When I called 866-212-0436, Sanyo’s customer service number, I thought I had dialed the wrong number because the automated system thanked me for calling what sounded like “Sonai.” The system said to press “1” if the call was about gaming products and “For other products, please stay on the line.” I remained on the line, and when the voice continued speaking, it referenced Sanyo, so I knew I had contacted the correct number.
Typical of most automated customer support answering systems, the one at Sanyo told me to press “1” for English or “2” for Spanish. After pressing “1," the next step was to press “1” again if calling about a television or “2” if the inquiry was about video. I wanted to ask a question about television repair, so I pressed “1.” The automated system instructed me to have my serial number ready and be near the product.
To my surprise, a real person greeted me, so I didn’t have to listen to a laundry list of numbers to press and recommendations to seek help through a website. The customer service associate was friendly and offered to help me. I told them that I was looking for a place in my area that could repair a Sanyo television.
I thought they might instruct me to go to a website and look for a list of repair shops near my home. Instead, the individual answering the call asked me for my ZIP code, and when I shared it, they immediately found an authorized service center about 40 miles from my home. They provided the city and phone number for the service center. They recommended I call to make an appointment before taking the unit in for repair. The representative also thanked me for reaching out.
Calling a customer support line and listening to endless prompts to press this or that number can be frustrating. Sometimes, I’ve waited and never spoken to someone who could answer a simple question. Because I would rather talk to a person than go to a website, there have been many times when I have remained on the line while listening to background music and periodic apologies for the high call volume.
My experience calling Sanyo’s 866-212-0436 number was the opposite of what happens during the usual customer support call. The interaction with the representative seemed personal and positive.
What stood out was that I called Sanyo on a Saturday afternoon and spoke to a representative. When contacting customer support numbers on the weekend, getting an automated message saying to call back during regular business hours is often the response. I was pleased with Sanyo’s personalized approach to telephone customer service.