Repair turn around

[luckyvic]

I took my Epiphone ES-335 PRO to get the volume pot replaced back in 11-09-14. I called the Guitar Center in Brookfield/WI last week and was told the part should arrive this week. Well, here it is Friday and it will be almost a month this coming 12-09-14.

I find this really disappointing and very frustrating. I am still under warranty, but had I known it would take this long I would gladly have taken somewhere

and paid out of pocket. Gibson/Epiphone, this is not good customer service.

[darkside mike]

I took my Epiphone ES-335 PRO to get the volume pot replaced back in 11-09-14. I called the Guitar Center in Brookfield/WI last week and was told the part should arrive this week. Well, here it is Friday and it will be almost a month this coming 12-09-14.

I find this really disappointing and very frustrating. I am still under warranty, but had I known it would take this long I would gladly have taken somewhere

and paid out of pocket. Gibson/Epiphone, this is not good customer service.

 

If the store doesn't have the part in stock they have to order it. Not gibson's fault the store doesn't have it in stock.

[luckyvic]

If the store doesn't have the part in stock they have to order it. Not gibson's fault the store doesn't have it in stock.

 

 

Totally understand and agree on that, I didn't expect the store to have the part. But almost a month to get a part, a small one at that?

As authorized dealers and warranty repair work, the store represents Gibson, so yes they're responsible.

[stein]

If the store doesn't have the part in stock they have to order it. Not gibson's fault the store doesn't have it in stock.

There is absolutely, positively, no reason why it should take this long to get what is likely THE most common part available.

 

3 weeks to get a volume pot? I don't think so.

 

Sounds like BS to me.

[stein]

This isn't Gibson/Epiphones fault. This is GC, or rather this particular GC being numnuts.

 

What is so difficult about this part? I bet I could walk into a GC right now and buy it.

 

I don't see a reason why this would take them so long. Even IF they have to order it, there is no reason it should be 3 or 4 weeks to get. So, I wouldn't be inclined to believe what they are saying.

 

As for why I say so emphatically this is not Epi's fault: this is so far out of the realm of making sense, you can't expect them to be aware of of it to be able to do anything about it. Can't really blame them for what the guys at this particular GC are doing.

 

Don't really know where to go from here or where it can go. Perhaps get a little store credit? At least, have the warrenty period made longer to reflet the time you were without the guitar.

[L5Larry]

Sorry, posted in error.

 

Will revisit this discussion when I have time to respond.

[luckyvic]

This isn't Gibson/Epiphones fault. This is GC, or rather this particular GC being numnuts.

 

What is so difficult about this part? I bet I could walk into a GC right now and buy it.

 

I don't see a reason why this would take them so long. Even IF they have to order it, there is no reason it should be 3 or 4 weeks to get. So, I wouldn't be inclined to believe what they are saying.

 

As for why I say so emphatically this is not Epi's fault: this is so far out of the realm of making sense, you can't expect them to be aware of of it to be able to do anything about it. Can't really blame them for what the guys at this particular GC are doing.

 

Don't really know where to go from here or where it can go. Perhaps get a little store credit? At least, have the warrenty period made longer to reflet the time you were without the guitar.

 

 

I don't know what the problem is, why the long turn around. I really don't want to accuse any one of lying, but is difficult not to.

As I said before for why I place some of the blame is because of the business affiliation between Gibson and GC. I should contact Gibson directly and

make them aware of my situation, that would be fair.

I do not plan to make any more purchases from any GC stores.

[retrorod]

There is absolutely, positively, no reason why it should take this long to get what is likely THE most common part available.

 

3 weeks to get a volume pot? I don't think so.

 

Sounds like BS to me.

Agree with stein! I run a repair shop from my garage and have 250K and 500K pots in two sizes on hand and ready to go.... Jeesh!

[retrorod]

I don't know what the problem is, why the long turn around. I really don't want to accuse any one of lying, but is difficult not to.

As I said before for why I place some of the blame is because of the business affiliation between Gibson and GC. I should contact Gibson directly and

make them aware of my situation, that would be fair.

I do not plan to make any more purchases from any GC stores.

 

I dare to say that Gibson and GC do not give a damn about your situation. Kind of like the Federal Government!...... unless you are an illegal immigrant...

[stein]

I don't know what the problem is, why the long turn around. I really don't want to accuse any one of lying, but is difficult not to.

As I said before for why I place some of the blame is because of the business affiliation between Gibson and GC. I should contact Gibson directly and

make them aware of my situation, that would be fair.

I do not plan to make any more purchases from any GC stores.

Just to be clear, I can NOT say that they are lying, but rather, it seems like they are. Big difference.

 

I am OK in saying that's my best guess. But yea, I don't want to say they are.

 

Keep in mind, I CAN'T say anything for sure because I wasn't there, only here. And I'm basically "online".

 

But I wouldn't let someone tell me it has to take 3 weeks to get a common pot.

 

Remember, if you want to blame Gibson for it's doing business with GC, you are going to have to take the same type and amount of responsibility. And before you go up the blame chain, you might find out if what these particular employees are doing is expected by GC as well.

[darkside mike]

I worked at a big music store for 10 years and let me shed some light on this situation. The stores wont pay shipping on just a single pot so they wait for an actual order to fill up. A distributor for gibson just receives a po# for that order. I'm positive gibson dont know every pot that gets replaced under warranty.

 

The only place anyone is falling short is gc for not having pots in stock.. I also have a small repair shop and keep them on hand so why wouldnt a huge company like guitar centre.

[luckyvic]

So, I'm to take some of the blame? As a customer I should expect and receive good service from a business who also represent another business. I should be able to trust what I'm told what to expect from the services provided to me. I may and in this case do not like it.I worked for the Army & Air Force Exchange System, the military retail business, for almost 6 years and we had jump through hoops to please the customer. We were the front line for 1000s of companies of electronics, food, clothing and etc. So yes, we a reflection/representative of these companies. The saying in retail is "the customer is always right".

 

I do not want to continue the discussion here and will not respond to further comments.

[darkside mike]

No one's putting blame on you.. at all.

I was just commenting that it's a very common scenario.

[retrorod]

So, I'm to take some of the blame? As a customer I should expect and receive good service from a business who also represent another business. I should be able to trust what I'm told what to expect from the services provided to me. I may and in this case do not like it.I worked for the Army & Air Force Exchange System, the military retail business, for almost 6 years and we had jump through hoops to please the customer. We were the front line for 1000s of companies of electronics, food, clothing and etc. So yes, we a reflection/representative of these companies. The saying in retail is "the customer is always right".

 

I do not want to continue the discussion here and will not respond to further comments.

 

Come on luckyvic, I understand your frustration BUT.... you are dealing with large corporate biznesses that know how to 'take' your money, but not how to give great customer satisfaction. Fairly common in the 21st century....you should be used to it by now!?

 

If you know of a local repairman/tech then get your guitar from GC and take it to them. I do repairs like this in my local resort community of (pop.20,000). Overnite turnaround $30.for soldering in a new pot.

 

Sorry to break it to you.....BUT....you are a small fish to Gibson/Epi.....and I don't deal with a GC, so can,t comment. Find a local musician repairman and get satisfaction.

 

This is an international Forum for Gibson lovers. We (for the most part) have no pull or swag with the Gibson/Epi corporate entity.

 

I did not get the feeling that anyone was 'blaming you'....!

 

Perhaps you are being too 'sensitive' ?

 

 

 

[stein]

So, I'm to take some of the blame? As a customer I should expect and receive good service from a business who also represent another business. I should be able to trust what I'm told what to expect from the services provided to me. I may and in this case do not like it.I worked for the Army & Air Force Exchange System, the military retail business, for almost 6 years and we had jump through hoops to please the customer. We were the front line for 1000s of companies of electronics, food, clothing and etc. So yes, we a reflection/representative of these companies. The saying in retail is "the customer is always right".

 

I do not want to continue the discussion here and will not respond to further comments.

Seems you feel I am blaming you, (or someone else here?), but, no. No blame on you.

 

If I may be more clear, when I said "responsibility", I meant in the context of thinking you will get somewhere trying to hold Gibson responsible for doing business with GC. That, in itself, will get you nowhere since also, you chose to do business with them.

 

YOUR beef (as stated here) is a legitimate one. You should expect, pretty much what it seems you are saying you want. Fixed in a timely fashion. Acknowledgement that this is poor "customer service".

 

I get it. We ALL get it.

 

If, anytime, a CS situation is so bad, you really should at least give the benefit of the doubt that if it so OBVIOUSLY bad, that the company THEY work for, and up the chain, would agree. And give them a chance to see it that way and make it right. And no one can unless brought to their attention.

[codyyy]

I think if it is a smaller part it sometimes takes a while for Guitar Center to get it from Gibson I believe. I ordered a set of Gibson knobs through Guitar Center and was told it would take 7-10 days. It ended up taking just over a month to get those. They weren't super rare or anything, just not a type/color that my local Guitar Center stocked. I'm in no real hurry for them but still, 7-10 days and it ends up taking triple the time to get them. A guy at my Guitar Center had said that my order was a "Green Screen Special Order". Not sure what that exactly means but perhaps next time ask if that is the case with your order/repair.

[darkside mike]

I think if it is a smaller part it sometimes takes a while for Guitar Center to get it from Gibson I believe. I ordered a set of Gibson knobs through Guitar Center and was told it would take 7-10 days. It ended up taking just over a month to get those. They weren't super rare or anything, just not a type/color that my local Guitar Center stocked. I'm in no real hurry for them but still, 7-10 days and it ends up taking triple the time to get them. A guy at my Guitar Center had said that my order was a "Green Screen Special Order". Not sure what that exactly means but perhaps next time ask if that is the case with your order/repair.

 

guaranteed same scenario in your case.. they're not gonna pay shipping on just the knobs when they can get a batch shipping price on a bunch of stuff once it accumulates. I gotta say I can't blame them (being somewhat of a business owner myself) and yes IT DOES SUCK. I will never deny that. Unfortunately it has become the norm in the music equipment retail industry. I saw it first hand, I would contact distributors and place orders myself so I saw how it goes down and unfortunate as it is it's not gonna change, specially now when the stores are making less money than ever. They have to cut corners and if it means making people wait a bit longer then so be it, it's how it is across the board.

 

And after all that... it's still just a pot. they shoulda had it in stock!!!! As someone said, find a small store who at least gives MORE of a **** cause they NEED your business.

[darkside mike]

just to add to codyyy's comment about the smaller parts taking longer. that's cause a bigger part has a bigger profit margin making it worth putting the order in and shipped right away. If you're ordering a 6$ pot that you make 2$ off of and you gotta pay 10$ shipping versus a guitar that you make 400$ off of and costs you 30$ to get shipped. you gotta admit it's a no brainer. these are rough numbers but pretty much the reality of things. one small part shipped on it's own, you lose money.

[codyyy]

I understand the profit margin deal, but I would think they would place orders with Gibson (and other companies) a lot more frequently to keep their stocking levels normal. Maybe people just don't buy parts for their guitars anymore. Still, if they expect to do warranty work and repairs, they should stock the required parts to do most smaller jobs.