Can't Get Factory to Reply for Repair

[mososodbob]

*****Updated******FACTORY ANSWERED MY CALL FOR HELP******GUN FIXED******

the day after this posting, I received a reply, three days later I got mailing instructions...

I ship the gun back and it was fixed and returned to me all under a weeks time...all at no cost to me.

Good Job to S&W for superb post-sale customer support...my gun is over 15 years old and been well used as a duty gun....they fixed what was likely me wearing it out of spec....


****************************

Any Smith and Wesson Rep monitoring this net?

My back-up gun, SW Mod 342 PD broke and have been unable to get the factory to answer my e-mail. Got the auto e-mail reply that someone will get back to me in three days...been three weeks. (see below)

Got the address and phone number from website.

Anyone else with similar problem? Last time I had trouble with this gun was about ten years ago. It was quick service then.

As a cop who need this gun for work, I'm a bit dissapointed at the appearent lack of customer support. Thank God I have my Mod 60 as a back-up to my back-up.

This is the the repeated message I got back:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting us!

We have received your inquiry and are assigning it to a representative. Due to the high volume of correspondence we are currently receiving it can take up to 3 business days to receive a response.

To help track your inquiry we have generated a reference number. Your ticket code is LTK51403960356X. Please use this code in any further communication.

 

[steamloco76]

Print-out your emails and S&W's reply and FAX it to them at:
1-413-747-3317 (USA)

The FAX will be seen by a different person and requires physical action, especially if you use your departments cover sheet since you are a LEO.

 

[Threadkiller]

Just call them,you will be on hold for 20 minutes but you will get through.

 

[Macinaw]

I called customer service on a Monday 8am. Had the FedEx shipping label on Friday. Shipped the gun on the next Monday. They had it on Wednesday. No problem!

 

[vipermd]

Also contact the LE dept and let them know it is a backup ( duty). I have been able to reach them easily by phone, slight hold time. Be Safe,

 

[mososodbob]

thanks ALL for the quick replies...seems this generated something...I got an e-mail from S&W and a link for a mailing lable this morning... after posting this...

Bob

 

[qrachel]

As a new S&W customer, I find the consistent lack of outstanding customer support disappointing. Here's hoping to never having to use it.

R

 

[gtmtnbiker98]

As a new S&W customer, I find the consistent lack of outstanding customer support disappointing. Here's hoping to never having to use it.

R

Lack of outstanding customer service, really? If it was that big of an issue, one wouldn't rely upon multiple emails when they can simply pick up the phone. Sorry, not seeing a problem here. If you've got the time to email and post on a forum, you surely have time to make a phone call.

 

[eddieE76]

Lack of outstanding customer service, really? If it was that big of an issue, one wouldn't rely upon multiple emails when they can simply pick up the phone. Sorry, not seeing a problem here. If you've got the time to email and post on a forum, you surely have time to make a phone call.

Phone calls can be denied, emails are hard to deny. I always feel better getting information in writing. It is one thing to call (as I did the other day) and wait 15 minutes to talk to some, it is another thing to get an email from them that is hopefully well researched, thought out and I can hold them to it.

 

[speedyquad]

although emails provide proof, they are impersonal and are often "fishing" expeditions by the customer. try to imagine how many emails each rep gets per day that are "if i send my gun in for repair of "insert problem or whatever here", ow long will it take and what will it cost me?" then the reply goes out and the customer is never heard from again. now the if the same customer calls, they are serious and further arrangements can be made immediately. the rep does not have to sift through possibly thousands of emails and keep them all straight. everything is taken care of in a few minutes instead of a few days.

 

[Pef]

As a new S&W customer, I find the consistent lack of outstanding customer support disappointing. Here's hoping to never having to use it.

R

Odd. I've dealt with SW CS twice. My model 60 they repaired to my liking free of charge even though they said it was "within spec." Turn around was about 10 days.

And sitting beside my keyboard mouse right now is a replacement 642 that I just picked up from my FFL for the 642 that had a broken trigger pin that I sent in two weeks ago.

I suppose that many that have good experiences with customer service do not post as often as those that don't.

 

[eddieE76]

Odd. I've dealt with SW CS twice. My model 60 they repaired to my liking free of charge even though they said it was "within spec." Turn around was about 10 days.

And sitting beside my keyboard mouse right now is a replacement 642 that I just picked up from my FFL for the 642 that had a broken trigger pin that I sent in two weeks ago.

I suppose that many that have good experiences with customer service do not post as often as those that don't.

As of yesterday, they told me 6 week turnaround. I'm surprised you got yours in 2 weeks.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Any Smith and Wesson Rep monitoring this net?

My back-up gun, SW Mod 342 PD broke and have been unable to get the factory to answer my e-mail. Got the auto e-mail reply that someone will get back to me in three days...been three weeks. (see below)

Got the address and phone number from website.

Anyone else with similar problem? Last time I had trouble with this gun was about ten years ago. It was quick service then.

As a cop who need this gun for work, I'm a bit dissapointed at the appearent lack of customer support. Thank God I have my Mod 60 as a back-up to my back-up.

This is the the repeated message I got back:

Dear Customer,

Thank you for contacting us!

We have received your inquiry and are assigning it to a representative. Due to the high volume of correspondence we are currently receiving it can take up to 3 business days to receive a response.

To help track your inquiry we have generated a reference number. Your ticket code is LTK51403960356X. Please use this code in any further communication.

Something wrong with the telephone?

You should call them.

Speak to a live person.

Better yet, send your revolver in by overnight air with a letter of instructions and get the process started. Be sure you put your return address on your letter. Write down your phone number so they can call you if they need to. Give authorization to repair and your credit card number.

Call them a day or two after they receive it, give serial number and they can tell you where it is (receiving, with a gunsmith, etc.), and when it gets to a gunsmith, ask to speak to the assigned technician.

Be sure to tell them to look it over and fix anything else they find.

 

[shawn mccarver]

As a new S&W customer, I find the consistent lack of outstanding customer support disappointing. Here's hoping to never having to use it.

R

You are a new S&W customer? What do you mean consistent lack of outstanding customer support? What experience do you have? Are you relying on the "gripe" posts that seem to abound on the various forums. For each gripe, there are hundreds of satisfied people who do not say anything.

On the other hand, I have dealt with S&W for 40+ years, and they have ALWAYS been responsive, quick, fairly priced (when they actually billed for any work, which is not often), helpful, and the gunsmiths and so forth that actually do the work are just as nice as can be. I have had basic warranty work done all the way up to serious modifications, (barrel changes, configuration changes, refinishing, engraving, action work and even custom work that is just not advertised - amazing what they will do if you just ask nicely).

This is a time of craziness and I am sure the waits are longer and nerves may be frazzled, but even so, I have something out there now and the people have been as good to me as always.

Get off the computer, and get on the phone, and please, until you have any experience one way or the other, pre-judging based upon an unrealistic sample of mostly negative posts because the hundreds do not post is just not helpful to anyone.

I admit you cannot make everyone happy, but many who feel "sat upon" by S&W's excellent customer service come across mean or just plain unrealistic in their expectations in their posts on here, so I can only imagine what sort of miserable people the CS reps must deal with on a daily basis.

 

[Pef]

As of yesterday, they told me 6 week turnaround. I'm surprised you got yours in 2 weeks.

Mebbe I got lucky. But once they popped the sideplate off, they could see it was beyond repair, so I imagine the process was not a "fix" but merely filling out the paperwork to send me a new gun....

 

[qrachel]

You are a new S&W customer? What do you mean consistent lack of outstanding customer support? What experience do you have? Are you relying on the "gripe" posts that seem to abound on the various forums. For each gripe, there are hundreds of satisfied people who do not say anything.

On the other hand, I have dealt with S&W for 40+ years, and they have ALWAYS been responsive, quick, fairly priced (when they actually billed for any work, which is not often), helpful, and the gunsmiths and so forth that actually do the work are just as nice as can be. I have had basic warranty work done all the way up to serious modifications, (barrel changes, configuration changes, refinishing, engraving, action work and even custom work that is just not advertised - amazing what they will do if you just ask nicely).

This is a time of craziness and I am sure the waits are longer and nerves may be frazzled, but even so, I have something out there now and the people have been as good to me as always.

Get off the computer, and get on the phone, and please, until you have any experience one way or the other, pre-judging based upon an unrealistic sample of mostly negative posts because the hundreds do not post is just not helpful to anyone.

I admit you cannot make everyone happy, but many who feel "sat upon" by S&W's excellent customer service come across mean or just plain unrealistic in their expectations in their posts on here, so I can only imagine what sort of miserable people the CS reps must deal with on a daily basis.

Dear Shawn:

Thank you for your reply. As you seem to suggest I am not a longtime member of the gun world and certainly not S&W; in fact, I've been shooting for 3 months and own two new S&W revolvers, but I'm well read concerning several company's performance in the gun manufacturing industry and reasonably informed on related current events.

I respect your opinion. I respect you have issues with mine. My opinion is based upon a life time of quality and customer related experiences, professionally and personally in a fortune 50 corp. In addition, I have had the resources to personally experience service and product quality that this site does not reflect by it's members' comments.

We don't agree; that's cool.

Enjoy your guns and the sport; perhaps we'll cross paths someday and chuckle about this . . . maybe not but I'd enjoy that.

Take good care,

R

 

[steamloco76]

Print-out your emails and S&W's reply and FAX it to them at:
1-413-747-3317 (USA)

The FAX will be seen by a different person and requires physical action, especially if you use your departments cover sheet since you are a LEO.

I've posted the advice above several times over the last two years and not one single person has ever commented.

My job involves contacting busy, sometimes overworked businesses. Phone contact is great, however, if the person who takes the call gets distracted often your message gets no action. Email works well as long as the inbox isn't full of spam garbage that day. FAX is a bit old school, but a FAX with a good cover that is obviously not spam FAX should get delivered to the person or department you are trying to contact. When I get no replies from phone and email I back-up with fax.

My first try at getting a warranty repair form S&W three years ago resulted in my being put on indefinite hold twice. Thirty minutes of hold time two days in a row. So, I used their email address and backed up the email with a FAX. My email stated I had also faxed the info and the fax had a print-out of the email. It was the fax that got them to respond within a day.

 

[H Richard]

I've called customer service twice in the past couple weeks to order parts and have reached someone on the first ring both times. First time they didn't even charge me for the parts I needed.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Dear Shawn:

Thank you for your reply. As you seem to suggest I am not a longtime member of the gun world and certainly not S&W; in fact, I've been shooting for 3 months and own two new S&W revolvers, but I'm well read concerning several company's performance in the gun manufacturing industry and reasonably informed on related current events.

I respect your opinion. I respect you have issues with mine. My opinion is based upon a life time of quality and customer related experiences, professionally and personally in a fortune 50 corp. In addition, I have had the resources to personally experience service and product quality that this site does not reflect by it's members' comments.

We don't agree; that's cool.

Enjoy your guns and the sport; perhaps we'll cross paths someday and chuckle about this . . . maybe not but I'd enjoy that.

Take good care,

R

My opinion about S&W is based upon 40+ years of actually dealing WITH Smith & Wesson.

Your opinion is based upon. . . well, no actual experience with their customer service. It seems that you are basing your opinion on having read complaints about the company, perhaps on this forum. Your opinion also seems based upon being "well read concerning several company's [sic] performance in the gun manufacturing industry and reasonably informed on related current events."

Frankly, I cannot even tell from this if you have read anything specifically about S&W. Is that really enough information to bash S&W?

I guess we can discuss this all day long, but I will tell you that even in all this craziness, I was able to get a live person on the phone in minutes related to a customer's firearm, the following morning there was a shipping label in my email, the firearm was picked up by Fed Ex on April 2, delivered to S&W on April 5. Today, April 11, I got an email from S&W saying the firearm had been shipped back to me with a tracking number to confirm.

Perhaps in your "Fortune 50" world that is bad customer service, but given how crazy things are right now, I am just not prepared to say that is bad customer service.

Respectfully,

Shawn

 

[J-FRAME]

My 329 PD went from Alaska to S&W-repaired and back in 8 days no charge. I would say thats pretty good service.