Customer Service

[davidjhope]

I just find it sad that in general customer service is becoming a thing of the past. I find this happening everywhere.
Fortunately there are still a few who buck this trend and it does seem that this hobby does still have some very good shops and on-line businesses that do still consider politeness as  the norm.
For sure the impolite ones would not get my buisiness no matter how cheap they were. 

I emailed Dapol with an enquiry on 22/11 regarding small unidentifiable parts that came with my new, excellent Class B1.

I've not heard from them at all. I did think perhaps after Warley I may have had a response.

A bit disappointing.

Dave G

I contacted Dapol a few months ago with a similar request and got a reply straight away. I think it might be worth trying another email.

[Trainfish]

Last Friday I went into 2 model shops, both in Salisbury. In the first one the young(ish) lad couldn't have been more helpful. He greeted both myself and the wife with a cheery "Hello" and asked if he could help with anything. I declined but after 10 minutes or so I asked him if he would take 3 locos out of a locked cabinet so I could look at them close up and also compare a 1:160 tamper machine against a class 40 to see if the size difference was too noticeable. It was. He had no problem with doing this and didn't seem annoyed when I didn't buy any of them. We left with a "Thank you, good bye" from him and no doubt I'll be back.

The second shop we went into didn't have much N gauge but did have a couple of Revell 1:144 airliners. Well, a concorde and something else. I asked the owner (I believe him to be the owner anyway) if Revell or anyone else made any other 1:144 airliner kits. "I dunno. You'll have to look on the internet and find out" was his response. "Come back and tell me what make it is if you find any and I'll see if I can get it." Guess what? If I find one on the internet I'll be buying it from the internet (or another shop) not from that miserable git.

We're usually told that it's the younger ones without manners and the older ones who have them. On Friday it was definitely round the other way and only 1 of them will ever see me walk back through the front door.

[longbridge]

I can understand why people get upset about poor customer service but this is the worst I have heard of lately.

A friend of mine repairs all gauges of model locomotives and was asked to fix an American HO gauge Broadway steam loco, the owner paid $700 or 455 GPPounds for this loco with DCC and Sound.

The loco stopped moving it was still under warranty so the owner took it back to the shop where he bought it, the store owner did not want any part of it but after a heated argument decided to give it to his so called repair man to be fixed, weeks later he was told to pick it up, he opened the box and in the bottom of the box were several broken and some unbroken plastic gears, the store owner told him sorry mate it cant be fixed.

Enter my mate who does everything humanly possible to keep broken locos running, he sent 4 or 5 emails to the USA to ask for parts all with no reply, he decided to phone Broadway in the USA from here in Australia and was left hanging on the phone for 20+ minutes with no answer from anyone.

Retailers and manufacturers alike service like that is unacceptable and IMO they deserve to go broke.

Just goes to show even the Americans have to put up with crap every now and then.

[daveg]

I emailed Dapol with an enquiry on 22/11 [...] I've not heard from them at all. I did think perhaps after Warley I may have had a response.

That's my experience ... I'm still 'waiting' after 3 months (I gave up on them)

Maybe I'll have a go at the good old fashioned method of making a phone call. I'll re port back on the result.

Dave G

[Newportnobby]

I emailed Dapol with an enquiry on 22/11 [...] I've not heard from them at all. I did think perhaps after Warley I may have had a response.

That's my experience ... I'm still 'waiting' after 3 months (I gave up on them)

Maybe I'll have a go at the good old fashioned method of making a phone call. I'll re port back on the result.

Dave G

If you use Faecesbook, Dapol can be contacted through that medium

[daveg]

I emailed Dapol with an enquiry on 22/11 [...] I've not heard from them at all. I did think perhaps after Warley I may have had a response.

That's my experience ... I'm still 'waiting' after 3 months (I gave up on them)

Maybe I'll have a go at the good old fashioned method of making a phone call. I'll re port back on the result.

Dave G

If you use Faecesbook, Dapol can be contacted through that medium

Is there anybody there?

I'd rather contact the living, if that's possible! 

[Newportnobby]

 

[scotsoft]

I placed an order late on Thursday with Train Trax after reading about the new smaller curves that Kato have released.  I thought I may have been lucky to get them for Saturday but more than likely Monday.

I received an email from Train Trax this morning with an apology and informing me of an unforseen puncture happening on the way to the Post Office so my package was not posted till after the last collection.

Train Trax had no need to do that but they did and it is these small details that give a company a good reputation.
In the past when you were given good service you would spread it by word of mouth to your friends.
We still do this, but word of mouth is now global thanks to the internet and forums similar to ours.

So well done Train Trax - John.

[davidjhope]

I'm still a firm believer that we should name and shame them.
Ebay has a system of feedback that we should adopt here for model shops.

[scotsoft]

I'm still a firm believer that we should name and shame them.
Ebay has a system of feedback that we should adopt here for model shops.

The trouble would be if the forum was taken to court, would all the member share the court costs?

[daveg]

Glad to hear that my Dapol email may have got lost in the ether rather than it being ignored. I'll try the phone on Monday though.

If forum members stick to reporting actual facts when complaining about poor products or services, as customers do on various TV shows (e.g.Watchdog) and publications, why should there be a problem?

Praise for first rate service such as that received by John from Train Trax, should also be shared. Just this week I've had excellent help from Rail of Sheffield with a faulty loco.

Dave G

[davidjhope]

I'm still a firm believer that we should name and shame them.
Ebay has a system of feedback that we should adopt here for model shops.

The trouble would be if the forum was taken to court, would all the member share the court costs?

How do the online stores Ebay, Amazon, Argos etc offer review/feedback?

[EtchedPixels]

How do the online stores Ebay, Amazon, Argos etc offer review/feedback?

Eitther by getting sued on a regular basis and deciding its worth the hit to fight them in court or pay up, or in most cases by keeping all that part of their business in the USA where a) they are fairly protected from being sued as well (unless they knew about the problem) and b) where parts of the US have conflicing laws allowing them to sue anyone who wins a libel suit against them in the UK for bringing the case [and which under our broken extradition law also would get you stuck on the next plane to New York)

[davidjhope]

So in our case model shops that offer very poor service can hide behind the law.
I have been so blind in that I thought the law was designed to protect us. It now seems to only work in the favour of dishonest.
I was driving my car a few weeks ago and accidently brushed (And I mean brushed) up against a bumper of a taxi which was stationary. I was pulling in front of him to park. I have now recieved letters from his solicitors with court action because he is claiming whiplash. Even my insurance company found it funny because he could hardly see the marks on his bumper from photographs. He then told me that they will settle out of court because it's cheaper. At least I have a good insurance company.
What a world we live in.

[lionwing]

So in our case model shops that offer very poor service can hide behind the law.
I have been so blind in that I thought the law was designed to protect us. It now seems to only work in the favour of dishonest.
I was driving my car a few weeks ago and accidently brushed (And I mean brushed) up against a bumper of a taxi which was stationary. I was pulling in front of him to park. I have now recieved letters from his solicitors with court action because he is claiming whiplash. Even my insurance company found it funny because he could hardly see the marks on his bumper from photographs. He then told me that they will settle out of court because it's cheaper. At least I have a good insurance company.
What a world we live in.

Car insurance judging by the premiums they disfavour the honest!

For one moment, setting aside the legal argument, it would only be fair to name and shame shops if they were given the right to reply.

I would be disinclined to name shops publicly in this forum but would be quite happy to over a pint - who's buying?