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Is good customer service about dead?

I’d like to know from other members of Audiogon how they find customer service today. Not the resellers so much as the manufacturers themselves. I had a bad experience with a really late delivery. I also have a tone arm I bought in a first production run when a setup manual was not yet available – the manufacturer will not respond to my emails. I wanted to audition a rather expensive pair of speakers that were not available in my area. I contacted the manufacturer (from his own website) to ask where I could go to audition and purchase these – but no response. I have however had amazing support from the good folks at VAC and Jeff Rowland.
So I am now searching for new speakers but customer service is my first criteria and everything else is second. I'll be looking in the 5K-10K price range. I’d be very interested in other people’s experiences.
dat1
jp1208
502 posts
 
Dat1 and I had the same experience from the same company. Ty Lashbrook was awesome to deal with and have heard nothing but praise from Salk and Selah. Sorry for the late reply but some of you were engaged in the thread I was in that turned nasty and was shut down. If any of you want more details just email me. pbjg@att.net
mrmitch
359 posts
 
Customer sevice should be of the utmost importance to every manufacturer. Like many, I wont buy from any company if I hear from word of mouth or see in print that they are indifferent or , even worse, hostile towards customers. Manufacturers, especially in this economy where less people have this kind of disposable imncome, should be bending over backwards to make a customer happy, not shooting themselves in the foot by having a customer refuse to by again from them. Chances are, if a manufacturer is just in it for a one-time sale, he wont stay in business very long. I have an amplifier (Belles 350A)that I wanted checked out to see if it was the cause of a crackling sound coming from my speakers (it wasnt). I was up-front with Dave Belles that I bought the amp from a fellow audiogoner used, but he agreed to check it out anyways. It took about a month to get it back but he told me that they were very busy with orders, whic I understood. Since he found nothing, thats exactly what I was charged........you cant beat that. I have seen many talk about how great Jim Salk is with customer service and the fact that many buy from him two, three, or four times bears this out. Also, read my response about Jeff Catalano's excellent customer service in the Highwater Sound thread, same deal as Salk-many are repeat customers due to Jeff's above and beyond customer service (bought a TW Akustic Raven One turntable, Ortofon 12 inch arm, and Dynavector cart from him).
rebbi
1,326 posts
 
I know this echoes some of the responses earlier in this thread, but Bobby at Merlin provides spectacular customer service. Manley is also amazing - they've been wonderful taking care of my Manley gear, all of which I purchased second hand! Tash Goka at Reference 3A is also cordial and forthcoming on the phone. Generally speaking, I've found the smaller, high-end manufacturers to be very good on the customer service front.
markpao
523 posts
 
No.

I think consumers are much more demanding now, taking advantage of the
current economic conditions.
vapor1
107 posts
 
Dat1 and I had the same experience from the same company. Ty Lashbrook was awesome to deal with and have heard nothing but praise from Salk and Selah. Sorry for the late reply but some of you were engaged in the thread I was in that turned nasty and was shut down. If any of you want more details just email me. pbjg@att.net

We offer new stands to replace the damaged ones, you declined. We offer a FULL refund for the speakers and stands, you declined.

I'm not sure what else we're supposed to do?
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