[OP]
Member
Well after having it out with the manager of the Rockler store where I purchased it 5 weeks ago, he told me they didnt order it until 17 days after I walked into the store and paid cash up front for it....I was a little hot after hearing that and voiced my displeasure with the customer service I have received in this case. I FINALY received the call this afternoon that it is in and ready for me to pick up tomorrow! Now I am excited and cant wait to go get it and have some fun!
Member
Sorry to here about that Tim, but I'm sure you'll forget all about it once you get to turning on your new lathe, congrats.
Contributor
Yep it will be a forgot memory after the first turning.
Bernie
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do the day after tomorrow.
To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.
Member
I would be looking for $ back.
Things like this deserve $ off.
Contributor
What lathe did you get?
Remember, in a moments time, everything can change!
Vision - not just seeing what is, but seeing what can be!
[OP]
Member
You all are right that I will most likely forget about it once I have pick it up and get to use it, but when it told me they didnt order for 17 days after I paid for it, well that just isnt right.
@ Roger - I got the Jet 1220VS, I am very excited to go pick it up in the morning, I have spent the past couple of weeks trying to get my shop somewhat organized and am now ready for it down there.
@ Rob - I fully agree with you on this, but doubt they will come across with anything, but I will see tomorrow when I go to pick it up, maybe they will do right by me, I have another $650 in cash in my pocket for access. I am going to be picking up tomorrow, I havnt decided if I am spending it there, or going across town to WoodCraft and let them have my business with the extras I need.
Member
+1 for what Rob said and i would add that if it were me and no cooperation on that score or something along those lines i would definitely be spending the other 650 someplace else , but that might just be me :-)
Member
Tim,
I would contact customer service on line and tell them your story. Include the manager's name and dates, as much as possible. AND ask some questions... Here are some of mine:
Why did your manager wait 17 days before ordering an already paid for piece of merchandise?
Why, after ordering the lathe 17 days after I purchased it did it take so long to have the lathe delivered?
Why didn't anyone tell me these circumstances and keep me updated as things progressed?
Why do you think I should continue to be a customer of Rockler and, based on this transaction, how could you expect me to recommend Rockler to my friends?
Point out that if you had ordered from them ON LINE you would have gotten better service. And that Rockler is FAR from the only vendor who sells this item.
I wouldn't ask for anything, I'd wait and see what (not if) they offer you something. And let them know that you are being the good guy by taking the time to tell them about the customer service/advertising problem they have. You could have just gotten your money back and taken your business somewhere else and let them founder.
Personally, I wouldn't have waited. I would have heard 17 days and said REFUND and ordered on line from anyone else and STILL told of my displeasure.
Let me add, the things I have ordered on line from Rockler have all been delivered in a very timely manner.
Originally Posted by Tim Thiebaut
Last edited by George Guadiane; 12-14-2010 at 7:49 AM.
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Contributor
FWIW, sometimes things like this come direct from the manufacturer, and they have to wait until they have a big enough order or they'll have to charge you the freight charge. Even if that's the case, he should have told you that, but I'm just saying that there's probably another side to this and it was probably just a misunderstanding.
Member
Right on almost every count John... However, you have a guy who put up his money, on the spot and was just left hanging. As a person who deals with customers fairly often, that is NOT how one treats a customer.
Merchandise is the easiest thing for a retailer to get. CUSTOMERS make the difference between failure and success. If the manager knew about a delay, he should have said so, right away and let the customer decide what they wanted to do. If it was an oversight, then the manager should have called the customer and told him so and asked him if he still wanted to complete the deal. If the customer had said "yes," then the manager should have let that customer know of any delays that came up after that point.
The customer would and reasonably SHOULD expect that the order would go right in. Since he heard nothing from the manager (or anyone else in the store who might want his job) the customer had nothing to "misunderstand."
In a situation like this, in my experience, the best way to get the facts is to ask... It also gets you well deserved (IMO) free stuff. AND, it helps the next customer get the service that Tim should have gotten in the first place.
It could be, that I'm old enough to remember what good customer service was and should be. It could be that I'm just a grump, but since I deliver what I'm suggesting to my eBay collectibles customers, I know it can be done.
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[OP]
Member
You know up until this point Rockler has always done right by me, and as I usualy do I am sure I will give them more then one more chance, I understand that things happen once in a while, all I really want is for the manager to say "Hey, we screwed up and I am sorry!"...that would make things square as far as I am concerned. When I called the other day and talked to him I told him, all you had to do is call me and talk to me. Also, when I purchased the lathe they should have told me it was going to be a month or more instead of telling me it would be here in 10 days, ok no problem, and if there was a problem, call and talk to me. The lack of communication is what got to me the most. I dont expect them to come across with a discount or anything like that, its pretty rare when that happens in todays world, but it would be nice to receive an appology. I am leaving shortly to go pick it up, I dont even know if the asst mgr I was dealing with will be there, but I will see what happens shortly.
Member
If they did that to me , I would grab low and squeeze hard. There is no excuse for stuff like that. You are being much better about it than I would have been. In my opinion customer service is the most important thing. Customer service gets you customer loyalty. I have always been told that is cheaper to keep a customer than try to get a new one in the door. I hope it works out for you and you are happy with your new Jet.
Duff
Rember: Experience is what you get just after needed it.
Member
for sure stuff happens sometimes........................ on the bright side you are going to love the new lathe i am sure :-)
[OP]
Member
Your right Don, I love the new lathe! I dont have it fully setup yet but working on it, it takes me a while to do things I have a spinal injury from 3 years ago so I am a little slow. Should have it setup fully by tomorrow and be able to spin some wood and make some shavings. oh and I did find some great deals on wood there today as well, at least I think it was a good deal, one piece I got is Cocobolo, about 2 inches square by about 24 inches long, cost me $6.50, and its a beautiful piece of wood to! I didnt see the asst. mgr I was ddealing with, but the salesperson I did speak with gave me %20 off todays purchase of extras I made, so I am very happy with the outcome. Now....on to makeing some shavings!
Member
They may have waited to place it with their monthly order to Jet. Combining shipping saves them some bucks. They should have told you that up front if that was the case. I would complain and explain to them that you have had a dozen replies and many more views on here in a little over an hour. You know what they say about bad news. I have had pretty good luck in the last few years with customer service departments when I tell them I am going to post my experience, good or bad, on the Internet.
I would be expecting a nice discount on some turning tools. If they don't, take your business elsewhere and post it on here. Who gives good and bad customer service is very relevant content.
Have fun with the lathe.
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