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An annoying customer service experience

#41
PilbaraBass said:
Hmmm...

I can see Ken Smith's point...
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:confused: What point?

I think that's ludicrous, underhanded, and very poor business. 2 pots can be delivered for under $5. Charge for shipping if you have to, don't corner someone into buying your product in order to get a bass from your company fixed. It's not going to make them continue to buy your strings, only going to piss them off and have them post stuff like this on the internet which will turn off lots of potential customers - like me. :) Not that I'd ever buy from them anyhow, but this story makes me think the guy is somewhat unethical and wouldn't advise anyone to buy a bass from him. Wouldn't it have been awesome if he threw in a pack of string and said we'd like for you to give them a try.

Hope he thinks his not sending the posts was worth couple of bucks he'd have put out. Uhh... actually, I don't think he'd even have to put anything out as the little profit on the pots would cover shipping anyhow.

I've had nothing but stellar customer service from:

Ernie Ball
Warwick
Minarik
Pignose

(all of the above have sent me free replacement parts - and not charged shipping)

Horrible customer service from:

Fender

Everyone else I've ever dealt with seemed to just do the job. Ken didn't even do that now, did he.
 
#44
fountain boy said:
I love Ken Smith's personality, that NY abrasiveness/sarcasticness is charming to me as well. :p

I called to his shop last year to see if a deal on a Ken Smith (made in 1995) that Guitar Center had priced for ($1900.00) was a fair one and he told me that it certainly was not. He looked up the information on it, ran down how that Smith had the old electronics in it, what store it was sold out've of (Washington Music Center in Maryland) and other minute details about it.

He's honest about what he does, so in reading his reply i wouldn't got offended by it. It's not like he closed the letter by saying something like 'Look, you probably don't even play well enough to warrant having a Ken Smith bass anyway. sincerely, signed, Ken Smith.'
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I agree 100% - Ken Smith sounds and comes across like a "real person" - not some "robot advisor" who has swallowed a text book of acceptable responses!!

I'd much rather that any day - all the formulaic "polite " responses feel creepy to me!"! :hmm:
 
#45
StarscreamG1 said:
I can see both sides of this but I do lean toward your side on this. I would call customer service and speak to someone about how you are being treated. Not sure if it would do any good but I don't think it could hurt.
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I'm not sure why, but this made me laugh out loud this morning. Why would I call a company and tell their "customer service" department that the man who started and owns the company was (IMHO) impolite to me?

I have to agree with the other poster who mentioned that we don't know how this whole transaction started. I've witnessed interaction with Ken (mostly in the Double Bass forums) where he's obviously very serious about his basses, but he was definitely cordial and polite.

BTW.... Hipshot's and Lakland's customer service are amazing!

:)
 
#47
Bruce Lindfield said:
I agree 100% - Ken Smith sounds and comes across like a "real person" - not some "robot advisor" who has swallowed a text book of acceptable responses!!

I'd much rather that any day - all the formulaic "polite " responses feel creepy to me!"! :hmm:
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Yeah, if someone's going to be not nice to me, it's so much nicer if they don't toil about their choice of words.
 
#48
82Daion said:
So, I recently traded for a Ken Smith BT5 Elite that needed some pots replaced, since one of the preamp circuit boards had been bent in such a way that it snapped the backs off the bass and treble pots.

I emailed Ken about the problem, and received this in return:



:spit:

Sterling service, indeed. I wish that the quality of service backed up the quality of the bass...
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Yeah...I think it was good customer service. Ken Smith answered your email and it probably guarantees you'll get the correct pots. Buy more pots to make up a minimum order.

I need two LEDs for my GK which cost $3 each but they have a minimum purchase policy....so I'll buy a few more LEDs. I won't order a cable!

I guess that I've been dealing with companies for awhile now that I see this as no big deal.
 
#49
Joe Nerve said:
Yeah, if someone's going to be not nice to me, it's so much nicer if they don't toil about their choice of words.
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Well no - what I was saying was that I'd prefer to deal with a real person - rather than somebody spouting corporate "customer care" speak that they don't really mean or in many cases, don't even understand! :hmm:
 
#50
Wow! I've been known to wave the flames for Ken's basses on this board, and I don't even own one. They are some of the finest instruments made on the planet. I don't not understand why their parts sales policy doesn't have any wiggle room for a new customer. Especially in these economic times.
Ken, bad ink doesn't always wash off.

G
 
#52
82Daion said:
Lots of companies would just drop the pots in the mail without telling me to buy their strings in a condescending fashion.

:)
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+1
Mailing two pots should not become an issue with any reputable maker.
In my experience it never has...
Surprising that K.S behaves this way.
The tone of the sent response sounded ok to me, just the content was off .
 
#57
I find the original response unacceptable, and would be irritated had I received it.

Let me add another stellar service experience - Visual Sound. I purchased one of their H2O pedals used from an Ebay seller. He didn't pack it very well, and it arrived with a broken footswitch. I contacted Visual Sound by email to see if I could purchase one, telling them the entire story and being very clear that this was in no way a new pedal. They sent me the footswitch free of charge, wouldn't let me pay for it. Probably cost them $5. In the meantime, I've purchased more VS pedals, this time new - they earned a customer.

What does Ken Smith's attitude earn him? What does it cost him?
 
#58
That kind of customer service leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

A customer is coming to you because you are the only one that can help. So, help the guy. Don't squeeze money out of him because you can.

Ken Smith puts money over customer satisfaction. He fails to recognize that customer satisfaction brings in the money.

I hope the three pages (thus far) of comments and the negative opinions being formed by readers was worth the money grab.

Sadowsky
Eden
Levinson Blade

Are my personal experiences with proper customer care.
 
#59
if your in business, especially one like this you just can't put a price on goodwill.

dont know why Mr Smith thinks you can, and its a couple of dollars at most.

my companies that are good to deal with:

Status
Bose

cheers
froovs
 
#60
bmc said:
Ken Smith puts money over customer satisfaction. He fails to recognize that customer satisfaction brings in the money.
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Have you yourself dealt with Ken?
That's a bit of a slanted take if you have not, especially to a person that cannot retort in this forum.
Obviously Ken would know the truth in this statement, he's still in business, right?
 

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