ATTN: STRING MANUFACTURERS THIS IS WHAT WE EXPECT AS CONSUMERS!!

[Damian Coccio]

Guys, please tell manufacturers what you expect when they put out defective stuff. I'm sure they read this stuff.

I recently put a set of expensive strings on a bass only to find out the E string rattles and was dead. It sounded really off. The string set was close to $60. I contacted the company and they were quick to get back to me. They told me that I have to send them the old string so that they could analyze it to make sure they made it and that it was defective and then they would ship me a replacement string after that analysis if they found it defective. So a week later I have replacement in the mail but I won't buy from a company with that type of policy again.

HERE IS WHAT I EXPECT:

I extended trust in buying the product at a premium price and I expect a little trust in return - if I say its bad, it's bad. We don't need to waste time and shipping costs. Send me a paid return envelope if you want the defective item back. How many people are going to lie bout a single dead string.

If you screw up as a manufacturer and I have to send something back to you, I expect something extra to make up for the inconvenience. It could be anything, a hat, a t-shirt, a coupon, a set of strings, whatever. My time is money, I want something extra to make up for it and that's how I handle my business and my customers. I believe that should be built into the price of expensive stuff, be it strings, basses, whatever. If its not built in, your business model is flawed, fix it.


There's my .02.

 

[JimiLL]

Right on. Sometimes its like these guys think they are doing you a favor if you use their products.

How much would it cost the company to just send out another string anyway? Cheap asses

 

[maurilio]

that's a first. It's unfortunate!

All the company I have dealt with have always been very good on CS. I've been using DR for over two years (I'm back with them after a long pause) and have never had any problem with their products, but I know things happen and some players had bad strings in their sets and DR has taken care of them without a fuss (and I know the same for other brands)...

M

 

[king_biscuit]

Why can't you tell us the name of the company?

 

[Damian Coccio]

Why can't you tell us the name of the company?

Truthfully, Going back I wouldn't have posted this. I should have just complained more to the company and I may do that or better yet give them a link here. Either way I don't like to do a public naming and flaming.

 

[jasper383]

I have had nothing but excellent CS experience with string makers:

D'Addario once forgot to send me a replacement Chrome string, and they were so sorry they sent me 5 free SETS of Chromes.

Sadowsky sent me a replacement set no questions asked.

I broke a Pyramid string at the tuning post, and the owner sent me a replacement all the way from Germany Priority Mail no questions asked. He custom wound the replacement a little shorter than the original so it wouldn't break again.

 

[curbowkid]

I have had nothing but excellent CS experience with string makers:

D'Addario once forgot to send me a replacement Chrome string, and they were so sorry they sent me 5 free SETS of Chromes.

Sadowsky sent me a replacement set no questions asked.

I broke a Pyramid string at the tuning post, and the owner sent me a replacement all the way from Germany Priority Mail no questions asked. He custom wound the replacement a little shorter than the original so it wouldn't break again.

Now THAT is customer satisfaction

 

[Damian Coccio]

I have had nothing but excellent CS experience with string makers:

D'Addario once forgot to send me a replacement Chrome string, and they were so sorry they sent me 5 free SETS of Chromes.

Sadowsky sent me a replacement set no questions asked.

I broke a Pyramid string at the tuning post, and the owner sent me a replacement all the way from Germany Priority Mail no questions asked. He custom wound the replacement a little shorter than the original so it wouldn't break again.

Now that's how you keep business when you screw something up!

 

[valentine1]

In reference to the OP, I think that what the company did was the right thing. As a manufacturer you can never guarantee with perfect certainty (100%) that your product will never be defective. Anything that is mass produced carries this type of inherent, small risk.

The company didn't ignore you, they wanted to try and figure out what the problem was with the string so that likely they could try and ensure it didn't happen again (reading between the lines here).

Unless you want those strings to be $100 instead of $60 you're just going to have to accept that this can happen. You got a replacement string. Why do you expect anything more? That's what's wrong with the world these days, people expecting something for nothing. You got exactly what you paid for in the end, a set of working strings. Why do they have to make up for the inconvenience to you? They did exactly what was expected of them in the situation, a lot of companies won't even do that.

 

[JimmyM]

I'll add LaBella to the list. I had a G string that wouldn't intonate, and the guy from LaBella said he didn't even want to know what was wrong with it, just email him my address. 3 days later, new string. Ended up not caring for them and went back to D'addarios, but that wasn't his fault.

I don't mind this company asking for the string back so they can check it out, but geez, just send the guy the string and don't make people jump through hoops!

 

[matante]

Somewhere around 1992 or '93, I bought a set of Rotosound Swingbass 66 strings and put them on my bass. About an hour later I realized they were covered in rust.

I didn't do anything about it because I didn't realize there was a warranty on strings. I thought it was like buying blank tapes. I was a teenager at the time so I just went back to the store the next day and bought a different set. Never trusted Rotosounds after that (until very recently). Had I known there was a warranty I would have had the set replaced and continued to buy Rotos, but as it happened, they lost a customer for a long time.

 

[the Arsonaut]

Here's the thing about expectations...HAHAHAHAHA...

no, seriously...If that's a company's policy, to take their product so seriously that they suspect foul play was involved in the "alleged" failure of their fine product...maybe it's bizarre to you...and that's okay.
But, maybe it resulted in their entire quality control staff being keelhauled, and those responsible for the keelhauling, were too busy keelhauling those who allowed this gaff
to transpire, to immediately send you a new string.
Some companies pride themselves on this sort of response. Obviously, this hurts your butt. Stick with ddarrios and wear mittens.

I've had a few instances of, "dude, this is definately a brand X string in my *kaff*thomastik*kaff* set". Made sure to book my next tour back into denver to return the favor to that fool of a retailer...

 

[Marty Forrer]

In reference to the OP, I think that what the company did was the right thing. As a manufacturer you can never guarantee with perfect certainty (100%) that your product will never be defective. Anything that is mass produced carries this type of inherent, small risk.

The company didn't ignore you, they wanted to try and figure out what the problem was with the string so that likely they could try and ensure it didn't happen again (reading between the lines here).

Unless you want those strings to be $100 instead of $60 you're just going to have to accept that this can happen. You got a replacement string. Why do you expect anything more? That's what's wrong with the world these days, people expecting something for nothing. You got exactly what you paid for in the end, a set of working strings. Why do they have to make up for the inconvenience to you? They did exactly what was expected of them in the situation, a lot of companies won't even do that.

This is the fact of the matter. If the manufacturer only takes the word of a customer, how is he ever going to find out what is really wrong so it can be rectified? If a customer says the string is "rattley" that in no way tells the manufacturer whether the winding was loose, whether the winding had a defect, whether the core had a defect, whether the winding tension was faulty etc, etc. Only by getting the string back is the manufacturer going to be able to make an objective analysis. Should the manufacturer pay for the return of the string? Probably, but what are we talking about? A couple of bucks? C'mon.
$60 expensive? I dont think so...my gut double bass strings are $400+.

 

[Duckwater]

I've been nothing but happy by the service of string companies, there will always be defective strings and as long as the companies send me a replacement I'm satisfied.

 

[Damian Coccio]

In reference to the OP, I think that what the company did was the right thing. As a manufacturer you can never guarantee with perfect certainty (100%) that your product will never be defective. Anything that is mass produced carries this type of inherent, small risk.

The company didn't ignore you, they wanted to try and figure out what the problem was with the string so that likely they could try and ensure it didn't happen again (reading between the lines here).

Unless you want those strings to be $100 instead of $60 you're just going to have to accept that this can happen. You got a replacement string. Why do you expect anything more? That's what's wrong with the world these days, people expecting something for nothing. You got exactly what you paid for in the end, a set of working strings. Why do they have to make up for the inconvenience to you? They did exactly what was expected of them in the situation, a lot of companies won't even do that.

Being in business for over 20 years I can tell you in the end what I got was what I paid for and more. I got an experience from which I can base future decisions. Next time I'll chose a company that will take my word for it. Again, I don't believe that people are routinely scamming companies enough that they can't bend a little.

The purpose of the post though was to communicate to string manufacturers what we think is reasonable, so if the majority is ok with this type of business practice let's communicate that then, so be it. It sounds like there are a few manufacturers that see it the way I do, and run their businesses the way I run mine. That's who I'll be doing business with in the future.

Oh yeah, an I also believe there are probably a few string manufacturers that could be vocal on these forums too...

 

[Damian Coccio]

I'll add LaBella to the list. I had a G string that wouldn't intonate, and the guy from LaBella said he didn't even want to know what was wrong with it, just email him my address. 3 days later, new string. Ended up not caring for them and went back to D'addarios, but that wasn't his fault.

I don't mind this company asking for the string back so they can check it out, but geez, just send the guy the string and don't make people jump through hoops!

Exactly, that's good service and what I'd expect. I'm not sure the policy is the same now.

 

[2manynotes]

Here's the thing about expectations...HAHAHAHAHA...

no, seriously...If that's a company's policy, to take their product so seriously that they suspect foul play was involved in the "alleged" failure of their fine product...maybe it's bizarre to you...and that's okay.
But, maybe it resulted in their entire quality control staff being keelhauled, and those responsible for the keelhauling, were too busy keelhauling those who allowed this gaff
to transpire, to immediately send you a new string.
Some companies pride themselves on this sort of response. Obviously, this hurts your butt. Stick with ddarrios and wear mittens.

I've had a few instances of, "dude, this is definately a brand X string in my *kaff*thomastik*kaff* set". Made sure to book my next tour back into denver to return the favor to that fool of a retailer...

Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked have been sacked.

I recently took a chance on a lesser known string manufacturer that was recommended by my tech. Received a bad string. I emailed the company's CS and received an immediate response from the owner with an assurance that a replacement would be mailed right away. Two weeks later, after not receiving the string, i emailed the owner. He said "Huh, what? I thought that was mailed two weeks ago. Let me check into it." Nothing since then.

I considered flaming him publicly, but it's not worth the effort. I will stick with the strings that I have always used, and use the time to practice.

 

[Damian Coccio]

This is the fact of the matter. If the manufacturer only takes the word of a customer, how is he ever going to find out what is really wrong so it can be rectified? If a customer says the string is "rattley" that in no way tells the manufacturer whether the winding was loose, whether the winding had a defect, whether the core had a defect, whether the winding tension was faulty etc, etc. Only by getting the string back is the manufacturer going to be able to make an objective analysis. Should the manufacturer pay for the return of the string? Probably, but what are we talking about? A couple of bucks? C'mon.
$60 expensive? I dont think so...my gut double bass strings are $400+.

To me It's not the couple of bucks, it's the principle. It about trust going both ways. And since as consumers we can buy from anyone, there is our vote. Sometimes if we have a customer and we feel it's a questionable situation, what we do is take an order for a new item on the customers credit card, ship it out immediately and wait for the return item. If the return item comes in and is as the customer claims we don't charge their card. No delay, trust going both ways and it's a win - win. And that's the worst case scenario. Most of the time we just trust the customers and they appreciate it and keep coming back. Studies have proven this to be the case. Steven covey gives great examples of this in his "the speed of trust".

 

[SLaPiNFuNK]

Oh yeah, an I also believe there are probably a few string manufacturers that could be vocal on these forums too...

There are a couple that are when specific things are directed to them. However, this forum does has specific rules that advertisers and manufacturers have to go by.

 

[1958Bassman]

I didn't do anything about it because I didn't realize there was a warranty on strings. I thought it was like buying blank tapes. I was a teenager at the time so I just went back to the store the next day and bought a different set. Never trusted Rotosounds after that (until very recently). Had I known there was a warranty I would have had the set replaced and continued to buy Rotos, but as it happened, they lost a customer for a long time.

What? Blank tapes have a lifetime warranty!