We all have a good old rant or two about a company's customer services, it makes your blood to boil just thinking about the hassle it is to deal with.
You might be keen enough you try to fettle it, but you know that the budge doesn't always work or look that good, and it is just a matter of time before it breaks again. So when something of yours break you tend to just bin it and get a new one, simple and easy.
Because we all know that trying to contact the company that made it would be a hassle: it is not in production any more, the part would cost more than a new one would or the wonderful customer service would drive you up the wall and you will just give up.
Over the last few months I have had some very good experiences with customer services when something of mine had broken and I could be bothered* to contact the company. And most of the time thanks to the internet it is just a few simple lines in a contact form or email, no dreaded queues with a call centre to deal with.
*)I must be getting old, since I tend to do this more often now.
We tend to only talk about the bad experiences I therefore decided to write this thank you post, in hope that other companies becomes equally good. Since we punters will come back to you if you make us happy and will tell others to use your products.
TESCO's
Yes, you might think that this isn't related to cycling, well it is since it is where we get our cycling fuel from: Ice Cream! I wrote to them about their freezers and they promptly email back and I later noticed a change in their stores. And I got a £10 vauncer to boot :)
HOPE Tech:
I sent our light and mashed up hubs to them and strait away they came back and told me what is what. They send the fixed HOPE One light back within two days. Though they forgot the mount, but a quick email to them the very next day I had a new mount.
TOPEAK:
Few years ago, my saddle broke when I hit a pothole and that caused my saddle bag to fall off and got run over by the bus that was right behind me. The only damage to the saddle bag was the mounting system. So I wrote to TOPEAK distributor in the UK and promptly was told that the part was in the post. Though they did send me a few tyre leavers instead, but it was fixed as I wrote back to them.
East Midlands Trains:
One word WOW ! How did you manage that, where did that come from, I really wish this was the norm.
We rocked up with two fully loaded touring bikes at Euston on our way to Matlock. Normally we only get a few minutes to pretty much throw our bicycles onto the trains, not because we arrive late but because of when they lets us on the trains. So I man handled my Surly as fast as I could muster onto the train into the unfortunately rather small bicycle parking space. And turned around to give Peli a hand with hers. Only to nearly fall over when I walked into her bicycle, since she and the bike was already on board. Reason: the train driver had helped her up the somewhat high step, that is a new one, they normal just stand there and look. The train driver then popped his head in through the door and said in a friendly voice if we could make sure that we didn't block the door it would be ok to park the bikes there.
Oh it didn't stop there, when we got on our connection in Derby, the ticket inspector told us to get of the train at the next stop. So that we could move our bikes further down the carriages to a place where we could park our bikes, much bigger this bicycle rack, and we could also have a seat she said with a smile. At the next station she happily hold up the train while we move our bicycles along and asked where we were of too.
On the return journey the inspector who saw that our tickets was all the way back to London. Took a step forwards to check others then came back and said platform 6 in Derby. Woot, train information with a smile and without prompting, I didn't know that the inspectors could do that. So many thanks East Midlands Trains, may other companies learn from you.
SuperNova Lights:
They are my favourite company ATM, always fast, friendly and funny email from them. If you are looking for a dyno light don't forget them and send them an email and tell them I send you, I'm very sure that they will take good care of you. Click these links to read about their great service and their great lights.
MaterLocks:
Years ago I managed to get hold of some MaterLocks Street Cuffs bicycle lock. Brilliant bit of kit and I know that my bicycle is safe and secured when locked with them. Though wear and tear have started to show its mark on it and the locking system is beginning to fail. So I thought that in for a penny in for a pound, since this lock weighs a fair bit, I then wrote to MasterLocks.com. Asking them if there was a way to fix the locks, since I couldn't remember where I got these locks from. Unfortunately I never heard anything from the .com site. After some searching around I decided to give the masterlock.eu a go. The very next day I got an email saying : please send us your mailing address and we will send you a new lock since there is a life time guarantee on then. That part I had happily forgotten and I have long lost the paper work where it would be written.
Extrawheel:
Brilliant and fast service, I was a bit worried when the package tracking tool started to say Monday next week but it arrived the same week it was sent.
Harry Rowland:
Turned two wheel around in no time and they got to me within days, followed with a friendly emails.
Alpkit:
When we go our sleeping bags from them there was a nice little note in the box. I called up once to check if they had some waterproof stuff bags and ended up putting the phone down on them. After I have had a great little chat and I had order six of stuff bag in a different size than what I was planing. Which arrived promptly and they are doing exactly what we wanted them to do.
Wiggle:
I will mention this here, since we are spending a fair bit of dosh on wiggle. It is a friendly nudge, you used to be f-ing brilliant, though have started to lack a bit, not letting one know if and when ones order will be shipped, if at all. But your return service, fast delivery etc makes you the place to go to when shopping for bits for your bicycle. And then there is the vine gums which sometimes is what you are looking for first, even before checking out your new goodies.
Oh not to forget: lovingoutdoors.co.uk, ableandcole.co.uk two brilliant website with a great, friendly and funny costumers service.
I don't think it is hard to create a good customer service and it wouldn't cost that much. Like Alpkit.com, lovingoutdoors.co.uk and ableandcole.co.uk it isn't hard to put a little humour into the website and contact emails. Making it enjoyable, friendly and fun to read and therefore not so hard to part with your credit card details and we will come back, it is repeat customs you want isn't it?