RSC service records

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by Basque1

I am still puzzled at the level of secrecy of this, it makes you feel that you are asking the wrong question from them and that youi are up to something, I just don't like it and I have done all in my power to satisfy that I am and have been the sole owner for 43 years.

Be patient.
It will happen in Rolex time.

[Basque1]

Originally Posted by Dirt

At the end of the day I think you will find that your request is rather unusual in the Rolex world grand scheme of things. Especially since you have been the sole custodian of the watch since new.
It's not inconceivable that the stance taken by Rolex would be in part, intended to discourage such further enquiries. To this I think their strategy is working very well so far.

There used to be an old saying on another well known watch forum which seems to fit he circumstances here, even though it's in relation to another aspect of Rolex ownership.

It goes something like this.
You are never actually the owner of a Rolex watch, as you are really only ever the custodian.
You merely pay for the privilege to wear it.

Well I beg to differ, as an avid collector of other items such as vintage cars and firearms, one of the principal premises of collecting is knowledge of the item. The more specific documentation you can preserve and or gather on that item the more value is attributable to the item at the time of sale or trade,

I am trying to do this with my Rolex, what I should have done I the past, RSC recalcitrant attitude towards my request in my mind is totally unacceptable, I have earned the right to have this information.

[joli160]

Have you tried asking politely by writing an old fashion letter explaining what and why ?
I find that dealing with corporate companies works best that way

[Basque1]

Originally Posted by joli160

Have you tried asking politely by writing an old fashion letter explaining what and why ?
I find that dealing with corporate companies works best that way

What makes you think I did not?

My 1st course of action was sending them a letter with full disclosure of all the info that established my ownership of the watch. They contacted me to tell me that they could only send the info to Zales who was the middleman for my watch service. I agreed to that.

About 2 weeks later followed up with Zales and they informed that nothing has been received. I contacted RSC again, this time they told me that they will only send the info to Zales and the address that he mentioned was an old address. I told him that it was not a good address for that store moved to a new Mall a mile down the road. This is when stupidity settled in---He was determined that they could only use that address, I informed him that the address was no longer existent for the old building had been demolished. I gave him the new address, tel., and the Mgr's name. I asked him to at least let me know via a call as to when they send it so I can pick it up at Zales.

An hour later I get a call from what appears to be his supervisor, with 20 thousand questions as to why was I requesting this info. I explained to her my motives, she still needs to do further search as when the info will be sent if is going to be sent to me.

I think Rolex's demeanor is one of imperious attitude and I think it should be one more of a customer service oriented, especially with the prices these watches command. I have being more than courteous with these people but my patience is running a tad short.

[Dirt]

Perhaps one could consider starting up a collection of bridge building equipment.
See how you go with amassing the documentation for it all to underpin its provenance.

[GMT Aviator]

Basque1

Another way to tackle this might be to take a trip to the RSC in person, if that's feasible for you. Obviously go with the watch, some ID and original sales receipt.

I had some strange dealings with Rolex recently over a GMT I took for service that they confiscated in the basis it was registered with them as stolen. A week later, I was informed that in fact it wasn't stolen and I could proceed with service and have the watch back.
That was a bad week in my life trying to sort that mess out, especially when the mess was unwarrentied in the first place, but what I learnt from it all, is that behind the scenes, Rolex is a traditional company in old sense of the word. They do try ultimately to satisfy the customer within the constraints they set themselves to adhere to backstage privacy and secrecy. They have their protocols and they tend to stick to them.

Failing a visit in person, you need to talk to someone in the service lab themselves. They have access to watch records at the touch of a button. If you can strike up a conversation in a light hearted manor, they may be willing to print off what records they have and mail them to you. It maybe an unconventional and outside the boundaries of their tradition to work in that fashion, but sometimes a bit of levity makes things happen.

I do sometimes think that Rolex need saving from themselves in situations like this.

[Basque1]

Originally Posted by GMT Aviator

Basque1

Another way to tackle this might be to take a trip to the RSC in person, if that's feasible for you. Obviously go with the watch, some ID and original sales receipt.

I had some strange dealings with Rolex recently over a GMT I took for service that they confiscated in the basis it was registered with them as stolen. A week later, I was informed that in fact it wasn't stolen and I could proceed with service and have the watch back.
That was a bad week in my life trying to sort that mess out, especially when the mess was unwarrentied in the first place, but what I learnt from it all, is that behind the scenes, Rolex is a traditional company in old sense of the word. They do try ultimately to satisfy the customer within the constraints they set themselves to adhere to backstage privacy and secrecy. They have their protocols and they tend to stick to them.

Failing a visit in person, you need to talk to someone in the service lab themselves. They have access to watch records at the touch of a button. If you can strike up a conversation in a light hearted manor, they may be willing to print off what records they have and mail them to you. It maybe an unconventional and outside the boundaries of their tradition to work in that fashion, but sometimes a bit of levity makes things happen.

I do sometimes think that Rolex need saving from themselves in situations like this.

Well I am not a fan of driving to NYC I lived in NYC for years until my daughter was born and moved to the suburbs 30 miles north, been much happier since.

But I will give them one more chance to send the records to Zales. I have considered one of my 5 brothers attorneys to take charge, as I have stated before I am a retired Federal officer (DOD) and a NYS licensed Private Investigator so I know my way around these procedures and they can have all these proprietary controls etc but at the end of the day your records are your records. No reason not to release them. But tks for the thoughts.

[Basque1]

It has been since 30 May 2017 that I requested via letter to RSC NYC, a record of the service provided to my watch during the last 43 years that I have owned it. Today 38 days later I visited with Zales so that they call and officially request that these records be sent to them. It is obvious that RSC NYC have a real bug in providing this info, for they requested the Zales sends out a written request of these records. I over heard the conversation through the speaker phone and it is absolutely unbelievable how reluctant they are about releasing these service records. Let's see how long this part II of the saga will take to get these records.
Not much to compliment a company that is supposed to be so exclusive... if you have nothing to hide why not divulge the service to the legitimate owners???? My level of patience is running very thin...

[Basque1]

Update,:
After 60 calendar days and countless phone calls to RSC and with the diligent assistance of Zales Jewelers Manager and after calling once again by the Zales Manger today, I finally got a written report of all the service provided to my GMT 1675 during the last 44 years.


I still refuse to accept that a reputable business concern as Rolex, that NO records are kept and made available to legitimate Rolex OWNERS.

Most definitely RSC is not in the business of good customer relations.

[Golf&Watches]

Well, you now have the service records that you wished for, that's great. I am sorry that you had to wait, as well as pursue Rolex.
I see what they have provided as quite good customer service. Rolex policy has been to not make these available as a standard service, therefore it may have been quite a lot of work to compile this report. However they did provide what you asked for. Now whether their policy (to not provide service records) is good or not is another matter.

[Dirt]

Originally Posted by Golf&Watches

Well, you now have the service records that you wished for, that's great. I am sorry that you had to wait, as well as pursue Rolex.
I see what they have provided as quite good customer service. Rolex policy has been to not make these available as a standard service, therefore it may have been quite a lot of work to compile this report. However they did provide what you asked for. Now whether their policy (to not provide service records) is good or not is another matter.

Rolex has clearly gone well and truly out of their way to accommodate this highly unusual request. This would've taken quite some time by somebody that would've in all likelihood had better things to do given that some of the records would've been in hard copy and buried deep inside archives.

To put it into context we are talking about a 44 year service history pertaining to one particular watch of no historical significance, made by a manufacturer that has been estimated to make between 750,000 and 1,000 000 watches per annum over that time frame.
44 years of records for and insignificant luxury item owned by a nobody

And all for what one may ask?
Just to accommodate the whims of somebody with a strange obsession about compiling records pertaining to everything they own after they woke up from a bad dream one morning and lying in a pool of sweat.

Rolex probably don't even have the systems or mechanisms to accommodate that type of request as part of their day to day business model.
In all practicality it wouldn't even serve their best interests.
Yet they still accommodated the request instead of fobbing such a frivolous enquiry off. To their credit all in the nicest possible Rolex way of course.
"At your service we remain".

In my estimates Rolex has gone way above all others again.
I always thought Rolex would eventually.
It goes to show the depth of their integrity and their commitment to customer service.
Try doing the same thing with your favourite car company and see where it goes?
Or for that matter a normal mass production watch manufacturer.

The OP still has the cheek to criticise their(Rolex) efforts.

[Basque1]

Originally Posted by Dirt

Rolex has clearly gone well and truly out of their way to accommodate this highly unusual request. This would've taken quite some time by somebody that would've in all likelihood had better things to do given that some of the records would've been in hard copy and buried deep inside archives.

To put it into context we are talking about a 44 year service history pertaining to one particular watch of no historical significance, made by a manufacturer that has been estimated to make between 750,000 and 1,000 000 watches per annum over that time frame.
44 years of records for and insignificant luxury item owned by a nobody

And all for what one may ask?
Just to accommodate the whims of somebody with a strange obsession about compiling records pertaining to everything they own after they woke up from a bad dream one morning and lying in a pool of sweat.

Rolex probably don't even have the systems or mechanisms to accommodate that type of request as part of their day to day business model.
In all practicality it wouldn't even serve their best interests.
Yet they still accommodated the request instead of fobbing such a frivolous enquiry off. To their credit all in the nicest possible Rolex way of course.
"At your service we remain".

In my estimates Rolex has gone way above all others again.
I always thought Rolex would eventually.
It goes to show the depth of their integrity and their commitment to customer service.
Try doing the same thing with your favourite car company and see where it goes?
Or for that matter a normal mass production watch manufacturer.

The OP still has the cheek to criticise their(Rolex) efforts.

Dear "DIRT":
First and foremost thanks for your cataloguing me as a nobody owner of an insignificant Rolex. I will try to the best of my ability to rise above the DIRT and ignore such complimentary statements. That been said, I have too many great friends in Australia to catalog them within your realm.
As for my "whims" perhaps you are unaware of insurance company requirements as it pertains to assessed valued of insured items. In this Country and as required by my Insurer I need as much paperwork on insured items which will corroborate their value as possible and I was asked for them. So this is the whim that I woke up one day in a pool of sweat...

In so far as Rolex, I still stand by my comments that they are not in the business of great customer relations, for as reputable as they are tantamount to Rolls Royce. I can assure you that RR has records of every single vehicle they build and will be willing to made them available to their loyal customers upon request and devoid of secrecy and intrigue as well as inquisitional questioning as the need for these records.

The demeanor displayed by the RSC Dept representatives leaves too much to be desired for a company as reputable as Rolex. Absolutely these individuals lacked "class"

As a collector of other very valuable items, it is common practice to amass as much documented information on a specific item as possible. In this process, more times than once discoveries are made that will increase exponentially the value of the specific item.

Reputable companies i.e Rolex, Rolls Royce, Ferrari are compelled to treat their customers, even " nobodies" as you eloquently classified me, with the respect that they deserve for the loyalty of acquiring their product.

With regards to your statement of the favourite car company, I must attest that in my dealings with them, whichever it has been, I have always obtained the records that my vehicles are entitled, particularly if it is a collector's item.

I am sorry that my "whim in a pool of sweat" precipitated you so much heartburn that compelled you to write such a lengthened response... have a "nice day mate"

[Dirt]

I'm very glad we got that off our chests