Inaccurate customer support

[Aerial Entertainment Studios]

Hello all,

I decided to call DJI customer support today as I was enquiring about the delivery dates and the conversation took an unexpected turn where we spoke about how the power cables seem to be country specific and WILL NOT WORK if you travel to another country and use an adapter.

Below is the transcript. I took away the name of the DJI person out of respect. But it seems to me this makes no sense. Can anyone confirm this. If really the case, I will be canceling my order for sure as all I do is travel with the thing.

Here is the transcript:

'Me
I would like to cancel my Order Number: 852…….. I have been waiting for weeks without any response on shipment dates and many people I know have received their unit even if they ordered AFTER me. Unless you can ship a unit TODAY. I want to cancel the order.

DJI person joined the chat

Hello

Your order is in round 2
Round 1 has not been finished
We are not able to ship it out today
sorry for the waiting time
But we kindly suggest you keep this order
We are trying our best to ship out orders
Push the factory and wearhouse

Me
When will my order be shipped. I have people who purchased weeks after me from the USA and got theirs already. There is no way your are keeping the priority based on order date.

DJI Person
USA and Hk has different version of Inspire 1
We have different stock for different version in stock

Me
I ordered before so I should get my unit before. That is what was promised many times and I am not happy about that. Just send me the USA version if it makes it easier.

DJI person
The cable is not the same

Me
I will use an adapter. No problem.

DJI Person
There is no adapter available
If there is an adapter, we won't produce different version


Me
I am from Canada and live in Hong Kong. I travel around the world all the time so the cable is not important to me. Does it work with an adapter? I can use my own HK/UK adapter.

DJI Person
I don't think so. If it can use a normal adapter, we will use the adapter and not produce so many versions

Me
This doesn't make sense. The Phantom Vision+ I own works everywhere in the world. I just use a power adapter depending on the country I'm in. Are you saying the Inspire won't work if I use a normal power adapter. If so, I should definitely cancel my order.

DJI Person
This is not the same situation as phantom 2 vision plus
If you insist cancelling it, I can help. But please kindly note that you can not get it earlier from other shops. There is stock shortage in the whole market.
I know it has been long time
We feel sorry about that

Me
You are not answering my question. Will the Inspire 1 work with a normal power adaptor if I travel around the world and plug it into a wall socket by using a basic power adapter.
If the answer is 'no', then please cancel my order immediately.
Would it be faster if I went to pickup myself in Shenzhen. It's only 45 minutes away.

Hello, are you still there?

DJI Person
Yes
You can buy other cable

Me
So let me understand this correctly. If I want to charge my batteries in Europe for example, I will need to buy a cable for the European market? Is this correct. And if I travel to Canada or USA, I need to buy another cable for those markets as well. Are you absolutely sure about this?

DJI Person
There are several kinds of cables
You will need to use different cable when you go to different countries

Me
But only 1 cable is provided with the Inspire 1 so that means I need to buy 3-4 other cables as well. Is this correct?

DJI Person
yes

Me
How much do the cables cost and where/when can I buy them?

DJI Person
I don't know the cost now because we don't sell it in our online store currently

I hope we will in the near future

Me
I have to admit I am shocked by this requirements and that a $3000 machine does not have the capacity to charge in different countries. What I think is that you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about and that everything will work perfectly with the cable that is provided and a simple adapter. Every single piece of electronic I have purchased for the past 6 years in Hong Kong work everywhere in the world if you simply plug an adapter.

I would think a company with 400 engineers would figure this one out and allow the end user to use the Inspire 1 anywhere. This makes absolutely no sense. None whatsoever.

DJI Person
I hope we can use a universal cable soon

Me
I'm sorry but I simply don't believe you. There is no way this is possible. If really the case, then for sure I will cancel my order. Let me check the specs with some people who received it and I will then decide what to do. Thank you.

DJI Person
Thanks for your kindly understanding. You can contact us again if you have other questions.'

____________________

Please someone tell me the Inspire will work with an adapter and that this person is simply uninformed. I could not comprehend the opposite being true.

 

[HunterSK]

That customer service representative sounded like a robot rather than a trained service person.

I don't have an Inspire 1, but I'm guessing that the battery charging power supply is compatible worldwide on 100-240V 50/60Hz power source.

The only thing you would need is to change the power plug (on the Phantom it is the IEC 60320 Type C7) as pictured here:

Even if you don't have the right cable, I would think that an appropriate electrical adapter would work.

 

[Ultra310x]

My inspire came with us and euro adapter. Yes that customer service agent is a idiot.

 

[Aerial Entertainment Studios]

My inspire came with us and euro adapter. Yes that customer service agent is a idiot.

Thanks for confirming what I thought. There is no way a $3000 machine would be country specific. At the minimum, we can use a universal adapter. This person almost cost DJI an order of $3500 USD. I am sure there are many more like this as well.

 

[BaldEagle]

I also checked the DJI website and the adaptor on the website clearly shows on its picture 100-240V input.

 

[sdjackaerial]

wow. that's so scary. what an idiot.

 

[Tahoe Ed]

I actually feel sorry for the DJI support representative. You asked when your unit will ship, they stated that the first round had not shipped yet and you were in the second round. Then the conversation degraded into a discussion between US and HK electrical connections. You were talking to China. I bet that they speak better English than you speak Chinese. Just a guess. Why do you disrespect those employees this way. They are trying to assist you and you dismiss them. I know many of the DJI employees in China and they are loving, caring persons, not the robots that you portray them to be.

 

[Quadpilot]

wow. that's so scary. what an idiot.

I actually feel sorry for the DJI support representative. You asked when your unit will ship, they stated that the first round had not shipped yet and you were in the second round. Then the conversation degraded into a discussion between US and HK electrical connections. You were talking to China. I bet that they speak better English than you speak Chinese. Just a guess. Why do you disrespect those employees this way. They are trying to assist you and you dismiss them. I know many of the DJI employees in China and they are loving, caring persons, not the robots that you portray them to be.

I'm glad you said that, Ed, because I've been biting my tongue, wanting to light into the OP for exactly the issue you brought up. I've called out one individual for what I consider rude and xenophobic remarks in this forum and didn't want to appear to be acting as a PC cop.

I work 4-5 months/year in China for the last couple of years, teaching Chinese pilots to fly the Boeing 787. Their English, as you mentioned, is a hell of a lot better than my Chinese. It's rude and disrespectful to act on the presumption that a person for whom English is not their first language would have the same level of comprehension and understanding as a native English speaker.

 

[Tahoe Ed]

I'm glad you said that, Ed, because I've been biting my tongue, wanting to light into the OP for exactly the issue you brought up. I've called out one individual for what I consider rude and xenophobic remarks in this forum and didn't want to appear to be acting as a PC cop.

I work 4-5 months/year in China for the last couple of years, teaching Chinese pilots to fly the Boeing 787. Their English, as you mentioned, is a hell of a lot better than my Chinese. It's rude and disrespectful to act on the presumption that a person for whom English is not their first language would have the same level of comprehension and understanding as a native English speaker.

I appreciate your comments. We as Americans can at times become arrogant. Not that we do not have a great nation, but that we should not have human respect for those peoples in other nations. We outsource a lot of our phone support. The person at the other end is no less an individual deserving our respect regardless of Nationality than any other. Sorry getting off my soap box. I have friends of many nationalities and many countries. I love them all for their diversity and what they bring to my life.

 

[Aerial Entertainment Studios]

I actually feel sorry for the DJI support representative. You asked when your unit will ship, they stated that the first round had not shipped yet and you were in the second round. Then the conversation degraded into a discussion between US and HK electrical connections. You were talking to China. I bet that they speak better English than you speak Chinese. Just a guess. Why do you disrespect those employees this way. They are trying to assist you and you dismiss them. I know many of the DJI employees in China and they are loving, caring persons, not the robots that you portray them to be.

I couldn't agree with you more on everything you just said, and I wrote the original post. The issue I raised had nothing to do with anyone's nationality or culture. If it was interpreted that way, I truly apologize. I live in Hong Kong and work with Chinese people EVERY day and have the upmost respect for them, as all other nationalities. However, I was pointing out the inaccuracy of the information provided that nearly lead to me canceling my order. Had this been a Canadian or American person providing the information, I would have responded the same way. The information was simply wrong. That's the main point in my post, not what transpired in your reply. Having said this, I see your point and I can certainly appreciate the communications come across as very direct. A re-read of the communications 2 days later and yes, it is abrasive and I appreciate the feedback to that effect. I will pay more attention to that in the future.
However, after spending 30 minutes being told false information, one questions the quality of the customer support offered. No one can deny that and while the intent is to support the customer, the end result is the opposite, regardless of nationality.

As an update, I received the Inspire 1 ... with a North American plug, even though I live in HK where we use UK connectors. I just plugged in an adapter and everything works fine.

Appreciate your feedback Ed and I take on board your comments that, in retrospect, are reasonable. Cheers

 

[The Editor]

..... There is no way a $3000 machine would be country specific.

Well actually..... Yes it is. It comes in a couple of flavours depending on where it is headed in the world.

5.8ghz/2.4 and for parts of Asia 922Mhz (Lucky them... they will get much better range no doubt)