Dead Neato XV-11, and horrible customer service

[TheGadgetGuy]

Well,

After around two years, my XV-11 has abruptly failed. I came home from work ready to install the 3.1 firmware upgrade, and the Neato was "dead". Sitting at its dock, but no charging light.
I tried several things to get it to turn on, to no avail. No power whatsoever. Checked the power brick with my Fluke meter. The brick is working fine. Tried connecting the power brick directly into Neato. No effect.

Ok. So I decided that perhaps it needs to be reset, so I disconnected the batteries, and let it sit for 10 minutes or so. Reconnected everything, and still no power.

So, I finally did what I usually never do: I called for help. I called Neato Customer Service. The girl on the phone was rather sure that I "just need to buy new batteries". I explained that up until today, the Neato's run time had not diminished, and that it exhibited no signs of worn batteries. She still insisted that the batteries must be bad.

I then asked to speak with a supervisor. A girl named Michelle answered. She had me do some basic diagnostics (press red button for 15 seconds). Didn't work. She then repeated the previous rep's diagnosis that the batteries MUST be the problem. While she was talking, I tested both batteries with my Fluke meter. 8.06v and 8.07v on the batteries. I asked her, so since you are so sure that the batteries are the problem, if I buy new batteries, and it does NOT resolve the issue, what happens then? She said she wasn't sure what she could do. Maybe I should send the robot to be serviced (at my cost). Or, I could buy a refurbished unit for $199. Even after telling her that the batteries are testing fine on the Fluke meter, she still continued to insist that the batteries are the problem.

So here I am, with an XV-11 that I have enjoyed since day 1. The FIRST AND ONLY time I call for help, I get people on the phone who really do not seem interested in helping to solve the problem. Why would they INSIST that I buy batteries, even after I told them the batteries' voltage, and the fact that as recently as yesterday, the Neato made a full run, without diminished battery capacity??

Has anyone else heard of anything like this? I can't stress enough how disappointed I am in Neato the company right now. I'll be honest: I would think that Neato would want to do a better job taking care of their original customers who trusted in their unproven company, and who now are their ambassadors.

[glnc222]

I've yet to find any company selling to consumers with any knowledgeable customer service by phone. Even vaunted Amazon couldn't diagnose a trivial usage problem with a Kindle, nothing wrong with it, and had no knowledge of procedures for using WiFi hotspots. Recently bought a monitor and found that with HDMI outputs on systems, the video defaults to overscan wanted by TV's, and has to be adjusted for monitors which don't like it -- neither the monitor company nor its distributor or retailer had the slightest knowledge of this. A new modem acquired for AT&T wasn't set up properly and customer service had no clue as to the meaning of any options in its menu.

The only service I think Neato offers is that if you have a service plan, at the drop of a hat they will exchange it for a refurbed unit, with no interest in any particulars. It's all covered by an insurance contract and the premiums were paid, so who cares.

There used be a significant difference between service from Dell under professional contracts for commercial applications, and for home use. There still may be technical service in business contexts. And maybe hired services like the Geek Squad and all their competitors have some expertise. Even Apple retail stores have been noted as being pretty ignorant these days.

I think some surveys have shown a broad drop in consumer satisfaction with customer service just about everywhere. Cell phone providers remain at the top of the frustration list.

[vic7767]

Couple of things, even though the battery packs measured 8 volts, they may not be able to provide the 3 amps that the Neato requires to fire up. Second, your Neato is one year out of the stated warranty period.

[glnc222]

Sliding over to the defense table, replacing batteries is standard procedure with every battery operated consumer device, from TV remotes onward. Lacking fancy -- load testing -- instruments, it's the only way to check for an obvious problem, and the cheapest. Virtually everything requires spare batteries on hand. Vacuums are no different.
The only problem is they don't explain this to callers.

[TheGadgetGuy]

Sliding over to the defense table, replacing batteries is standard procedure with every battery operated consumer device, from TV remotes onward. Lacking fancy -- load testing -- instruments, it's the only way to check for an obvious problem, and the cheapest. Virtually everything requires spare batteries on hand. Vacuums are no different.
The only problem is they don't explain this to callers.

What you say easily holds true for simple battery powered electronics. Pop in a new set of AA's, and lets see what happens. That being said, it should NOT be standard procedure when speaking with a customer who A) Had a fully functional vacuum as recently as yesterday, and B) Who tested the batteries in the robot with a $1500 Fluke meter.

Ni-MH batteries do not completely 'die' abruptly under normal circumstances. Their ability to hold a charge will diminish over time. In this case, the batteries were able to run a full 40-50 minutes as of yesterday. Literally.

Regardless, I cannot understand how 'dead' batteries would cause a docked and charging robot to POWER OFF while still docked. The robot's charging circuit should have been maintaining the unit's power irrespective of the battery's ability to actually vacuum the floor.

[vic7767]

So, it's time to perform a basic test to see if it is indeed the battery packs or a component failure on the Neato PCAB. It's out of warranty so dis-assembly is now an option to consider. Once the top cover is lifted, access to the battery power connector will present itself. Use a bench power supply @ 15vdc 1 amp and see if the Neato will wake up. If so then replace the battery packs, if it doesn't wake up then replace the PCAB.