A warranty is only as good as the process behind it. Most complaints about suppliers are not about a refusal to honour a warranty. They are about silence for two weeks while somebody decides.
This is our process, published so a customer knows what to expect and when.
Step one: report and acknowledge, 24 hours
Send the serial number, a description of the symptom, the trend file if the machine is running, and photographs or a short video. We acknowledge within one working day and assign a case number.
The case number is not a formality. It links the claim to the bill of materials, the test records and the commissioning report for that specific unit, which is usually where the answer is.
Step two: remote diagnosis, 48 hours
An engineer reviews the trend data and the machine history, then speaks to the site engineer. In our experience more than half of reported faults are resolved here: a parameter, a procedure, a sensor that needs reseating, a defrost sequence that was interrupted.
If it cannot be settled remotely, we state what we believe the cause is and what part or action is required.
Step three: decision
We confirm in writing whether the item is covered, and why. Covered items are dispatched or scheduled at our cost, including freight. Items outside warranty get a written explanation naming the specific exclusion, plus a quotation for the repair.
"We're not covering it" without a reason is not a decision, and it is the thing buyers complain about most.
Step four: repair and verify
The repair is completed and the machine is run through the relevant test before the case is closed: vacuum decay, pull-down, or a product cycle. A repair that is not verified is not a repair.
Step five: close and review
The case closes with a short report: cause, action, parts used, test result. Every case is reviewed monthly for repeat patterns. Three failures of the same component on the same model triggers an engineering review rather than another part shipment.
What we need from the customer
Serial number, without which diagnosis starts from zero. The trend file, exported rather than photographed. A note on what changed before the fault: new product, new operator, new season, a power event. And a named site contact who can stand at the machine.
Not covered
Consumables such as seals, oil and filters. Damage after acceptance. Unauthorised modification. Operation outside the specified utility conditions. All of this is in the terms, but the practical version is: if you are unsure, ask before you cut the pipe.
