Who else is having difficulty getting a timely - or more accurately, any substantive - response from Walthers' repair department?
Four weeks ago (on November 29), I e-mailed that unit (via the company's internal system) regarding my Walthers Proto 2000 loco's need for repair. It's out of the warranty window, so that doesn't apply. I described the problem and asked about the procedure for sending the loco to them.
It took almost two weeks (on December 9) for a repair tech to respond. He requested my customer service number, which he needed to set up a return authorization (RA) number. I sent it in immediately, along with the loco's serial number and another number on the loco's registration card. I never heard from him again.
A week later (on December 16), a second repair tech e-mailed, stating that he was aware of my request and asking which loco it is (a five-year old EMD F7 "A") and to describe the problem I'm having with it. I sent him that information the same day.
Three days later (on December 16), that same tech replied, asking for my phone number and address so he could set up a RA. I provided that information right away, as well as requesting the procedure for sending it to Walthers for repair.
Another week after that (on December 26), having received no followup reply, I e-mailed both repair techs again to inquire about the RA. To-date, I have yet to receive a response from anyone. I've avoided calling so as not to get passed around from one staff member to another in "phone tag" and to have e-mail documentation of my communications with the company.
Now, I understand being busy although neither repair tech has implied or stated such. Whether or not that's an issue is unknown. To have waited a month now for something as simple as e-mailing a RA number and basic procedural instructions (which are absent on the website for out-of-warranty repairs) is beyond the pale. Have those two repair techs left the company? Are they indeed swamped with other repair jobs? Closed for the holidays? Who knows. But this is certainly no way for a reputable company to do business. Absent a definitive response in the next day or so, my next step is to write the CEO.
If anyone has direct knowledge of what's going on with Walthers' repair department, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Conjecture is not necessary.
By the way, a look at the company's parts and warranty page (https://www.walthers.com/parts-warranty) shows the following:
"Parts and Warranty can help you with the following:
* A repair service is available for Walthers brand products. For all other brands and warranty claims, please select "Customer Service".
If you have not registered your product go here.
Download the Walthers Limited Warranty."
Lacking, however, is any means for communicating repair needs of Walthers' brand products, as in my case.
Kerry
Here is who you want to reach out to: Stacy Walthers Naffah
I would definitely try to call her office...
And most importantly, call - don't send emails. You want action, pick up the phone.. 1-800-4-TRAINS
That is not acceptable. Especially when you will be paying for repairs. You'd think Walthers would have plenty of employees to do this.
Find another shop to repair your locomotive. Tony's trains is a good reputable place.
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
GNMT76If anyone has direct knowledge of what's going on with Walthers' repair department, I'd appreciate hearing from you. Conjecture is not necessary.
Call, as Neal says. Work it our yourself. Don't come on here demanding "Conjecture is not necessary".
Mike.
My You Tube
The repair department at Walthers consists of one or two folks, and I believe one experienced repair person was re assigned not long ago. I have this hunch you got caught up in the change.
They do not have a parts supply - they open boxes of trains and raid them for parts. If your train is old enough - they may have no way to fix it. That is just the reality. I know they have people send in stuff that was last manufacturered decades ago but is only now being opened for the first time. There is often very little they can do for those folks.
Contacting the President (Stacey) may get attention and even get priority but all that means is that someone else's repair gets put aside. Or maybe your repair was put aside because someone else tried that approach.
Dave Nelson
nealknows Here is who you want to reach out to: Stacy Walthers Naffah I would definitely try to call her office... And most importantly, call - don't send emails. You want action, pick up the phone.. 1-800-4-TRAINS
Neal,
Thanks for the name and phone number!
Motley That is not acceptable. Especially when you will be paying for repairs. You'd think Walthers would have plenty of employees to do this. Find another shop to repair your locomotive. Tony's trains is a good reputable place.
dknelson The repair department at Walthers consists of one or two folks, and I believe one experienced repair person was re assigned not long ago. I have this hunch you got caught up in the change. They do not have a parts supply - they open boxes of trains and raid them for parts. If your train is old enough - they may have no way to fix it. That is just the reality. I know they have people send in stuff that was last manufacturered decades ago but is only now being opened for the first time. There is often very little they can do for those folks. Contacting the President (Stacey) may get attention and even get priority but all that means is that someone else's repair gets put aside. Or maybe your repair was put aside because someone else tried that approach. Dave Nelson
Out of warrenty, you are lucky they e-mailed you at all.
rrebell Out of warrenty, you are lucky they e-mailed you at all.
Please pm me with your repair technician, just in case. I was in MB Klein a while ago and saw a sign that they did not have a repair technician. I didn't notice if that sign was still there on subsequent visits.
Given Walthers business model of a manufacturer and a distributor, I don't know why they would even bother with out of warranty repairs.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddy Please pm me with your repair technician, just in case. I was in MB Klein a while ago and saw a sign that they did not have a repair technician. I didn't notice if that sign was still there on subsequent visits. Given Walthers business model of a manufacturer and a distributor, I don't know why they would even bother with out of warranty repairs.
Back in February I sent back a new Mainline Locomotive to Walthers because the decoder did not work properly. I did not give them advance notice, I sent it with a note inside the box. Shortly after sending it I got an e-mail from them (which I did not save) about what is my complaint and their normal turn around is 30 days. On March 13 I got an e-mail from Dan Thomson (414-527-0770) asking about my locomotive. I replied March 14. He replied March 15 and stated it had been fixed and I need to send $15.00 for a return fee and I did. Got it back shortly there after.
GNMT76 And since I can't send you a PM, I've asked him for permission to provide his name and contact information here.
As far as I know, only Firefox fails at sending pm's