Less than stellar (dealer) customer service..

[homesick_et]

I'm slightly at a loss as how to handle this. I've only read good things about this music store/g&l dealer. In an effort to be diplomatic, and allow for the potential of extenuating circumstances I will not single the business out.


On December 17th, I placed an order for a G&L. The nature of the order, required that full payment be made up front, which I expected, and had no problem with. After finalizing the order, and giving the sales associate/employee my card info; I informed them that this was my first order, and inquired on the estimated build time. I was told the turn around is typically within 60 days.

So like many anxious first time buyers, I start searching for info on build times. Mainly came across threads on this forum. Pretty much everyone stated it can vary dramatically, and suggested they contact the dealer they placed the order with for an update.
Whilst I was eager to have an idea, I didn't want to be "that guy", and decided that I'd wait until 8 weeks after placing the order, if I hadn't heard back yet.
I actually ended up waiting 9 weeks and caved.

I sent this email Thurs Feb 19th, as a reply to the email correspondence I was sent from sales@companyname.com, with proof of payment and invoice.

" I just wanted to check on the status of the order I placed several weeks back. I understand build times can vary, and its probably been the busy time of the year for them (with the holidays, NAMM, etc), but I was hoping to get a better idea of when I can expect to get my chubby fingers on her

Thanks for the update,
Stephen"

By Tuesday the 24th, I hadn't heard back, so I called the store. I politely explained that I had placed and order for a G&L, and was hoping to get an update if possible. The gentleman asked it I was referring to a specific model, and I confirmed that was it. He said that he would probably have to hassle "Ron" about it, to get things rolling, and that he would call me back that afternoon.

I never received a phone call that evening..nor the next day.

So today, shortly after 1pm I call again, to inquire. He proceeded to put me on hold, and call "Ron". Came back on the line, and explained that he left a message, and would be calling me back this afternoon.

I still haven't heard anything back.

I'm not at all bothered by the wait, as there is obviously no way the dealer can influence the speed of production either way. But I'm a little soured on the transaction that I was told twice now, that I would be called back by a specific time, and twice now, that hasn't happened.
A simple call or email stating that they still had not heard back yet, but that they will contact me when they do, is all Im looking for.

To be honest, I'd have been satisfied if they never actually contacted the factory, and simply responded to my email saying it was going to take another ten weeks.

I'm a business owner, and area manager of 5 QSR's. I understand how frustrating and potentially damaging negative reviews and feeback can be to a company, and I'm very sensitive to that. I also know that I personally respond to any and all customer complaints or inquiries within 24 hours, 90% of which are regarding transactions which total roughly 200x less the total of this transaction...


Is it me, or is this slightly lackluster customer service? Am I off base here?
Maybe this is pretty standard for the industry. Again, I've only ever heard good things about this store...

[jeffmarshall67]

I'd be pissed too. One time a message might have been overlooked, I can see that. The second time they get a call and drop the ball is even worse. Music stores can employ a wide range of "interesting people", yet most are passionate about taking care of their customers. Keep us informed!

[Fumble fingers]

the whole needing the money up front scares me .... my dealer wanted 30 percent down and the balance when picked up .... delivery times do vary though , that first one seemed to take forever ...... no point in hiding any shops name , they had plenty of time to respond and you paid up front to boot , so who is it ?

[homesick_et]

I'd be pissed too. One time a message might have been overlooked, I can see that. The second time they get a call and drop the ball is even worse. Music stores can employ a wide range of "interesting people", yet most are passionate about taking care of their customers. Keep us informed!

I'm fairly certain that both times I've called, the person I spoke to was the owner.

Had he not specifically stated, both times, that he would call me back the same day, I wouldn't really be bothered. Had he simply said, "I'll look into it, and get back to you when I get word", or something equally non committal; no problem.

Thanks for the assurance that its not just me.

[homesick_et]

the whole needing the money up front scares me .... my dealer wanted 30 percent down and the balance when picked up .... delivery times do vary though , that first one seemed to take forever ...... no point in hiding any shops name , they had plenty of time to respond and you paid up front to boot , so who is it ?

The money upfront really didn't bother me. I can definitely understand not wanting to take the risk of custom ordering an expensive instrument, that is "limited" in nature, with my specific options, with the chance of the buyer backing out, and being stuck with an instrument they can't sell.

The wait, isn't the issue either. While I have been refreshing G&L's facebook page several times a day, since I placed my order. Every time I see the same finish, or an sc-2/fallout body style, or reversed headstock, I get excited, only to realize its not mine yet. I'm happy to say, I am for the most part, and reasonable adult, and I do have a dozen other guitars to play in the mean time.

I imagine you can read between the lines...again, I'm not trying to throw anyone under the bus, and I want to leave myself room, in case someone is having a family emergency, etc...

I'll keep you guys posted on how it pans out.

[lefty_major]

In my G&L orders, I've only ever had to but half down.

While I respect your not wanting to name the name, it might be helpful to others if you would. It sounds like a dealer to stay clear from.

[bloodied_fingers]

I think you have a right to be pissed.

You're getting yanked around and they have taken your money already? Is that why they don't care to follow up with you? The customer service ends at the sale for them?

I also agree that it's OK to air the shop name, if only so other people can be wary. A lot of shop owners love to have your positive reviews around online like Google+, FB, and Yelp. But they get any criticism and will flip out on you. Thing is as an owner you need to take the good and the bad. Nobody gets better by listening to a bunch of sycophants. If you don't want to do it publicly you could at least tell G&L about your experience.

Further, by now I would try contacting G&L directly and finding out what's up with my order. You've laid out a lot of money to be shut out in the cold is total BS.

[MHoepfl]

I would echo the fact that I only put 30% down on my custom order. If it helps, my dealer told me that G&L takes two weeks off for the holidays, and like you said there's NAMM.

Still, something sounds fishy with your dealer. I understand why you wouldn't want to out them at this point, but I agree with the consensus that something is wrong.

[homesick_et]

Music Source in Grayslake, IL (musicsource123.com).

I ordered an LE-2, #23 of 25. Which is why it didn't seem odd to me, that they would require full payment upfront. This is also why I was hesitant to identify them, as I understand they have a very good reputation with the members/mods of this forum; proof of which being that they were singled out to be the exclusive dealer for the LE-2.

I still haven't heard anything back. Its the break down in communication that I find most troubling.
I was a little bummed that the baked maple neck was no longer and option, but I'm still really set on this guitar. I'm also a big fan of voting with my dollar....

[Fumble fingers]

LE 2 is why this happened , that's the one guitar that I had paid up front for and because it's special they don't knock em out real quick , Bob is who I talk to at Music source , mine took over 6 months from when I ordered and some peoples took longer .... your going to have to be more patient on this one but it will be worth it .... the roasted maple board wasn't even on the original request for LE 2 , it came in the middle and was a factory deal to make it extra special but the manufacturing side was having trouble producing them to acceptable results is why they dropped it

[homesick_et]

@Fumble fingers

I slightly disagree. The LE-2 explains the wait. I understand that because of the limited nature of the instrument, that its not being produced in the quantity of other offerings, that it will take longer. Perhaps even a good deal longer. If I need to wait a year, no problem. As I mentioned in my original post, its not the wait that bothers me, nor paying upfront, and I am 100% sympathetic that its out of a dealers hands, how long a build takes. I also understand that G&L is a busy company, and probably takes a while to respond to dealers. I would understand if it took upwards of a month for them to respond to dealer inquiries.

Its the fact that I was told, twice now, that I would be called back by a specific time; and twice that has not happened. Perhaps I'm old fashioned, but when I tell someone I am going to do something, I do it. And when someone tells me they will get back to me by the end of the day, I expect them to get back to me the same day.

I have no doubt, the LE-2 will be worth the wait, as they are certainly something special.

[Fumble fingers]

true there does seem to be a communication gap in your situation ..... next time you call Music Source just ask for Bob , he is the guy , the only guy to talk to , if he's not there call back ..... I don't trust employee's to give messages , it doesn't work very good at my shop either , just call Bob and go straight to the top , let the employee's handle the "locals" , that's how I roll anyway

[homesick_et]

Update.

As of March 21st, I had still not heard anything back, so I sent another email.

"Dear friends at the Music Source,

I placed an order for an LE-2 on December 17th. On February 19th, I sent an email, requesting a status update. By Tuesday the 24th I had not received a phone call, nor an email response, So I called the store.
I believe the person identified themselves as Robert (though it might have been Bob), and told me they would look into it, and call me back that night. By Thursday the 26th, I had not been contacted. So I called again, and again the same person told me that would call again, and get back to me the same night.

It is now March the 21st, and I have received no response. I understand that this model will obviously be taking longer the the 60 days I was quoted when I originally placed the order, and that the build time is completely out of your hands. But I am a little concerned at the breakdown in communication. Had the person told me they would contact the factory, and get back to me as soon as they heard back, I would feel much better about the situation. As it is, I was told twice, that I would hear back the same day. Twice the expectations were set, and not met.

It has now been over a month since my initial inquiry, and I have still yet to hear anything back. I would very much appreciate some sort of response,
Stephen"

By the afternoon of Thursday the 26th of March, I had still not heard back, so I once again called the store. It rang, and went to the answering machine, I began to leave a voice mail when Bob answered the phone. He clarified that we had spoken both previous times, and appologized for not getting back to me earlier. He explained that he hadn't received the last email until the day before (something about having four different accounts), and had again called G&L and left a message for Ron, and that he would make sure to get back to me when he heard back.

I received a phone call today, the 28th of March. The factory got back to him, and my LE-2 has reached the paint/finish stage of production.

Whilst I'm still not really sure what happened during the month in between my initial inquiry, or why I wasn't shot some sort of email in response/given a phone call when they received the last email; I am happy to have eventually heard back, and do feel a bit better about the situation.

Hopefully in another month or two I will be posting pictures and mp3s!

[homesick_et]

Update.

I called on June 10th to check on the status of the order, and update my shipping address. I asked to speak to Bob, and was told he was out. I asked to update my shipping address, and left a message for Bob to call me back. I also got the name of the employee at the end of the conversation.

By June 27th (Saturday), I had still not heard back, so I called again. I asked to speak to Bob, and was informed I was already on the phone with him. I explained that I had more than two weeks earlier to check on the status, and update my shipping address, and gave the name of the employee I spoke to. He insinuated that he would not have expected this employee to have passed along the information, and didn't seem to bothered by it. Bob then told me he would call Ron on Monday, and call me back before the end of the day.

Obviously, continuing with the trend, he did not call me back on Monday. Or Tuesday...or that week. By June 7th, I called again, and asked to speak to Bob. I was informed he was not in, and again left a message and got the different employee name.

June 9th, I had still not heard back, so I called again, and again Bob answered. I calmly and rather politely explained that he had told me personally, he would be calling me back by the 29th of June. This has been just the latest of multiple times that he had set an expectation, and made a commitment to getting back to me by a certain date, and failed to do so. I paid in full upfront, and have never experienced such poor customer service, especially given the north of $1700 price tag. I felt like he was giving me the run around.
He apologized (though did not offer an explanation for why this was continuing to happen), and called up Ron and left a message while I was waiting on the line. He then assured me he would actually be giving me a call me back the next day with an update.

The next day, June 10th. he did indeed call, and informed me my guitar was ready to ship, so long as I was willing to accept a different colour pickguard. Apparently they were all out of 3 ply vintage creme, but they had a 1 ply black ready to go. I asked him how long I would have to wait otherwise, he said he hadn't asked. I said, that I was really set on the creme. He said he would call back and find out how long I would have to wait for the correct pickguard. That he would be getting back to me that same day with an answer.


I still haven't heard back. Again, I understand because this is a limited edition guitar, its going to take a while. But this poor customer service has really soured me on the experience of buying a new G&L. Additionally, the factory now offers the DFS bridge as a standard option on the Fallout. Meaning that the decals, and pickup combination are the only uncommon variables on this build. Its been 7 months.

I'm still very excited to get this guitar, and I'm sure I'll be thrilled with it. I'm a huge G&L fanboy, and will remain one. But this will be the last time I purchase a new G&L. Moving forward I will be sticking to the Pre BBE era offerings, especially given the impeccable quality, and incredible price point.

I know these aren't the kind of posts people like to see here, but I work very hard for my money, and believe strongly in voting with my dollar. Every step of the way, I have attempted to allow for the party involved to explain the lack of communication/failure to follow through on commitments. Each step the exact same problem has been repeated. In my opinion, this experience has been unacceptable.

[homesick_et]

***Every date after June 27th, should have been date July...Brain lapse..

[JagInTheBag]

There is no defending Bob on this one, no matter the hold up from the factory. He mentioned this guitar to me last week without my solicitation, stating that the factory has the guitar on hold waiting on the pick guard supplier to ship a white pg, rather than the standard black single-ply the model was spec'd with. I suggested to him that he simply order it from Chandler and install the pg at the shop to expedite the order. He did not share any data with me on the age of this order or the communication problems you have had. My apologies for the lackluster experience. ~JagInTheBag

[homesick_et]

@JagInTheBag

No need for you to apologize, but I do appreciate you commiserating. I hate making posts like this, and have been half expecting some backlash. But I felt with all the options for dealers, and myriad of used guitars available, it was worth putting my experience out there.

[JagInTheBag]

I do know that Bob is grooming a G&L specialist in his store to deal with keep on top of custom orders and making sure G&L inventory remains well stocked and freshly cycled.