In the latest gripping episode of my TV heartache, you’ll be enthralled to learn that my faulty Philips TV has finally been picked up, after only 15 days’ wait and an aggregate hour and a half on hold in a call queue, waiting to talk to Philips customer “service” people. I now get to wait 10-14 working days to get the £1,500 set back - but that number may vary, says the guy who picked the thing up.

Writing this series of posts has been an interesting experience. I’ve had a few expressions of sympathy in the inbox, and been told some interesting stuff about Philips reputation for build quality - or, rather, lack of it - by people who really know their consumer electronics stuff (that is - people in the business of dealing with the damned things).

One conclusion: I know advertising is all about creating a myth around a product, but there appears to be a serious disparity between Philips brand and reputation (which they appear to manage very carefully), and the reality of its products.

This may be changing, not least because of huge problems like a huge house call programme to fix potentially faulty flat screens in the US, and the online reports of people left with expensive paperweights by malfunctioning Philips goods and appalling customer service. As some of those links show, it seems you’re either happy because the thing works well (which is why you bought it), or madly, madly frustrated because it doesn’t, and the only way out feels like a form of punishment, not remedy.

Which poses lots of questions. Like: if reputation is a mix of marketing message and word of mouth, will the internet start (or has it begun to) edge the balance towards word of mouth? This is the Jarvis/MacLeod dream, but I’m afraid I’ve yet to see much evidence of it becoming reality.

And what about customer service when things go wrong? It’s an area ignored by technology media, which are mostly only interested in what the manufacturers offer up next (I know: I did it too). But as problems with customer service start to be more widely reported online, will the technology companies be forced to talk more about what happens when their stuff dies? Maybe offer guarantees on levels of service - turnaround times, or call queue times - in order to make the sale? Or just get better to save their reputation?

In other news, I see that Philips CEO, Peter Maskell, is speaking at the Institute of Directors here in London later in the month, at their “Increasing profits through technology” summit. His topic: “simplicity in technology”. I doubt I’ll make it, but I’d love to put the questions to him. Maybe I should try to find his email address…

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