Your thoughts on customer service issue

[rhaskins]

I am stuck here at work this weekend moving gigabytes of email to the new server. Sucks. I do get to check in on the bomber site all I want, refreshing the store site to see if there are any new offerings . . .

But that is not why I started this thread.

I have a well-respected company in the alpine carving community that I placed an order with over 20 days ago. They promptly (instantly) debited my card for almost $500.00. Since then, no meaningful communications. By that, I mean that a "rep" promised me an update on my order "right away" about 4 or so days after the order was placed, but nothing further. That was over 15 days ago. They do not answer any email to any of their 3 addresses I have, their voicemail for customer service is full (the voicemail system told me so), and the fax line will not receive a fax. I mean I tried everything. I have not flooded them with email, just sent about 5 or 6 total messages. I do not want to appear needy or a pest.

Should I publicly complain about the company, naming them? I don't give a rat's a$$ that they may be busy, that they are a caring and nurturing bunch of guys, that they are a leader in the industry and etc. I do care about customer service. And "almost $500.00" is enough money to me to make me concerned. Naming them and detailing their lack of concern (arrogance?) for their customers may get their attention. I have purchased from them before and had no issues.

What do y'all think? I would hesitate to purchase from them after this, and am looking at alternative suppliers for my needs. I was really comfortable with them and their reputation up till now. I can tell you it is NOT Bomber.

Rick

[Jack M]

If you're talking about Catek, read this:

http://www.bomberonline.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22010

[rhaskins]

That posting made me EXTREMELY nervous. Classic signs of going out of business: bunches of promises, phone not answered, no response from any communications. I have seen and been bite but that before. SWT MAY be busy, but if he is a proper company rep, he will communicate, especially if he has so promised - which he did. I call BS on him being out of communications - if in university, he has a laptop and no university is not wired these days. Plus there has to be numerous ways to get on the interwebz where he is at. Unless he is in the heart of the Congo running from the rebels, then I would understand. Maybe everyone at Catek can't get on the Interwebz because their bills are not being paid? Highly speculative I know, but if they are a going concern, they have got to communcate. For Pete's sake (and I am a close personal friend of Pete), they even have a website. They could post updates and the like on that! Just think, communicating using a website! How 1990's!

Bomber, Donek, Subsonic, Sk8kings and a number of other small companies I know and have dealt with always respond within a few days to email, sometimes within minutes. They look at customer service as an essential part of their company.

I think Catek is messing up.

Mad? No. Angry? No. Perplexed? Very. Concerned? Yes. Next set of bindings? Bomber. Or F2. And that is that.

Rick

[trailertrash]

can you cancel your payment?

if it were me id think about it.

[rhaskins]

But, since they got the money from a debit card, there is a lot of hassle getting the money back. Shoulda used a credit card. And how do I contact the company about a dispute?????

I still want my FR2's. But nothing more after that.

Rick

[tex1230]

Sucks to hear this. Jeff was always a good guy to deal with in the past and I hope he gets this straightened out. That being said I would be very nervous about ordering from a company that does not return calls and emails quickly.

[rhaskins]

I have had 2 transactions with him in the past and fast shipment. I have searched this forum for his response in the past, and a LOT of people praise Catek customer service.

I don't know what is going on. Scott disappoints also.

Rick

[refried]

I'm surprised to hear this, Scott was always real good about getting back to me and getting out replacement parts real fast.

The first FR2s had a couple problems and they were dealt with very quickly, I would break them on Sunday and have new parts by Friday, New stronger parts were machined and sent out by the next season.

[swt]

Gents:

I once again apologize for slipping in regard to service. I have been fighting with connectivity issues. As of this Thursday, I finally have a landline and broadband. I also have several hundred emails to answer for CATEK. Perhaps uninterestingly I also have a full time day job and a full time Masters program with time demands.

Does that absolve me from letting the ball drop? Nope. Does it mean that I'm behind the 8-ball? Yep.

What I can explicitly say is that I am trying to dig out quickly and get parts to riders who need them, facilitate shipping of bindings to people who have ordered them, and generally get customer service back on an even keel.

Sorry to have ruffled feathers and caused concerns in the community.

Scott

[xolufus]

Just sent you an email...

[Jack M]

I'd say this is a regrettable part of the price we pay for participating in such a fringe sport. And let's face it, this sport would not exist were it not for the internet, so we're lucky to even have it. Some people in the "industry" (and I use that term extremely loosely) go all in and make it their whole life. 24/7/365. Others do not. They have other responsibilities that put food on the table, but they have cool ideas for stuff that can make alpine fun. There is nobody to sell these ideas to, so they make them real themselves. I'm thankful they do this. I have some ideas of my own, but they will never happen because I have a career and family to think of, and I'm probably too lazy on top of that. So my hat is off to the people who do get off their butts and work two jobs to make these things happen.

[Dave ESPI]

Just be patient... worry less, and devote that energy into thinking about SNOWFALL !

Its a small niche market.... many of us have lives outside of just selling boards and parts. I know from my experiences with selling sculptures and resin model kits, that "promises" are not always realistic delivery dates.

I'm sure the bindings will get to you.

* I have no affiliation with any of the said company in this dispute.

[Gecko]

I've always wanted to visit Catek...especially since I live across the state and visit Newport often to see my family.

[Ernie00]

I understand that without people making these parts we wouldn't have any growth in our sport. I also understand that some people aren't doing this as a full time job. That is normal but 15 days would get any of us worried

But! When I spend 500$ I would like to know or hear about the company if they told me so. I would expect that from any type of company.. alpine or no alpine.

Without people there wouldn't be any parts to made.

The only experiences I can talk about here were all great. I have dealt with many alpine companies and it's all been very very good. So hopefullt this will resolve and be a positive experience in the end. !

[eaglez]

Why are most people letting Catek off the hook here? And people don't want to call the company out here? As a fellow forum member, I would hope that people would post problems, and successess from companies we all deal with in this sport. I still haven't heard a proper response to the customer claims about Catek on this and other threads on this forum. I have some questions as a past customer and a potential future customer. Scott (swt) is the only rep for Catek, right? Catek is a US company, right? Is Scott the only person working for this company who can field emails or phone calls? I find that hard to believe. Last time I checked, you didn't need your own broadband to get connected to the internet and check/respond to emails. Lots of connected cafes etc in the UK. I think the excuses from swt are flimsy at best. Obviously, Catek is now a sideline company for its staff, with one staff member working only part-time to service customer issues. I would expect that fact to be indicated on their website so the consumer could be make an informed decision on whether or not to do business with the company, or whether that level of customer service is acceptable to them. To some customers, that would be OK. But obviously this forum shows there are others who want more contact after their money has been taken. The consumer has a right to the level of service indicated on the companies website if the company has no physical stores. I haven't checked lately, but maybe their site does say "Place your order, we will immediately take your money and then ignore you for weeks, months while our staff member paid to help you, relocates out of the country for graduate studies", but I doubt it. So, where is the owner of Catek? Has he washed his hands of the menial job of customer service now? Unacceptable! I know that this is a fringe sport. And as someone mentioned, the internet is the only way for our sport to grow. But. just as easy as it is now to order a product and pay for it online, so it the ability to connect with the customer who has just placed the order. I will say it again. Unacceptable!! If you are going to be in business, offer a consistant level of service to your customers, or get out of the business. Don't take this lousy level of service for your good money. Get mad! I know this will insight a flame war from some around here. But if we post companies shoddy practices on sites like this, other consumers will benefit and not get burned! There are a few other people on this site who have intimate knowledge of Catek and I am surprised they have kept quiet through this. No one wins when that happens.

I have owned a couple of sets of Cateks over the years. They worked well. But, I only have one thing to say now.

You win Fin!

D.

[rhaskins]

I can communicate with the guy/gal down the hall in half a dozen ways not counting walking down the hall and poking my head in their door. I have access to my companies website, and I could post a message there in a second (and lose my job for that, but that is beside the point).

I do support small businesses, and I do have patience. But any small business that ignores me, or makes me a promise and doesn't come through (like SWT promising me a delivery date) makes them look bad.

Sean Martin is a guy that is very busy, is in this "industry", and can get back to you in a reasonable time. Ditto for for my contact with Michelle at Bomber. I look at that as setting a standard.

Jeff is responsible for the reputation of catek, not Scott. There should NEVER be hundreds of emails to resond to. But Scott,you have to figure out if you want to be a Grad student or a manufacturer's rep. The former is a full time job and then some - I know, 2 post graduate degrees here. The latter couldn't be but a part-time job if you only rep for Catek - and if you have hundreds of emails to respond to, you are blowing it. If you can't do the job, man up and either quit or get a temp. The Grad side doesn't care about the rep side, and the rep side is not necessarily compatible with the Grad side. In the meantime, you are letting Jeff down.

My 2 cents. And by the way, this is just a hobby, pastime, sport or whatever, not life or death. What is important is how you deal with people on both sides of a transaction, how fair you are, keeping your word.

Rick

[Gecko]

WOW lots of Hate....:(

[eaglez]

WOW lots of Hate....:(

Ya, I hate it when someone takes my money and doesn't have the resources or the decency to communicate with me in a timely manner. Don't you?

And on another topic, maybe if more people said "I hate the way you do business and I won't do business with you anymore", we might have less toxic products being made by irresponsible companies who ship jobs over to child labour, lawless countries, just to save a buck.

D.

[Jack M]

Jeez eaglez. I guess Catek should just close up shop then, according to you.

That's the thing with such a niche sport... I'd rather get the goods on the mfr's terms, than not get it at all. What do you think makes it "worth it" for Caron to make bindings? Because it's certainly not the money.

[bobdea]

I can communicate with the guy/gal down the hall in half a dozen ways not counting walking down the hall and poking my head in their door. I have access to my companies website, and I could post a message there in a second (and lose my job for that, but that is beside the point).

I do support small businesses, and I do have patience. But any small business that ignores me, or makes me a promise and doesn't come through (like SWT promising me a delivery date) makes them look bad.

Sean Martin is a guy that is very busy, is in this "industry", and can get back to you in a reasonable time. Ditto for for my contact with Michelle at Bomber. I look at that as setting a standard.

Jeff is responsible for the reputation of catek, not Scott. There should NEVER be hundreds of emails to resond to. But Scott,you have to figure out if you want to be a Grad student or a manufacturer's rep. The former is a full time job and then some - I know, 2 post graduate degrees here. The latter couldn't be but a part-time job if you only rep for Catek - and if you have hundreds of emails to respond to, you are blowing it. If you can't do the job, man up and either quit or get a temp. The Grad side doesn't care about the rep side, and the rep side is not necessarily compatible with the Grad side. In the meantime, you are letting Jeff down.

My 2 cents. And by the way, this is just a hobby, pastime, sport or whatever, not life or death. What is important is how you deal with people on both sides of a transaction, how fair you are, keeping your word.

Rick

Well, if you look around there are people who have issues with all the companies mentioned there.

I might add that you may not know the whole story. If Jeff gets sick or hurt then things stop happening. You might suggest he hire more people but that cost might mean no more catek.

I do understand your concern and things probably could of been handled differently but there may be more to the story.

[bobdea]

Jeez eaglez. I guess Catek should just close up shop then, according to you.

That's the thing with such a niche sport... I'd rather get the goods on the mfr's terms, than not get it at all. What do you think makes it "worth it" for Caron to make bindings? Because it's certainly not the money.

amen to that

Eaglez, if you want big time company service go with a big company that has the money to hire someone for a 24 hour call center, those usually are the ones that outsource.

While I know where you are coming from I also know how things go in this sport with tiny companies.

[eaglez]

Jeez eaglez. I guess Catek should just close up shop then, according to you.

That's the thing with such a niche sport... I'd rather get the goods on the mfr's terms, than not get it at all. What do you think makes it "worth it" for Caron to make bindings? Because it's certainly not the money.

No, that is not what I meant and that wouldn't be good for anyone. They make a good product. That was never in question here. But shining a light on the customer service problems might get them fixed. On the other hand if, as you say, money is not the driving force for Catek to be in business there might not be a focus on generating new business or keeping existing business serviced. And we will have to be satisfied with the "you will get it when you get it philosophy". I don't generally do business with that type of company, and I am sure there are others who would agree.

D.

[eaglez]

If this thread does nothing more than have Jeff call Scott and say "let's take care of our customers in a more timely manner, OK", then it will have served its purpose.

D.

[Ernie00]

it's not a matter of 24 hours service, everyone here has a head on their shoulder and understands that people are busy and can coop with a few days late. It's a matter of a company telling a paying customer that he will have an update soon and not doing that. 20 days isn't soon and I don't think it's acceptable no matter how big or small or the amount of money they make.

Jack you probably know the people at Catek so you know from experience that they will deliver the goods but imagine for a second someone coming in for the first time here on bomber, for a few weeks reading about bindings boards, boots and learning about a new sport.. he / she then decides to order from that company. It's very disapointing and I would be worried.

Customer service is a very important part of satisfaction. You know why I get all my boards build by the same company ? Quality of course but the first time I ordered from them I had amazing service and every time I had a question I had an answer in a very timely manner. Even now if I have a question about my board that is a few years old I'm confident that I'll have a response soon. So my next board will most likely again be coming from that company.

[hdhu1152]

Gents:

I once again apologize for slipping in regard to service. I have been fighting with connectivity issues. As of this Thursday, I finally have a landline and broadband. I also have several hundred emails to answer for CATEK. Perhaps uninterestingly I also have a full time day job and a full time Masters program with time demands.

Does that absolve me from letting the ball drop? Nope. Does it mean that I'm behind the 8-ball? Yep.

What I can explicitly say is that I am trying to dig out quickly and get parts to riders who need them, facilitate shipping of bindings to people who have ordered them, and generally get customer service back on an even keel.

Sorry to have ruffled feathers and caused concerns in the community.

Scott

Yes ...

- this is a niche sport

- most of us love small, innovative companies - they make things happen

- the season has not really started

- Catek has taken my money and not delivered or answered my mails/calls

- Catek is still not given any answers

What I expect from Catek is:

a) to inform new customers on their Website regarding their service level, the delay and when they will ship products

b) to inform everyone who has ordered when the bidning will be shipped.

Catek posted over a week ago that the bindings ordered are being engraved and will be send out last week. I received nothing. I read in this forum (a week after the first Catek announcement) that Catek is trying to "...facilitate shipping of bindings to people who have ordered them...". That means nothing to me! Catek: Make a honest statement and deliver to your promise. This is a sad story....