Let us articulate. Let us improve. Let Us Drone. I quickly stumbled on the company DJI when I was looking into purchasing a higher-end drone a couple of years ago. Their drones undeniably had the highest ratings, but there was something that caught my attention. The views on DJI's customer service were overwhelmingly negative by the masses. “Why is that”, I thought.
The combination of a lack of communication on DJI's part, a lack of understanding on the customers part, and a general lack of knowledge on both sides have left the current client relationship of the largest consumer drone company in a state of disarray. Read on for a humble DJI drone enthusiasts opinion on what needs to change for customers to feel the same assurance they get when hitting that “buy it now” button on Amazon.
Table of Contents
Communication is key
There is a lack of communication between DJI and the customer and amongst DJI employees. I would love to see a system where DJI keeps the customer informed every step of the way during a repair or return process. I've taken the liberty to create a timeline of what that may look like. I dive deeper into this in the “what can DJI do better” section below.
*The above timeline is purely hypothetical. The idea is that both DJI and the customer be able to
The language barrier between Chinese and English speaking individuals is very, very large. I learned this firsthand from the years 2014 – 2017 when I owned and operated a small mobile iPhone repair business. I could either purchase parts from
After about six months of purchasing parts from retailers here in the states, I realized that I could almost double my profits if I bought directly from China. The ensuing two and a half years was a roller-coaster of client relationship experiences.
I would ask for 10 white screens with OEM LCD's, and I'd get 10 black screens with aftermarket LC
So why the story about iPhone parts? Well, DJI is a Chinese company. If you have a product that you would like to return or discuss with someone from the company, chances are that you'll be connected with a Chinese individual that is still working on their English skills. Here are a few tips to ensure that the conversation you have with them is as clear as it can possibly be. Oh, and let's give them a little credit here; I mean, after all, how much Chinese can you speak
1- Before picking up that phone, jot down a list of questions or statements that you have for the person that you'll be talking to. Are they clear and concise? If you can minimize the fluff and take out anything that can be seen as ambiguous, your conversation will go a lot smoother.
2- Record the conversation. If you are speaking to someone on the phone, kindly let them know that you are recording the conversation for quality assurance. What does this do? For one, they will be on their A-game knowing that what they say may come back to their manager one day, and it also ensures that any assurances or promises that they make will turn into promises kept. Don't have a conversation recording app? Put your phone on speaker and record the conversation with another device. If it's a written conversation online then take screenshots.
3- Gauge the knowledge of the person on the other end of the conversation. It's our natural tendency to assume that an employee of DJI would know everything about the company and their products. Sadly, the truth is that you likely know a whole lot more about drones than the poor guy getting paid peanuts at the call center.
If you realize that the guy you're talking to doesn't know the difference between a Mavic 2 Pro and a Mavic 2 Zoom, throwing more technical jargon at him isn't going to help anything. So, what do you do? You can either politely ask to speak with another representative or call back in hopes that a different person answers that
Get the name and any type of ID number of the person you talk to. You can ask them this information at the beginning of your conversation which will likely motivate them to be as helpful as possible, knowing that a dissatisfied customer may call back and start dropping names.
Why do I have to wait a month?
While researching this subject, I came across so many stories of people that had to wait sometimes over a month for DJI to either send them a new (or slightly used) drone or return theirs after being repaired.
So why on earth does it take so long? After quite a bit of research and learning about DJI as a company, I've narrowed it down to four main reasons. If someone from DJI is reading this and wants to make a comment regarding wait times, please do so in the comment section below!
1- DJI drones are incredibly popular. Let's face it, DJI currently has the best consumer drones on the market. Yes, this a blog about DJI, but no, that was not a biased statement. The numbers don't lie, DJI outsells their closest competitors by a landslide.
Do you remember when the Mavic Pro was released? I don't think even DJI realized how quickly they were going to fly off the shelves. How many Mavic Pro's were initially sold? Only DJI knows the number, but some speculate that it's in the 100,000+ region. Let's say that 10% of those speculated 100,000 drones were returned due to a manufacturer defect or user error because it was the customers first drone and they flew it into a tree.
That's 10,000 broken Mavic Pro's that DJI got at their doorstep practically overnight from disgruntled customers expecting a speedy replacement. Put yourself in DJI's shoes for a sec and I think we can agree that that's a nightmare of a situation. This segues into the next point about DJI being a newer company that hasn't quite gotten their systems down yet.
2- DJI is still a relatively new company. Technically, DJI was formed in 2006, but the immensely popular Phantom 1 wasn't released until the beginning of 2013. In the past five years, DJI has seen growth than most companies can only dream of achieving.
It seems that DJI is still trying to figure out a fluid system that simultaneously benefits both them and the customer. From an outsiders perspective, it looks as though DJI has sacrificed positive customer experience to ensure they do not lose money. It is my hope that the gap between providing a good customer experience and the desire to make money narrows in the coming months and years.
3- Disconnects within the company. I've already discussed the issue of communication between DJI and the customer (or lack thereof), but there seems to be an internal lack of communication as well. You don't have to look far to find people's detailed stories about one DJI representative saying one thing without any follow-up by the next rep.
Promises of next day calls or emails aren't kept time and time again until the customer gets so fed up with being strung along that they vow to never buy a DJI product again. Sound familiar? I've seen this way too many times. So hey, DJI, if you're reading this, it would greatly benefit both the company and all of us customers if you worked on improving internal communication; because right now it looks like you're using the
4- A shortage of technicians. Maybe part of the reason why it takes so long to get your drone repaired is that DJI just flat out doesn't have enough qualified technicians to work on their drones and gimbals. If 10,000 broken Mavics are in the queue and DJI only has a hundred repair technicians, the customers at the bottom of that queue are going to be waiting for a long, long time. Now, I have no idea how many repair technicians DJI employes, but I see a shortage of them being a plausible explanation for the long wait times.
Lack of competition
I could see how it would be easy for DJI to say “well no one else is making drones as good as we are so that disgruntled customer will be back”. I actually just watched a YouTube video where a guy talked about everything he hated about DJI drones, but yet, he owned almost every single one.
DJI has yet to see any serious competition from another company, so they've had some time to drag their feet in certain areas. It will be interesting to see what happens when one of these other drone companies is able to compete with DJI. I'd be willing to bet that DJI would be quick to make choice improvements; the area of customer service being close to the top of the list.
Cultural differences
I've already talked about my experience dealing with China when I had the mobile iPhone repair business, but there is something that I should add.
When you walk into a Walmart or Target, you don't fill up a shopping cart intent on bartering the price of each item with the teller at the front while checking out. Here in the United States, we know that the price listed is the price we will get the item for. Of course, bartering has a place in some areas of commerce or amongst private parties, but I wouldn't say it's commonplace in our daily lives.
Like in many countries, it is common to see bartering in China. When I first started purchasing iPhone screens from companies in China, I would pay the price they set, because well, that's what I was used to doing. It wasn't until I spoke with another repair technician that I realized I was paying way more than he was, and simply because he bartered for a better price.
I eventually saw it almost like a game, as I'm sure the suppliers that I dealt with did as well. If I paid the price they set without much bartering: win for the Chinese company! If we went back and forth over and over until they finally agreed on a lower price: win for Trevor!
Now is probably the time you're wondering if I know of a way that you can barter with DJI for a lower price on a new Mavic 2 Pro, and the answer is no, sorry ;). I bring this up because I see similarities in the way DJI has treated their customers after selling them a drone and the companies that I bought iPhone parts from.
Let me explain. When Jim sends in his Spark after crashing into a tree because of a seemingly obvious manufacturer defect, DJI is going to do their darnedest to prove that it was actually user error on Jim's part that caused the crash. You may have had an experience like this or heard of other's who have.
I see this as DJI's way of bartering. I get that a company needs to have systems in place to protect them from losing money, but it appears that DJI is on a mission to not lose any money, even if it meant gaining a lifelong customer. It seems as though DJI's first reaction to a customer requesting a return or repair is “not our fault”.
DJI, if you're reading this, I don't mean to harp on you, but this is the vibe that a lot of us over here in the United States (and across the world, I'm sure) are getting. I absolutely love shopping on Amazon. Not only because I can get practically any item at my door in no more than 2 days (with free shipping, of course), but because of their customer service and amazing return policy. If I buy headphones on Amazon, I don't hover over the “buy it now” button and wonder if I'll be stuck with them if there is a discrepancy.
I don't hesitate one bit because I know Amazon will send me a paid shipping label within minutes if I tell them that the headphones didn't work properly. I have complete assurance when shopping on Amazon, and I truly believe that it's that kind of customer service that allowed them to skyrocket to one of the biggest companies in the world. DJI, I really feel that it would do you well to emulate what Amazon is doing.
What DJI can do better
A statement like “DJI has the worst customer service ever” expresses frustration and makes a clear point about what people don't like about the drone giant.
We have already talked about some of the reasons why people are often disappointed with the customer support they get. Whether it be the lack of communication throughout a repair process or DJI refusing to repair a drone that has what appears to be an obvious manufacturer defect, the overall
So what is it exactly that DJI can do better? I'm not affiliated with the company so I naturally don't get to see its internal workings, but here are some specific areas that I would like to see improvements in.
- Updates every step of the way. If Matt needs to send in his Phantom 4 Pro for repairs, I want his case to be opened immediately when he first contacts DJI. A timestamp on every action thereon forward would provide a clear and concise timeline for both Matt and DJI to refer to. Ideally, that timeline would be visible to all parties involved with real-time updates, which would eliminate the “I was told that DJI would contact me last week” comments that are way too common.
*The above timeline is purely hypothetical. The idea is that both DJI and the customer be able to see real-time updates with the repair process.
- Better English speakers. The breakdown in communication would not happen so frequently if the DJI rep helping the customer was truly fluent in the customer's language. I understand that DJI sells their products worldwide so it would be difficult to find and train people in a hundred different languages, but according to transportation.gov, 1,000,000 drones were registered in the United States with the FAA as of January 2018. A large majority of those million drones has the three letters “DJI” stamped on them. DJI, you have to get better English speakers, please.
- Better trained employees. As mentioned previously, it would not be uncommon for you to speak with a representative that doesn't actually know all that much about DJI's products. This makes it very difficult for customers to talk about drone-specific problems they are having. It would be great to see DJI ensure that every one of their employees has a fundamental knowledge of each of their products.
- Timely repairs. Sure, every case is different and some repairs can be done quicker than others, but some of the reported wait times are just outrageous. I'm not going to pretend that I know the answer to this problem, but something has to change. Let's just look at a couple of ideas.
Idea 1- manufacturer defects: If John sends in his one-month-old Mavic because the gimbal had a manufacturer defect, DJI should just send him a brand-new one as soon as they receive his instead of adding his Mavic to the repair queue. This loosens the time-constraint on the repair center and makes for a positive customer experience.
Idea 2- maximum wait times: DJI should have tiers of repair types with corresponding max wait times. For instance, a landing gear repair should have a max repair time of one week, whereas a drone that was crashed into a wall and needs three motors, a new camera, and a new IMU board should have a max wait time somewhere in the area of 2-3 weeks. Having these tiers of wait times will keep DJI on their toes while allowing the customer to see how long they can expect to receive their drone back.
Know DJI's after-sales service policy
I get it, the last thing you want to do after getting your new Mavic 2 ZOOM is to read DJI's after-sales service policy. I honestly didn't read it until I wrote the blog post Is my DJI Drone or Gimbal Under Warranty.
I had read a lot of complaints regarding DJI's customer service, and after writing that post I realized that a lot of those complaints were made by uninformed people who merely didn't know about how DJI's limited warranty and Care Refresh worked.
For example, a common frustration that customers have had is that they are given a slightly used drone after they send DJI their defective or broken one. I have heard many complaints pertaining to this, but DJI talks about this under the general terms section of their after-sales service policy. Here's the direct quote:
“Replacement products or parts provided by DJI may not be new, but it will be in good working order and at least functionally equivalent to the original product or part’s warranty”
-DJI
Although this information is publicly available, it's not widely advertised by DJI. This is just one example of frustrations that people have had with customer support. Every situation will be slightly different, but I recommend reading through DJI's after-sales service policies before reaching out to them when you are planning on returning one of their products.
What customers can do better
Ok, we've talked a lot about what DJI is struggling with and what may improve their customer experience, but the need for change doesn't just stop with them. Us consumers can maybe try a little harder and change our mindset. Here are some specific areas where we could do better.
- The immediate attitude. After reading all of the other people's negative experiences with DJI, it may be your natural inclination to go into a conversation with them thinking that they are terrible and you're going to get screwed. Give DJI a chance, and try to reserve your judgment or attitude for the occasion that they actually treat you unfairly.
Remember that most people aren't going to spend thirty minutes chronicling a positive experience they had with someone, but people can easily spend twice that time fuming over their keyboards after having a poor experience with a person or product. I'm sure there are ten positive customer service experiences for every one terrible experience with DJI, but we aren't likely to hear about the positive ones. - Read the manual and after-sales service policies. If you are going to argue that DJI is in the wrong about something, I'd strongly advise that you read the literature before making such accusations. I know the material is dry, but these aircraft are serious flying machines that are engineered to operate smoothly when the user knows what they're doing.
- Understand the process. If you need to return a DJI product for whatever reason, it would benefit you to learn how the process should work prior to contacting DJI. By doing this you won't be so surprised when it feels like DJI is making you jump through hoop after hoop. It also lets you know if DJI is deviating from their normal course of action. DJI has made a flow-chart on the return process which I find to be very helpful. Check it out below.
- Communicate better with DJI's representatives. “But Trevor, they are supposed to speak my language!” You likely graduated from high school which means that you can speak in proper English without using slang. By making an effort to speak clearly to the rep assisting you, chances are that they are going to understand you a lot better and the odds of more headaches coming your way will significantly decrease due to the lack of miscommunication.
Trevor's Take
I'll admit that I've had a couple of frustrating conversations with DJI, but I've never had one of those terrible experiences you hear about. I've also had some very good conversations with them with reps who have been very helpful. I'd love to hear your thoughts about how DJI can improve their customer service. If I get enough feedback I think it would be worth it to approach DJI and have a conversation about this very subject. And hey, DJI, you're welcome to jump in on this conversation if you're reading this!
