Let me say right off that I am not bashing S&W Customer Service. But this is a comparison that I think bears consideration.
On 02-March, I sent a letter created on my laptop & printed on stationary via the USPS to Ruger, the exact text of which follows here:
Dear Customer Service,
I am in possession of (2) Ruger revolvers, purchased used, for which I would ask your attention. The revolvers are as follows:
1. Single Six, Serial #136XXX, 22LR
2. SP-101, Serial #572-41XXX, 357 Magnum
These revolvers were purchased used without inclusion of boxes, manuals, etc. Is it possible for me to receive printed manuals & any other applicable documentation?
Your response is requested and appreciated.
Warm regards,
XXX-XXX-XXXX [cell]
[email protected] [/i]
The letter went into the mail system on 02-March. On 06-March, at approximately 1:30PM, my cell phone rang but as I was in an informal meeting & didn't recognize the number I didn't pick up. When I returned to my desk, I first checked my email & found I received a message from a Customer Service Representative (CSR) from Ruger. The email address was the CSR's [email protected]; the message was personalized & text as follows:
[i]I mailed out your firearm boxes and manuals today , if you do not see them within 5 to 10 business days please contact me and I will follow up. Have a nice day and thank you for your letter.
Thank you for your patronage,
Customer Service
CSR's Name[/i]
I then listened to my cell phone messages & the CSR had left the same message on my phone. True to the message, in 10 business days I received (2) Ruger cardboard gun boxes, in (2) cardboard shipping containers, along with 2 printed manuals. The 22 is a Single Six that was manufactured in 1959 or 1960. I sent the CSR an email, expressing my thanks for what I considered excellent Customer Service, & I received another reply thanking me for my comments & offering to help with any future needs.
I then sent the [I][U]exact same message[/U][/I] to S&W, except (obviously) the guns were S&W revolvers, a Model 57-1 & a 686 no-dash. That letter was sent out the morning of 11-March. By 07-April I had heard nothing, & I sent an email to S&W Customer Service with an explanation that I had not received a response & then duplicated the letter within the text of the email. I received an automated acknowledgement relatively quickly, & then received my response today, 10-April, from the general CS email address, the entire text of which follows:
[i]Dear Customer,
To place an order, please call customer service at (800)331-0852 Ext. 4125, Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern Standard time.
If further assistance is required please reply accordingly.
Sincerely,
CSR's first name[/i]
I spent a good bit of my career working in Customer Service; at one point I was a CS manager & responsible for a team of CSRs. The response from Ruger makes me want to go out & buy a new one. My treatment was above & beyond what I expected - which is the definition of excellent Customer Service: [U]exceeding[/U], not meeting, your customer's expectation.
The response from S&W is tepid at best. The response didn't take too long from the time I sent my email, but there was no reference to me not receiving a response to the letter, & S&W recommends USPS mail as a method of communication on their web site. The response itself has no detail. Tell me if printed manuals are available, or if the .pdf files on the web site are the only option. Tell me if boxes are available, or if not that I can purchase S&W plastic gun cases direct from S&W. Put something in there in the way of an apology that my letter, for whatever reason, was not responded to & offer to be of assistance if needed. Say [U]something[/U] to make me feel I haven't been anything more than a hassle for the CS department.
I feel as though Ruger looked upon my letter as an opportunity to help a customer or potential customer, & at S&W my email request was a chore no one wanted to deal with. I don't know if it was just this individual, a lack of policy, or lack of management oversight but if it is typical, I think something needs adjusted.
Again, I'm not mad & this isn't intended to be a bashing of S&W's customer service. It does make me want to just shake my head & say "typical".
On 02-March, I sent a letter created on my laptop & printed on stationary via the USPS to Ruger, the exact text of which follows here:
Dear Customer Service,
I am in possession of (2) Ruger revolvers, purchased used, for which I would ask your attention. The revolvers are as follows:
1. Single Six, Serial #136XXX, 22LR
2. SP-101, Serial #572-41XXX, 357 Magnum
These revolvers were purchased used without inclusion of boxes, manuals, etc. Is it possible for me to receive printed manuals & any other applicable documentation?
Your response is requested and appreciated.
Warm regards,
XXX-XXX-XXXX [cell]
[email protected] [/i]
The letter went into the mail system on 02-March. On 06-March, at approximately 1:30PM, my cell phone rang but as I was in an informal meeting & didn't recognize the number I didn't pick up. When I returned to my desk, I first checked my email & found I received a message from a Customer Service Representative (CSR) from Ruger. The email address was the CSR's [email protected]; the message was personalized & text as follows:
[i]I mailed out your firearm boxes and manuals today , if you do not see them within 5 to 10 business days please contact me and I will follow up. Have a nice day and thank you for your letter.
Thank you for your patronage,
Customer Service
CSR's Name[/i]
I then listened to my cell phone messages & the CSR had left the same message on my phone. True to the message, in 10 business days I received (2) Ruger cardboard gun boxes, in (2) cardboard shipping containers, along with 2 printed manuals. The 22 is a Single Six that was manufactured in 1959 or 1960. I sent the CSR an email, expressing my thanks for what I considered excellent Customer Service, & I received another reply thanking me for my comments & offering to help with any future needs.
I then sent the [I][U]exact same message[/U][/I] to S&W, except (obviously) the guns were S&W revolvers, a Model 57-1 & a 686 no-dash. That letter was sent out the morning of 11-March. By 07-April I had heard nothing, & I sent an email to S&W Customer Service with an explanation that I had not received a response & then duplicated the letter within the text of the email. I received an automated acknowledgement relatively quickly, & then received my response today, 10-April, from the general CS email address, the entire text of which follows:
[i]Dear Customer,
To place an order, please call customer service at (800)331-0852 Ext. 4125, Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern Standard time.
If further assistance is required please reply accordingly.
Sincerely,
CSR's first name[/i]
I spent a good bit of my career working in Customer Service; at one point I was a CS manager & responsible for a team of CSRs. The response from Ruger makes me want to go out & buy a new one. My treatment was above & beyond what I expected - which is the definition of excellent Customer Service: [U]exceeding[/U], not meeting, your customer's expectation.
The response from S&W is tepid at best. The response didn't take too long from the time I sent my email, but there was no reference to me not receiving a response to the letter, & S&W recommends USPS mail as a method of communication on their web site. The response itself has no detail. Tell me if printed manuals are available, or if the .pdf files on the web site are the only option. Tell me if boxes are available, or if not that I can purchase S&W plastic gun cases direct from S&W. Put something in there in the way of an apology that my letter, for whatever reason, was not responded to & offer to be of assistance if needed. Say [U]something[/U] to make me feel I haven't been anything more than a hassle for the CS department.
I feel as though Ruger looked upon my letter as an opportunity to help a customer or potential customer, & at S&W my email request was a chore no one wanted to deal with. I don't know if it was just this individual, a lack of policy, or lack of management oversight but if it is typical, I think something needs adjusted.
Again, I'm not mad & this isn't intended to be a bashing of S&W's customer service. It does make me want to just shake my head & say "typical".
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