Customer service/relations -- How important is it when you're purchasing a vape?

[Meghan]

In the course of doing research about two vapes I'm interested in, I've been discouraged by certain aspects of customer service, communication, and public relations by their manufacturers as reported by others or observed by myself. It's a shame because both these products seem solid and have good buzz/reviews, but I'm feeling more and more hesitant by the day about actually pulling the trigger on a product that may not have a solid, reliable, respectful company behind it (based on things like past faulty units, responsiveness to complaints, attitude toward customers, etc.)

If a product generally has good reception, how much should the consumer care about how well a company communicates, or how responsive they might be to existing customers, or how quickly one could expect a broken unit to be replaced if they were unfortunate enough to get one? How much should one care about the "feeling" that a company isn't doing right by their customer base in some way, even if it's just attitude? In my case, the best options based on my current needs seem to lead toward companies I'm almost afraid to start a relationship with. It's frustrating when the people behind some of the most promising and/or exciting products don't inspire my full confidence.

How do others balance the desire to buy from a company they trust and respect versus wanting to buy a product that seems exceptional, promising, and/or cutting edge? It's great when these desires intersect, but unfortunately that's not always the case.

 

[Dreamerr]

If you still want the item you can deal with a really good vendor that will take care of all your warranty needs.

 

[Little Bill]

I know this is a really old thread. When I searched this forum for post titles with the word customer; This is the only thread that came up.

I am fairly new to vaping; but I'm happy with my first vape a Crafty. Now I'm researching for a second vape; want to consider "Customer Service" near the top of my list. As a matter of fact I just crossed the Davinci IQ off my list for that reason. I also hesitate on some other vapes because of this. FC does not seem to encourage discussions of customer service. I understand that but womder if I've missed a thread?

 

[XiolaOne]

I've read good things about Boundless taking care of their customers

 

[CaptainDave]

I have had excellent customer service with Under Dog. I bought a holiday vape 3 years ago, it's still going strong. I've had to replace screens and power supplies and when I have ordered from them, they have shipped out the next day. I have bought a vape from another manufacturer that I really love, but I've had problems with it. I once sent it in for repair the beginning of summer 2015. Through some mistake, I didn't get it back until the end of summer. It broke down a couple months ago and I don't trust them to repair it again. I hardly see any post on their thread now.

 

[P.A.M.]

i have had more then excellent attitude, service & respect from Alan of Toasty Top All log & vape builders & manufactures should follow his lead and approach. quite a gentleman and his Logs are 420% as cool as he is.

 

[waxdab23]

I understand that but womder if I've missed a thread?

Yes: http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/great-customer-service.21277/

 

[Andreaerdna]

Yes: http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/great-customer-service.21277/

I think that an opposite thread (bad customer service experiences) could be also quite interesting too if this is not against FC rules (@vtac @Stu @momofthegoons what do you think?)

If you take the time to scroll down some dozen of pages it is clear who is giving good support and who is bad at customer service, but you do not always have the time. And as bad as a company can be at CS you will find someone always happy with any shit (bad treatment) he is receiving.

I for one see a manufacturer proudly saying "I have no shame to say the customer is not always right" . While this is obviously and uselessly true (as there is no categories of human being always right) it speaks out loud about customer service this company is providing and how much this manufacturer will be prone to help you when you need help.

But, are we allowed to create a thread-poll for worst CS experience?

I think this kind of thread is a PIA to moderate (I foresee a lot of anger and frustrations) but it would be very precious for a good evolution of this market: not only you will avoid easily deceptions (late answers/no answers, misleading communication, big delay in warranty service, etc) but more important it will push the pretentious manufacturers to be more respectful towards customers or push them out of the market fast and easy.

Maybe a poll with entries created like in classified reports.
Not annoying wall of words but few lines including date, manufacturer, reason of complaint and eventual edit to post eventual upgrade, one post allowed for one transaction

Btw, it is allowed to give bad ratings to bad seller/buyer in classified, why should it be not allowed to give bad ratings to manufacturer?

 

[Vitolo]

I think that an opposite thread (bad customer service experiences) could be also quite interesting too if this is not against FC rules (@vtac @Stu @momofthegoons what do you think?)

If you take the time to scroll down some dozen of pages it is clear who is giving good support and who is bad at customer service, but you do not always have the time. And as bad as a company can be at CS you will find someone always happy with any shit (bad treatment) he is receiving.

I for one see a manufacturer proudly saying "I have no shame to say the customer is not always right" . While this is obviously and uselessly true (as there is no categories of human being always right) it speaks out loud about customer service this company is providing and how much this manufacturer will be prone to help you when you need help.

But, are we allowed to create a thread-poll for worst CS experience?

I think this kind of thread is a PIA to moderate (I foresee a lot of anger and frustrations) but it would be very precious for a good evolution of this market: not only you will avoid easily deceptions (late answers/no answers, misleading communication, big delay in warranty service, etc) but more important it will push the pretentious manufacturers to be more respectful towards customers or push them out of the market fast and easy.

Maybe a poll with entries created like in classified reports.
Not annoying wall of words but few lines including date, manufacturer, reason of complaint and eventual edit to post eventual upgrade, one post allowed for one transaction

Btw, it is allowed to give bad ratings to bad seller/buyer in classified, why should it be not allowed to give bad ratings to manufacturer?

There is clearly a reason for the way the forum is set up.
We do learn when a manufacturer is not in compliance with proper customer service.
Personally, I would hate to see another thread made just for negativity.
Decorum in the Forum.

If you take the time to scroll down some dozen of pages it is clear who is giving good support and who is bad at customer service, but you do not always have the time.

One simply has to make the time if this is important to them

 

[Andreaerdna]

There is clearly a reason for the way the forum is set up.
We do learn when a manufacturer is not in compliance with proper customer service.
Personally, I would hate to see another thread made just for negativity.
Decorum in the Forum.

One simply has to make the time if this is important to them

Thank you Vitolo, i appreciate your POV even if it is different from mine, tbh I did a mistake quoting you in place of Vtac but your input is very welcome too (edited to correct)

I do not believe a civilised negative feed back could affect forum decorum in anyway

I understand risks of this kind of thread though (the most being mods burn out) but I see also potential benefit.

I agree, best individual way is to read, knowledge is power. I spent hours of reading before buying each new vape, no one I regret, and there are more I decided to not buy (because they did not fit me or in rare occasion QC or CS reports scared the shit out of me)

I imagined this new thread as a way to better serves ourselves as an educated comunity, as a way to push the adoption of PIU CS standards (to quote maybe one of the best CS) to all other actors of this industry

Just 2cc

 

[Stu]

I think that an opposite thread (bad customer service experiences) could be also quite interesting too if this is not against FC rules (@vtac @Stu @momofthegoons what do you think?)

I think that a thread like that would just encourage rule-breaking posts, so I am against having a dedicated thread for bad service. We already allow members to post their experiences, but we don't allow an ongoing conversation that devolves into company bashing and I fear that a negative thread would do just that. I imagine that it would also be a pain to moderate.

 

[Vitolo]

We already allow members to post their experiences, but we don't allow an ongoing conversation

I think that is what I was getting at.

I understand risks of this kind of thread though (the most being mods burn out) but I see also potential benefit.

Now that @Stu has clarified FC's position I hope it makes more sense to you @Andreaerdna

but we don't allow an ongoing conversation that devolves into company bashing

And when that begins it is hard to control... and the negativity evolves to a point that non-owners of vapes made by the company being bashed join in the tirade of insults (not constructive criticism)

I imagined this new thread as a way to better serves ourselves as an educated comunity, as a way to push the adoption of PIU CS standards (to quote maybe one of the best CS)

You chose a good company to mention in your example. If there were more folks like Randy @PuffItUp things would be very pleasant! It is abundantly clear that your intent here is very great, and you are looking out for the community.
I pray that my posts in response do not feel like I am being unduly negative toward your idea, and your wish for improvement.

 

[Squiby]

If a product generally has good reception, how much should the consumer care about how well a company communicates, or how responsive they might be to existing customers, or how quickly one could expect a broken unit to be replaced if they were unfortunate enough to get one? How much should one care about the "feeling" that a company isn't doing right by their customer base in some way, even if it's just attitude?

Customer Service IS important, even if you never require a repair or replacement. It's about the integrity of the company and your support of their product by way of a purchase.

When I discovered Dynavap and the Vapcap vaporizer, I was initially intrigued by a tiny, simple, efficient vape, untethered by power cords and batteries.

But what led me to purchase a Vapcap was the manner in which George, the inventor, conducted himself. His enthusiasm, humble communication style and eagerness to evolve and constantly improve the product was so refreshing. That, and last but probably most important, was the kindness he demonstrated over and over, made this company one that I simply wanted to do business with.

Reading the Dynavap thread gave me more faith in the human race. Reading that thread makes you feel good. There are so many stories of kindness there. For example, and this is just one, one member accidentally dropped his Vapcap from his car window. It rolled into traffic and was run over by a truck. The Vapcap largely survived to everyone's happy surprise. But the wood body was broken. George, without provocation sent the member a replacement body. This was not a warranty issue or a product failure by any stretch of the imagination. It was an act of kindness. As I said, this is but one story, but this theme has been repeated over and over and over again. His team all behave in the same way.

I doubt that I will ever require customer service from Dynavap, because I cannot imagine this device failing. But this is the type of company I want to do business with. The type of people I am interested in supporting. The type of people that make me feel good.

 

[stinkytofus]

Customer service is very important, it can be a deal breaker for many people, whether the customer feels the company took care of their needs and questions or treated them rudely can directly impact the sale and future sales, if this customer likes the product he will convince his friends to buy as well, even more sales, but if u pissed him/her off right there... U lost not one sale but maybe another 5+

 

[Squiby]

It takes less effort to retain a customer than to attract a new one and is very difficult to convince someone who is turned off, to return.

Example. My neighbours daughter gave her some clothes for Xmas from a line she loves. Anyway, returns were required, so I drove into town with her. The size she wanted was no longer available. So she asked for a store credit, which is available for 30 days after purchase and was clearly stated on the bill of sale receipt. The clerk said Xmas items were different and the possibility of a store credit had ended the day before. My neighbour had had surgery On her wrist between and New Years and could not have made the return earlier and she told them this and again refered to the sales slip info. They didn't credit her and said she would have to pick something right then and there.

Still in pain from surgery, tired and now pissed off, she tried on several outfits before settling on a couple. The clerks made no suggestions and did not assist in anyway even though we were the only ones in the store.

Long story short. If they had honoured the credit, we would have had to come back and may have bought more and I may have bought a few things as well. Instead neither of us will ever shop at that store again.

They had great clothes...shitty service. But they just lost not only a couple of potential sales but lost us for life.

 

[Little Bill]

OK thanks all. I didn't mean to stir things up, and I certainly don't mind reading a few threads. I was referring to manufacturers and not resellers or distributors.

I know S&B is a solid company and does support their products. I have been chasing a back-up for my Crafty if it fails. I really like the look and features of the Davinci IQ; but the comments in that FC thread about customer service (or the lack of if) caused me to cross it off and move on.

So does anybody rival S&B for company strength and customer service

 

[Vitolo]

It has been my experience that (remember you said Manufacturers) most are as good as S&B.
@7thFloorVapes makes good on all of their Vaporizers, and once out of warranty, they charge very little to repair.
@magicflight takes care of Biz...
@Mike-Topbond from Odin backs up their stuff, and @Boundless Vape Technology knows no bounds.
@vaporbrothers is always their with a heavy duty commitment to warranty and that is on their concentrate converter as well (VB2)
Let's not forget @RBTMarketing Milaana.. they are committed.
The log people rock!
@Alan (toasty top and HI) and @underdog at UD are customer support fanatics!
I have left out many, but I must run... time to eat!

 

[zenmasterofzinfandel]

I think that a thread like that would just encourage rule-breaking posts, so I am against having a dedicated thread for bad service. We already allow members to post their experiences, but we don't allow an ongoing conversation that devolves into company bashing and I fear that a negative thread would do just that. I imagine that it would also be a pain to moderate.

@Stu & @vaporist ...

^reminds me of some of the GH thread pgs. S-B America has been difficult to deal with, in my experience CS does *not* communicate well with customers...takes a diligent search of the Crafty/Mighty mega-threads to find that.

1. so that means perennial FC fav vendors, cannot be criticized? (be careful what you wish for)

2. And what about as yet to be potential manufacturers? If you answer as the same, then you need to shut down/ABV the fanboyz/Appleh8trs thread(or let me stir the pot with my choice post...hint, ya don't want that, cause I'd throw in for the Winblows crown, that former CEO, current owner of the Clippers :-(, nut case Balmer< who would buy anything, let alone Winblows/Zune from him? I mean, what the frak!

):
Apple Patents a Vaporizer?
http://fuckcombustion.com/threads/apple-patents-a-vaporizer.23676/

FFS!

 

[Vitolo]

1. so that means perennial FC fav vendors, cannot be criticized? (be careful what you wish for)
It means that those that Manufacturers and vendors alike support us SHOULD not be criticized... OR if criticized, long winded discussions that as @Stu reminds us often turn into bashing, should be kept at a minimum and monitored carefully.
Those supporters help out with a minor portion of the costs that keep our website running... and keep us open for these discussions

2. And what about as yet to be potential manufacturers? If you answer as the same, then you need to shut down/ABV the fanboyz/Appleh8trs thread(or let me stir the pot with my choice post...hint, ya don't want that, cause I'd throw in for the Winblows crown, that former CEO, current owner of the Clippers :-(, nut case Balmer< who would buy anything, let alone Winblows/Zune from him? I mean, what the frak!

Yes... about potential manufacturers.. the answer should be the same.
I will put myself out there... susceptible to criticism.... and say you are off base.
YES... that is a fact.
FC favorite MANUFACTURERS (you said vendors in your #1) should NOT be criticized with more than one critical post. Further discussion (which turns invariably into bashing) should not be permitted.

And what about as yet to be potential manufacturers? If you answer as the same, then you need to shut down/ABV the fanboyz/Appleh8trs thread

Sorry to be so blunt, but you are in no position to define what threads should be shut down to comply with your personal understanding (or misunderstanding) of Website policy, which in the eyes of MANY of us is clear.
Stirring up the pot can be appreciated when one's history is clear.
Again, sorry to be so direct, but your history here on FC is short lived and unclear, therefore I personally look at all of your posts with a jaundiced eye. I know for a fact that I agree (and feel reciprocity from other members that have shared feelings about your posts with me) that you are being awfully sure of yourself about :

ya don't want that, cause I'd throw in for the Winblows crown, that former CEO, current owner of the Clippers :-(, nut case Balmer< who would buy anything, let alone Winblows/Zune from him?

which has nothing to do with our discussions here or of manufacturers criticism (to which you alluded before).
Your post in my mind is not offensive, but I feel it has nothing to contribute to this discussion, about customer service expectations... other than to display an attitude of defiance.

 

[The Beagle]

I do not believe a civilised negative feed back could affect forum decorum in anyway

I understand risks of this kind of thread though (the most being mods burn out) but I see also potential benefit.

I totally agree with this.

 

[howie105]

Everyone has a different level of tolerance when it comes to the quality of customer service and quality of public discussion about it. if you are one of those folks who demands top tier customer service and are willing to comment about it stridently you are probably going to be busy if you buy lots of vapes. On the other hand if you exspect lacklustre service and you don't worry about peoples individual opinions then you are probably have more time to fix your broken crappy vape, wait for service or just get stoned. Its all up to how you want to spend your time and energy.

 

[little maggie]

This is an interesting discussion. Thinking of my experiences buying- if I read several negative reviews of a company I don't buy from them That kind of info is already available here. And I had an experience- which I didn't post-of waiting for a grinder to be shipped with many delays. I don't buy from them anymore. But, they were supposedly having an influx of sales of that grinder which they explained as the reason for the delays.
I'd be concerned about a thread where poor customer service is noted because of one negative experience- like mine. Others may have had a great experience with the store I bought the grinder from.
Manufacturers I've bought from have consistently been great although some have had rough times starting out. Again I'd hate to have a thread that blocked the progress of a beginning company's starting development.

 

[HellsWindStaff]

I consider CS a strong selling point as well as the manner which you deal with your customers. Not sure if that falls under "customer service" or would be more apt for "customer relations"

But, I would rather have no manufacturer to consumer relationship than a negative one. And I'd rather have a positive than a neutral but a positive is just extra bang on the buck. If that makes sense.

For instance, Firefly does not really have a presence here, no rep or anyone who makes it posting or helping people out. I was generally happy with my FF purchase, but if the makers were users here helping out and doing solid's for members I would like them more.

Underdog is great example of good CS/CR. I bought my original dog in a package. They helped me tune it up and working great! When I bought another dog, rather than them give me redundancy with the stem selections/powercords/extensions/etc, they simply shaved money off my purchase. Super swell of them to do and they found a repeat customer by having a more intimate relationship with me.

I know we're not talking resellers but Randy does the same thing. I buy literally everything from PiU if I can manage too, and that's because they've treated me right with good deals and good service and he always takes the time to answer any questions. I can't tell you how many email chains I have inquiring and asking his opinion or perspective on a vape where I don't pull the trigger. He doesn't need too humor me, but he does, so hats off. And I don't get the impression that I'm an outlier; he seems to take the time to genuinely answer any questions to potential patrons. Plus the whole two day priority is awesome and I've never had a late package, huge considering it crosses the majority of country to get to me.

 

[Vitolo]

A good summation to what most have said here, is that we love good customer service, but a thread devoted to poor customer service is a very bad Idea.
Most agree that one comment that is negative about a manufacturer is enough, and that no conversation after the comment (or "bitchfest" ) should be allowed to ensue.... as it leads to what @Stu has described:

I think that a thread like that would just encourage rule-breaking posts, so I am against having a dedicated thread for bad service. We already allow members to post their experiences, but we don't allow an ongoing conversation that devolves into company bashing and I fear that a negative thread would do just that. I imagine that it would also be a pain to moderate.

 

[Baron23]

CS is a VERY important vape selection criteria for me and I pretty much completely discount allowances (excuses) given by some for poor CS because they are an MJ related company. You want to be in the retail business, then CS needs to be on your planning map from jump street.

The exceptions I will make to this are for true one/two person artisan type shops where they aren't necessarily portraying themselves as a significant vape manf.