does ampeg care for customers? do they read our comments?

[Jerrold Tiers]

The other person that I am aware of from SLM/Ampeg (I can't recall his TB username), has rarely, if ever, commented here on any issues relating to SLM/Ampeg gear problems, customer sat, or customer service product direction. My own memory of it was that he only popped in at one point with a fairly snarky comment (which was a pretty amazingly ham fisted way to act given the nature of the web). Again, this is only to the best of my knowledge, and as always IMO/IME.

Well during SLM Ampeg time that would be me, I don't know of anyone else who paid much attention to TB, although they should have............. Back then I used to try to solve people's warranty issues, get them parts that were needed, provide technical info, etc. Post-SLM, I don't do the warranty and parts stuff, for obvious reasons, nor do I comment much on the new products.

Now, maybe YOU think I am snarky..... that can be your opinion and it surely doesn't hurt me.

As for Hodgy, he's a good guy. if he can help you, he will. The whole thing shows that individuals can influence the way a company is perceived.

I AM surprised that more folks from the various companies do NOT monitor TB. A few do, but I rather suspect many are not "official", but rather doing it on their own. In a few cases, top level folks do show up from time to time.

It's probably wrong to use the forum participation as a yardstick to judge.

The REAL yardstick is what happens when you call up the company with a problem. Do you get the problem resolved? Do the folks have the attitude to help, or do they seem to want you to prove you should get help? Do you get the runaround?

Many companies have decent folks who are helpful. The question is whether it is company policy to help and solve your problem, or whether these folks are good people in a bad place..........

For a while, Loud apparently had the cheapest minimum wage folks in customer service, with little product knowledge and less interest. That was back in the Jamie Engen days, and it does seem to have changed rather dramatically since.

 

[pfschim]

Do you realize that SLM has not owned Ampeg for several years?

sure, my mistake. Please substitute Loud/Ampeg for SLM/Ampeg in my posts. I am careful never to mention the Ampeg name alone as some here, who tend in the fanatical direction, will jump in and say that holy name of Ampeg has not been a stand alone brand for some years.

a thousand pardons

 

[pfschim]

Well during SLM Ampeg time that would be me, I don't know of anyone else who paid much attention to TB, although they should have............. Back then I used to try to solve people's warranty issues, get them parts that were needed, provide technical info, etc. Post-SLM, I don't do the warranty and parts stuff, for obvious reasons, nor do I comment much on the new products.

Now, maybe YOU think I am snarky..... that can be your opinion and it surely doesn't hurt me.

As for Hodgy, he's a good guy. if he can help you, he will. The whole thing shows that individuals can influence the way a company is perceived.

I AM surprised that more folks from the various companies do NOT monitor TB. A few do, but I rather suspect many are not "official", but rather doing it on their own. In a few cases, top level folks do show up from time to time.

It's probably wrong to use the forum participation as a yardstick to judge.

The REAL yardstick is what happens when you call up the company with a problem. Do you get the problem resolved? Do the folks have the attitude to help, or do they seem to want you to prove you should get help? Do you get the runaround?

Many companies have decent folks who are helpful. The question is whether it is company policy to help and solve your problem, or whether these folks are good people in a bad place..........

For a while, Loud apparently had the cheapest minimum wage folks in customer service, with little product knowledge and less interest. That was back in the Jamie Engen days, and it does seem to have changed rather dramatically since.

Jerrold Tiers - it was not you I was referring to. There was a "web relationship manager" (or some such title) from Ampeg on TB for a while who had a screen name of some sort. Definitely not Jerrold Tiers.

FWIW, I have always found your posts to be very informed, rational and helpful.

peace.

 

[solitario]

This is one of the silliest threads I've ever read. Yes - some people will have trouble with a purchase/product from said company - they will not be satisfied at the end of the day. That doesn't mean the company sucks or doesn't care.

To think a company like Ampeg doesn't listen is also short sighted. They're BRINGING BACK the V4 - people have been clamoring for it for awhile it seems. Also making the B15 more affordable (what I'm holding out for).

Feedback from customers is key for any company - but there is a reasonable limit to it.

Having said all that - Ampeg: I'd like to try out that new B15 - pm me.

Could be, but wasting your time answering what you think is a silly thread is not very clever either dont you think? show some respect to forum members and if you dont want to read it just do something else that helps this forums or do nothing but dont waste your time writting and make us waste our time reading you.

 

[Munjibunga]

Don't know about all the other jibber jabber in this thread, but if I don't get my hands on an old SLM 1600 watt Pro 4 soon, I am gonna die.

Jibber jabber - I haven't heard that in over 40 years. It's going back into my lexicon.

 

[prd004]

I think Ampeg listens to us (by us I mean the people who use their products).

People love the SVT, and they've kept it around all these years without screwing it up!
People clamor for vintage SVT's so they came out with the SVT-VR
Everyone loves the B-15 so they re-introduced the heritage B-15. When people complained that it was too expensive they got to work on a less expensive one!
People complained about the gear not being made in the USA so they introduced the heritage line
People said they wanted a 100 watt all tube head, and that's coming soon
People like micro amps so they came out with the Portaflex heads.

You could make the argument that Ampeg listens to its customers wants/needs and delivers on a level that few other companies do.

I agree with others that I would love to see a sealed 410 4ohm cab with four casters, I would buy one myself.
But I would not be one bit surprised if we kept asking for one and they made it.

 

[SIFJiggy]

Could be, but wasting your time answering what you think is a silly thread is not very clever either dont you think? show some respect to forum members and if you dont want to read it just do something else that helps this forums or do nothing but dont waste your time writting and make us waste our time reading you.

Your response is equally as pointless, so well played, solitario...

The part I think is silly is that folks are posting in a huff about how they feel Ampeg should be reaching out on TB, and since they don't enough for some people, Ampeg therefore does not care for customers.

I did not in any way disrespect forum members by trying to inject a little reality to the thread.

 

[Musicphan]

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Jerrold Tiers]

I suspect that Loud has been listening.... TB isn't the only place information comes from.

Dealers are a big source of good info. Actually, TB is probably in some ways a BAD source.

A dealer says "I had several people come in looking for an amp with X, Y, and Z, and I had nothing for them". That is a live lead, people waving money, who went to a dealer and wanted to spend it.

On TB, much as I think "trends" are findable here, nobody is waving money and demanding "X, Y, and Z". The demanding part is there, but the money isn't. That's a big difference.

It's one thing to say "they oughtta make an amp with X, Y, and Z". That suggests that maybe those features might be a good idea to put in, if there is more support for them, or a good reason why folks want them..

Just posting an idea is, unfortunately, "cheap".... It doesn't mean much unless the idea is obviously good for other reasons. There is no suggestion that anyone would actually spend money for an amp because it has those features.

It's quite another for a number of people to be saying "have you got an amp like this with X, Y, and Z? I want to buy one now." That means that you could be selling more amps if you had those features. Big difference.

Like it or not, money shouts.

How much attention do YOU give a potential gig at a place where the owner is notorious for not paying without a big argument, or who always "makes a deal" for less than the agreement?

There was a "web relationship manager" (or some such title) from Ampeg on TB for a while who had a screen name of some sort.

Must be from Loud, then, because I definitely do not recall any such thing at SLM.... If any such title existed there, it must have been short-lived....

They surely were missing in action when it came to the Ampeg forum. That mess could have been improved even by a total jerk doing some moderating.