UPDATE: I was contacted by Kevin, who must be from the highest tier of support. He let me know he had looked me up and read my blog (including this post) before reaching out to me to replace my 120GB Zune with another 120. (The one that arrived was defective, but he replaced that one in short order.) This is great, but also disconcerting. I would hope you don’t have to be a blogger with a respectable-sized audience to get this kind of attention. Kevin also let me know that the problem from the get-go was with what the first rep I spoke with told me—he should not have assured me that being in warranty would guarantee me an apples-to-apples replacement. The 120GB Zune is no longer manufactured—not since 2009—so access to them is getting difficult. I’d still like to see more upfront information shared with customers so they can make informed decisions. If I’d known this from the outset, I would have paid for a third-party outfit to repair my unit instead of shipping it to Microsoft and crossing my fingers. For what it’s worth, though, Kevin was terrific in his dealings with me.

Sometimes, the ability to vent your frustrations is the very best reason to have a blog. Today is one of those days. But there’s a message here that’s consistent with the focus of this blog, which frequently addresses the role of customer service as the front line of public relations and the best tool for building new and repeat business. Zappos knows this.

Microsoft does not.

Right up front, let me be clear that I’m a Microsoft fanboy. Windows 7 kicks ass. Nothing touches Office for robust document creation and management. And I love my Zune. I’ve had iPods since they were first available, have owned four, and have never liked iTunes and only tolerated the iPod interface. When I decided to shed all Apple products (a personal protest based on my distaste for the company’s business practices), I asked about alternative high-capacity MP3 players and received a flood of comments from Zune owners telling me how happy they were with their devices.

So I bought a 120MB Zune (I have 105 gigs of music on my device to keep me entertained while on the road, where I spend about half my year). Through the Zune, I discovered the Zune Marketplace. I to pay my $14.99 per month for the zune Marketplace, which made me a convert to rented music. (Since you get to keep 10 songs every month, even after you end your subscription, the actual monthly cost of the Zune Marketplace is more like $4.99.) Having access to all this music without having to buy it has let me revisit music I listened to decades ago, explore bands my daughter insists I’d like, and sample more of the music I discover through Pandora.

So please, no “get an iPod” arguments.

I recently flew to Europe and drifted off somewhere over the Atlantic with my earbuds pumping songs. When I awokep, the Zune wouldn’t turn on. I assumed I’d drained the battery, but charging it up (via USB to my laptop) didn’t help. When I got home, I called Zune support. I was informed that I’d need to send my unit to the service center where, because the device was under warranty, I was guaranteed a replacement of the same device.

The same device? What would they send me if my Zune was out of warranty? A mouse? A spare XBox controller thay had lying around?

So I followed directions and sent my Zune off for repair.

What Microsoft sent back to me was an 80GB player.

Initially I thought this was just an honest mistake, so I called to arrange to have the right device sent to me. But, as it turns out, this was no mistake. The service center was out of 120GB devices, so without contacting me, alerting me or asking if it was okay, they sent me a lesser, cheaper product.

During the several conversations I’ve had with the Microsoft Zune support staff, I learned…

• They could not return the original broken product, which would allow me to send it to a third-party repair service. That’s right, they won’t give me back the product I paid for.
• Actually repairing the zune I sent isn’t, apparently, something Microsoft does. They just replace the broken unit with a new one. “Can’t you just fix the one I sent?” was met with a tone of voice that suggested what the rep was really thinking was, “Don’t be stupid.”
• The service staff seems genuineliny surprised that I would want my unit replaced with the same model. “So just to be sure I understand, you don’t want your 120GB Zune replaced with an 80GB unit; you want another 120GB unit. Is that right?”
• Microsoft isn’t willing to obtain products from other sources in order to fulfill their warranty obligation. I found plenty of 120GB Zunes for sale by online retailers, but that’s not an option, either Microsoft obtaining one to send me or providing me with the funds needed to buy one.
• Microsoft seems to think that offering an warranty extension and some accessories for a product I don’t want represent an adequate resolution to the issue.
• Everybody at the service center is very empathetic. I was pleased when the first rep I spoke with told me, “I’m a customer, too. I understand your frustration.” I was less pleased when the second rep I spoke with said exactly the same thing, word for word. When I called rep #2 on this fact, asking if they were trained to offer that language, she changed the subject. There are no bonus points for feigned sincerity.
• When Microsoft says, “We’ll call you no later than Monday,” you’d better ask which Monday. The rep I spoke with Friday said a resolution would be reached within 48 hours. I noted that the weekend was coming, but he insisted, “We’re open 24 hours, so it should be resolved by Sunday, but give me until Monday. By then we’ll absolutely get back to you.” I made my call to Microsoft today (Tuesday) when I heard nothing on Monday. None of three of the peolple I spoke with today saw anything in my record that indicated I was supposed to be contacted by Monday (or at all).

So where do things stand now? After insisting that Microsoft live up to its warranty, I finally got a higher-tier rep to promise that I’d be sent a 120GB zune as soon as the service center was resupplied. “I can’t tell you when that will be,” he cautioned. A few weeks? A month? 2014? “I can’t say,” he said. “But we’ll keep you updated.”

Maybe somebody from Zappos can reach out and give Microsoft some lessons in customer relations.