: Melissa S of San Diego writes today:
Hi, Denise and Alan,
I purchased your Baby Bargains book (6th edition) about a year and a half ago. I used it to purchase just about everything we’ve bought for our now 14 month old son. I love the book and have told just about every expecting mother I run into about it as a great resource. In my edition of the book, in the stroller section, Chicco received an overall B+ and not a great write up about their customer service. I would like to share my story with you so that you may use the information to reevaluate Chicco’s customer service.
About a month and a half before my son was born, I purchased the Chicco travel system (Cortina stroller plus KeyFit infant car seat). Based on your evaluation of other Chicco strollers (the travel system wasn’t out yet by the time you’d published) and after comparing it with other travel systems in the store, I felt it would be the best quality for the price. I had been very happy with it until the collapsing mechanism broke. When you collapse the stroller, you have to pull a handle up and one of the wires broke that connects the handle to the locking pieces on the frame. It was still collapsable, but with much difficulty and acrobatics.
This was bad news as I was just about to embark on a two week vacation and would need the stroller in the airport. I had owned the stroller for 16 months and so the normal year long warranty was over. I wrote to Chicco telling them of the specifics with the stroller breaking and asked them for a new one, but didn’t have high hopes that they would honor my request. However, within less than a week, I had an e-mail back from customer service telling me they would send me a new stroller. All I had to do was send pictures, if possible, of the broken stroller and my address and phone number. I received the new stroller in the mail the day after getting back from my vacation. (Yes, the story would’ve been better had they overnighted it to me before I left, but hey…)
Needless to say, I was very happy with Chicco’s customer service and willingness to stand behind their product.
Please feel free to share this with other baby bargain hunters!
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I had an equally good interaction with Chicco’s customer service. I bought the KeyFit carseat in May 2006 for my daughter that was born in June 2006. In March 2007, the handle of the carseat started sticking occasionally. It wasn’t a big problem. You just had to push and wiggle a little to get it to go down. We were/are planning on using this carseat again for baby #2. I didn’t want to wait and find out two years later that the handle no longer worked at all. So, I called customer service. I told her what was going on and explained why I was calling instead of just dealing with it. She asked for the serial number of the seat and then sent me a brand new carseat AND base in the color of my choice! I had the new seat within 10 days.
I am a huge fan of both the Chicco products and the Chicco customer service.
Amy
I had an equally good interaction with Chicco’s customer service. I bought the KeyFit carseat in May 2006 for my daughter that was born in June 2006. In March 2007, the handle of the carseat started sticking occasionally. It wasn’t a big problem. You just had to push and wiggle a little to get it to go down. We were/are planning on using this carseat again for baby #2. I didn’t want to wait and find out two years later that the handle no longer worked at all. So, I called customer service. I told her what was going on and explained why I was calling instead of just dealing with it. She asked for the serial number of the seat and then sent me a brand new carseat AND base in the color of my choice! I had the new seat within 10 days.
I am a huge fan of both the Chicco products and the Chicco customer service.
Amy
same here… I bought the C5 from the first batch to arrive at Toys R Us, when no one yet knew anything about the stroller. We bought it because my husband loved the tall handles, clean lines, and GN colors plus it was way less than the comparable Mac Triumph — since we hardly ever use a stroller, it didn’t make sense to spend a small fortune on one. Well, that first batch of C5s had a documented problem with the seat back inserts becoming bent, and since we hardly ever used the thing, it took us over a year to notice. I thought we’d be stuck with it like that but called their customer service number anyway, to at least report it and see if they had any suggestions for a good fix. They immediately sent a replacement seat pad at no charge to us — it arrived within a week, I was *very pleased*.
Based on that experience and their continued effort to put out good-looking & well-made strollers and carseats that don’t cost a fortune, I think we’ll be getting some more Chicco products for the next baby.
same here… I bought the C5 from the first batch to arrive at Toys R Us, when no one yet knew anything about the stroller. We bought it because my husband loved the tall handles, clean lines, and GN colors plus it was way less than the comparable Mac Triumph — since we hardly ever use a stroller, it didn’t make sense to spend a small fortune on one. Well, that first batch of C5s had a documented problem with the seat back inserts becoming bent, and since we hardly ever used the thing, it took us over a year to notice. I thought we’d be stuck with it like that but called their customer service number anyway, to at least report it and see if they had any suggestions for a good fix. They immediately sent a replacement seat pad at no charge to us — it arrived within a week, I was *very pleased*.
Based on that experience and their continued effort to put out good-looking & well-made strollers and carseats that don’t cost a fortune, I think we’ll be getting some more Chicco products for the next baby.
I too, had a good experience with Chicco customer service. We received the Chicco London stroller as a shower gift in 2005 for our first baby. Over the past year, first one, then the other metal bar supporting the fabric seat poked through, rendering the stroller useless. I contacted Chicco via email, and got a personal reply from one of their customer service reps. She looked at the photos I sent an ordered me a new C5 stroller (since they don’t make the London anymore). Further, I asked if perhaps we could get the Chicco Capri instead, since it more matched the London in weight, style, and color. She immediately agreed to order the Capri for us instead. Now, we have received 2 strollers–both the C5 and the Capri. I let Chicco know, and she indicated we should keep both as it was a mixup on their end.
Further, all of this was handled within a week over email and working with the same person at Chicco the entire time. It was a personal experience and a relief not to have to “re-explain” the situation to someone new each time.
What great customer service. I definitely think Chicco has stepped up to own their design flaws and is eager to keep customers happy.
(Note the new strollers do not have the same design as the London so the bars/fabric poking problem won’t happen anymore.)
Thanks Baby Bargains for a great book–I read it cover to cover with my first baby and we purchased the newest version for our second baby to arrive this spring. Great advice, insight, and education for all new parents (and experienced parents!).
Thank you.
I too, had a good experience with Chicco customer service. We received the Chicco London stroller as a shower gift in 2005 for our first baby. Over the past year, first one, then the other metal bar supporting the fabric seat poked through, rendering the stroller useless. I contacted Chicco via email, and got a personal reply from one of their customer service reps. She looked at the photos I sent an ordered me a new C5 stroller (since they don’t make the London anymore). Further, I asked if perhaps we could get the Chicco Capri instead, since it more matched the London in weight, style, and color. She immediately agreed to order the Capri for us instead. Now, we have received 2 strollers–both the C5 and the Capri. I let Chicco know, and she indicated we should keep both as it was a mixup on their end.
Further, all of this was handled within a week over email and working with the same person at Chicco the entire time. It was a personal experience and a relief not to have to “re-explain” the situation to someone new each time.
What great customer service. I definitely think Chicco has stepped up to own their design flaws and is eager to keep customers happy.
(Note the new strollers do not have the same design as the London so the bars/fabric poking problem won’t happen anymore.)
Thanks Baby Bargains for a great book–I read it cover to cover with my first baby and we purchased the newest version for our second baby to arrive this spring. Great advice, insight, and education for all new parents (and experienced parents!).
Thank you.