01-28-2009, 02:15 PM
I used to purchase items from them on a very regular basis when I was into airplanes. They also sell MRR items. I ordered a few items from them recently, 2 USRA box cars, and some trees. The items I ordered where in HO scale. They sent me N scale. They tied them up in a plastic bag, which became a balloon, then stuffed them in a box that was about 10 times larger than what was needed, and added 3 more balloons for "package safety".
Then they sent them via UPS from Illinois to Michigan to a USPS facility to ship back to Illinois.
I received the items yesterday, only to find that they sent the wrong items, and one of the cars is destroyed due to their lousy packaging job. I have called them, and sent an email.
I have not received a reply to the email as of yet, and the girl who answered the phone told me a manager would call me back before the close of business, yesterday. Well, I have not heard back from the manager a full 24 hours later.
It is dissappointing. In today's economy, it would seem to me, that customer retention would be an important thing to consider.
Is it just me, or have companies forgotten that the economy is in the dumper, and customer service is all they have to rely upon to continue to generate revenue?
Let's take another example. Standard Hobby Supply. I have made several purchases from them. The last one they sent me an email stating that they only had one of the 2 cars on my order. The order consisted of a loco and 2 passenger coaches. I told them that as long as they had one car and the loco to process and ship the order. 3 days later, I had not gotten a follow up email, so I sent a polite request as to the status of the order.
The response was, "The car you are looking for has been sold so we canceled your order." That was the entire email. No thank you, no I'm sorry. Not a greeting, or closing. They may have canceled the order, but the charged my card. I am still waiting for that to be corrected. I have faith that it will get corrected, but they have lost a customer, as has Tower Hobbies.
It is my most sincere wish that these companies would correct the rectal-cranial inversion, and treat their customers better.
Matt
Then they sent them via UPS from Illinois to Michigan to a USPS facility to ship back to Illinois.
I received the items yesterday, only to find that they sent the wrong items, and one of the cars is destroyed due to their lousy packaging job. I have called them, and sent an email.
I have not received a reply to the email as of yet, and the girl who answered the phone told me a manager would call me back before the close of business, yesterday. Well, I have not heard back from the manager a full 24 hours later.
It is dissappointing. In today's economy, it would seem to me, that customer retention would be an important thing to consider.
Is it just me, or have companies forgotten that the economy is in the dumper, and customer service is all they have to rely upon to continue to generate revenue?
Let's take another example. Standard Hobby Supply. I have made several purchases from them. The last one they sent me an email stating that they only had one of the 2 cars on my order. The order consisted of a loco and 2 passenger coaches. I told them that as long as they had one car and the loco to process and ship the order. 3 days later, I had not gotten a follow up email, so I sent a polite request as to the status of the order.
The response was, "The car you are looking for has been sold so we canceled your order." That was the entire email. No thank you, no I'm sorry. Not a greeting, or closing. They may have canceled the order, but the charged my card. I am still waiting for that to be corrected. I have faith that it will get corrected, but they have lost a customer, as has Tower Hobbies.
It is my most sincere wish that these companies would correct the rectal-cranial inversion, and treat their customers better.
Matt
Don't follow me, I'm lost too.