Damaged Custom Repair / Replacement timing?

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DavidZ

DavidZ

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I posted this here, so that Custom Makers as well as Collectors and Users would be more likely to respond, with an experienced opinion. I thought about posting this as a poll, but would like detailed discussion. Anyway, the question is this:

If you have returned a knife to a custom maker, due to a failure of the blade, that he or she agrees it was his or her mistake in materials and/or workmanship, how long of a wait would you expect to have for the replacement?

Less than 6 Months?? A year? Indefinitely? Let me hear your thoughts. Should this replacement knife get any type of priority? What if the maker has a multi - year backlog? Please, I especially want to hear from you great knifemakers out there!! Moderators - If this belongs in the general forum, please move.
Thanks All!
 
In the case of a maker's mistake in materials and/or workmanship, the issue should be solved to the customer's satisfaction within 30 days of verification of issue in my opinion.
I only say 30 days as the issue may require the maker to build a replacement knife and/or acquire like materials.
 
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anything less than 'right away' is poor business practice imo
 
We would take care of it immediately. The customer would have several options as to how the replacement would be handled. Our goal would be a customer that was comfortable with our guarantee and ready to order another knife. Over the years in managing several businesses I have found that it is easier and cheaper to keep a customer than it is to find a customer to replace the one you just lost.

Heck the only time we have had a blade failure, we took care of it immediately and the problem was customer abuse that he confessed up front. He was honest about what he had done, was not requesting replacement and just was wondering if we would like the see it. We sent him a replacement. Word about how satisfied he was about how we had treated him got back to us several different times over the next year and from some unexpected places. Just that made it worth the price of a replacement knife. Good news doesn't travel nearly as fast or far as bad news. What would have happened if we had just said tough….you broke it….it’s yours?

The flip side is a lot of the way a customer is treated can vary depending on the customer attitude. It doesn't have anything to do with Custom Knifemakers, it is just human nature. Could be a tire dealer. Go into the problem with the right attitude and you will likely come out better in the end.

The real challenge is making a good customer out of one that has approached the problem the wrong way.
 
Hmathews said:
We would take care of it immediately. The customer would have several options as to how the replacement would be handled. Our goal would be a customer that was comfortable with our guarantee and ready to order another knife. Over the years in managing several businesses I have found that it is easier and cheaper to keep a customer than it is to find a customer to replace the one you just lost.

Heck the only time we have had a blade failure, we took care of it immediately and the problem was customer abuse that he confessed up front. He was honest about what he had done, was not requesting replacement and just was wondering if we would like the see it. We sent him a replacement. Word about how satisfied he was about how we had treated him got back to us several different times over the next year and from some unexpected places. Just that made it worth the price of a replacement knife. Good news doesn't travel nearly as fast or far as bad news. What would have happened if we had just said tough….you broke it….it’s yours?

The flip side is a lot of the way a customer is treated can vary depending on the customer attitude. It doesn't have anything to do with Custom Knifemakers, it is just human nature. Could be a tire dealer. Go into the problem with the right attitude and you will likely come out better in the end.

The real challenge is making a good customer out of one that has approached the problem the wrong way.
Click to expand...

Well said and good policy Harry.
 
^^^ Some sage advice right there. I'm not surprised. :thumbup:

Coop
 
Harry, your posts and ideas, like the one you just wrote, are far and away the most consistently well communicated on this here forum.
I'm so glad you participate. I've learned a lot from you.
:thumbup:
 
Well Lorien, after 58 years of screwing up stuff I have come to realize a few things......some say it's about time. You want the crowd at your funeral to be there because they are sorry to see you go, not just to make sure that you get buried.:D
 
:Dgood!
 
30 days or less.
Funny story here. A mother orders a knife from me for her son a boy scout. She wanted a nice small folder. I made the knife and the kid accidently broke the handle scales 3 times. I have never had a knife returned for repairs or defects until this happened. Well I asked to speak to the kid to see what was happening to cause the scales to fall off/break off. It turns out he didn't like he lizard green recon stone scales so he was throwning the knife on the ground and hitting the knife with a hammer to remove the scales. I asked him what color handles he wanted and he said black. He has had the knife with the black handles for 2 years without any troubles.
 
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Wow - Thanks for all of your input - There seems to be a real consensus so far. This also follows in the same lines of my thinking. As Hmathews said - it is easier to keep a current customer than to find a new one. Well said. :thumbup::thumbup:
Any other opinions forumites?
 
Hmathews said:
We would take care of it immediately. The customer would have several options as to how the replacement would be handled. Our goal would be a customer that was comfortable with our guarantee and ready to order another knife. Over the years in managing several businesses I have found that it is easier and cheaper to keep a customer than it is to find a customer to replace the one you just lost.

Heck the only time we have had a blade failure, we took care of it immediately and the problem was customer abuse that he confessed up front. He was honest about what he had done, was not requesting replacement and just was wondering if we would like the see it. We sent him a replacement. Word about how satisfied he was about how we had treated him got back to us several different times over the next year and from some unexpected places. Just that made it worth the price of a replacement knife. Good news doesn't travel nearly as fast or far as bad news. What would have happened if we had just said tough….you broke it….it’s yours?

The flip side is a lot of the way a customer is treated can vary depending on the customer attitude. It doesn't have anything to do with Custom Knifemakers, it is just human nature. Could be a tire dealer. Go into the problem with the right attitude and you will likely come out better in the end.

The real challenge is making a good customer out of one that has approached the problem the wrong way.
Click to expand...

Bravo Sir:thumbup:
 
Been there done that. The maker sent it back priority mail 2 days after receipt. My expectation was 2 weeks.
 
to that thread in the Maker's section, and I'll just say here that the maker should handle this with more attention, unless there is something we are missing.

Best Regards,

STeven Garsson
 
I just read all that stuff, and I can tell you- as someone who has had to deal with many people's warrantied goods over the years- that that seems like bunk to me.

Really, really bad form, and the dismissive 'I'll get to it when I get to it' attitude is just a cherry on the cake:rolleyes:.

People who sell things, either things they made or things they resell, have a huge opportunity presented to them when there is a warranty claim. Yes, the item failed, but people deal with other people who are attentive to their needs and who feel responsible and obligated to always achieve satisfaction with their customers. When satisfaction is achieved despite a problem, the end result is often more customer loyalty.

This little series of threads will do NO good for the maker's sales, although it's hard to quantify just how much it will affect his business.

If there is more information that is being withheld by the OP, which explains the maker's case in a more reasonable light, then it is irresponsible to not include the whole story. But if things are as they appear in these two threads, 14 months waiting for a replacement and no offer to refund the initial purchase, then I give this whole thing a big :thumbdn:.

That's just my two cents for what it's worth.
 
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