Deterioration of Smith Customer Service?

[686-380]

But wait, there's MORE!!!

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

Having had my brand new 686-6 lock up on me and going through the process, I wasn't and am not completely satisfied with the repair...

...I still have it. I know the weapon and its flaw. I will never sell it and will only surrencer it, with a note of explanation in my will.

Millions of defective used guns being sold and you never hear about the problems...

 

[IAM Rand]

I guess I must be the exception. I have purchased many S&W revolvers and pistols over the years. I have not had to send 1 back. I did send a Model 19 back for a check-up because I purchased it used. It had a aftermarket spring in it and they put a stock one back in it. The guns I have purchased have been both new and used. No issues. I have used many of these on duty and off. Thousands of rounds for qualifications without an issue or hiccup.

Has there been an auto manufacturer out there that hasn't had a recall on their car? Is there a dealer out there that hasn't had bad customer reviews for bad service. I guess that S&W must just be a horrible company. Gosh, I guess and I need to switch to a Glock or Sig. We all know that they have NEVER had any issues.

 

[erikpolcrack]

Got a new Model 57 in October. Cylinder was very hard to open and/or close. FedExed it back after phone call and email. Got it back in around three weeks, works fine now. Invoice/work order copy returned to me only said 'replaced ejector rod, repaired yoke.'

 

[gunny4053]

This thread is about customer service issues, not the millions of successful guns sold…

No, this thread is about a customer who says the serial number is "nearly" unreadable, not unreadable. Not a warranty issue. It's also about what "seems" to be the wrong striker safety, not it "has" the wrong striker safety. What about it "seems" to be incorrect? Has the gun even been fired yet? How does he even know there's a problem? We're criticizing CS for how a couple things "look" as opposed to how it functions.

Good luck, hope you get the answer you're looking for.

 

[Mr. October]

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.

Beretta always made pretty good guns but I've heard the same thing. i remember some of my trapshooting counterparts that owned Berettas and the company was like a black hole. You could send and expensive o/u trap gun back to them and maybe not see it or hear about it again for months to years.

 

[Mr. October]

I've dealt with S&W CS three times in the last few years, all with satisfactory responses. All were easy issues, but I still got very satisfactory answers.
1. I bought a brand new Victory .22 that suffered a broken magazine retention spring within the first magazine or two. I Fed'Ex'd it back with the label they sent and had it back less than a week later repaired.
2. I bought a used M&P 2.0 in 10mm. The original owner had lost the screws for the optic cut filler plate. They sent me new screws despite not being the original owner.
3. I was interested in a 22A that was in the used case at my LGS. I was concerned about the availability of the plastic recoil buffer. I called CS to ask what availability of that part was like explaining I didn't own the gun yet and was concerned. He sent me several for free and said "Go buy the gun!" I did.

 

[Kasian]

Based on publicly available information, Smith & Wesson (S&W) does not appear to be widely recognized as a leading company in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices, although they do state a commitment to attracting and retaining a diverse workforce in their Code of Conduct and Ethics.
Key points to consider:
Public perception:
Due to the nature of their industry (firearms manufacturing), S&W often faces scrutiny regarding social issues, potentially impacting how they are perceived in terms of DEI.
Company statements:
S&W does publicly state their commitment to diversity and equal opportunity in their official documents.
Limited transparency:
While they mention their commitment to DEI, detailed information about specific initiatives or performance metrics regarding diversity within the company may not be readily available.

 

[GnarlsR2]

The only gun acronym that begins with the letter "D" is DSCS....

Deterioration of Smith Customer Service.

 

[wingriderz]

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.

While everyone is entitled to their opinion , respectfully . My M&P 40C is an EDC that has thousands of flawless rounds down range . To look at this EDC that's been carried for 10 years IWB in a harsh environment the Sunshine State it looks like new no way is it junk . You mentioned Sig I wouldn't call them junk as I don't own them but they have more than their share of issues

 

[Capt. F.]

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.

In 1972 I did exactly that- drove my Model 29 down to Springfield from Maine on a Saturday, dropped it off at the guard shack. A week later drove down and picked up up - from the guard shack with nary a problem!
My, how times have changed.

 

[slabside2]

As long as we keep buying nothing will change. I believe they don’t even test fire any of the firearms before going out the door they leave that up to us to do. The only way to get their attention is to stop buying and letting them know why. If you’re on this forum you’ll probably an experienced shooter, but the newbie who is buying their first firearm that doesn’t know any better about the quality they’re putting out the door now will just keep buying their subpar firearms and by then it’s too late to purchase was made, and they made their money.

 

[Glockman4]

Guess it’s my turn. Just got a new 329PD. Took it to the range earlier and it locked up in less than 10 rounds. I got it open, and now it’s binding hard on 2/6 cylinders. Maybe I should have listened to everyone that said these were junk.

I emailed the [email protected] address requesting a return for warranty repair. Will they send me a label?

 

[slabside2]

You’re better off, giving them a call and explaining to them what happened and talking to a live person.

 

[Glockman4]

You’re better off, giving them a call and explaining to them what happened and talking to a live person.

Yea, I’ll call them Monday. Pisses me off. I usually buy used guns for pennies on the dollar and never have problems. Spent $1,300 on this one because I didn’t trust a used AirLite .44

 

[357 shooter]

For both, Smith requested pictures and I replied that day.

Have a Shield Plus optics ready that wouldn't zero with a Sig Romeo Zero or Holosun 407K . They wanted pictures as well and afterwards just gave me the response of "contact the sight manufacturers".

Asinine. Had informed them right from the start that the two sights zeroed perfectly on 3 other pistols. Why the hell would I contact the sight manufacturers?

When a company no longer stands behind their product I'll gladly buy from another manufacturer. Since the time of Smith's response I have added another Sig and Glock but I'm done with ANY new Smiths.

 

[slabside2]

I hear you, brother after hearing all these horror stories lately I’m done too.