Author Topic: T/C Has Updated Website (Read 1046 times)

whitfang · « **on:** June 22, 2004, 09:03:51 AM »

T/C has updated their website: www.tcarms.com. New pictures and layout.

No new products though, that I could see.

Bug · « **Reply #1 on:** June 23, 2004, 01:06:45 PM »

There's still no Email, FAQs or forums :evil: Wish they would catch up with the real world! :? Doesn't seem to me it would be that big a deal! Sure, a lot of (unnecessary???) questions they don't have to answer now. But what the heck! It's good for Business!.....Bug.

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #2 on:** June 23, 2004, 01:24:49 PM »

Seems like pretty much the same old content, just in horizontal frames. A little awkward.

whitfang · « **Reply #3 on:** June 23, 2004, 03:25:54 PM »

Yeah, I don't know if T/C is in trouble financially, or what. Just having e-mail to their Customer Service Dept would be nice.

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #4 on:** June 23, 2004, 03:57:02 PM »

Yes, I wrote to them snail mail asking my letter be forwarded to someone in a position of authority concerning the absence of e-mail communication and haven't received any reply as yet.

The lower level staff say that management determined it was not cost efficient to answer the abundance of e-mail correspondence they receive. I think it tells you something about their commitment to thier customers.

whitfang · « **Reply #5 on:** June 23, 2004, 05:09:08 PM »

All of T/C's upper management must have been around when the muzzleloader was invented.

But CKnight is right, if you can contact them they'll usually handle the problem...eventually.

Maybe we should stop buying every dang gun they produce. I wonder where they would be if they hadn't invented the Encore concept.

larryw · « **Reply #6 on:** June 23, 2004, 06:38:26 PM »

The fact that TC chooses not to accept email tells me one thing about the company: they've given thought to the issue and value the customer.

A primary premis of doing business on the internet is if you're going to accept interaction from your web site's visitors, be it orders, inquiries, etc., you darn well better ship/respond in a timely manner. If you can't, you're better off not offering.

TC decided that they didn't have the resources to accept email and decided that rather than anger their customers who send email into a black hole, it was better to "limit" inbound correspondence to those means they can properly support. And in my experience, many of today's enlightened and online gun companies can learn much from TC's support.

But a FAQ would be a good thing...

Bug · « **Reply #7 on:** June 24, 2004, 12:25:25 AM »

You make a good point. It is probably better not to have any E-communications, rather than poorly administrated ones. We all know what happens on THOSE websites. :eek: :oops: :-)

:-D
But it IS the thing in business now.
I personally think T/C is right up close to the top with their customer support (maybe not their QC, but that's another story). A lot of companies could take a lesson from the people at companies like T/C, & RCBS. And, like CKnight said, there's always the telephone.....................Big.

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2004, 03:02:07 AM »

It's the value that they add to their product. It can be done and many are doing an excellent job with it, Accurate Powder and RCBS for example. Forcing the customer to pay telephone charges (absence of an 800 number) or put it on paper, pay for postage and wait, does not add to the value of the product they are offering for sale.

Thompson Center is not a light weight and should step up and offer modern support communications. Communications is one of the major things that will get you in trouble with the customers you are trying to attract and keep.

Their website, as well as their Fox Ridge one, looks like they had to be dragged kicking and screaming into developing and maintaining it. There are often dead links and navigation problems. It costs to devote resources towards that, but it more than pays off in the end.

whitfang · « **Reply #9 on:** June 24, 2004, 03:40:09 AM »

Well put, Thomas!

bond1973 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 01, 2004, 03:03:42 AM »

Hi all. I've been reading your comments and would like to provide my own input. I started working for TC in March or 1994 in the production Metal Finish department. I soon became one of two people that were put into a new position of Custom Shop Metal Finisher. Somewhere around November or 1998 I moved up to the offices as the Computer Technician and Web designer/administrator for TC, Fox Ridge and Thompson Investment Casting. The past 3 or 4 TC websites were designed and coded by me and only me as was the previous Fox Ridge website.

TC has a very small IT department and it's not only TC's IT department, but Fox Ridge's and TIC's as well. I soon had the responsibility of installing, setting up and administering a company network for all 3 companies. With all of these functions I had to spread myself out quite a bit to take care of everything. Thus, the websites weren't top-grade, although I'm somewhat proud of the current website that is in place. The FRO site finally became too large to handle internally, so it was out-sourced.

My last day of employment at TC was June 11, 2004. Getting that TC website in place before I left was a high priority for me. I left on my own decision as I accepted a job for more money and closer to home. I was driving an hour to get to work at TC.

TC's lack of email support wasn't an easy decision and they REALLY ARE working on getting it back up and running. There has always been 2 people involved in the Customer Service email. One person to weed through the spam and crap and print out JUST the valid support questions and then Mr. Pancurak to answer them all and give back to the "weeder" to type the responses. The amount of mail and only having these two people was what made the email go down.

Many people at TC are working hard, and are very determined, to get the email back up and running. They WANT to provide that service.

Anyway...I'll end it here for now. TC was a great place to work for my 10 years there.

Rick

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #11 on:** July 01, 2004, 04:30:17 AM »

Rick,

I thought as much, but what is your take on the comprehension and motivation of their senior mananagement towards their technology problems/challanges? Just curious, as I have been there before in your shoes.

Bullseye · « **Reply #12 on:** July 01, 2004, 07:42:04 AM »

Guess I am just old fashioned (for not being that old), but I would rather pick up the phone and talk to someone and get the problem taken care of. Whenever I have called T/C I have had my questioned answered then or part on the way with no charge. I always call T/C or any other company if I have the choice. Different strokes for different folks, even in this new high tech world.

bond1973 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 01, 2004, 09:23:28 AM »

Honestly...most of the place is technology ignorant. They want it...in fact Robert Gustafson himself is anxious to get the email support back up and running. I think it will still be sluggish when they get it back on, but hopefully they'll work to speed it up by including more people in the process. Knowledgable people that all don't have to run to one source for the answers.

So...the motivation is there, the comprehension is somewhat there...sparesely.

RonF · « **Reply #14 on:** July 01, 2004, 09:24:32 AM »

I don't have any problem with calling T/C, and it's certainly better than badly done email. It is the case, however, that email is for all intents and purposes free for the user, and a call to Area Code 603 is not. It seems to me that, in the absence of well done email, a toll free number would be a reasonable response.

RonF

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #15 on:** July 01, 2004, 12:05:01 PM »

Rick,

It is not only a technology issue, but rather a business practices issue. I have been through this a couple of times in organizations where this issue was implemented.

It requires management to take a hard look at what they are having their people do, and look for changes to improve their efficiency ignoring the concept of "it has always worked before and that will continue to work in the future".

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #16 on:** July 02, 2004, 09:34:01 AM »

I went to that "updated" website and could not find any prices or what barrels they were offering. Some update.

pastorp · « **Reply #17 on:** July 02, 2004, 09:36:14 AM »

Good day to all. Some of you guys comments about TC not carring about customer service half to be joking, right. Just because they don't provide the form of communication you prefer, in no way lessens their commitment to customer service. With .03 cents per minuite phone cards I can call and talk to a real person with very little cost. I have owned TC products for over 30 yrs. and even the ones I bought used were repaired or replaced as needed free of charge, and without complaint. In my opinion TC stands head & shoulders above the other gun companies in the area of customer service. Thanks for considering my opinions, Byron

K2 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 02, 2004, 10:53:54 AM »

Whitfang

I for one would rather TC put their resources into their products instead of into the internet. I think they make a pretty darn good product for the $ and an internet site would drain dollars and do nothing to improve the product.

With spam and hackers and the so called "need" for a 7 day a week 24 hour a day response to any and all issues this would be a loser for them. The one line catelog is great.

Quote from: whitfang

All of T/C's upper management must have been around when the muzzleloader was invented.

But CKnight is right, if you can contact them they'll usually handle the problem...eventually.

Maybe we should stop buying every dang gun they produce. I wonder where they would be if they hadn't invented the Encore concept.

whitfang · « **Reply #19 on:** July 02, 2004, 12:40:49 PM »

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE T/C products. I've got a Hawken, 2 Encores, and I just sold a Firehawk. They do make some of the best products for the money.

But I think you need to do certain things to stay competitive today, and they're lagging behind other companies. You say you like their online catalog...if you click on the 'Catalog' link it just takes you to a screen where it tells you to write them a letter and mail it to them, then they'll mail you a catalog.

Dusty, T/C does not sell direct to the public, which is why they don't list prices; I think FoxRidge is a separate company. They do have caliber charts under 'Products' for each product line. Maybe this is another area they could be making money if they ramped up their personnel and IT depts??!?

To me, customer service means you do everything possible to make it easy and convenient for your customers to obtain satisfaction. T/C doesn't even have an 800 phone number, and how old is that technology?

Yes, you are right that these are minor things. But I DON'T want them to go the way of Studebaker or Packard or Stutz-Bearcat. :cry:

Bullseye · « **Reply #20 on:** July 02, 2004, 01:01:50 PM »

I agree that they should probably have an 800 number. But I can also see the flipside of that also. With an 800 number you might have more unneccasary calls just as was stated about their e-mails. How many times have you seen someone put a post in these forums like "Does so and so make this". I always think, how can you use a computer to ask this question but not go to the companies website and look. So they might get many calls like that if the call was free. Most people will not pay for the call just to ask a basic question.

An 800 number is also expensive to have. Maybe they would rather offer the warranty they do and save cost where they can to keep the bottom line looking good.

whitfang · « **Reply #21 on:** July 02, 2004, 01:55:29 PM »

None of us have any knowledge of T/C's financial condition. I looked for a stock symbol on the NYSE and AMEX, didn't see anything for T/C. An internet search didn't turn up much either, apart from the fact that T/C has been involved in a lot of firearms litigation. I'm assuming that T/C is still privately held, a family-run corporation.

I guess armchair-quarterbacking is easy when you don't have to suffer the consequences. If my family owned T/C, I might not invest in technology-based solutions either.