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In Reply to: RE: Excuses...excuses is all I hear from VPI posted by plugmein on August 18, 2014 at 05:43:20
nt
Follow Ups:
hasn't just about anyone who has been listening for some 30+ years!!!!!!
I've owned VPI products for 24 years and have always received excellent service, NOT excuses. Dunno why you posted what you did.
> Dunno why you posted what you did.
I wonder if it was because the founding owner of VPI responded to this thread with "excuses." Of course, that's just a wild guess so I could be wrong. ;-)
Best regards,
John Elison
I don't see any excuses. If you do, where are they?
"I'm sorry that you had a problem with a bad switch, they are tested and that switch is guaranteed by the maker for 100,000 cycles. The start up issue is not an issue and should be mentioned by your dealer or in the manual. Your Traveler has a very expensive 60 cycle regenerating power supply, it builds up the power slowly for a soft start but gives the Traveler it's amazing sound quality. That motor is being feed a 60HZ signal that is good to four places, it is 100's of times more accurate than the line power.
I will not argue that we could use better manuals but we are coming out with USB manuals in the not to distant future that will include video of the table setup. Keep in touch and we will send you one when they are complete or watch the website in the next month or so for the announcement. We will be bringing all our tables into the 21st Century."
The issue is that a person bought a brand new Traveler that was defective out-of-the-box. Instead of being able to exchange it for another brand new working Traveler he was told by his dealer that he had to ship it to VPI for repair and VPI took five weeks to get it back to him. I think VPI should have shipped him a brand new turntable immediately. It seems to me that HW circumvented the issue with excuses. But, that's my opinion. You are certainly welcome to your opinion.Best regards,
John Elison
Edits: 08/18/14
It's mine also, but I can't talk just now as these nails hurt like crazy having just been crucified by the mob here for expressing the same opinion...
Will you have vinegar with those?
"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
or did you work for the government most of your career? Sorry, I'm coming across as unfair I know. I don't mean to be harsh but there is a lot of arm-chairing going on here. You do make some very good points about customer service. But it seems like you don't really understand how 2-step distribution works. It's not as easy as you seem to make it sound. VPI is one of those companies that is in a difficult spot: successful enough and big enough to be under the public spotlight but small enough to be run "the old fashioned way." They have special challenges meeting the high expectations of the 21st century internet buyer public.You could cut them a little slack. Or not, and they will go away and we can all buy Chinese imports from now on. Then our economy won't be able to pay for expensive US military pensions....
Edits: 08/18/14
You are certainly welcome to your opinion. But, if you think HW's response has any kind of positive effect of adding to the success of VPI, you definitely think differently than I.
Good luck,
John Elison
Basically I agree with you about customer service. I'm just saying that it's easy to critique them from afar without being in their shoes. In the short term a business has to keep its doors open. In this particular case my opinion is that the dealer needs to provide the replacement and then file a warranty claim with VPI. It is the retailers job to provide customer service and the manufacture's job to improve product quality so failures are reduced. It's not easy in today's business climate.
But in the big picture, I know you are right. I still admire the small businesses that are trying to live the old American dream... that dream is dying in the global economy.
Never buy anything from that dealer again.
I have no use for a B&M shop with worse service than an e-tailer.
Had he bought the table from an online VPI dealer they would have asked for it back and then sent a new one.
Dean.
reelsmith's axiom: Its going to be used equipment when I sell it, so it may as well be used equipment when I buy it.
I bought the TT from an out of town dealer while on a weekend trip, sort of a spontaneous purchase (and not my first). I have no regrets in my transaction with the dealer and now that the TT is up and running, I am starting to get attached to it. If the VPI longevity comes through, I could see myself hanging onto the Traveler for a long time.
The turntable should have been exchanged by the dealer. That's one reason to buy from a dealer. The customer should not have to deal with the manufacturer. That is the dealer's job. If the dealer was unwilling to make the exchange, then who needs him. Just sayin'.
I'd be bugged too if I had to wait 5 weeks, and would have expected to receive a new properly working tt quickly. VPI is a mall company and the OP may well be right in thinking sales have at least temporarily overwhelmed their ability to keep up with replacements and/or repairs.
As has been posted here over and over by VPI owners, their customer service is normally excellent. Drag that it is, this is an exception, not the norm with them.
Here is what a "no-excuse" response looks like:"I'm very sorry for the bad experience with your new Traveler. There is no excuse for taking five weeks to repair your turntable. In fact, we should have sent you a brand new Traveler immediately instead of making you wait for a repair at all. I will talk to Matt and find out what went wrong and how we can prevent it from ever happening again. Thank you for your purchase and I sincerely apologize for the way you were treated."
That's what a no-excuse response looks like. Everything HW wrote was either an excuse or an advertisement except for the first half of his first sentence where he wrote:
> I'm sorry that you had a problem with a bad switch,
Best regards,
John Elison
Edits: 08/18/14
You don't need me to tell you are right, but you are right.
Except for the half sentence you quoted, Harry's post was technical in nature rather than addressing the problem and its prompt resolution. So in reality he really didn't say anything to placate the customer and assure others that they will take steps so such a thing doesn't happen again.
Those who said the dealer should have stepped in and taken care of things are spot on. Taking ownership of customer issues when they occur is important.
Brian
So much music, so little time!
An apology was definitely called for and being retired isn't absolution.
The apology should come from the dealer. The dealer should handle all issues concerning items they sell to customers. They are the go between the dealer and the customer, responsible for all problems and upgrades. I was a dealer in the 90's and sold VPI among many others. If there where any problems with any gear that I sold, I would take care of it. There is no reason for the customer to contact the manufacturer directly, that was my job. I never had a problem dealing with Sheila (RIP) at VPI, actually, I can't remember any significant problems with VPI products at all.
Any dealer worth his salt will take care of his retail customers, it is the manufacturers duty to support their dealer network.
HW is now retired, he does not have to participate on these forums, however he does. That is a good thing!
Interestingly, badteacher had trouble getting vpi to acknowledge that they received the table and for VPI to provide a return date. These questions would still remain had the dealer been handling the communication. Would the dealer have had more success in getting the proper answers from VPI?Also, I don't remember reading that badteacher contacted VPI for the RMA. Perhaps the dealer obtained it for him.
Edits: 08/18/14 08/18/14
"Much to my surprise and the dealers', I received the RMA number after a few days and packed it off and shipped it back to VPI."
"My wording wasn't particularly precise, the dealer obtained the RMA number for me. I bought the TT while out of town on a weekend trip from a small dealer California.
"
This is mostly what I was referring to: "I called 3 times and never had anyone pick up the phone or received a callback. I waited 5 days for them to reply to an email inquiry that they received my TT and in their reply they could not answer when the repair would be completed. "...in addition that he had to wait five weeks.
Finally, the sentence that you provided doesn't specify who contacted VPI.
Edits: 08/19/14 08/19/14
Note should be made that Matthew has taken over the reins. As with any management change, things get rearranged: not just managerially but personalwise as well as physically. Although never mentioned VPI. shut down for a week to reorganze their factory layouta
FWIW
They did notify dealers but I would admit it would have helped to notify public. My personal observation was that it was not quite as simple as envisioned, however.
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