Is This Acceptable ?

[Joseph P.]

Re: Is This Acceptable ?

For new people to NCRS like myself it is probably more important to know who NOT to do business with. Any company can make a mistake but how you handle the challenge is critical. As a business owner I believe based on this thread and others we can save time and money by learning from each other's good and bad experiences. I have a list of companies that I have assembled based on considerable research on this and other sites. If I have a bad experience I will share it with others so they can judge for themselves whether to do business with them or not. I appreciate you gentlemen sharing your experiences on Corvette Central and Gardner. Money is harder then ever to come by and I need to spend it wisely. Thank you for your candor. Joe

[Scott K.]

Re: Is This Acceptable ?

Well I promised you all an update on the outcome of today's battle and where it all ended.

I called the vendor today (Corvette Central) and got absolutely no where with the Customer Service rep. I asked to have the matter elevated so that I could speak with the C.S. Mgr. After a lengthy discussion I resolved to simply ask for a refund as the options provided to me were less than satisfactory given that more delays and uncertainty over whether another factory reject was likely to be the outcome once again.
I would like to say this though - that while we both maintained our composure and attempted to be cordial and polite to one another, I most certainly was left with the inescapable impression that customers like me are simply seen as a nuisance ! Apparently everyone likes it better when you just roll over and play dead. I am a firm believer in letting my money do the talking and ultimately poor service will be represented in poor ( or poorer ) sales. Despite the talk of global economies being in recession, I got the impression that they are very busy and probably individuals like me don't mean much to their overall bottom-line.
That is simply a reality I will have to live with but an unfortunate one given that a "happy customer" brings more customers back and ultimately means increased sales in the long run. A true win-win situation for all.
I have now ordered from Instrument Services and look forward to receiving their product.
On a side note, I exchanged emails with the manufacturer of the clock in question ( O.E. R. or Original Equipment Reproductions ) who at first impressed me with their quick response to my initial email advising them of the quality control problem.
I received a polite response from them stating that they acknowledged the problem, had located the "best" one of the bunch and were putting it aside for me. I was rather displeased when no offer was made to send it to me in an expeditious manner - instead I was told I would have to go through Corvette Central to arrange to have this clock shipped to them and then to me, adding ( I'm sure) 2-3 more weeks to this painful lesson.
I let them know that I felt they had fallen short of fulfilling their responsibility to the customer and that I would be letting my fellow NCRS brethren know of the outcome. I received no response after that.

Thank you to all who provided input on this ! I appreciate your advice !

Sincerely, Rick

Rick, I apologize for the trouble that you encountered on this part. We have pulled this clock from inventory for the time being to address quality issues with our vendor. We have traditionally received excellent reproductions from this vendor, but it's possible that we received a run of flawed clocks.

[Rick B.]

Re: Is This Acceptable ?

In keeping with my belief that both good and bad customer service should be addressed, I felt it appropriate to close the chapter on this saga with one final update to let you all know how this turned out in the end.

I received my new replacement clock from Instrument Services and was not disappointed !
However shortly after that, I received email communication from the Operations Director at Corvette Central - Geoff Nash. Geoff had been made aware of my thread on this forum and wanted to know in more detail what lead to my complete and utter dissatisfaction with the service I had received from them.
I gladly took him up on his offer and telephoned him to relate my experience in detail.
To my surprise, and to his credit, he made no excuses, acknowledged the service issues I had experienced and took full responsibility for what had transpired. The lengthy and frank discussion we had was refreshing given that the majority of individuals in that position would have held their ground in a defensive posture and while trying to mitigate the problem most likely would not have gone so far as to accept blame.
Geoff also advised that the vendor they had been using to supply them with clocks had their contract terminated as a result of this issue. Furthermore Geoff ensured that my refund for the clock was processed and credited the entire shipping costs for my order.
As final proof that I was not merely receiving lip service from them, I had one more opportunity to discuss a remaining order follow-up with another member of their staff and to my delight I did not get treated in the patronizing manner I clearly detected before. I would like to think my critical yet honest comments given to Geoff during our telephone conversation were taken seriously and steps were taken with staff to address the issues I had raised.
All in all I was pleased with the final outcome.
Now you may ask would I conduct business with Corvette Central again ?
Yes.
While I will still use specialty vendors for specific parts, I will continue to use this supplier for the generic common items that we all order from time to time. The convenience factor is often an important consideration, and while not the only one , it does weigh into the equation. Luckily the positive outcome renewed my faith in the ability of some to still come through with delivering good customer service even after some initial failings.
That is all.

Thank you , Rick

[Brian M.]

Re: Is This Acceptable ?

I just love a happy ending.

[Michael W.]

Re: Is This Acceptable ?

I've frequently done business with CC and always had great service. They're one of the few vendors that have figured out how to properly service Canadian customers, I'd go there for that reason alone.

Glad it all worked out.

[Edward S.]

Re: Is This Acceptable ?

Rick,
It's great to hear that everything worked out well for you - in fact you hung in there and made out much better then I did most of the time when I had a problem with a supplier who thought he was still doing me a favor by selling me a poor quality product. All's well that end's well. Enjoy