Customer service and iboats

[Limited-Time]

Re: Customer service and iboats

fn, there is the possibility KG had issues with their adhesive. And as policy any one calling with related issues was offered replacement product free of charge. I've seen it happen on more than one occasion. Once on a dishwasher with a faulty latch mechanism, and another time on a set of nerf bars where the foot pads cracked after a couple of years of use. In both incidents I questioned the "free replacement parts" well out of warranty. The gist of the conversation was I would be sent parts of an "upgraded designs" and should not experience any further issued. Neither company mentioned defective product or design faults, but that is what they were covering up.

 

[Pony]

Re: Customer service and iboats

It is this type of logic that really makes it tough to work in retail.

I cannot tell you how many times people will literally stand in the middle of the store and scream and yell at a manager because they think they should get something replaced or get money off of something.

This happens a lot with televisions. Just last week a guy came in with a 2 year old tube TV that was no longer working. He insisted that he could just return the TV and exchange it for a brand new one. The guy got so mad he called our corporate office on his cell phone right in front of us. They didnt give him squat either. Most retailers don't offer a warranty.....a warranty is not the same as return policy. Once you get past that warranty, the manufactures warranty kicks in.....that is when whether anyone wants to believe it or not, the retailer has very few options besides telling you to contact the manufacture. IF the manufacture deems that the product is defective they often will have us (the retailer) replace the TV and then they end up footing the bill behind the scenes. The key here though is that it HAS to be authorized by the manufacture.

Iboats did nothing wrong here IMHO, and if the manufacture chose not to do anything after 2years I find that acceptable as well. This is business after all.

 

[Scaaty]

Re: Customer service and iboats

"I buy a horn from iboats and they send me to the maker instead of standing behind it themselves."

They are VENDORS. They DON"T make the part. How many items have you bought lately from regular stores...a LOT say "DO NOT RETURN TO STORE..CONTACT MANUFACTURER

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Customer service and iboats

...KeelGuard didn't have to send me a new one (its out of warranty by a year and a half) but they did. I am sorry iboats this time didn't come out on top of the list.

First off... what a stupid thread... and I mean S.T.U.P.I.D. with capital letters.

Second, keelguard is a manufacturer and not a retailer. I'll leave you to draw a conclusion.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Customer service and iboats

First off, A stupid thread? After a response like that I am sure if I followed you around you would redefine the word.
The thread was a comparison of two different companies and their customer service. Nothing more. But on that subject I had to stop in US Bo__ for a couple stainless steel bolts today. Walking through the isle I saw the same drop in horn. At the check out counter I figured I would ask just to see what would happen. I said I bought the horn there two years ago and it stopped working. He asked if I had a recite? I said no. He then said all they could do is exchange it. Not contact the manufacture and again No recite. I wont do it because I am also in retail and it would be wrong.
Yes I said I am in retail and work for a flooring company. If we had a customer come in and complain that something did not live up to its expectations or warranty we wouldn?t tell them to contact the manufacture. We would!
Again I don?t need all the bashing and for all you guys that want to I have two words for you. A simple ?that?s our policy? would have been good enough and I just would have remembered that the next time.
JB
I am sure you are watching and I truly apologize for this being one of my first threads on your board for a while now. Please kill it. I would rather just walk away at this point then fight over a $35.00 horn.
Thanks

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Customer service and iboats

The thread was a comparison of two different companies and their customer service. Nothing more.

No, it was a bash on iboats for something you ridiculously thought they did wrong. Otherwise you wouldn't have ended your post with "Sounds like passing the buck. Just doesn?t seem right."

A simple ?that?s our policy? would have been good enough and I just would have remembered that the next time.

Isn't that exactly what they did? They said, in a much more polite way, "it's not our problem, call this guy". Also, their policy has been clearly posted on the website for the last 2 years and more.

First off... what a stupid thread... and I mean S.T.U.P.I.D. with capital letters.

Second, keelguard is a manufacturer and not a retailer. I'll leave you to draw a conclusion.

He's exactly right. The fact that the horn was only $35 makes this thread all the more ridiculous. If it was a $350 horn you might have something to whine about, but you'd still be out of line.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Customer service and iboats

They did pass the buck! They did not take care of it themselves they pass on a phone number (that I already had).
If you want to call the truth bashing then that’s your words not mine. Mine are fact!
This is all they said in a email. “Ongaro is the manfacturer (sp?) of this item and they have the 5 year warranty. For more information you can call 1-856-456-1003.”
Nothing else. For more info????
And for "it's not our problem, call this guy". That is the problem! That is called passing the buck.
And as for if it was 3 or 3000 dollars WTF is the difference? I guess How does one obtain someone's mug shot? is worth a whole lot more.
Poor service is poor service. I bet the next time you are at the burger joint and you order a sandwich one way and it comes back something else and they tell you “oh well” I bet that 3 bucks will mean something then. I also hope to god someone is standing behind you saying “what his problem its only 3 bucks.”
As for “out of line”....... Ahhhh never mind.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Customer service and iboats

And for "it's not our problem, call this guy". That is the problem! That is called passing the buck.

Have you noticed there isn't a single person that agrees with you? I don't even like the iboats store myself, but you're being absolutely ridiculous.

I bet the next time you are at the burger joint and you order a sandwich one way and it comes back something else and they tell you ?oh well? I bet that 3 bucks will mean something then.

No, because I won't wait 2 YEARS and I'd still be within their standard and posted return policy.

 

[JRJ]

Re: Customer service and iboats

At first I thought this was serious, my mistake, humor happens. Please carry on.

 

[ob]

Re: Customer service and iboats

Will the squeaky wheel get the grease?Tune in to the next un-bee-leevubble.episode.

 

[rolmops]

Re: Customer service and iboats

Will the squeaky wheel get the grease?Tune in to the next un-bee-leevubble.episode.

Or will the whiner be told to go do something that is biologically impossible?

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Customer service and iboats

First rolmops why don't you do something that is biologically impossible.
The issue has been taken care of. Apparently Frank Ongaro of Orgaro inc stands behind his product and is sending me a new one.

I don't care if anyone agrees with me. At the moment all I have herd from is iboats yes men. Why don't you all grow a set.
It also doesn't look like I have broken any iboats rules with what I have said or I am sure JB would have poofed this thread long ago. So again I stand behind what I said. If iboats would have took the lead on this I would have had high praise but since they did not and passed it off to the next guy they "passed the buck".

 

[RubberFrog]

Re: Customer service and iboats

sofa king we todd did

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Customer service and iboats

At the moment all I have herd from is iboats yes men.

Not even close. You searched my posts, so you must have come across at least 3-4 in the last few months where I make my opinion known that I don't like what they're doing or have done. On the other hand, I'm not delusional about what they're supposed to do and what is none of their business.

 

[ob]

Re: Customer service and iboats

Another happy ending. Oh and my testicles are just fine ,thank you.So iboats told you to contact the manufacturer for the warranty and they came through with flying colors.Hmmmmm,sounds like iboats sells at least some products that are backed by companies that stand behind their product.

 

[Admin5]

Re: Customer service and iboats

I have bit my lip watching to see how this would unfold. I am sorry you have not had a top quality experience with our customer service with this issue. I am looking at how we communicate back to the customer when we have problems like this. I agree we could have communicated back to you better f'in. Sorry. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Now for the logistics of what you have asked for. Most manufacturers require that warranty replacements be sent back to them so they can see what the problem was. You have to remember that we are dealing with the Internet and mail order - this is not a walk in store environment where you can just hand the thing back to the guy at the counter. Why does this matter? One word: shipping! Are you interested in paying the shipping costs for the part to get back to iboats so we can then just turn around and ship it again to the mfr? We don't want to ask you to pay for it and so by hooking you up directly with the mfr of the product you shouldn't have to pay for a thing. Having iboats in the middle would also great increase the time it will take you to get your replacement part due to this extra shipping time. Some times the mfr doesn't need to get the part back but in most cases they do.

Thanks again for bringing this to our attention and we will review how we handle these situations. Heck, we are not perfect (just ask OZ) but we do want to continue to improve so please keep sharing your experiences with us.

Admin5

 

[G-Daddy]

Re: Customer service and iboats

I just installed a ceiling fan for my MIL this past weekend. When I pulled the thing out of the box, the first thing that came out was a piece of paper that said, "If you have a problem with this item DO NOT return it to the retailer. Contact our customer service at xxxxxxxxxxxxx."

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Customer service and iboats

Thanks Admin 5 and I am totally cool with it. And you all are well within you rights.
As for the others, I am sure most here don't understand where I am coming from and it was really no big deal either way. I just thought the return could have been handled better. Maybe I am spoiled after dealing with a few other marine sites. I think everyone needs to take a lesson from Bennett. I don't even have trim tabs (except in a box in the back room) anymore but I still think they are the best customer service company out there.
Its just some seemed to go over the edge over it. If you didn't agree thats fine but when it gets personal thats when I get ugly and I apologize for it. I didn't let the iboats Old Guard push me around 6 years ago and I'm sure not going to start now. So I have my opinion (of iboats, its better now that a iboats rep explained the deal) and you all have yours and thats cool but if there is a next time that we don't agree (and I am sure there will be) please lets not make it personal. I am here a lot and would rather have some fun and get/give some info then then being obsessed about making someone iboats life a living he!!. Sorry, I get like that.
M