Deterioration of Smith Customer Service?

[RenoHuskerDu]

I have two Shield Plus PC support issues logged by email. For one, its serial number plate has become nearly unreadable. The the other, it's a brand new PC model that seems to have the wrong (non-PC) striker block in it. For both, Smith requested pictures and I replied that day. Two weeks went by. I emailed again. Finally I called their 800 number this morning.

I got a lady on the phone who kept interrupting me (they moved to the South, so I expected Southern politeness, silly me). What she told me was very surprising:

1. When you send pictures, your email is silently deleted if the image files are "too large".

2. She didn't know how large they can be. My files were between 143k and 432k. She had no idea what is the size limit.

3. There is no warning back to the sender that his email was rejected. And the workers at Smith CS also get no warning.

Ya cain't make this stuff up ...

So I'm going in and modifying the JPGs to be smaller, which of course makes them less clear. She also said no case number is generated until they have received a weapon, so I can't ID my issue for them. My only option is to send several email msgs with files of varying sizes, and see which gets thru. But I have to wait a day before calling back, because she says it takes them at least a day to log incoming email.

This all looks unprofessional compared to Ruger or Glock customer service. It seems to me that most firearms-related businesses are polite and efficient. I remember Smith being better in the past, 4 years ago, the last time I contacted them. With their move to Tennessee, I figured things would improve. They have not. Perhaps they had trouble hiring good replacements for the MA workers who chose to leave Smith rather than move to TN.

FYI

 

[Yendor357]

Sell that junk. Buy a SIG or a CZ. As long as consumers support that level of goods and services, they have no incentive to change. I’m waiting for the day Smith fires the bean counters and the dei , and the place is staffed by craftsmen and shooters again.

 

[rct269]

Once again, what's being described as a problem here is simply a symptom of the real problem---that being a change in S&W'S philosophy-----from achieving success by building the best possible product for the price to building the product (and conducting their operations) at the lowest possible cost.

This change begin in the mid 1950's quite harmlessly, and has now evolved into "what you see is what you get"! It will continue thus until such time as the emerging crop of customers who don't know any better stops---or a new ownership which does know better starts.

And as respects "hiring good replacements", good replacements cost more than not so good replacements----'twas ever thus!!

Ralph Tremaine
'

 

[Nomadmax]

Good customer service comes AFTER being starved.

 

[GnarlsR2]

My recent experience with the only S&W I have purchased (BG2.0) is shameful and inexcusable. It’s bad that a top firearm manufacturer sells a defective and poorly designed self-defense pistol. However, it’s incomprehensible that their Customer Service clearly exposes their complete lack of concern for their customers.

How many products sold to the general public consumer can be more important for quality and safety than a self-defense firearm?

“The best customer service is if the customer doesn't need to call you, doesn't need to talk to you. It just works.” ~Jeff Bezos

 

[BE Mike]

From what I see here, S&W really doesn't have customer service anymore. Their revolver products have been lacking in quality (50-50 chance) since they started producing stainless steel products (over 40 years). I've seen new S&W revolvers that weren't shootable out of the box. Customer service was better back then, though, so a customer could get the product repaired or replaced. Now, they discourage returns on defective merchandise and when one is returned to the the factory under warranty, it comes back to the consumer with the same problem or a different one. I've had much better luck with new cars and trucks.

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

I don't know the customer service situation when in Springfield...but it seems that since the move to TN customer service has hit rock bottom. Maybe it's a part of the move and they're still setting up things to be more responsive...maybe it's a philosophy thing...I simply don't know.

When Smith had authorized repair centers around the country I don't remember these kinds of issues...but then there was no internet around for people to air their dissatisfaction.

Ruger has enjoyed a reputation for excellent customer service...but they also needed it. Their QC issues were far more common than people believe and that's why their customer service was so good...it needed to be. Now I hear many complaints about Ruger's service...but again...there was no internet back then to amplify complaints.

 

[ladder13]

I can remember the days when you could bring your gun right to the guard shack outside the factory, and be treated well through the whole process.

 

[RenoHuskerDu]

I guess I'd been lucky both times years past when I used Smith customer service. Seems to be a fair amount of hate and discontent for them here.

If Glock should ever introduce a hi-cap micro 9 that competes with the Shield Plus, P356, Hellcat etc, I will evaluate it to replace our Smiths.

 

[gc70]

These accounts of poor customer service from S&W are simply shocking. And they are not at all what I recently experienced with S&W customer service.

Shortly after buying my Equalizer, I noticed the magazine release had not only scratched strips of finish off two magazines, but had dug ruts into the metal of the magazines. I contacted S&W and immediately received authorization to return the gun to MA and the mags to TN.

Turnaround time was a week for the gun's mag release to be replaced in MA. Turnaround time to get two new magazines from TN was about 10 days.

The 10-day turnaround on the magazines was astonishing as it included traversing the devastation from Hurricane Helene twice getting from central North Carolina to Maryville, TN, and back ... and the turnaround period was within the first two weeks after Helene.

 

[BE Mike]

These accounts of poor customer service from S&W are simply shocking. And they are not at all what I recently experienced with S&W customer service.

Shortly after buying my Equalizer, I noticed the magazine release had not only scratched strips of finish off two magazines, but had dug ruts into the metal of the magazines. I contacted S&W and immediately received authorization to return the gun to MA and the mags to TN.

Turnaround time was a week for the gun's mag release to be replaced in MA. Turnaround time to get two new magazines from TN was about 10 days.

The 10-day turnaround on the magazines was astonishing as it included traversing the devastation from Hurricane Helene twice getting from central North Carolina to Maryville, TN, and back ... and the turnaround period was within the first two weeks after Helene.

I'm glad that you got good results from S&W. It seems as though most complaints are about model 41's and revolvers. Your complaint involved what? Replacing a part and new magazines?

 

[gc70]

I'm glad that you got good results from S&W. It seems as though most complaints are about model 41's and revolvers. Your complaint involved what? Replacing a part and new magazines?

Yes, I had a straightforward problem with an easy resolution.

Over time, I have dealt with Customer Service at all of the major gun companies. Some small percentage of the time the person you will get on the phone or who responds to email will be totally useless. But most of the time the process will work smoothly.

 

[DHernandez]

Not a new problem for Smith unfortunately. I had a new 629 a few years back and after firing two rounds, third pull, no boom. I check it out, opened the cylinder etc, lock up was good. Fired one round, then nada. I saw the cylinder was not fully rotating and the hammer was not hitting the primer. Mind you, if it nicked that 44 mag primer enough to launch a round when the bullet wasn’t centered on the barrel? Bad mojo. I talked to S&W and sent it back. Five weeks later I got it back. Same issue, exact same issue… I sent it back again and they said it was a spring issue that was now resolved. I got it back and sold it… sad. I own 10 older Smiths that work like a dream.

 

[Rule3]

Millions of guns sold and all you hear about are the few that had problems

 

[GnarlsR2]

Yeahhhh… Why would anyone post a comment on a firearm forum about a self-defense firearm that failed to fire??

Please don’t let me read anything about the “Best Handgun for 2024” might not fire a round when I pull the trigger!!

 

[NYlakesider]

I can remember the days when you could bring your gun right to the guard shack outside the factory, and be treated well through the whole process.

I did that. Also made a couple trips there to get parts.

Due to a explosion at a Monsanto Chemical plant that was only a couple miles from S&W. I worked for a couple months bringing the plant back on line.

I had a good foreman and he let me use his car so that no one knew I left the plant. The only bad thing was it was a 100 mile drive in both directions from my house to the chemical plant!

 

[Autonomous]

Millions of guns sold and all you hear about are the few that had problems

Where there's smoke, there's fire.
Defective guns not being satisfactorily repaired even after multiple returns aren't just product falling through the cracks.

 

[Model29-26.5]

Customer service in general has deteriorated across the board.
However, there are still some companies that pride themselves on CS.

 

[WCCPHD]

S&W's customer service seems to be right up there with their quality control.

 

[bobsguns]

Whenever I get horrible CS on the phone, my response is always the same: "Let me speak to your supervisor, please."

I was involved in the retail end of the gun business for over 30 years. I had dozens of customers tell me how glad they were to have me handle their issue(s) quickly & politely.

The sad part is, it's not that hard to do CS well. All it takes is a willingness to do it & a moderate amount of product knowledge. But $10/hr monkeys can't, won't or don't put forth ANY effort in doing a proper job.

I've read horror stories about Beretta as well. Horrible QC, refusal to repair cosmetics on warranty, etc. It's like these companies hire people from the DMV and/or the IRS.