Quality problems at LEGO? It is often the customer's fault ...

Today we are talking about the problems that we all encounter one day or another with our LEGO products: missing parts, inventory problems or various and varied pad printing defects. During the last Fan Media Days, we were treated to a presentation on how LEGO is handling these various issues and what steps are being taken to try to resolve some of them. So I give you here what I have retained, all accompanied as usual by some very personal thoughts on the subject.

For LEGO, the observation is simple: if 86% of complaints recorded by customer service concern missing parts, this statistic should not be taken at face value and the manufacturer is not solely responsible. LEGO only takes care of 25% of these complaints and provides us with an explanation for the rest: 50% of these requests would in fact relate to parts lost by the customer, 15% would relate to the absence of one or more minifigs. in the box and LEGO half-confirms being aware that this type of request is very often a simple attempt to be "offered" a few minifigures and 10% of requests are the result of assembly errors or interpretation of the visuals in the instruction booklet.

It is difficult to question the customer's word, it is not the brand's policy and "missing" parts are generally replaced without discussion. LEGO nevertheless confirms that it is taking measures to stem the tide of requests for the minifigs supposedly missing in the box by closely monitoring those who try a little too often to take advantage of the manufacturer's largesse.

Although the percentage of requests attributed to errors in assembly or interpretation of instructions is relatively low, LEGO says it takes the issue very seriously. When customer service finds that a significant number of requests are for the same set and the same part in inventory, the manufacturer does not hesitate to review their copy and change the instructions to make the confusing steps more legible and limit the risk of confusion between two parts with similar design and identical color.

LEGO, for example, changes the viewing angle of certain steps or adds visual pictograms which specify which part similar to another to use at a specific time during assembly. Several sets were given to us as examples with the parts in their inventory which were often indicated as missing by customers (see visuals above).

Another problem was also discussed on which it is impossible to question the customer this time: the quality of the pad printing of certain parts. It is important to note that LEGO has not launched a product recall campaign since 2009 and the brand clearly indicates this on its website, as an argument in favor of the quality of its products.

When a problem is the subject of numerous reports to customer service, the manufacturer therefore tries to offer solutions that do not require a recall or replacement of the complete product and delivers modification kits as was the case. in 2015 for the set LEGO Ideas 21303 WALL-E or a simple batch of parts that will correct the technical or aesthetic defect encountered by the customer.

Some of these fixes are made public so that the majority of set buyers can take advantage of them, but most of these changes go unannounced and LEGO just waits for the affected customer to pick up their phone to complain. Useful to avoid publicly admitting a production problem.

The pad printing alignment issues on the vehicle from the LEGO Creator Expert set 10265 Ford Mustang marketed in April 2019 were obviously mentioned during the conference. For LEGO, the source of the problem was quickly identified: It is a misalignment of the parts during their printing in the factory in Kladno (Czech Republic) and the manufacturer certifies having found a solution to this problem. . We suspected it, but that's all LEGO has to say on the subject.

We want to take the manufacturer's word for it, but those who bought the LEGO Creator Expert set 10272 Old Trafford - Manchester United in January 2020, however, had to be content with a lawn whose markings are not really aligned. We can therefore see that the speed of LEGO's reaction to this pad printing problem is quite relative. I am willing to take inertia into account in making decisions and their application within a large group, but it has been almost a year between the two products mentioned above ...

The other recurring problem that has been discussed concerns some minifigures whose flesh-colored face, pad-printed on a dark surface, appears extremely pale. The comparison with the official visuals present on the manufacturer's online store is final, the "real" product does not conform. This problem does not affect only the faces of some minifigs, it is present on almost all dark parts that receive a lighter pattern.

Here too, LEGO confirms that it is aware of the problem and has already temporarily and partially improved the manufacturing process pending "a reliable long-term solution". This answer is obviously not satisfactory, minifigs from very recent sets are still affected by this problem and one is entitled to wonder why the quality control allowed these products to end up on the shelves and did not block these parts then reported the problem. LEGO is content to admit that it should have been the case but kicks in by promising that measures will be taken in this direction ...

In the end, I didn't learn much and neither did you following this conference which seemed to me very focused on the desire to minimize all the problems that LEGO encounters. The manufacturer listens to their customers, no doubt about it, but the information given to us about manufacturing issues and the time frame for their resolution is far too vague to be convincing.

I came out of this video conference with the feeling that I had been given a well-honed speech that is more about image marketing than the transparency expected from a manufacturer who makes the quality of its products. its main argument. We know, we are working on it, solutions are gradually being implemented, etc ... I was waiting for more concrete statements to relay to you here.

I would like to point out that the examples mentioned here are those selected by LEGO to talk about its quality policy and the few other questions asked, such as the change in material which now affects the transparency of certain parts, did not obtain very convincing answers. On this specific point, LEGO is content to indicate that the change of material was necessary to progress towards more environmentally friendly solutions, avoiding the degradation of the main function, transparency, of the parts concerned.

The lesson to be learned: If you have any problem with a product you just purchased, don't wait and report it to customer service. It is hardly more than the number of returns on a particular defect that can force LEGO to react and to propose a solution. However, you will need to be patient to be successful, while LEGO understands that you are not the only one having a problem and that it may not therefore be your fault.