Id like to share with you my experience with repairing Bosch dishwasher.
My dishwasher stopped working. It wouldnt complete the cycle, and then it wouldnt fill up. I called Bosch and scheduled a service appointment. The earlier time they had was in a week. 1st visit: A week after service call.
The repairman came to my house, removed front decorative panel, removed the door cover, and told me that problem was with a water collected in the bottom tray. He asked me for paper towels. I gave him towels and expressed my surprise that he didnt have a suction tool to remove water since this seems to be a common problem. He agreed with me it was good that I had the paper towels on-hands. He mapped water, assembled everything back together, told me to use less soap and to load dirtier dishes, turned the machine on, charged me $147 and left. The dishwasher didnt complete the cycle. I called service again, and they promised to send repairman again not sooner then in a week. I was also told that Bosch would wave a visit fee for second visit. I asked for credit for time that technician would have to spend on second visit doing duplicate tacks like assembly/disassembly, and was told it would be up to technician to decide. I asked what criteria would technician use in his decision making, and was told its up to technician and his office. I asked his office or manager or supervisor contact info, or anyone who can explain me in advance what would potential charges be based on, and was refused.
2nd visit: Two weeks with broken dishwasher
The same repairman came. He removed the panel, removed the door cover, reached for the roll of paper towels above the counter and mapped water from the tray, then pulled dishwasher out. He couldnt find a leek, and he told me the same thing as before, to use less soap and to load dirtier dishes, and was about to leave. I stopped him. After further and thorough investigation he was able to find a leek, ordered a part and scheduled another appointment in a week. Then he pushed dishwasher back and was going to leave. I asked him to hang back the deco front panel before leaving. He did it. Then I asked him to line and level the dishwasher. He had to removed the deco panel again and put it back because he forgot something. It was still not leveled. He removed and put back door and deco panel again, rocking dishwasher back and forth, and then I suggested him to adjust back legs which he lowered earlier. So, he removed deco panel again, and adjusted legs and put it back. Only this time he did not insert brackets located the panels back into the socket on the door cover. He was ready to walk out, when I noticed that panel was separated from the door. I stopped him; he removed the panel and started fiddling with the brackets. I advised him against the use of power screw driver telling him he would damage the tread. He didnt listen, and then I saw that he actually over tighten the screws on the bracket and ripped the piece of particle board. He told me that he cannot be responsible for damage because the panel was installed with different screws then ones provided by Bosch. He never mentioned different screws prior to it although he removed the panel at least five times.
This deco panel is made of thin steel rapped around particle board. The use of particle board in this part doesnt associate in my mind with German engineering. More IKEA then Bosch. This is just too fragile material, and it meant to be installed once and not to be touched again. The panel is attached to the door with two brackets and four screws. The screws on the brackets are original; the four others are probably not. I didnt install this dishwasher; it came with my house. I can only assume that in the past the panel had to be removed, and the thread was damaged which required the use of larger screws instead of original ones. However, it was hanging securely until now.
After man left, I called the service line and complained about ripped bracket. I was asked to e-mail pictures which I did. No one responded so I called back in a couple of days to check on status. I was flatly told that Bosch will not repair or replace broken panel because according to the repairman it was not his fault. I tried to explain that the part of particle board that the repairman has damaged is around bracket that is still attached with original screws, but the person wouldnt listen, telling me that this was not that technician told them. I also asked why wouldnt technician mention the incorrect screws to me previously since he was here to fix things, and was told that its not technicians job to tell me whats wrong with my dishwasher. I asked to escalate this issue, to review the pictures I sent, and was promised that management would contact me. This havent happened so far. I also asked for a different service person to be sent on next visit.
3rd visit - in three weeks after first call, a new repairman arrived. He told me upfront that the replacement part they sent him is missing seals so he would unable to install it. He still wanted to check the dishwasher to make sure that he would order the right part. He followed a different process from the technician before him in order to remove the bottom trays cover. Finally, he confirm the previous diagnosis. He scheduled another appointment with me in a week. After this appointment I sent a fax to Bosch's CEO Michael Traub. I haven't heard back. 4th visti - roughtly four weeks without dishwasher - the repairman arrived, worked about an hour, changed a part, charged me $55.75 for the part, and left. Needless to say, he didn't have a replacement deco panel with him nor he know anyting about it. I loaded the dishwasher after guy keft, and started it. It wouldn't complete the cycle, stopped at 1.
My wife and I bought Bosch dishwasher for our other house back in and are still very pleased with it. We recommended Bosch to all, and my brother has bought one as well. We were planning to replace one we have in our new house with regular-size Bosch soon (we have 18" one). However, we are really taken aback by casual pace of service, by inadequate level of professionalism of repair technicians, by seemed lack of process for resolving customer complains and issues. Three weeks after my call for service we are still doing dishes by hand, my dishwasher in worse condition then before, and I lost three work days, while being charged for repairs that are still forthcoming. Even if leak would be fixed on October 2, I still need to figure out what to do about broken front decorative panel, broken by Bosch technician but for which Bosch would not accept responsibility, and without which dishwasher isnt operable. When we will remodel our kitchen next year, we will certainly think twice before buying another Bosch. God forbid it would need a service!
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