The title of this post is simple: “Why I love Microsoft (or, Customer service gets it right).”

My cherished Xbox 360 died a couple of days after Christmas. I took it to my in-laws so we could play, then the “Ring of Light” flashed a bright red. I was prepared to break out the shovels and bury it six feet under.

Alas, it would not come to that. I called customer service because I read Microsoft extended the warranty for the machines built in 2005. They’ve had a high rate of failure, and the date on the back of mine said “December 2005.”

The service rep was extremely nice, and I explained the symptoms. He then stepped me through a process that would eventually make me proud to be a Microsoft customer. He told me they would repair it at no cost to me. Sweet!

He told me to look for a box in the mail. A few days later, a box showed up with instructions. I was to place my beloved “time waster” in this box, apply the seal, slap on the pre-printed shipping label and send it to them.

This past Thursday, another box came to the house. I open it, and there she is! My 360 was home! Or… was she? She looked a tad different. My 360 was shipped to them without a faceplate. There was a brand new one staring back at me.

Curious.

I immediately flipped it around and didn’t recognize the serial number. I looked at the manufacturing date: July 2006. My jaw dropped.

How could this be? My 360 died, and instead of charging me $150 like everyone else to repair it, they sent me a box (free shipping), told me they’d fix it (for free) and did, in my mind, the unthinkable.

They didn’t repair my 360. They sent me a brand spanking new one for nothing… Not one cent. Customer support… Microsoft… treating the customer with the highest respect?

Yep. I’ve never heard of such a corporation going to these lengths. They usually want some money to take care of problems.

So, I sit here with my new 360 (a lot quieter than the old one, too), and I couldn’t be happier with Microsoft. Unlike a lot of people, I’ve always liked MS products. Now, I can say customer support actually thought of the customer.

Kudos to you, Microsoft.