Realistic Expectations from Production Knife Makers

T

texasrimfirenut

Joined
Oct 13, 2013
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168
Guys, just want to get a pulse from others. I will admit from the beginning that I am not the most patient person but how long would you expect to get customer service or feedback from a production knife company?

Also the expected response is coming from an email that was sent in via their web site. One of my pet peeves again is don't offer a way to email in questions or concerns regarding products if you aren't going to answer them.

I have done business with a couple gun companies and they have no way for you to contact them via email. Not quite as easy to pick up a phone and get through a phone system and their automated prompts as it is to email but I can respect them not offering that avenue to contact them if they aren't going to answer it.

So what would be your expectation if you email in a question to a production knife company if its offered on their "Contact Us" web page? A day, a couple days, a week or longer?

Just curious as I've been buying a number of production knives from a certain company and had questions regarding one of them I received. With no response from them I am starting to think their customer service is "sucky."

Just want some other opinions since I know I am somewhat OCD, lol!
 
From a well established company, benchmade, spyderco, kershaw, emerson, etc. I would expect to wait 24 maybe two days. Who's the company in question?
 
I would suggest 2-3 business days would be the maximum. I run a business and my target is to answer all email queries within 1 business day.
 
For e-mail, it may be one or two business days. If you want a faster response, you might try calling instead of e-mail.
 
Ok well that is kind of where I am. I was thinking around 48 hours myself. I know where I work I am required to answer an email within 24 hours with at least "I'll get back to you" type statement if not a complete answer.

I'd really prefer not to say who just yet either. My questions was a technical one and I also attached a pic to it to describe my concern/question. Let me give them a couple more days yet. I just wouldn't want to give a negative opinion in public before giving it a little more time I think.

That was the main reason for my question as customer service is the most important thing to me, even over pricing and I wanted to get a check on myself from you guys before I send anything else.

I am going to go ahead and send a second email since its well past the 48 hours.
 
I am in a similar situation.

I emailed CRK on Monday and here it is Saturday and I still have not gotten a response. I'm thinking maybe my email got overlooked somehow (?) Also , I emailed them last week and got a response within a day. So I'm not sure what to think.

And I emailed Benchmade on Wednesday and three days later I'm still waiting for a response.

Anyway ,I would say two days should be the max.
 
Wolverine666 said:
I am in a similar situation.

I emailed CRK on Monday and here it is Saturday and I still have not gotten a response. I'm thinking maybe my email got overlooked somehow (?) Also , I emailed them last week and got a response within a day. So I'm not sure what to think.

And I emailed Benchmade on Wednesday and three days later I'm still waiting for a response.

Anyway ,I would say two days should be the max.
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You are better off calling CRK. You will get a much much faster response than an Email.
 
texasrimfirenut said:
Ok well that is kind of where I am. I was thinking around 48 hours myself. I know where I work I am required to answer an email within 24 hours with at least "I'll get back to you" type statement if not a complete answer.

I'd really prefer not to say who just yet either. My questions was a technical one and I also attached a pic to it to describe my concern/question. Let me give them a couple more days yet. I just wouldn't want to give a negative opinion in public before giving it a little more time I think.

That was the main reason for my question as customer service is the most important thing to me, even over pricing and I wanted to get a check on myself from you guys before I send anything else.

I am going to go ahead and send a second email since its well past the 48 hours.
Click to expand...

Your post was perfect in its content the way it is. If you name any company on this forum you will get barbecued alive by its fans with pages of "I've never had any problems with them" and "I know them, they are an honorable company" and that kind of of stuff. Then they will want to know what your problem is, and go after that as well.

My most successful efforts with contact with a vendor is to email and call. Wait a couple of days, repeat. With Ontario, I called and talked to a guy immediately about a problem on grip scales. With Kershaw, a phone call was answered and I had my problem resolved immediately. Same with AG Russell, I talked with the nicest person you can believe on the first call.

With "other" (sorry, no names) manufacturers, it seems like it is about a week before they got back to me. Sometimes it requires a follow up call. I hang my hat mostly in the traditional subforum here, and customer service reports from the guys concerning GEC, Queen, Canal Street, Case, etc., are really a case by case basis. Sometimes the guys report lightening service, and others they wonder if the manufacturer cares at all.

Your mileage may vary.

Robert
 
Yup that is somewhat my point. Perhaps some places may even have good customer service if you call them but really suck if you email them. If you are going to be like that why risk the opportunity to be seen as having sucky support by even allowing a link or email for submitting questions/comments/concerns. Seems better if you are going to respond poorly to email request you just don't offer that service at all.

People are different, some would prefer to talk to someone on the phone whereas others would prefer email. I believe if you seek great customer service you need to provide both. I like the immediacy of talking to someone on the phone but absolutely hate phone systems with automated responses and phone menus so I've gone pretty much to straight emails. Emails also give you a record of others comments and/or promises, lol.

I have seen it done with gun manufactures once on a web site where they submitted request to various manufactures and reported a table of the results. Maybe I should do such a review, grading each the same way so the results would unbiased.

I can report in the past with ESEE I have emailed them on a Sunday evening when no one was there and Monday morning to surprise I already had a response. Of course ESEE isn't the one I am dealing with right now.
 
I would wait a couple of days, then call. Email is handled by humans and there's always a crack or two for something to fall through. I don't take it personal when it happens to me, I just keep chasing them until I get to talk to someone.
 
Well today its Saturday and everyone has a life outside work so I hope you are waiting for the email to be replied today or tomorrow. I always call and then you could tell them that you could send an email with pictures.
I really don't understand it, seems like people don't now how to communicate anymore. What is wrong with a call? takes way less time for both parties involved
 
BBW said:
Well today its Saturday and everyone has a life outside work so I hope you are waiting for the email to be replied today or tomorrow. I always call and then you could tell them that you could send an email with pictures.
I really don't understand it, seems like people don't now how to communicate anymore. What is wrong with a call? takes way less time for both parties involved
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I work in the telecommunications field and at least in my field of work ALL communications are done via email so there is a paper trail. I would venture to say most other fields are probably similar, even if there is a phone conversations its always followed up with a confirmation email.
 
texasrimfirenut said:
Ok well that is kind of where I am. I was thinking around 48 hours myself. I know where I work I am required to answer an email within 24 hours with at least "I'll get back to you" type statement if not a complete answer.

I'd really prefer not to say who just yet either. My questions was a technical one and I also attached a pic to it to describe my concern/question. Let me give them a couple more days yet. I just wouldn't want to give a negative opinion in public before giving it a little more time I think.

That was the main reason for my question as customer service is the most important thing to me, even over pricing and I wanted to get a check on myself from you guys before I send anything else.

I am going to go ahead and send a second email since its well past the 48 hours.
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Try sending a phone call instead.
 
I expect an answer by the end of the next business day unless it's an overseas company. Then it's a crap shoot. Good companies have no problem with this. I'm not going to name the poor response companies but I'm sure most of you guys already know who they are.
 
BBW said:
Well today its Saturday and everyone has a life outside work so I hope you are waiting for the email to be replied today or tomorrow. I always call and then you could tell them that you could send an email with pictures.
I really don't understand it, seems like people don't now how to communicate anymore. What is wrong with a call? takes way less time for both parties involved
Click to expand...

Oh I agree with what's wrong with communicating, lol. I would love to call and have someone answer a phone and it would be my preferred method; however, when I call and get computers that then transfer me to other computers and I end up in a voice mail system that seems to be answered like emails are ... The email is a lot quicker.

My point again would be don't offer up email submittal of questions if you aren't going to answer them in a timely fashion or at all.

One case I still have going is with Burris scopes who make a great product and great warranty. 5 emails in 5 months, still no answer. A number of calls to an automated system, still no answer. That kind of stuff pisses me off. What good is that best in class lifetime warranty if you can't talk to someone to know if it's really a problem or not, lol.

And no, I certainly don't expect a reply over the weekend nor would I count that time. I am an advocate for everyone having the weekend off. Close all restaurants I say on Sunday, lol.
 
texasrimfirenut said:
Oh I agree with what's wrong with communicating, lol. I would love to call and have someone answer a phone and it would be my preferred method; however, when I call and get computers that then transfer me to other computers and I end up in a voice mail system that seems to be answered like emails are ... The email is a lot quicker.

My point again would be don't offer up email submittal of questions if you aren't going to answer them in a timely fashion or at all.

One case I still have going is with Burris scopes who make a great product and great warranty. 5 emails in 5 months, still no answer. A number of calls to an automated system, still no answer. That kind of stuff pisses me off. What good is that best in class lifetime warranty if you can't talk to someone to know if it's really a problem or not, lol.

And no, I certainly don't expect a reply over the weekend nor would I count that time. I am an advocate for everyone having the weekend off. Close all restaurants I say on Sunday, lol.
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that I absolutely HATE LOL
 
Well, I hate to say it but...More and more companies are switching to VoIP phone systems and they come with auto-attendants (ie, press "1" for customer service, press "2" for billing, etc.). Whatever the reason that some companies answer emails more often than others varies as much as the companies themselves. If I need service regarding a product I send a single email. If I don't get a reply, then I make a phone call. It all depends on urgency and the product. I am also an advocate of good customer service as well as clear communication, but there is no gold standard that can be used as a measuring stick for every company. What your company does in how it handles calls and service/support inquiries is great, but we must remember our way is not the only way. It is what it is.
 
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