Customer service - Raves, not rants.
 

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!)

Emailed Cocomats about a dye I could use for their cocomats in my BoxsterS because they had faded. Instead of responding they sent me a new set of mats!

I got a Leatherman Multi-Tool as a gift many, many years ago... it was one of the first. Several years after receiving it I used the straight screwdriver blade at a right angle to the handle to really twist on a screw and I broke it off (the screwdriver blade)... I continued to use the tool less the blade for a few more years. Then one day I put it in an envelope with a note saying I did it, my fault, how much to repair? They sent me a brand new (not a re-furb) replacement tool free of charge.
Fast forward to a few years ago - I've moved to Portland where the tools are made, and in the small world this town is I met Tim Leatherman at a tennis match. We since have become casual friends mostly around tennis - although he did give us a fabulous tour of the factory... I related my replacement story to him and his reply was "we've gotten more dedicated customers by giving no-questions replacements than any ad campaign ever could" He's right - I've got at least 5 of their tools, and have told the replacement story countless times to people who well may have bought tools too. Tim is retired now, but still does trade shows and events. He's a true gentleman and a perfect example of how a good business can be founded and operated.

Very happy with Geico insurance. Excellent service every time I call.

I order all my music gear through Sweetwater in Indiana. Great service. They assign you to a real human being. This is my guy:

Jorge Padilla
jorge_padilla@sweetwater.com

Mirrors my customer service experience with Leatherman, no hesitation to recommend their tools, love mine and love how I was treated.

Thanks for the thread, Herr Oberst and nice stories!

Gratifying to hear that there are still companies willing to go the extra mile.

I have a couple items that never panned out the way I had hoped....maybe I'll try reaching out. Will let you know....

I love Geico also . I can see no reason for me to go anywhere else for insurance . I wish they could cover my shop .

linode.com

Pre-Amazon AWS adn "the cloud" in general, Linode offered VPSes with total control for the customer for $20/mo. I wanted my students in my "Network Services with Linux" class to use them to host a VM for 2 months while we covered Internet stuff like DNS, webservers, and email. The problem is/was Linode required a credit card, and about 75% of my students are/were on financial aid, which had to be used via voucher system at the college bookstore.

One email sent, and Linode was prepared to bundle 3 months of service as a "book" (coupon code/etc) that could then be sold in teh bookstore.

Never went through with it - bookstore wanted to add 40% profit for them on teh price and financial aid switched to a credit card system - but the response time and willingness was really impressive.

Blinds.com

I ordered plantation shutters through them. I spoke to customer service to ensure I got the shutter materials and window sizing exact. It arrived exactly how I ordered it though I didn't pay for expedite so it took ~ 6 weeks. Easy install. However...all the windows in our home have 2.5" shutter blades. Somehow I thought they were 3.5" and that is what I ordered and got. DOH!! I called customer service, admitted my mistake, and they happily submitted a change request for 2.5" blades. The new panels arrived in a couple weeks and were a perfect fit. Zero charge for change or shipping. AWESOME!

Osprey is another outdoor company with great service! Their warranty policy is pretty much any issue for life is covered.

SOG - Specialty Knives and Backpacks
Stellar customer service. Had a big backpack that failed near a seam, they asked for a few pictures and overnighted another one that day free of charge.

RaceDeck flooring. I needed extra tiles to modify a few areas and they just sent them for nothing and I intended to pay. Wouldn't hear of it. Later, like a year later when I was doing another project and wanted more, same thing. They just stuck them in the mail, no charge.

I do real estate development. Not construction, but development. I take farmland and turn it into buildings with paved streets. One of the worst parts of the job is dealing with utilties companies. But during the past two years I have had great dealings with PG&E of all companies.

They've been totally responsive, helpful, creative in solving problems, and have gone above and beyond to help me. I wrote a note and called my PG&E service rep and asked that he be remembered at year end when it's time to hand out bonuses and comendations. He got one commendation already I am told, for working on my job sites.

Had a good experience with BabyBrezza just this week. It’s a food steamer and blender to make baby food at home. (Think like a Cuisanart Mini-prep)

We got this unit when our first son was born. Used it a littl over a year and the main bowl had stress cracked from heat cycles. It leaked pretty bad. We cleaned it and stored it away.

Fast Forward 5 years and now our 4 month old is ready to taste food.

My wife called Brezza and asked about purchasing replacement parts. “No we don’t sell Parts, but are you the original purchaser”? The Rep. played a little bit of 20 questions with my wife but then said “Ok, we’ll send you a new bowl at no charge”

That was Monday. It arrived yesterday and wasn’t just a bowl, but the whole assembly with blades, armature, lid etc!

New baby will be spitting out steamed squash in no time. 👶

I’ve had other good experiences with outdoor companies replacing tent polls and damaged zippers gratis too. Nice when companies step up even when it was “your fault” and you’re willing to pay for replacement or repair.

Marmot jackets. I had one that was 8 years old and the grip came off of one of the zippers. I contacted them about getting a new grip. They said nope, send the jacket back, we'll put on a whole new zipper, dry clean it, repair any other broken zippers or snaps, and send it back. All it cost me was shipping to their facility.

Our host does a pretty good job too. I've never asked for anything big, but they have been willing to help with the couple of issues I have brought up.

Saeco super automatic coffee makers. I bought a refurb unit for about half the cost of a new one and it broke within the warranty period. They sent another refurb, which broke in a few weeks. Then they sent me a brand new one. It's been working perfectly for 9 years.

Green County Ohio building inspection services. They went out of their way to help me get my remodeling project done on schedule.

Shout out to Summitt Racing customer service. I ordered a tachometer, arrived quickly but the front glass was cracked. I called them and they overnighted a replacement........on Saturday. The tach costs me @$110.

L L Bean & Stew Leonard's

Cabelas. Not sure now that bass pro bought them but in the past they’ve been great. Two buddies and I had their breathable waders with leaks around the boots. Mine had gone nearly a decade before giving up. All three of us had bought them at various times. Nobody had receipts but they are cabelas brand so not so big a deal. So we took a 2 hr road trip and lined up at the service counter. 15 minutes later all three had gift cards for the current price.


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Just this week I had excellent customer service from an industry that doesn’t get much positive press for its customer service. I was flying Delta airlines and had a tight connection in Atlanta. As I was getting off the plane, still in the jetway, a nice lady held up a sign with my name on it. She escorted me down the stairs to an awaiting Porsche Cayenne and took me to my plane. Walked me back up the stairs into the jetway. I will say I am a FREQUENT flyer with Delta but I was on a regular fare ticket. Not everyone with my connection got this same service. I noticed the others made the flight as well but were the last people to get on the plane.

It is nice to know that customer loyalty does pay, sometimes.