Thiel Customer Service - New ownership is terrible!!! - WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS COMPANY ?

Here is the story from someone who should know

https://www.strata-gee.com/kathy-gornik-why-i-sold-thiel/

Reading between the lines it seems to match what I see happening countless times. Hopefully I am wrong. But usually they get rid of all the key people who have a passion for their customers and what they do and then simply milk the kudos of the brand name with radical low cost outsourced manufacturing - all the while keeping shiny even more expensive logo plates highly visible with sales linked to the company legacy.

Shubert,

It is quite easy to visualize you being the barker at such a funeral.

Dave

shadorne, you are EXACTLY right, this is indeed how companies taken over from founders operate .
To call any speaker fading away a "disaster' is foolish in the extreme .

Dave,

LOL. I can sure understand how a speaker mighr be like a loved one to some folks.

I am just pointing out that our expectations need to adjust to the new reality of poor customer service being the norm these days and therefire give Thiel time to respond...no phone number for customer service is no longer unusual these days.

Oh no. This is disastrous to Thiel owners if more than a simple inconvenience/aggravation.

shadorne, Thiel service is located in KY not in the Nashville corporate headquarters and has been operated as a separate P&L/business subsidy for quite some time now. Your comments read as similar in sensitivity to one who loudly proclaims the evils of smoking at the funeral of a loved one who died from lung cancer in front of the family.

Dave

LOL. This is normal. I can’t remember the last time I made a phone call and someone answered the phone at any corporation. Usually they are so busy and experiencing an unusually high number of calls....

Sorry but this has become NORMAL.

American MBA programs have taught leadership that the best way to make money is to cut cost, get rid of workers and "mine customer database" for higher profit. Existing customer are sheared and fleeced like Sheep with high prices and sell up tactics of Revision 1, 2, 3 Mark 4, 6, 7 etc. New customers are the only things that MBA programs recognize as worth respecting - call and ask to buy a top of the line model and you will get a phone call back within minutes...new customers can get discounts often much more than long term loyal customers!

Anyway, never had a problem with ATC but they are old school and privately owned. I suspect You just found out what happens when private equity takes over a family business and they "milk all the customer base for all it is worth". I hope ATC and Benchmark never sell out to Samsung or private equity and stay private but there is always a risk! Many great companies are gone...

@aolchris,  sorry to hear your plight. This company is not what used to be, one look at their home / FAQ pages tells a lot about their current focus on lifestyle speakers and merchandise products instead of 'legacy' speakers. 

There is a substantial loyal customer base of Thiel legacy speakers, I am sure someone will chime in shortly with a contact telephone number.