Customer service

gk777 · Post by **gk777** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 5:12 pm

Until today I have always been pleased with customer service. I waited on the phone for 20 minutes and then at 5:02 PM. The message changed and said the are only open to 5 PM EST and it hung up on me. Is this normal? I am sure the ones answering the telephone have no control over this but you would think they would clear the que before closing up.

beeg · Post by **beeg** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 7:32 pm

I have no idea if it's normal. But I bet SS doesn't want to pay overtime to clear the Que. I'm SURE if your on the phone before then, they DON'T tell ya "oh it's 5:00, quitting time. Bye."

W3DRM · Post by **W3DRM** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:39 pm

Yes, I had the same thing happen about a month ago. I called at 4:45pm and promptly at 5:00pm, I got the same message...

I called back the next morning to complete my call and got through the first time without any problems.

Len · Post by **Len** » Tue Feb 03, 2009 10:47 pm

I've discovered that they are SO dang nice they will talk me through the longest thing, whether I am buying or have a question.
When I get a busy signal, I call back a bit later figuring they are treating that customer that same way as I enjoy being treated, like a special friend and not like some body who is interfering with their IPOD-break time.

8iowa · Post by **8iowa** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:10 am

Back in November, when I stopped in at Shopsmith in Dayton, The HR director took me into customer service's small area. There were just three people there, Stan, Jan, and Linda, and they were all very busy on the phones.

I managed to have a brief chat with Linda, who told me that when she gets home after work the one thing that she doesn't do............is answer the phone!

I was glad to see that they were so busy. I hope it stays that way.

On another note: How many of you have tried to use other companies call centers, and zipppppppp..................You're in India!!..... Talk about an utterly frustrating experience!

markap · Post by **markap** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 9:49 am

I continue to have nothing but very good things to say about the high level of customer service I recieve each and everytime I call them. I wish them the very best and hope they are around for a very long time.

foxtrapper · Post by **foxtrapper** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:10 am

They may be friendly if and when you finally get hold of someone, but as a customer, I'd rate their customer service pretty low.

If you don't order from them frequently, they drop you from their e-mail list. Now it's not like it costs them much to e-mail me a sales flier. When I order something, I'll be emailed for 2-3 months about sales, and then it quits.

Items are backordered without warning to the customer, and left indefinately on backorder.

Prices are adjusted without the consent of the customer. I did consider taking action on this one. I had a signed contract for X, not X+. I got the excuse that it was an incorrect price, but that's just an excuse, we had a legally enforceable signed contract.

Their web page is poor for prospective customers to use. It's confusing, cluttered and difficult to navigate. They lose potential customers here quite a bit.

I like my machine, but I cannot say I'm enamored of the company.

JPG · Post by **JPG** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 11:24 am

foxtrapper wrote: I like my machine, but I cannot say I'm enamored of the company.

Maybe you will appreciate them more if they really fail(think belly up). They ARE doing something that most enterprises would have abandoned long ago(think Magna American; Yuba; Magna Engineering)! No we do NOT like the present situation, BUT be thankful there IS a situation. For decades I used my goldie dreading the day something BAD would happen thus rendering it in operable! WHEW Was I ever thankful a web search found SS Inc. when I needed to replace the control sheave etc. What other firm in this business niche still supplies parts for a product nearly 50 yrs old?

Time(age) will soften our perception towards things not entirely to our liking . . or . . make it worse. The choice IS ours to take!:)

Gene Howe · Post by **Gene Howe** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:06 pm

I've been waiting on a switch since mid December. I worked around it and I'm up and running. I'll give them some slack. But if it were a major part, I might not be so generous.

joedw00 · Post by **joedw00** » Wed Feb 04, 2009 12:14 pm

[quote="foxtrapper"]
If you don't order from them frequently, they drop you from their e-mail list. Now it's not like it costs them much to e-mail me a sales flier. When I order something, I'll be emailed for 2-3 months about sales, and then it quits.

I went for almost a year without ordering, and kept getting the e-mails.