Ease of communicating with custom makers?

cockroachfarm

cockroachfarm

Joined
Jan 6, 2001
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I had written this as a response in another thread but I thought it deserved it's own - because I am very interested in people's experiences in communicating with makers.

When you get a PROMPT response from guys like Kit Carson, W.D Pease, Allen Elishewitz, Darrel Ralph, Greg Lightfoot, Jeff Hall, Brian Tighe, Tom Mayo, Johnny Stout, Arpad Bojtos, D'Alton Holder, et al - who are all, I'm willing to bet, BUSY - it makes you wonder why some maker just starting to BUILD his customer base can't be bothered to respond at all.

I no longer accept "lack of computer skills" as an excuse - if you have an email address or a website, then you have enough computer skills to hunt-and-peck out a short response and click on "Reply".

Your experience?
 
Honestly, I think I must get lucky. Almost everyone I email is prompt and helpful in their response to me, with only a couple of exceptions. But, yeah - the exceptions do make me wonder as they are makers that aren't big names.

The area that I run into huge problems is with Japanese-styled pieces, where a number of different craftsman are involved with a project. On that side of things I wait weeks, and frequently months for replies that end up being of no help. The big exception to this is Bailey Bradshaw, who provides good communication as well as amazing work.
 
My experiences are divers. Most of the time I get a timely response (within a few days to a week) and we than can build the "relationship" from there. Because I live in Europe I allways try to take the time difference (6 to 9 hours both ways in most instances) in account. Unfortunately I also have some bad experiences in which I had to "hunt" the maker for an answer or even worse I didn't get an answer at all. In those instances I've decided to end the correspondence immediately and take my business elsewhere. Luckily the positive experiences outweigh the negative by a multitude.

Marcel
 
I may be an exception, but I have problems getting responses from one of the makers listed above. I still don't know if I have an order in. :confused:
 
Just like anything else, it depends on the personality of the person. Makers just getting a customer base may very well be part-time makers, which could mean a variey of things, less time to answer e-mails might be one of them.
 
Larrin said:
Just like anything else, it depends on the personality of the person. Makers just getting a customer base may very well be part-time makers, which could mean a variey of things, less time to answer e-mails might be one of them.
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If they are making knives to SELL, my first advice to them, as a business consultant with 30 years of experience, would be: make the time, or do this as a hobby.

"With the internet as my shopping mall, your competition is just one mouse-click away."
 
cockroachfarm said:
If they are making knives to SELL, my first advice to them, as a business consultant with 30 years of experience, would be: make the time, or do this as a hobby.

"With the internet as my shopping mall, your competition is just one mouse-click away."
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I think some of the part-time makers that have busy full-time jobs make and sell knives strictly as a hobby. A lot of the more popular ones get more emails than they have time to answer, so that's why the responses aren't always prompt. I'm not excusing the lack of communication, but I can understand why it happens sometimes.
 
commodorewheeler said:
....I can understand why it happens sometimes.
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I understand that too. But unless you make knives ONLY as a hobby and GIVE them away, responding to your customer inquiries is just good business practice - and a courtesy. And I should also add that I'm not really talking about those guys who take a few days or a week to respond (that's OK, I think) but those who don't respond at all.

Yes, I know they might have phone numbers that I could also call - but if they OFFER an email address, I expect them to use it.

Here's a little story for those people who will say, "Well, just CALL them you mean S.O.B!" Last Christmas, I decided to use some phone cards a radio station had given me and CALL all the makers and collectors with whom I had become friends over the past few years and wish them a Merry Christmas. Of the 28 people I called - I only got through to 5. The rest were no-answers and voice-mail.
 
I'm afraid I'm new to this addiction.

Of the few custom makers I've tried to contact, I had uniform good success: Winkler, Jay Fisher, Michael Anderssen, and the legendary Ed Caffrey. Gentlemen all...even if the wait times are looooonnggg.

Hopefully my short 'streak' will continue. ;)
 
OldPhysics said:
I'm afraid I'm new to this addiction.

Of the few custom makers I've tried to contact, I had uniform good success: Winkler, Jay Fisher, Michael Anderssen, and the legendary Ed Caffrey. Gentlemen all...even if the wait times are looooonnggg.

Hopefully my short 'streak' will continue. ;)
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With names like that I'm sure it will! :thumbup:

I know that there are exceptions to every rule, but I've had similar experience in writing for various 'name' entertainers: the lesser known the "star", the bigger the ego and the greater the demands.

Look at the makers I listed above - most would agree that they are 'names' in the knife world. Yet the first email I sent to each of them over the years was answered promptly, many by the next morning.

(Sorry, I'll stop ranting - but lack of communication from makers and lack of price tags on knives are two of my biggest pet peeves. :) )
 
I have only had three makers that I can think of not get back to me at all. After giving them a couple of tries I gave up and moved on to someone else. There are too many top quality makers that will get back to you to spend too much time on those that won't.

There have been a few makers that have been very sporadic in getting back to me. I ordered a knife from one of these makers and ended up cancelling it because he was also terrible at communicating. I would email a few times and then end up calling. On the phone he would say that he would answer my emails, but never did. This was a big name maker and I was very disappointed. Anyway, I like to think of it as his loss, because the knife I would have gotten from him, I got from another maker instead.

I can understand makers being busy and not returning emails right away. Sometimes they might go away for a few weeks, be in the hospital, etc., but if they have an email address they should have the curtesy to respond to people interested enough in their work to contact them.
 
I usually get makers to respond within the day. Some people take a long time. One took two weeks to get back to me. I find some of the more famous makers taking a little longer. Usually they apolagize for taking so long and answer all my questions many times including a # to call them directly so if there are any more questions it doesnt take two weeks to get ahold of em.
 
Even though I am deployed, my wife forwards any knife inquiries (and the occasional letter) to me and I respond asap. Back in the world, it is always the same day.

I consider the internet just as much my "table" as I do any show.
 
I have had nothing but quick replies from the following makers:

Darrel Ralph, Brian Tighe, Allen Elishewitz, Jeff Hall, Joel Pirela, Pat Crawford

All were very informative and swift. For me at least that is the standard I expect and it has a huge influence on my decision whether to buy or not to buy from a particular maker.
 
I am preaching to the choir here as well. Like most knifemakers, I do my photography business part time. For me the internet is my lifeline to the success of my business. It's a technology that has raised the communication standard much the same as the quality of the knives that need to be built in order to be successful these days.

Engage in dialog (forums) and a knifemaker can have technical questions answered that old-timers took years of sorting out. In the same respect, email advances our one-on-one communication to near immediacy.

Anyone who fails at this now-simple and available technology will be passed over.

Email communication is emotionless for the most part, but in setting up orders we need only the facts. Two ways.

I try my damndest to respond to all the very same day. Let others fall behind, not me!

Coop
 
These guys were all prompt and helpful:

Randy Doucette
Brian Tighe
Chris Reeve
Greg Lightfoot
Pat Crawford

(The last two are a little curt maybe, but I suspect they are just men of few words:) .

Custom dealers who are great and helpful:
TADGear (stock moves quick though)
True North Knives
Knifeart
Les Robertson Custom Cutlery

My two cents...
 
We've all heard the excuses, "a knifemaker; not a businessperson, lacks organizational skills, too busy, terrible communicator, somehow you dropped off my radar screen, etc." which is contrary to basic principles of e-commerce or e-tailing.

I'm happy to report. . . . .I've only experienced a couple that fit that profile.

What magnifies the above examples / exasperates those situations. . . . .makers that display the opposite.

On the WWW, not to be confused with the WWF, I react the same way I would if I walk into a bricks and mortar establishment, and receive treatment that I don't feel is consistent with good customer service/care. Simply, I take my business elsewhere.

While it's a shame that a few taint the pool water, I keep the following in mind. . . . .there is a reason that there is a "kiddy pool" and an "adult pool." ;)


dogman said:
I consider the internet just as much my "table" as I do any show.
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:thumbup:

That's what I'm talkin' bout ! Youz the snit, dog ! :D
 
dogman said:
Even though I am deployed, my wife forwards any knife inquiries (and the occasional letter) to me and I respond asap. Back in the world, it is always the same day.

I consider the internet just as much my "table" as I do any show.
Click to expand...

Now THAT kind of attitude impresses customers. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
Many people say that you should just phone the maker if you are having trouble getting in touch by email. While I think a phone has a definite place in communication, I prefer email because I have a record of everything that has been discussed. A year or two down the road I can look at old emails and see what was decided upon. I much prefer email to the phone.
 
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