SHOPBOT SCREWED UP!!

[myxpykalix]

I ordered a 5x8 prt aplha and in the shipping crate they sent me a carriage for a 4x8 (no big deal we're all human). I called Scott up at 8:30am on thursday and explained the problem he called back by 10:00am with the solution. By 2:30 friday I had the new carriage in a big crate sitting in my driveway. They overnited the proper part to me. I was prepared for them to say " we can have the new part out to you by the end of next week" (as we all expect with typical customer service) but not the case here. For those who are concerned about customer service they get an A+ from me. Scott i take back all the bad things i said about you before! hehe

[gerald_d]

It strikes me that a lot of the "wonderful service" stories are about how ShopBot got it right the SECOND time. Sorry guys, that is not good service.

I ordered some "slightly used and tested" stepper motors from SB a while back. The 5 motors arrived here smeared with grease and sawdust, and two of them had broken off lead wires. Obviously they had never been tested - not with broken off lead wires. Then the "wonderful service" kicked in - a replacement was DHL'ed immediately (2 motors were offered, but I offered to repair one). The "replacement" was the saddest stepper motor I had ever seen - the shaft end had received a hard blow, "rivetting" the old pinion onto the shaft. (It took some filing before the pinion could be removed). A hard blow to the magnets?.....

Should I have complained and seen the "wonderful service" on the THIRD attempt?

Getting it right the FIRST time is what counts.

[mikejohn]

Gerald
You expect that post, (or this one!) to stay on the forum for more than a nano second after America wakes up


.........Mike

[bob_lofthouse]

Hi Gerald,

I hope you are well.

What would you call the service given by shopbot.

I can honestly speak about my company and in some way we make a mistake everyday in some part of the business, whether its my fault or an employee's. The reason we make a mistake is because of human error, which is because we are all human.

When we make a mistake we make sure its sorted/fixed immediately. we don't run away or not answer the phone, It's our problem and we fix it Asap. This is also what shopbot does.

Every company or individual I have ever had dealings with has made mistakes no matter how big or small they are. It's how you deal with the mistake.

Shopbot are ok in my book.

[gerald_d]

Hi Robert

You were not happy to pay for a second round of shipping and duty (to England) in this post (http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/show.cgi?tpc=7&post=22951#POST22951)? (Maybe that was waived once your complaint reached higher ears)

My experience with the "slightly used and tested" motors was not due to an error. Sending out dirty, broken motors and then replacing it with another dirty, broken motor isn't just human error. It is an attitude which leads to the "errors", but which earns them high praise when the remedy is applied.

[rhfurniture]

Hi,
Come on folks, they are just a small business trying to make their way in the modern world like the rest of us, and I suspect stores/dispatch live in a completely different world to sales/tech, just like every other organisation I've ever dealt with. I'm sorry about your motors Gerald - I guess the candle depends on how much you saved by getting them "slightly used" (NEVER believe that phrase). "Tested" only ever means that someone remembers them going round and round once. I bought a used Busch vacuum pump cheap off ebay the other day - "works brill" - It was full of mouldy cake, covered in encrustation and oil pouring out of everywhere. Works great now.
I admire shopbot. I like that they put their prt control boxes in 15dollar computer cases - their value for money is unbeatable. But like all of us, I guess they could do with some of those "personel evaluation" lunchtime meetings. All of this follow-up service must be costing them a fortune.
And as for their programming manual.............

R.

[bob_lofthouse]

Hi Gerald,

You are right about the post and I should have followed up with another post.

Shopbot offered to re-imburse me for any expenses I incurred.

But due to what I considered a problem 50% caused by myself I decided to not reclaim the money and take up that offer. I feel that I was treated fairly and yes I did go to the top.

[myxpykalix]

I have been in "retail" since the 70's and I can tell you that the phrase "you can't please everyone, all the time" is so true. My case was special because i ordered a 5x8 instead of a 4x8 to accomodate an indexer. Should they have gotten it right the first time?....sure but like i said we're all human. Its what you do to fix the screwup that sets you apart from others. Most companies would put minimal effort and expense into resolving the problem because that affects their bottom line. I assume there is enough profit margin built in to absorb the expense of customer service and resolution. I would rather pay a bit higher and know i have this level of customer service after the sale. How many times have you had to ship something back to a company and YOU had to pay? Or been treated like a "red headed step child" because you weren't happy?
I think Shopbot is doing what they should do in this situation. We are so conditioned today to comapnies not doing what they should do, that this looks like above grade service but for them its SOP (standard operating procedure). This is the way it used to be 30 years ago, and how i treated my customers, so I appreciate it. Almost makes me want to spend MORE money with them....nah they got all mine already!

[mikejohn]

Years ago I ran a restaurant.
I needed people to complain straight away, if there was something wrong.
If they didn't complain to me,and let me have the chance to put it right, they would complain to their friends, who would then avoid my restaurant.
If they are just a small business trying to make their way in the modern world then they don't need to try less, they need to try more.
Suggesting that one part of the organisation is less able than another is also no excuse.
I don't aim this at Shopbot, I have always been pleased with my direct contact with them. As a generalisation though, "that will be good enough" is not going to build a great business for anyone.

............Mike

[rhfurniture]

programming manual??

[mikejohn]

indeed

[cheapjohn]

I'm pretty new here at Shopbot. I just received my PRT Alpha 96. I got the Columbo spindle but for some reason it shipped down south instead of to California where my business is. Shopbot had sent me the tracking number and I saw that it was delivered to the wrong address. I told Shopbot and they next day aired me a replacement Spindle while they still worked with UPS to reroute the original package. Both packages arrived the next day. I checked the original package and it was addressed correctly. Anyway, I don't know another company that would ship a $4000 replacement part without first getting the original part or charging a credit card in the interim. They sent a call tag on the original box and UPS picked it up the next day.

I don't care what some of you say, Shopbot Rocks! That's American for 'Great Company'

And, I do take my chances buying 'Slightly Used' 'slightly worn' or just plain 'Used' anything. I have cleaned up many machines I have purchased from Ebay to be just like new. Or, 'Slightly Dented'

Cheap John.

[mikejohn]

I see a simple problem here.
If shopbot perform less than well, should you simply say nothing?
Should you make your complaint direct to Shopbot, not air it on this forum?
If one of the purposes of this Forum is to give confidence in the Shopbot to potential purchasers, is it fair to those people that they only read the praiseworthy stuff, or should they also be able to consider reasonable criticism of Shopbot?
I think there is general agreement that Shopbots response to any foul up is normally second to none.
Should Shopbot not welcome the idea of knowing when customers are unhappy, so they can take steps to correct the problems, rather than being left in the dark, the problems continue uncorrected, and more and more customers become unhappy?
Critiscism is never easy to take,but justified critiscism is the greatest advice any friend can give you.

............Mike

[gus]

If you walk up to a friend to talk to him about his dog's bad habits and start the conversation by kicking his dog, there is a real good chance that the topic of conversation will change.

It may not have as much to do with what you say but how you say it. Or so I have been told a few times in my life.

Ok more than a few.

Grumpy Gus

[mikejohn]

Grumpy (how's Snow White?)
If you say " Hi! Jo, your dog has been in my garden again, widdling on the Dahlias and digging up the rhubarb. Thought you would like to know this in case he is doing it in other neighbours gardens", wouldn't your neighbour like the opportunity to repair his fence, rather than having a queue of neighbours at the door?

If no one tells your friend about his dog, only praises it, then how will he know there is a problem to cure?
Its no good if all the other neighbours in the block say "He isn't doing it in my garden" if the dog is sneaking three blocks down and doing it.

Knowing is normally better than not knowing.
Let me repeat here, so there is no misunderstanding, I have had no problems at all with Shopbot.

..........Mike

[myxpykalix]

Guys,
My original post that got this started was just to show how....ok they screwed up, but then how they resolved it. It was to compliment them. I think it is a good idea to maybe have a column where you can tell your problems you had so they can see it and maybe discern a pattern of where the problem is (shipping, packing, order taking, ect.) and work to correct the problem. It will only serve to make them a better company. If joe calls this week to complain, bill next week, ect there may not be a pattern detected but if there is a column here in writing it might serve to show a pattern they can work on. Then soon there will be no messages in that column. Then again someone reading it trying to decide whether to buy or nor might be swayed and after all we need to recriut all we can into the "Brotherhood of the Bot".

[gus]

Mike,

Nice to know someone got my point.

Last I saw of Snow White she was off to the the Pub with goofy.

Gus