Even though this TCL number is meant to be used only for sound systems and sound bars, getting any information out of calling this number was akin to pulling teeth. On the positive side of the ledger, this number is meant to help cut down on possible wait times because it's only meant to be used for one aspect of TCL's products, as televisions, mobile devices and appliances all have separate numbers.
In that sense, it handles its job well. When I dialed this number, I had a wait time of less than a minute before I was connected with a customer service representative. I didn't have to make any choices through the menu other than English or Spanish; I was simply taken right to the representative.
I further discovered that if you have ever called TCL for support before for any of its products and they've taken your information, it's automatically saved in the system. I had previously given my information to a representative from the television phone service number, and my name, phone number and email address were all already in TCL's system. If you're a genuine customer, I can see that being a very positive addition to limit wait times; as someone calling for information, I found it unnerving.
When the representative asked how she could help, I told her I wanted to know the difference between two different models of soundbars and which would work best for me. She said that she wanted to confirm my information before she would offer any assistance, as well as confirm the model number for my television. Even though the TV was a completely separate product, I still had to provide that information before I could actually proceed to my actual question.
When I could finally ask again, she seemed to stumble over the models and product knowledge. I had to repeat the model numbers to her multiple times before she was finally able to understand what I was asking. Eventually, she was able to tell me that the 5.1 model featured two additional small speakers to go with the soundbar, while the 3.1 model did not and included just the soundbar. She said that the 5.1 model also included a higher sound capability, but both models included both tweeters and Dolby sound quality to provide a complete sound experience with my television.
Overall, I was not particularly impressed with this service call. I get that TCL wants to ensure it's serving genuine customers and limiting wait times, which is good, but it seems unnecessary to me to provide information that has nothing to do with my question. If I'd been calling about a television or had even called the TV phone number, that would have made more sense. But between asking me for unrelated information and a lack of ability to understand what I was saying, I didn't feel comfortable with her product knowledge. Based on this experience, I would not want to use this phone number if I needed assistance from TCL.