Customer service - Raves, not rants.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

Stomachmonkeys rant about MS got me laughing because we have all been there, especially the response about trying to kill a subscription that auto-renews. GRR!

HOWEVER, in the last year, I've reached out to three different companies and their customer service departments were just outstanding. Just today, I wrote to Yukon outfitters wanting to know if they had a replacement buckle for a little daypack that I use and really like. Parker got right back to me and she's sending me a new buckle, gratis.

I had a pair of Merrell hiking boots that would put a hotspot in my achilles since I bought them 5 years ago. I kept thinking they would break in but it never happened, so they were never my go-to hiking boots, I just used others. I was ready to give them to goodwill, but I decided to just go ahead and contact them, just to see if they would warranty them.
They sent me a new pair, all I had to do was pay to ship the old ones back. The new ones fit great, problem is solved.

I have a pair of carbon fiber trekking poles, one of them broke, and Cascade Mountain Tech sent me a new part, it took less than two days.

These companies have three things in common, one, they are outdoor equipment companies, two, they are "little guys" that are doing what it takes to maintain customer loyalty, and three, I was made to feel as though it was no problem at all for them to work with me.

I'll definitely buy from all three of these companies again.

(Conversely, I tried to get The North Face to warranty a backpack once, for an obvious manufacturing defect, and they said no and sent me a catalog, which I promptly sent back!)

Northface weren't like that years ago. Now, they have gotten too big and are only interested in selling to cool young urban folks who like mountaineering parks in 65 degree temp while walking along the boardwalk. Sad.

I had their down jacket's seam come apart and they ask me to send it to them and it got fixed, send back to me within three weeks. This was 15-10 years ago

[mjohnson]

My Chris Reeve knife had a loose screw for a month or so before it finally fell out and was lost. It was one of those "rivet looking" post and socket types holding the handle together.

I tried to order the screw from them - fully admitting that I noted it and ignored it for weeks and there was nothing wrong with the knife.

They sent two pair of screws (a spare set for when I neglect it again) for free. They were super nice about it, too.

Crazy how much goodwill a dollar worth of hardware will build in a customer!

[VincentVega]

I'm ordering a bunch of stuff for the boat. The website is good but I had a few questions. Quick call and a person answers. Initially I wasnt sure I dialed the right #. She was very helpful but didnt know one thing, passed me to the person that does that. Right away I was talking with the person in charge of that component. I asked him about another component, he wasnt sure and passed me to the person making tracks. In less than 5 min I got all my questions answered, got some advice and went away very impressed.

garhauer marine https://garhauermarine.com/

They make good parts and are great to deal with

[wdfifteen]

This is not exactly a customer service story - maybe just the opposite.
I had been supporting our local elder care facility with donations for a decade or so. This is the best rated place in Ohio. When my father needed care for his alzheimers we applied and they said there was a waiting list. I went in personally and talked to the directors, told them who I was - and a room miraculously opened up. I kind of feel bad that somebody else might have had to wait, but I ask myself if this person was really more needing of care, and also if it weren't for people like us who support the facility with donations, if they would even have had the opportunity to be on the waiting list. Still kind of conflicted, but I can tell you (and I didn't tell them) that if my dad had had to go to a grade B facility while I was financially supporting the grade A place, my support to the grade A place would have stopped.

[billybek]

Check out my thread about the Audi dealership in Burlington Ma.
Audi Burlington Ma.
They simply went above and beyond my expectations...