A Request on Complaints

K

Kysa

BANNED
Joined
Oct 6, 1998
Messages
100
Can I ask a favor that I'm sure to get flamed over?

If you have a small problem with your knife, contact Spyderco directly, instead of detailing it in a post here. I understand that we all get aberrations in quality from time to time. But it grows tired seeing the same old, "My Native had a plastic hair with it. Does anyone else have this problem with their Native?" type posts.

I'd rather see individuals deal directly with customer service rather than continually repost the same topic/different knife week after week.

What might be more constructive is to continue these posts with regard to functionality, performance, and design qualities (or lack thereof) of a given model, rather than what's been typical of this forum.

Thanks. :-)
 
I, for one, must disagree with this post. I would like to continue to see these posts from individuals about ANY problems that they see with their knives. Not because I want to run the company down (yeah, right, like you could even do that with the great quality and designs that come out from Spyderco). But, these little problems do happen. And, I know that Sal reads this forum. I don't know that Sal gets every report that comes to customer service. Spyderco makes GREAT knives, but sometimes (maybe often, with a particular model), problems happen.

Evin
 
Speaking as a consumer, not a representative...
I am grateful when I can find information about a product or company that doesn't come from the company itself. It's easy to listen to the customer service representative of a company that is trained to sway you to their way of thinking. They will skate over negative issues, and play up their strengths, of course. But the people using the products everyday, hard working people that spend their money on a product..that's the person I want to talk to. That's the person whose opinion I value.

Danelle
custsvc@spyderco



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Sometimes you don't realize how much you have,
until you see that someone else wants it...


 
I can see both sides of the issue. Some folks are sick of reading about what may seem like a silly problem. Maybe it is a silly problem, maybe it is not. From the company's point of view it makes sense at least I would think, to have those coments here.
Kysa, Think of it as having the worlds largest R and D and quality control. Granted the problems could go directly to Spyderco. However no one is perfect. No one knows everything there is to know. With that in mind. By bringing problems on the forums. It opens it up for others to help solve the problem. If someone points something out that others have over looked and it is a problem several have. Maybe even a problem with the design or materials used. It allows the company to first learn there is a problem. Two it gives us fair warning in case it is something the company does not wish to address but would upset a potential buyer thus they do not buy it. Three if the company decides to correct it. It opens it up for others to help with ideas on how to correct the problem. So really those posts about problems. Have great potential of helping the company and the ELU. Don't you just hate that term?
wink.gif
So I would say if you do not want to see those threads. I have noticed the titles usually indicate what the topic is about. My suggestion is don't read it. Which is my same view on many topics.


Regards,


Tom Carey
 
I like reading about problems people have had with knives. I like to learn whether or not a particular flaw happened only once in a while, or with a batch. I like to find out what to look for in a particular model just in case there are more like that. Testing on these forums has brought to light some somewhat dangerous flaws in certain knives.

For instance, Mike Turber's testing on the BM840 (in a test with other knives), which failed the spinewhack test, and many other people tested their 840's, including me, and found that many 840's exhibited this problem. If Mike had just informed Benchmade alone, and not told the rest of us, the whole situation might have been shrugged off, and Benchmade would probably not be making the attempt that it is doing now to fix the problem.

What I also enjoy is reading the posts from the factory representatives who are doing their best to please customers. Reading about how a CSR has gone out of their way to help a customer makes me want to do business with that company. Sal Glesser could just as easily sit at home in an easy chair and say "bite me" to every one, but he doesn't. He takes the time to read and consider alot of what is said here, and that is a cool thing for a company president to do. Much of the time, company execs. are somewhat removed from customer dealings. Sal has gone through great lengths to please everybody, and has kept his cool, even with constant abuse from people like me.

Reading about how CSR's have dealt with customer problems will help me in the future when I start my own business. Observing how a successful company caters to it's client base will surely be a great benefit to me when I am in charge.

YeK
 
Thanks guys, you're making my point exactly. It's the minor/bitchy things that get old. As in the original post, if you've problems with design, performance, or function of the knife, then it lends itself more naturally to discussion over the trivial "my knife smells like chow mein" pabulum.

Keep up the great work!

[This message has been edited by Kysa (edited 13 March 1999).]
 
Ouch, there it is again. My chow mein comparison turned out to be a lot more controversial than I had intended. So, your complaint was directed against me, Kysa? I had no idea, until now. If the shoe fits, wear it, right?

By way of clarification, I was not complaining about the smell of the Micarta on my Calypso Jr., just stating a fact, just answering the question that was posted, about whether anyone had noticed an unusual smell on this particular model of knife. Actually, I kind of like the smell, although I would prefer Mongolian beef.

I'm hungry. Not complaining, though, just hungry.
smile.gif


David Rock

 
What are the chances they can make one that smells like burnt gunpowder? I love that smell!
biggrin.gif

Kysa,
I think that you're going to find a much more discriminating knife crowd here (You are a good example of this.) than elswhere. The people here don't just buy a Buck knife and then use it til the tip breaks and then throw
it away.
The people here, since they are more discriminating, will tend to notice flaws and oddities that the average knife buyer will never see. Hence, you read what often appears to be nit picking or piddling complaints.
If I were a major manufacturer like Sal, this is just the stuff I'd want the know about. Spyderco for example, doesn't seem like a company that's trying to make a knife that's good enough, they're striving for great bordering on perfection. They often acheive it, but when they don't they probably want to know.
Of course, it's a good idea to let them know when you get a perfect one too.
I got an imperfect knife from Spyderco once. It's a Police without the "POLICE" marked on the side of the blade. I love it! Wouldn't dream of giving it up! (Unless somebody offers me an obscene amount of money for it.) HINT!
biggrin.gif



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I cut it, and I cut it, and it's STILL too short!

 
Keeping complaimts/problems secret is not what this forum is about. Sharing experience is. The spine whack test is a prime example. We're not here to hide what we learn. We're about sharing information.
Chris
 
Kysa - thank you for your concern. But this is the SPYDERCO forum and as such, "there is no substitute for truth". If we have a problem with a model, we NEED to know, even if it is embarrassing. Yes it is a pain in the A$$ to discuss the presence of a hair in a Native, but if we know, we can fix. If we don't know, we are blind and deaf. Sharing knowledge is the purpose of this forum, not selling knives. And yes, this is a great group...no flames?
sal
 
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