Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Watch The Time Lapse Video!! I don't normally write reviews but figured since it's a new year I'd start. I also appreciate when consumers who actually purchased the item write the review. I did not receive any compensation or free product for writing this review. However, if anybody from iRobot reads this please see my constructive criticism at the bottom. Maybe we could discuss the algorithm used to diagnose robot issues. If Jeff Bezos is reading I will write reviews all day long for only 1000 Amazon stock options a year and quit my day job. I originally purchased the Braava in September of 2013 after having success with the Roomba. It stopped working after a month and Amazon sent me a replacement. I also purchased an extra Northstar navigation cube and extra microfiber clothes. I use Bona hardwood cleaner solution on wood floors and Swiffer wet sweepers on tile. The robot comes with a reservoir pad and a pad that allows you to attach a Swiffer. The product is a little more difficult to use than the vacuuming robots but it gets the job done. The Northstar cubes need an unobstructed view of the ceiling and you have to pair them before starting. The manual has decent directions. The robot had stopped working awhile back and I didn't bother to troubleshoot it. After buying a replacement battery for $11.50 it has been working fine. Originally I called iRobot to troubleshoot the robot and they weren't much help diagnosing the problem. When the robot is having issues the red light blinks a certain amount of times. The customer service rep asked how many times the red light was blinking. Once I gave them this information they told me it could be the charging dock, the robot, or the battery. That really narrowed it down. lol. They suggested plugging the AC adapter straight into the bottom of the robot overnight to bypass the charging dock. When that didn't work they suggested that I send it back and pay $150(shipping not included) for a refurbished model without the dock or buy a ridiculously overpriced battery from the iRobot website. I told them that I would start with replacing the battery and see how it worked. It's been working well so far but if it begins to start having issues I might take advantage of the replacement deal. I have about 1,000 square feet of space in the kitchen and 2,000 in the living room. The Braava can only sufficiently clean one at a time. The robot does a good job covering most of the area. However, I move the cubes around different areas of the house, occasionally replace the cleaning solution or Swiffer, and alternate between the living room and kitchen between charges. I always use the sweeping mode because it seems to cover the greatest amount of area. The manual says to only use water buy I've been using diluted Bona for awhile with no issues. I have had to replace the reservoir pad but it had a crack which was most likely damage inflicted by somebody in my home. The robot is never going to scrub the floors as well as a human but will spend hours cleaning the floors. If you run it everyday for a few weeks that's a lot of cleaning that most of us don't have time for. I would run all your robots as much as you can in the beginning so if anything is defective you can send it back to Amazon and get a replacement. It's easier to deal with Amazon with returns than manufacturers. In the time lapse videos you can't see much difference after cleaning because I have been running the robot often since replacing the battery. I gave the product 4 stars because it has had issues over the years and iRobot was not very helpful with troubleshooting the device. iRobot - I think your technology is amazing and originally your customer service followed suit. However, when I recently spoke with a customer service representative they seemed to not be very helpful and had little appreciation for loyal customers. I have purchased a total of 3 Braavas and 5 Roombas along with multiple replacement parts over the past several years. Most of the robots I gave to others as gifts. A friend of mine recently admitted that they hadn't used their Braava because it stopped working. My friend didn't want to tell me or attempt to troubleshoot it. They were not aware that iRobot customer service is usually very helpful and troubleshooting the robot is simple. Asking how many lights are blinking on the Braava and then telling me to replace the entire unit before replacing the battery is preposterous. I know times have been great with low interest rates and everybody spending beyond their means, but there may be a correction soon. When that time comes you need to ask yourself if you want to sell to the masses and rely on volume and questionable customer service practices or focus on the demographic that got you to where you are in the first place. Costco is an example of a company that has survived during feast and famine by relying on good quality and customer service. Take a look at the demographic they appeal to and how they've faired with fluctuations in the economy. Just my two cents.