[Germancub]

Hi everybody,

I just wanted to ask if anybody else here has had an "experience" with Grados customer service, if you can even call it that. I set an e-mail to them about a month and a half ago asking them what the repair charges would be on my SR225's which have developed the infamous "grattle". They are out of warranty and I know that I have to pay for the repairs, but the reply I received from them was absolutely unprofessional and rude. I told them what a wonderful company they have, how I've always been a loyal customer and what I got in reply was close to shocking... no thank you for continuing to be a customer etc.

I will post the strain of e-mails later but basically the person who replied to my very lengthy and well-worded e-mail simply wrote "repair charges would be $45, please send a money order or your complete credit card info, thanks"... complete credit card info in the mail??? oh yeah that's safe! I sent them an e-mail asking them why they would ask me to do such an unsafe transfer of funds and have yet to receive a reply. After how much money I have spent on Grados over the years (look at my sig), I can't believe how they treated me. Just thought I'd share (flameproof t-shirt on).

P.S. I sent Sennheiser a similar e-mail around three years ago to replace a loose wire on my HD590s about a year before I sold them. I got a very professional and friendly reply, thanking me for being a loyal customer, telling me how valued I was and they ended up just taking care of the repair even though I was out of warranty since I had bought so many products from them in the past... granted, it was only about 2 months out of warranty, but even still... I have worked in customer service for years and I was completely bowled over with Grados customer service, or complete lack thereof. I am a Sennheiser customer for life.

 

[yukihiro]

Yeah, that's the same reply I got from Grado when I asked them about a repair. I didn't think anything of it though. I guess it was pretty blunt, but I was fine with it. I see how a lot of people would be offended though.

 

[Germancub]

Wow, well I wasn't expecting any brown-nosing from them, I don't from any company. However, a hint of appreciation for the rather large amount of money I've spent on their company would have been nice. Customer service is about making your customers happy and feel good. American companies are known for this, German companies (at least IN Germany) are definitely not so I find it comical how it's the exact opposite in this situation.

 

[rds]

Honestly though, the difference is Sennheiser has PR people who construct nice copy and paste-able responses that can be put together to respond politely and in detail to any issue.

With Grado you're dealing with a small company with limited people and time.

In my experience long emails are a sure way to receive poor service. Be as brief as possible while not excluding any necessary info, and use a polite but not emotional tone. Generally good things will result.

 

[Germancub]

Well I understand all of that, however the reply I got from Sennheiser definitely wasn't a template of soulless politeness. One can easily tell the difference. Even besides that fact, how is it that they can have the audacity to ask me to send my complete credit card info in the mail?

 

[Xan7hos]

In my experience, grado e-mails have always been concise and straightforward, if not blunt and unsympathetic towards customers, which does at time borderline rude.

 

[rds]

It's a strange request for sure. I'm amazed that is their only payment option. I guess they are not up to date with technology.

Personally I haven't dealt with their customer service. But when you're selling $1700 headphones customer service should be a major priority.

 

[Germancub]

I couldn't have put it better myself, thank you.

 

[Germancub]

Another thing I noticed... all of their replies to info@gradolabs.com comes from gradoinfo2@aol.com... AOL! are you serious? I know they're a small family owned company but their profit margin I'm sure is large enough for things like this. Just take a look at all the problems people have with their build quality, the money isn't going into engineering them to last.

 

[Blackmore]

I guess its depends which company you are having business with. Once I was talking to Philips customer service about some faulty product we bought. They send us a catalogue to choose a new one, totally free of charges, even shipping of faulty product were on them. Actually, I did have some issue with fax/phone machine from Philips as well. Machine was over 3 years old, but they took all responsibilities for shipping to Austria for repairs. Finally I paid the bill, but 50% of total repair costs only, which were way lower than doing it through local repair service. The first product was just faulty, but the second, fax/phone, was o.k., but unfortunately because of thunderbolt the feed just blowed.



Quote:

Originally Posted by Germancub /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow, well I wasn't expecting any brown-nosing from them, I don't from any company. However, a hint of appreciation for the rather large amount of money I've spent on their company would have been nice. Customer service is about making your customers happy and feel good. American companies are known for this, German companies (at least IN Germany) are definitely not so I find it comical how it's the exact opposite in this situation.

 

[limpidglitch]

You got what you wanted, the cost and how to proceed.
That's not bad customer service.

 

[John Willett]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rds /img/forum/go_quote.gif Honestly though, the difference is Sennheiser has PR people who construct nice copy and paste-able responses that can be put together to respond politely and in detail to any issue.

Really? That's the first I have heard about it!

In the UK each customer gets an individual response written by the person replying.

 

[dcpoor]

Quote:

Originally Posted by limpidglitch /img/forum/go_quote.gif You got what you wanted, the cost and how to proceed. That's not bad customer service.

seconded.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Germancub /img/forum/go_quote.gif Wow, well I wasn't expecting any brown-nosing from them, I don't from any company. However, a hint of appreciation for the rather large amount of money I've spent on their company would have been nice. Customer service is about making your customers happy and feel good. American companies are known for this, German companies (at least IN Germany) are definitely not so I find it comical how it's the exact opposite in this situation.

from your "very lengthy and well-worded" complaints that sounds like exactly what you wanted and expected. imo you're totally overreacting and making a big deal out of nothing.

 

[iriverdude]

Op sounds like md1984? with alternate account..bashing Grado, praising Sennheiser.

 

[Germancub]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcpoor /img/forum/go_quote.gif seconded. from your "very lengthy and well-worded" complaints that sounds like exactly what you wanted and expected. imo you're totally overreacting and making a big deal out of nothing.

It's people who don't say anything about experiences like this one that make companies not strive to get better... I don't think I'm making a big deal out of it honestly. After spending over a thousand dollars of my hard earned money on their products, they can't have the decency to write me a nice reply? Come on, and furthermore, would you send them your credit card info in the mail?