Does anybody have worse customer service than Jeppesen?

[N201MKTurbo]

I'm just ranting!

Twice now I go to JDM and it shows no downloads and no active subscriptions. I try in vain to contact them by phone and chat. No success. They were even nice enough to have a recording come on while I was holding for a human and tell me that they just closed and I would have to call back tomorrow. 

The online help chat lady just said I had no active subscriptions. I asked her about my invoice number that shows my subscriptions are good til September, she hung up.

I called the tech support number and got a human. she said I had no subscriptions. I asked her about the invoice. She said that she can't look up invoices. I asked her if maybe I had another account and they got crossed. She said she could look them up by tail number. I gave her my tail number and she said there are no accounts with that tail number. I told her I was looking at my account information on line and it clearly showed my account with my tail number.

I had this problem about 3 months ago and the tech support guy on the phone got me a download. When I was looking at my account today, it showed an unpaid invoice for $110 for a one time download. I had an active subscription when I got that download. Maybe they closed out my subscription because of the unpaid invoice, which I never got anything in the mail or an email about the invoice. 

I successfully downloaded a database 1 month ago without issue. WTF is going on!!!

[carusoam]

I thought JPI won the prize for crummy customer service by way of ignoring their customers…

But… Clearly Jepp is showing signs of excelling in the crummy category…

Even BK is really good about talking at length with their subscribers through their wingman services…

Step by step instruction to tell me what hardware I needed to get a modern PC to talk to a 90s gps…

Then transferring ownership of a block of databases from one MSer to me…

Go BK? 

Best regards,

-a-

[Hank]

I sympathize with you, @N201MKTurbo, having fought with Jepp to renew my subscription after it ran out (I had an IFR flight the next day). Took only an hour and a half! Three chat-bots, two phone calls, all of my patience . . . .

[amillet]

Boeing customer service influenced?

[EricJ]

The annoyance is a bit amplified by the very limited added value compared to the free database from the gov.   It seems like a bit of a racket to me.

 

[carusoam]

A racket that is so hard for them to get right…

It is the same job every 28 days…

Databases that get used the same way, by the same computers… that mostly have the same data…

The changes that occur are planned so far in advance…you know the changes with plenty of time to get them loaded into the systems…

 

What Jepp had… was their printed maps had fine details and color… the government maps were printed in low def, black ink…

Garmin essentially made Jepp printing a non-issue by supplying their boxes with an HD color screen… ready to convert the government data to nice graphics…

 

I haven’t seen the latest Jepp databases… am I missing anything important?

Best regards,

-a-

 

[N201MKTurbo]

The weird thing is I used to service their computers back in the 80s. They were just a printing company back then.

[dzeleski]

I tried calling them to get setup for my IFD. I got so frustrated I said screw it ill wait until the website lets you do it without talking to anyone. A year later they finally have a website that you can buy what you want on your own without talking to anyone.

Your issue is a little different in that you need to get access back to your subscription but when it does expire just do it online so you dont need to speak with them. Just hope nothing goes wrong with your account cause they are one of the worst places to call for help.

[animalmover]

This is the exact reason I moved to Garmin for my Database. 

[CaptJepp]

Hi N201MK Turbo

I just checked your services for your IFD 500 Full USA coverage. It has expired on Sept 2nd 2020 . Since then you had contacted our technical team and requested one time download on May 3rd  2021. That one time download was good for 28 days meaning it expired on May 30th 2021. 

We have added yearly subscription in our portal for you to purchase by going to shop. jeppesen.com .

If you need any help , please reach out to Captain@jeppesen.com .

Thank you

[Hank]

15 minutes ago, CaptJepp said:

We have added yearly subscription in our portal for you to purchase by going to shop. jeppesen.com .

When I forget and let my subscription expire, how in God's name can I renew it without screaming at my computer in frustrated rage, then spending 30 minutes on hold followed by trying the patience of one of your people as they walk me through what I've just done, with the same lack of success?

It should be possible, with a current username, password and Customer Number, to purchase a subscription by myself in just a few minutes. Why is that not possible on your website???

[kortopates]

Maybe I am lucky but I have been a customer for over 20 years with digital subscriptions and probably over 30 yrs if you count paper. I've always found tech support and their sales people easy to work with. When I did a panel upgrade and could use their all-in-1 bundled package, there were some initial pains to get it all set up and working properly with the right system ids and coverages that took a number of calls, but i had no problem getting support on the phone and found them responsive.

One of their pluses is that they provide tech support 24x7. Although the sales people only keep Garmin hours, no new sales subscriptions can't be created or fixed over the weekend, but at least they still answer the phone MUCH faster than Garmin does during business hours. 

Sorry to hear Rich have a problem with his subscription, but I think the sales team are the folks to help you get to the bottom of this.

[kortopates]

20 minutes ago, CaptJepp said:

Hi N201MK Turbo

I just checked your services for your IFD 500 Full USA coverage. It has expired on Sept 2nd 2020 . Since then you had contacted our technical team and requested one time download on May 3rd  2021. That one time download was good for 28 days meaning it expired on May 30th 2021. 

We have added yearly subscription in our portal for you to purchase by going to shop. jeppesen.com .

If you need any help , please reach out to Captain@jeppesen.com .

Thank you

NIce to see Jeppesen join the forum!

[buddy]

I’ve always found Jeppesen support very helpful if I ever had a problem and I’ve been using them for over 40 yrs.

[N201MKTurbo]

3 hours ago, CaptJepp said:

Hi N201MK Turbo

I just checked your services for your IFD 500 Full USA coverage. It has expired on Sept 2nd 2020 . Since then you had contacted our technical team and requested one time download on May 3rd  2021. That one time download was good for 28 days meaning it expired on May 30th 2021. 

We have added yearly subscription in our portal for you to purchase by going to shop. jeppesen.com .

If you need any help , please reach out to Captain@jeppesen.com .

Thank you

That’s the problem! I have a copy of a paid invoice that clearly shows I have paid up until sept 2021! 
 

I can’t even get anybody to research it. What you just said is just wrong!

You guys should apologize for what you are saying about me!

Maybe if I could get a real human on the phone without wasting half my day on hold, we could straighten this out!

Edited June 24, 2021 by N201MKTurbo

[carusoam]

Welcome aboard @CaptJepp…

I’m glad you stopped in…

If you set up an email contact in your membership details… you will be able to receive email alerts when somebody is looking for Jeppesen support…

A couple of things I find a bit odd… for a public forum…

1) If you are representing Jeppesen you might want to say so….  
2) Introduce yourself with whatever name you like to use for contact at work… somebody may want to contact you…

3) We have a private message system here….  So if you want to share private details about somebody’s Jepp account… you may want to use that feature… 

4) I’m no math genius… maybe somebody can help me out…   28days from May 3^rd is not May 30^th, is it?  
 

5) How does the 28 day cycle work?  When somebody orders a one time update on day 14 of the cycle… does it expire 14 days later?  Or do they have to wait until the next cycle begins to get the most value out of the one time subscription?

6) Does the sales group throw in a bonus… when you paid for a 28 day cycle… do they throw in the last cycle to cover the gap?  Sort of a Lagniappe…

For pilots like me… the budget can be unbelievably tight some days… every day of a subscription can be very important… 

It can make the difference between flying direct using the GPS, or going the Victor highway…

I think I am sensing what this  thread is about…

Work some magic Capt!

This could really work out in the favor of Jepp… Customer has a serious challenge… can’t get it worked out using the usual contact methods…  CaptJepp arrives on the scene…

A few routes this story can go…

1) CaptJepp grabs bull by the horns, gets expected solution to the customer, and leaves intro and contact info for everyone to see… (a modern approach to customer service)

2) CaptJepp is unable, through no fault of his own… customer left stranded… 

3) CaptJepp grabs bull by the horns, leaves the details to internal person to take care of…  internal person drops ball…  everyone remembers CaptJepp… (system failure, old customer service model)

Make it happen captain!  

Best regards,

-a-

 

 

[N201MKTurbo]

I never ordered a one time update BTW! 
 

I called on a Sunday because my account didn’t show any downloads available. The guy on the phone said he could get me a download and that they would straighten it out on Monday. He acknowledged that I had a current account, but said he couldn’t fix it on Sunday.  
 

The first time I found out that they wanted to charge me for that download was yesterday when I was rooting around on their website. I never got an email or a bill in the mail. They have my home address and my email. I shouldn’t have been charged for it anyway, because I have a subscription!

Wouldn't it have been better if they would have called, or emailed me about this? They have all that info.
 

Maybe we can get Jeff Bezos to start selling database updates. He at least understands customer service!

[201Steve]

They were bad in my singular experience and she sounded shocked to hear other pilots had similar accounts. 

[RJBrown]

16 hours ago, CaptJepp said:

Hi N201MK Turbo

I just checked your services for your IFD 500 Full USA coverage. It has expired on Sept 2nd 2020 . Since then you had contacted our technical team and requested one time download on May 3rd  2021. That one time download was good for 28 days meaning it expired on May 30th 2021. 

We have added yearly subscription in our portal for you to purchase by going to shop. jeppesen.com .

If you need any help , please reach out to Captain@jeppesen.com .

Thank you

This “canned” response under lies the problem. Arrogance and Ignorance in customer service is worse than no comment at all.
The customer has a paid invoice for a subscription “you” say doesn’t exist.

trust your customers enough to verify the issue. To simply come out in a chat room and verify your ignorance is terrible.

No “Captain America” action here just canned blather. 

If you want to call yourself “Captain Jepp” act like a superhero and do your job.

[StevenL757]

Generally-speaking, and with respect to all responses, I've been dealing with Jeppesen for over 25 years...for both print and digital charting needs in GA; and, as of late, in the airline world for our company's needs.

I've had a couple of minor incidents about six months ago trying to find the right path/person/resource to help me with GA needs, but have managed to navigate them (no pun intended) with little difficulty.  These experiences have been post-Boeing merger, so my guess is there are a few teething pains from that acquisition that are trickling down to JeppView subscription holders.

Give them a break...they know their stuff, and once you find the right resource, they will get things sorted for you.

Steve

[StevenL757]

18 minutes ago, philip_g said:

I worked at jeopesen in 2002 and they were already post Boeing merger by a few years then. I don't think a merger over 20 years ago is relatively to customer service over the past few years.

Interesting.  I was under the impression they were only recently acquired by Boeing.  They only added "A Boeing Company" to their logo recently.  Any idea why they didn't do this 20 years ago?

[LANCECASPER]

Boeing bought them from the Tribune Co. (Chicago Tribune/WGN/Chicago Cubs) back in 2000.

I've have had outstanding service from them. I dealt with Bonnie on the phone a few times and in person at Oshkosh when I would renew. Nothing but excellent. I understand she no longer works there. The last few times I've renewed at Oshkosh they gave me a pass to go upstairs where you relax and enjoy a nice view of the airshows. First class service.

 

But I was able to renew on their website now for $299/year. which is significantly down from what I was paying a few years ago. 

[kortopates]

21 hours ago, carusoam said:

Welcome aboard @CaptJepp…

I’m glad you stopped in…

If you set up an email contact in your membership details… you will be able to receive email alerts when somebody is looking for Jeppesen support…

A couple of things I find a bit odd… for a public forum…

1) If you are representing Jeppesen you might want to say so….  
2) Introduce yourself with whatever name you like to use for contact at work… somebody may want to contact you…

3) We have a private message system here….  So if you want to share private details about somebody’s Jepp account… you may want to use that feature… 

4) I’m no math genius… maybe somebody can help me out…   28days from May 3^rd is not May 30^th, is it?  
 

5) How does the 28 day cycle work?  When somebody orders a one time update on day 14 of the cycle… does it expire 14 days later?  Or do they have to wait until the next cycle begins to get the most value out of the one time subscription?

6) Does the sales group throw in a bonus… when you paid for a 28 day cycle… do they throw in the last cycle to cover the gap?  Sort of a Lagniappe…

For pilots like me… the budget can be unbelievably tight some days… every day of a subscription can be very important… 

It can make the difference between flying direct using the GPS, or going the Victor highway…

I think I am sensing what this  thread is about…

Work some magic Capt!

This could really work out in the favor of Jepp… Customer has a serious challenge… can’t get it worked out using the usual contact methods…  CaptJepp arrives on the scene…

A few routes this story can go…

1) CaptJepp grabs bull by the horns, gets expected solution to the customer, and leaves intro and contact info for everyone to see… (a modern approach to customer service)

2) CaptJepp is unable, through no fault of his own… customer left stranded… 

3) CaptJepp grabs bull by the horns, leaves the details to internal person to take care of…  internal person drops ball…  everyone remembers CaptJepp… (system failure, old customer service model)

Make it happen captain!  

Best regards,

-a-

 

 

Captain@jeppesen.com is the email address used by sales department for invoices etc.  Those of us doing business with Jepp am familair with that.

Data cycles: All data is published with an effective start date and ending date, NAV data is on a 28 day cycle while Charts are on 14 day cycle. Their dates are published here: https://ww2.jeppesen.com/update-cycle-and-effective-dates-schedule/

 

[N201MKTurbo]

I finally has a chance to call Jeppesen in the middle of a work day. I called the tech support line instead of the sales line. In a previous call the tech support guy said to do that because they can connect you directly to sales without waiting in line. When I called, I have to think they had my account flagged somehow, because in a matter of minutes we had a three way conference call set up. Everything was resolved. 
 

I wish their website was less confusing, and easier to get more detailed account information. I also wish their 24/7 tech support had the ability to resolve accounting issues. 

[carusoam]

Great follow-up Rich!

Thanks for sharing the details how you got through the system.

Best regards,

-a-