I got in touch with both Modeltrainstuff and NCE yesterday with what I believe is a basic question about an NCE product and in both cases I was going to get a call back and I was never called back. I am astounded at what appears to be poor customer service from two supposedly venerated sellers in the hobby.
Bear "It's all about having fun."
Personally I think you are being overly melodramatic by using the word "astounded". I can't tell you how many times I have not been called back by a whole host of businesses, including MBK, Home Depot, umpteen contractors we are trying to get cost estimates from.
Edit: LOL, good point Tom. Could be MBK was closed or short staffed on the holiday.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
bearman,
Yesterday was a holiday for some folks and businesses (MLK Day). And sometimes theses business are getting ready for or just got back from train shows on the weekend. Give them another day to get back to you then call again.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Or, you could have asked your question here. The odds are high that someone would have given you the answer by now.
Don
I asked my question here, 100+ views, no responses
MBK was not closed. They answered the phone and if they were short staffed, I could understand that if they told me. I am ready to spend 300$, if that is not enough for a call back then I guess I am a cheapskate when it comes to their revenue stream.
riogrande...I can go to the Home Depot down the street. As for contractors, I will not do business with one that will not return my calls. I am about to spend 5500$ on a home improvement, I got 4 estimates, and I am going with the contractor that answered my call and talked to me. Customer service is important as far as I am concerned. If someone, I dont care who, is not going to honor their commitment then I do not care to spend my money with them.
And while I was not in retail when I was working, my father owned a store, which I worked at, and he practised total quality management before it was all the rage, even though he did not know what the concept was all about.
Bear,
Thanks for your answer. I didn't know if you actually talked to someone, or merely left a phone message. Sometimes when someone says they "contacted" a business it can mean either one.
Tom, I talked to a real person, in both cases. I can understand about leaving a message and not getting a call back. In the latter case I can understand why there would be no call back.
I'm not familiar with the NCE setup, but here are the SB5 instructions. The diagram looks like your drawing.
file:///home/generic/Downloads/SB5%20Manual.pdf
bearman I asked my question here, 100+ views, no responses
Mike
Check the DCC forum as of a day or two ago. Just got one response from South Penn a few minutes ago and I responded. That post is up to 130 +/- views, one response. South Penn was trying to be helpful, and I appreciate it.
bearman riogrande...I can go to the Home Depot down the street. As for contractors, I will not do business with one that will not return my calls.
riogrande...I can go to the Home Depot down the street. As for contractors, I will not do business with one that will not return my calls.
I guess it depends on where you live. In northern Virginia, it's the norm to not hear back from contractors so I'd guess if you refused to do business, you wouldn't get much work done. My guess is conditions around here are like that because there is so much business and contractors are so busy, they don't need to call you back. I mean, why else? If they were hungry and needed the money, they would call you right?
Let me give you an example. We need our hardwood floors re-finished. We have tried to get at least 4 or 5 contractors to give us an estimate during the past 4-5 weeks, so far only one estimate in hand. One guy answered my wife saying he was in Florida playing baseball. Since he returned, we've played phone tag a bit and decided he must be too busy. A couple of others seem to be taking their time.
Hey, I understand how you feel, I really do. I've just found in this area you have to chase people up or you don't get anything done. Sad but true.
Anyway, I've tried to call MBK before and not got callbacks too on days they were open. Well, again, business is good for them so if you aren't happy about having to call them back again, vote with your wallet - problem solved for you right?
Anyway, re: MBK, with a little imagination you can guess why you didn't get a call back and then not feel "astounded". They could be short staffed and busy and not had a chance. I've noticed during the past year MBK's staff is reduced a lot from what it was a few years ago when I have visited the store in person.
riogrande5761Home Depot, umpteen contractors we are trying to get cost estimates from.
.
Oh man, I feel your pain here.
Between Home Depot and contractors poor customer service combined, I am about ready to lose my mind.
Spending thousands of dollars on home improvement is not enough to get a call back I have found out.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
LIONS seldom call back. LIONS have big furry paws and so it is hard to manipulate the crank on the telephone.
Yes, we had a crank phone here. Our telephone number was "15"
As a matter of fact it is STILL "15" they just added a bunch of numbers in front of it a few at a time. It became 3315 and then 974-3315 and now it is 701 974 3315, but the 15 is still the same number ever since they used barbed wire and fence posts for their connections. Now we have fiber optic. Copper wire is all gone. Fiber Optic for everything, telephone, TV and Internet. Pretty good for a little rural co-op eh?
Oh, calling back... "Take two of these and call me in the morning."
Get the name of him to whom you spoke, write it down. Everypone I call gives me a tracking number, but then I'm a big time LION. (Color me important). [Not]. Chat on the website works good. But REALLY... Have you EVER tried to call Microsoft. Or worse yet Google!
When I contact TrainWorld, I alwas send an e-mail. Methinniks that is the best way to make contact.
or just stand at the edge of the savana and ROAR
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
If a contractor doesn’t call you back you don’t want to do business with them. It means they are to busy. When I worked for an electrician and business was booming and we had more work than we could handle we would bid jobs we didn’t want to take three times higher than they should have been and we would still get the job. It's a boom or bust industry. As for buying model railroad equipment, there are several dealers all selling the same products. Shop around until you find another dealer you like. But I agree that customer service isn't what it used to be. Recently I bought my girlfriend some expensive makeup online and I e-mailed their customer service regarding it. They took three weeks to answer my e-mail even though they e-mailed me advertising every single day.
riogrande5761I think you are being overly melodramatic by using the word "astounded".
Hehehe... I was thinking of Professor Lupin chewing out Harry for using that map while there were still enemies aboaut.
Not taking sides here, but many retail places as well as factories are short staffed, especially on Mondays. This day is always the busiest for any business as they're trying to catch up from the weekend, phone messages and more. I've waited more than a day for a call back from NCE and when they did call, they apologized for the delay. I'm on the sales side, and never call any customer on a Monday due to the scearios I stated above.
I hope that whatever issue you were having with NCE didn't stop you from doing other things. We have many other things in our lives that we can stress over. Besides, some things are worth waiting for in our hobby. MBK is a great supplier to the hobby, so maybe give them the benefit of the doubt unless this has happened to you with them multiple times..
Neal
I think a customer rebellion is in order. Like on MASH, my most favorite TV show of all time, when Hawkeye started a rebellion against the mess tent menu, liver or fish. Seriously, I can undersatnd boom or bust for some industries like the construction related trades...heck I got some work done really cheap a few years ago when things were slow around here. But the model railroad business????????????
Actually Neal, the answer is no. Until now, I have never had any issues with MBK. Which is why I was surprised about this latest incident.
BroadwayLion riogrande5761 I think you are being overly melodramatic by using the word "astounded". Hehehe... I was thinking of Professor Lupin chewing out Harry for using that map while there were still enemies aboaut. ROAR
riogrande5761 I think you are being overly melodramatic by using the word "astounded".
LOL. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." My wife just picked up a T shirt with that saying on it at a shop over the weekend. It seems to be a long term theme here at MR forums - well, should we be surprised with so many grumpy old men? =D Or grumpy old men in training? Raise hand.
nealknowsmany retail places as well as factories are short staffed, especially on Mondays. This day is always the busiest for any business as they're trying to catch up from the weekend, phone messages and more. I've waited more than a day for a call back from NCE and when they did call, they apologized for the delay.
Good point. NCE is a small shop, too. They get lots of calls on Monday because of all the folks who just unpacked theur DCC systems over the weekend and now need help.
If there was just the OP's call in, then yeah, what happened? But based on my experience with NCE, a whole bunch of others are in line here. I'm pretty sure that NCE will get back to them all, but probably in the order they were taken in. Sometimes, you just have to wait in line in this life.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
bearmanI think a customer rebellion is in order.
Take the NCE stuff you already have and toss it in the trash. Buy new Digitrax stuff from Tony's. That'll show 'em.
But seriously, you (and the rest of us) have already told them that you are willing to trade personalized customer service for lower prices when we allowed all the LHS's to close.
I have the right to remain silent. By posting here I have given up that right and accept that anything I say can and will be used as evidence to critique me.
I suppose you have a point carl.
Carl is right on point.
We all want low prices and great service. Service costs money......super discount prices are for people who already know the ins and outs of what they are buying.....
I happen to be a "contractor". I do mostly historic restoration work, like these:
And I was once was the guy behind the counter at the local hobby shop fixing your train or answering your questions..........
But as a group you all voted in favor of 30% off intead of that personalized service and knowledge.
And guess what? I live near MB Klein, have known those people for 40 years, I grew up in and round the hobby industry here in Baltimore.
There are not many people working at Kleins today who are fully versed in all aspects of the hobby, and they are VERY BUSY simply filling orders. Heck, they were very busy just waiting on customers with long shopping lists 30 years ago.....
Just because they did not "stop the presses" for your question/problem does not mean they are not interested in helping you. It just means others are ahead of you, or the person who knows your answer is not available that minute, etc.
Home Depot, well I don't want to start trouble, but let's just say that as a skilled carpenter it's not some place I would look for an installation contractor, and as a contractor, I would not work for them as a subcontractor. And as a contractor, we only buy a small percentage of our materials there........
So advice on finding good contractors - word of mouth, recommendations from your friends who have had good experiances, is the best way. (I have never advertized in 20 years)
Second to that, look for the little guy, with the least overhead, who does the least advertizing. Chances are he is good, busy, and affordable.........you might have to get on his list and wait.......my customers do.
We have a saying,
"You can have good quality work,
you can have it done quick,
you can have it done at the lowest price.
Pick two, you can't have all three"
I call my customers back...... I currenty have a one year back log of work, and several people who want estimates....... They will have to get on the list.......
Why, becuase we are a company of only three people. We do have a few subs we use for some stuff on big jobs, but the nature of what we do is very specialized and skilled.
And considering that skill and expertise level, we are very competitively priced......so they wait.
But what do I know? I'm just a guy who started working in a hobby shop at age 14, has been mostly self employed since age 23, and now at 60 has all the work I can do.....
Sheldon
PS - Jim, we refinish floors, shame you are just a little far away. We refinished these 100 year old floors (and did all the other restoration work in this photo):
I am a crank, therefore I have a crank phone, even though it uses buttons.
Disclaimer: This post may contain humor, sarcasm, and/or flatulence.
Michael Mornard
Bringing the North Woods to South Dakota!
carl425 bearman I think a customer rebellion is in order. Take the NCE stuff you already have and toss it in the trash. Buy new Digitrax stuff from Tony's. That'll show 'em. But seriously, you (and the rest of us) have already told them that you are willing to trade personalized customer service for lower prices when we allowed all the LHS's to close.
bearman I think a customer rebellion is in order.
This. Bloody this. All these things are driven by what customers are willing to pay for.Just like cars, clothing, and everything else. "Buy American" applies to the other guy.
When customers make it clear that low price means more than anything else, they will get low price and nothing else.
"You can get exactly what you ask for and still not be happy."
The above is assuming discount vendors are the reason LHS's closed in the first place. The majority of those I've observed closing in the last 10 years are due to the owner retiring, passing away or getting out of the business due to illness. Caboose Hobbies owner decided close not to continue and retire last year when his lease was up - he could have moved but he was at retirement age so that was the route he went.
Atlantic Central, you do have a point, but, maybe I am strange, I am more than willing to pay a premium for personalized service at my local RR hobby store. Problem is that they are really small by now and the only thing keeping them afloat is their internet sales. There is another hobby story nearby that has a RR dept, but ever since the old timer left, useful advice is hard to come by. I used to walk intothat store and always made sure I spent some money, and I am not talking about a doallar or two, just to have a chat with Sam.
The point to be made, I think, is that the hobby is dying. I am 63 years old and I am the youngest member of my club, and it has 8 members.
I appreciate the possible issues with MB Klein and, in fact, I placed the order with them a little while ago. I guess all my good expereinces over the years finally outweighed this last incident.
Oh, and Atlantic Central, I do not contract anything through Home Depot. I mostly relay on word of mouth from people I know. I have had the same HVAC guy for over 20 years. I have had the same electrician for over 20 years. And, I just lost my plumber, drat. I always check with them if I am looking for another trade to put to work.
riogrande, you may have something there. There was a RR store in Mesa that closed down because the kids did not want to take over the business.
OK, let's not turn this into another "the hobby is dying" thread, please.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com