Calling Sony was a really simple process. I have a sound bar that is not working correctly, and I'm not sure whether this is a user error issue or a problem with the sound bar. Therefore, I called customer service because I figured they could help me troubleshoot and work out the problem. If this is a common issue, then they seemed like they would be the best source of information.
Of course, I waited to call because I assumed that I would be on hold forever. After all, Sony is a huge company, and they make dozens of different products. I assumed they would have a high volume of callers, and I would have to wait for a long time, but it wasn't too bad. They have a virtual assistant that helps weed through the potential issues you could be experiencing and even opens a case for you. That makes the entire thing a lot easier and, for me, at least, helped me get to a live agent quickly.
When I first called, a friendly, recorded voice said, "Thank you for calling Sony. I am Sony’s support virtual assistant. How can I help you today?" I said, "Help with a sound bar," and it said, "Please let me know what I can help you with." I was a bit unsure what to say this time since it seemed to ignore the last thing I said. This time, though, I just said, "customer service."
That was the magical word because it prompted the virtual assistant to set me up to talk to a representative. First, it asked me if I already had a case number, and when I told it that I didn't, it said it would open one right now. It asked for my first name and then my last name. Once it confirmed my last name, it said, "Okay, let me quickly create a case for you."
There was a slight pause, and then it came back and gave me a case number. I didn't have anything to write with, but Sony was ahead of me because next, it offered to text me the case number for future reference. I appreciated this last offer since I was driving while making this phone call. That was all it took because it said, "Just a minute while I connect you with an agent." I did have to wait a few minutes to talk to an agent, but it wasn't bad, and the agent helped me figure out that it was a Bluetooth issue and helped me figure it out.