fantasticsound Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Some of you are aware I worked at Mars Nashville for 2 1/2 years. In that time I witnessed several Intellitouch tuners, which clamp on to the headstocks of various stringed instruments, returned to the store. The clamp is designed to swivel and bend, allowing varied placement on an instrument. The problem is, the swivel-joint is made of plastic and is quite fragile. What I didn't know at the time was, low humidity can crack the plastic. You probably guessed that I bought one anyway. If so, you're correct. And yes, after a few months of storage, I had occasion to pull it out and yep, it's broken. Just sitting in it's case. They did design it well, in that, the clamp at issue is connected by a tiny bolt which is easily removed. I logged on, searched Google for "Intellitouch," and found their website. The "Service and Support" option drops down a menu of email, toll-free phone number, etc. I decided to call (6pm CST). To my amazement, I did NOT get an automated response telling me I had called after hours. In fact, a [i]live person[/i] pleasantly answered my call. I was prepared to mention my experience with returns at the store to indicate my awareness that this was not an isolated occurrence caused by irresponsible behavior. Before I said much, Mark asked, "So you need a new clamp? I'll be happy to send one out, right away, as soon as you give me your name and address." I just about fell out of my chair. He went on to say they are aware of the problem and believe they've licked it. But if the new clamp fails they'll happily replace it. Free. After my experiences as a customer support rep. at a major MI company, several years in MI sales, and 28 years as an MI player and consumer, I've seen many companies fail to admit responsibility for product glitches and defects. I've seen them make excuses for parts backorders and new product delays. It is refreshing to have a company say, "There is a problem, we're aware and working on a solution, and we'll take good care of you, at our expense." KUDOS to Intellitouch and Mark in service & support! It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 I love hearing about excellent customer support! :thu: My Digi 002 died after nearly two months of daily use. Unfortunately it died on a Friday night session (with Saturday and Sunday scheduled too)... but as soon as I contacted Digidesign (via the DUC on Sunday) they promised to call me first thing on Monday. Sure enough, they did, and Fedex'ed me a replacement unit (overnight) and paid for the shipping to send the old one back. Seems there was a DC wiring problem in some of the very earliest Digi 002's, which has been addressed and corrected at the manufacturing level. Hey, crap happens - the difference between a good company and a bad one is how they deal with problems when they arise. Digidesign impressed the heck out of me with their customer service! :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted December 4, 2002 Author Share Posted December 4, 2002 So glad to hear your experience, Phil. I haven't dealt with Digidesign's customer service, but for years all I've heard from professional and hobbyists is you can't get them to do anything for you. Glad that may be changing, and thrilled to know they took care of you right away. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
where02190 Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Phil sounds like you got very lucky. there are several posts on the DUC(Digidesign User Conference) of horror stories from people waiting 5 weeks or more for ereplacement 002's because of this problem. Nice ot read a good customer support story. It's sad how good post sales customre relations seems to almost not exisist anywhere. The decline of morals in a modern society. Hope this is helpful. NP Recording Studios Analog approach to digital recording. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wewus432 Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 I think good customer support is often what makes or breaks a company. It's just human nature, common sense, you're going to stick with the people who take care of you, so I think you have to consider customer support as a very important cost of doing business. You lose money in the long run if you don't take care of your people. A company that I've gotten good customer support from is Taylor Guitars. Those guys really take care of their customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philip OKeefe Posted December 4, 2002 Share Posted December 4, 2002 Nick, I've heard a couple of horror stories regarding multiple failures and long wait times for replacements on Digi 002's too... it seems they're in such high demand that even Digidesign has had a hard time getting ones to send out as replacements. If I was running a company, I'd hang on to several for just that purpose... but they probably did, and the wiring harness problem probably depleted their replacement stock. And to be fair, a couple of those long wait times (probably even the majority) were overseas, where third party distributers were involved. It IS nice to be able to deal directly with Digidesign. True, it may take 5 - 10 minutes to get someone on the phone (and even that's better than the 30 min. + wait times from some companies), but when you do, they always seem to be knowledgeable and helpful. I agree with you - overall, customer support has gone downhill industry wide... that's why I love hearing about companies who defy that trend, and I'm more likely to do business with them as opposed to some company with cruddy after sale support. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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