A Spot check is when a machine Technician or Tech Apprentice stops what they are doing and spends up to 30 minutes examining/repairing your machine so that the machine you have that isn’t working IS working when you leave.
Sounds great right? Well, there is a catch, a Spot check is $50. It will be $50 for someone to look at your machine NOW. Now some might argue that that doesn’t seem fair, what guarantee do I have, am I just wasting my money? Well, a Service tech in our store is always busy, there is no such thing as FREE time for a service tech. He will ALWAYS have something to do. Please read this quick point form about a spot check and then you decide.
Important things when getting a spot check done:
- It is extremely helpful if you have examples or pictures of what the machine is doing, so that we can be sure that we have the correct issue fixed.
- Be honest – we don’t care what you did or how you did it, even if it’s embarrassing. (We have seen it all, some of us have done it too!) Having an accurate account of what led up to the issue makes diagnosing the problem much quicker.
- Listen and let us know when you don’t understand. Many customer service problems arise when communications break down. If you don’t understand what the Tech is saying, ask him to explain it again. Not all of us use the same words or have the same understanding of things. Let us know when we don’t tell you in a way that you need or that you understand.
Statistically, almost 90% of Spot Checks are caused by USER ERROR. We say this now, because we want to be upfront about this. We pretty much start based on that assumption because statistically that is the correct assumption, it is by no means always the case . To Help address YOUR problem so that You NEVER need to bring it in for the same issue the technician will:
- examine your machine;
- re-thread it; and
- adjust the settings as required.
- Walk you through (based on your description or sample) what the technician thinks happened and what steps you can take to avoid the problem in the future.
In most cases (90%), your machine will sew just fine.
If you would like a Spot Check on your sewing machine, please be aware of the following conditions:
- The fee for a Spot Check is $50 upfront. If you are not prepared to pay this, then we are sorry, but we cannot help you.
- You MUST be present with your machine for the Spot Check.
- Please bring the power cord and foot pedal for your machine with you. (Not necessary if it’s a new Bernina or Brother)
- The fee will give you UP TO 30 minutes of a technician’s time. It does NOT include the cost of parts. Extra time may incur additional charges at $27.50/15Min.
- There is a 30-Day Warranty on the work done: it ONLY covers the work done and no other related parts or mechanisms. If you believe that something that was fixed by a Spot Check is causing problems again, bring it back, with your original receipt, within the thirty days for another Spot Check. If you have your receipt or your record is in our system you will NOT be required to pay again.
- If your machine is deemed not fixable or not worthy of fixing, you will receive a non-refundable store CREDIT. This can be applied to the cost of a new machine, fabric or any other items in our store.
- IF the issue is User Error, the Technician will explain to you what caused your specific problem and how to avoid it in the future. They will take the time to ensure that you understand what they are saying, and that you are confident that you won’t have the problem again.
- If the Machine requires more work than is possible in the 30 Minutes it will be booked into our repair queue. The Repair queue is typically 2-3 Weeks unless it takes us longer to get parts. If you would like a maintenance performed while we are repairing your machine please advise the Tech booking you in and a ‘Maintenance with Repair’ will be performed the $50 will be applied toward your Total Bill.