This post was originally published on LinkedIn.

It's Monday afternoon, and we've just arrived at the cabin. It's 10 degrees of frost outside, and about as cold inside. The first thing that catches my eye when I open the old door is a frantic red light blinking at me at a high pace. This can't be good, I think, before I move purposefully across the floor towards the speaker. The Sonos has called it quits.

Not surprising, I think. During the winter months, it's not uncommon to have 20-30 degrees below zero outside Hønefoss, so it's probably the battery that's given up. A quick Google search confirms my suspicion.

I find my way to a Sonos forum, and there it says to contact Sonos if this type of error occurs. Flashing red disco lights on the front of the Sonos = battery failure. Let's give it a try.

Sonos dot com.

It's 17:49 and I'm a bit afraid that the chat is closed, but the green light makes me think otherwise. I'm number 1 in the queue.

«Hei, Jeg heter Patricia. Hva kan jeg hjelpe deg med?»

I start describing the problem, a bit puzzled that I'm now typing in Norwegian. A minute later, I've detailed the issue. Send.

«Takk for at du tok kontakt med oss. Vi skal prøve vårt beste for å hjelpe deg.»

Nice auto-reply, I think. It's nice talking to such a corporate-bot. I've done that many times before. «I såbbe situasjoner når Sonos Move vil ikke reagere lenger så tar vi et par tester og til slutt konkluderer vi om produktet kan erstattes.»

Wait a minute. Was that a slight typo I saw there? A quick glance down at the keyboard confirms that, yes – B is right next to N.

I'm still a bit puzzled that the conversation is in Norwegian, while I'm trying to remember when I bought the Sonos. It's several years old. I quickly switch to the Gmail app on my phone.

Yes. Purchased four years ago. Then I can probably FORGET about getting it replaced. Such international giants have a nasty habit of wriggling out of Norwegian consumer purchase laws. Just TRY to make a claim on an Apple product that's 2 years and 1 day old, and you'll see.

I switch back to the Chrome app, mentally preparing myself for getting nowhere with this. Before I write anything, Patricia has written the following, unsolicited:

«Garantien hos oss er 5 år. Hvis porduktet er defekt da er vi rett med å erstatte produktet.»

Even more typos. How delightfully HUMAN, I think to myself.

«Linjen vil bli stengt om 7 minutter, og jeg er ikke sikker på at vi vil ha nok tid til å feilsøke dette, men vi kan starte, hvis vi ikke klarer å avslutte det, fortsetter vi i morgen.»

OK, let's do this.

First, I'm asked to provide contact details, in case we get disconnected.

Patricia then asks me to test what can be tested, and I get more and more stressed as we approach closing time.

«Du må holde inne for 30 sekunder, hadde du gjørt det så snart?»

(yes, I might have taken SOME shortcuts in the troubleshooting, but only on things I had tested before the call. Scout's honor.)

It's already 18:11, and the last thing I was asked to enter was the serial number I found on the bottom of the speaker.

«Går det greit hvis du venter 2-3 minutter?»

OK for ME? It's YOU who were supposed to leave work fifteen minutes ago, Patricia!

«Takk for at du ventet, da kan vi konkludere at produktet er defekt og vi er rett med å erstatte den for deg under garantiperioden.»

Thank YOU, Patricia, for being more concerned about solving MY problem than getting home from work as quickly as possible. And thank you, #sonos, for being GIANT yet resolving issues quickly, remotely, and at a time when most others are closed. And even in my own language, with a REAL person on the other end.

By 18:20, as promised, I had a completed return label in my inbox, and DHL is coming to my door to pick up the defective speaker tomorrow.

Love it.

The Sonos Move has been through an exceptionally rough journey during its four-year life, including:

• Total immersion in saltwater due to RIB-driving gone bad

• Subsequent rinsing with a garden hose

• Active use in temperatures ranging from 35+ to -20 degrees, in all kinds of weather

• An absurd number of charging cycles

...as well as countless bumps and falls on various rock outcrops.

This must be the best product in the world. And Sonos still thinks it should have lasted another year.

—

This is post no. 2 in a series about GOOD customer experiences.

And for those who think it's a BIT odd to get SO excited about good customer experiences like this:

Unfortunately, it's not a given that one will have a problem with a product or service resolved in such a smooth, and not least, pleasant manner. In a world where planned obsolescence has become the industry standard, and mega-popular brands feel SUPER COOL if they offer a whole TWO-year warranty, one can be impressed by less.

Besides, there's enough ranting out there. Stay tuned for more GOOD customer experiences.