Author Topic: Great Customer Service - NOT- Final Chapter (Read 2378 times)

Varmint Hunter · « **on:** December 08, 2008, 01:51:29 PM »

Ok - it's time to relay my recent experience with Thompson Center's customer service department.

I was having difficulty getting my 45-70 Katahdin barrel to shoot on a new ProHunter. After a discussion with T/C they said to send in the barrel, without the receiver.

I shipped the barrel and received a post card confirming receipt of the barrel about 2 weeks after it was shipped.

Waited several weeks to hear from T/C but heard nothing. I called the service department but got a machine telling me to leave a message. I left a message but got no return call. A week later I called again and got the machine but decided to send an email instead. Never got a response to the email.

Waited another 2 weeks and called again - got the machine and left another message. Waited a few days and sent another email. Got no response to call or email.

Well another week has gone by and I haven't heard from T/C at all. At this point I would have to rate T/C's customer service department with an "F".

Anyone have any idea as to what is going on over there?

quickdtoo · « **Reply #1 on:** December 08, 2008, 01:55:17 PM »

Yes, after laying off over 100 employees this year, they must be short staffed, more work and less people to do it. $:-\$

Tim

Grumulkin · « **Reply #2 on:** December 09, 2008, 02:02:21 AM »

They know who you are and don't want to answer the phone. That HAS to be the reason since when I call them during normal business hours I ALWAYS get to talk to someone and they have ALWAYS treated me right.

Recently I did send them a barrel to get a Muzzle Tamer installed. They failed to send me the usual card saying they had received the barrel and, when I called them said I owed them a little more money for shipping. I guess they dropped the ball on that one but it wasn't a big deal.

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #3 on:** December 09, 2008, 02:21:20 AM »

Quote from: Grumulkin on December 09, 2008, 02:02:21 AM

They know who you are and don't want to answer the phone. That HAS to be the reason since when I call them during normal business hours I ALWAYS get to talk to someone and they have ALWAYS treated me right.

Very intelligent response.

VH

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** December 09, 2008, 02:58:45 AM »

Once upon a time TC was the example others should follow with customer service. Dunno why or just when but it seemed to change. I had a couple of sour experiences with them in regard customer service and as a result sold off all my Contender/Encore stuff and haven't owned one since. I can't speak to current service as I've not bought a TC product in my years even tho I have at times been tempted again I have refrained.

If their customer service has gone down hill even more it is a shame as I said they once were the shining example for all the world on what customer service should be. Personally I think they are killing their company with all the TV advertising and paying for hunts all over the world for so many magazine writers and video makers. Just my opinion and I dunno their reasons for it but I think their advertising budget is sinking the company.

White Foxx · « **Reply #5 on:** December 09, 2008, 07:10:20 AM »

The first problem is that it is no longer really Thompson Center. I was told that it would be 2 to 3 weeks for my Contender fix, well it took 2 months. When I called and finally got someone, I was told that the woman who works on the Contenders had to have emergency surgery, and that someone else was trying to do his work and her work too….

The thing that really bugs me is that after paying for their so called “easy open,” upgrade I was highly disappointed. I had not paid attention to how the original hammer was put together. I had thought that it was pinned, however it seems as though it had a tiny screw that held it all together. Well, needless to say that one day the darn thing came apart while cleaning, and the tiniest pieces were forever lost to that garage monster that hides under all of our work benches…..

The real problem was that after I had sent it back a paid them their 55 bucks, they sent me back half a Contender! While it functioned fine, it had no over travel screw in the frame! Not to mention a trigger return spring that would hold up an old Buick! I, of course swapped out the spring but that over travel still bugged me, so a little over two months ago I called T/C and asked why they had not finished the job, on my Contender; well they told me “that they don’t do that anymore…………….”

It is a good thing that I was left a bit speechless at that moment, otherwise I might have said something rather unpleasant. I caught my breath, and simply stated that if I had known, I would never have sent it back for their “easy open conversion,” and that I was real sorry that I had done so… I was then told by their customer service agent that if I sent it back that they would add this screw. Well they did, but it took 2 months rather than 2 weeks.

While I still love my Contender all I can say is…

Thompson Center or now known as Smith & Excuse will not get more of my business, as there are plenty of after market barrel makers and such out their…..

White Foxx

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #6 on:** December 09, 2008, 02:46:53 PM »

The entire sport shooting industry has, for many years, been able to pride themselves on the very finest customer service. Anything from glass optics to steel receivers would be backed up by the manufactures and they would frequently go above & beyond our expectations.

Thompson Center's customer service division not answering phone or email communications is inexcusable.

Whatever the problem is, this inaction on their part makes them look terrible. Too bad because I really like the new ProHunter but would be very reluctant to buy any additional barrels.

southarkrob · « **Reply #7 on:** December 09, 2008, 04:12:23 PM »

I have owned tons of TC products over the years...just got a new encore today. And their customer service has been nothing but great..they usually give you screws and nuts.for forends and such...I bought a brand new Browning A-bolt in 243 wssm and the magazine was defective...no problem, call them and they will make it right...I had to buy a brand new magazine!!!! THe gun was 3 days old.... I talked to a lady named Dianne last week and she was great... ask for her...I deal with customer service people in my profession every day and she is top notch....Robbie

White Foxx · « **Reply #8 on:** December 10, 2008, 05:21:59 AM »

I don't think that they or anyone else working for the gun companies are bad people, far from it. However, if you overload anyone they will or should I say cannot react well, or even always fix what is broken.

The problem is with all of us, we use to make the best profucts in the world; now we only seem to make lawyers and excuses......

On a postive note they did fix my/their problem even if it took too long. Savage never did fix the junk gun they sold me! Hell they could not even be bothered to fix the jammed firing pin that was causing my 17 HMR cases to swell. Talk about your slam fires.......

So, after all maybe I will give them another chance.....

Just maybe

White Foxx

Hopalong7 · « **Reply #9 on:** December 11, 2008, 02:28:19 AM »

My first TC was a used Contender pistol in 1974. It had a small problem and was immediately fixed plus other services performed free of charge. Most recently(maybe 2 years ago), I needed a taller front sight for my Katahdin 12ga turkey barrel. One phone call....presto....problem solved...no charge. Between Muzzle Loaders and Contenders w/ barrels and Encore w/ barrels I doubt there are a whole lot of people that have more TC products than I do and I don't ever remember spending one cent(other than postage to get there) for parts or services. But, unfortunately nothing last for ever...things change. The WHEN and WHY IMHO goes directly to the passing of Mr. Warren Center. The new stock holders listen to the bean counters and little else. Like GB says, they appear on an intentional path of destruction.
I agree with Varmit Hunter, look at all the great ones we've had over the years....Colt...Winchester...Remington...Browning...Marlin...Weaver...Redfield and now with the loss of Bill Ruger and Mr. Center there is just not much left. At least in the world of TC we are fortunate to have a good collection of custom smith's and after market guys to help take care of what we got. GOOD SHOOTIN', Walt

TRM-1 · « **Reply #10 on:** December 11, 2008, 04:29:24 AM »

I bought a encore .50 BP not too long after they first came out and was very pleased with the accuracy and the gun in general. I decided I wanted a 22-250 centerfire and purchased one and was happy with it's performance. I then wanted a deer sized centerfire and purchased a 25-06 heavy barrel. I discovered that it was very poor accuracy wise (3-5 inch group at 50 yards!) I contacted TC my first experience with them and over the course of several months had numerous barrels sent back and forth. None of them would shoot and was finally told they had a problem with their barrels chambered in 25-06 and asked if I would accept something else in place, I asked for a .45 caliber BP barrel instead and received on within a week (minus the Ramrod had to call and they sent me one). So I gave up on the centerfire barrels for a while. I ended up buying another frame so My father could use one of the BP barrels during that season.
I finally gave in and bought a 24 inch 308 barrel thinking surely I would have better luck. Nope. I sent it back and they sent me another with the info of using federal bullets they got 1.5 groups. I bought that particular ammo and headed to the range nothing changed still grouped over 3 inches. I contacted them and sent in the gun (as per their instructions) I received it back with the hinge pin wallowed out to where you could drop the pin on one side and it would fall all the way through barrel and all. It wasn't like that before. The gun still wouldn't shoot accurately. I never hunted with it because it was that bad.
Years passed and I really liked the looks of the new pro hunter that had just came out so I sold everything I had and purchased the prohunter .50 BP. I really liked the stainless as I had only had blued guns before. When I got home with the new gun I got to checking it over closer and noticed a lot of side to side movement with the barrel locked up. I called T/C and sent it back. Shortly I got a new one they replaced the frame and have been most pleased with this gun.
I wanted a center fire barrel again and decided to do a huge leap of faith and got a 25-06 pro hunter barrel. I am impressed with the accuracy of this barrel it can shoot better than I can hold it.
I then purchased a 204 ruger prohunter barrel. What a shooter. LOVE IT!
I have had a couple 12 gauge turkey barrels OUCH OUCH and more OUCH. Got rid of them.
I bought a G2 blued 410 loved it bought a 30-30 barrel for it love it. step son kind of claimed it so bought a new G2 stainless .50 cal muzzle loader and a 30-30 barrel altogether from my dealer and went to try it out and discovered the frame was cracked in two places.
I called T/C spoke to the gentleman that helped me with the prohunter and told him of the cracked frame. He wanted it back and wanted to take care of it personally. well a couple of weeks later he sent me back a new gun with rust pits on one side of the frame and the muzzle of the barrel looked like it had been drugged across a cement floor. I refused to accept this from them and called them back. When I called I went higher up on the ladder and got some help on the situation. A while later I got another new G2 to replace the damaged one they had sent me.
So to sum up things I have had some of the worst customer service of anyplace I have dealt with from T/C and some that was more than acceptable. I had bad service from them years ago. I had good service not so long ago and really piss poor service as recently as this summer where I was lied to and more or less insulted by their service to me. I guess I really am I gluten for punishment to keep fooling with them. But I really do like the guns when they work as they should.

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #11 on:** December 11, 2008, 02:08:45 PM »

I'm just looking for a return call or an email response. It's hard to believe that I have still received neither.

I'll try again next week.

TRM-1 · « **Reply #12 on:** December 11, 2008, 03:23:31 PM »

good luck!

Hopalong7 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 12, 2008, 01:25:01 AM »

It's so sad

to see something that good turn into something that bad. And, not returning your correspondence IS that bad. good luck Varmit Hunter. Only a few days ago one of my shootin' buddys said that he could not believe that I, Mr. True-Blue TC, was talking about buying a Bergara barrel.

Walt

White Foxx · « **Reply #14 on:** December 12, 2008, 06:22:00 AM »

That is odd that they have not called you back. I called, and left a message two different days, before I finally got to talk to someone. However the next week I got a call back.... and then again the following week I got a called back again...... Go Figure?

I have decided that this is the true cause of our current economy collapse, we no longer make precision products, just lawyers, and excuses…….. Pretty soon we will be a third world country, if we aren’t already! To fix this we will, of course, vote more lawyers into office……

Can I say tar and feather?

White Foxx $:-\$

ragnar · « **Reply #15 on:** December 12, 2008, 06:48:05 AM »

I sent in a barrel through a gunsmith on August 1, 2008 and TC verified receiving it and have never corresponded since.
The barrel was purchased through their custom shop and because of TC cutbacks, I have written the barrel off.
It is a hard lesson, but be more cautious with who I am dealing with in the future.

jp · « **Reply #16 on:** December 12, 2008, 07:21:31 AM »

The day after Thanksgiving sent in a rear sight assembly for a new englander that was damaged when I bought the gun 2nd hand. In less than 10 days I recieved the new assembly in the mail with NO questions asked....... That is the service I remembered in the past.

jP

Ladobe · « **Reply #17 on:** December 12, 2008, 07:26:29 AM »

Quote from: Hopalong7 on December 11, 2008, 02:28:19 AM

My first TC was a used Contender pistol in 1974. It had a ...

Good post Hopalong7. I probably can top you on how many frames/barrels and TC muzzleloaders I've owned (and seriously used) since I bought my first Contender in 1968 and Hawken in 1970-71 though.

TC did start to decline rapidly after the plant fire (3/97) for sure, I think both from the loss of tooling/records and with their lawyers taking a stronger stance with the company that also ended the very profitable and popular 40+ year reign of the Classic Contender frames and several of their models of muzzleloaders - both huge mainstays of their profit margin. On the ML end the decline in interest in traditional side locks and birth of the in-lines took a toll too on them. To generate new money and try to save the company they dove into competition against the Ruger 10/22 with the Classic and now a bolt rifle, both far from the roots of the company and far from being competitive IMO. TC was further weakened by the loss of Ken French (2000?) and Tim Pancurak retiring a year or two ago. And no doubt the S&W take-over and economy in this country forcing a reduction of skilled workers have I am sure added greatly to where they are now.

But the same can be said for almost every other firearms manufacture, especially US based ones (as well as many other types of businesses), and most of them went south years to decades ago while TC held on much longer. So B & M if you must to feel better about the situation we as well as these companies are all in with todays world, but IMHO few companies can say that they honestly tried to hang by its customers, give them quality products and good customer service longer than TC has. With a greatly reduced work force and tossed into survival mode, there will be delays, errors, missed and incomplete orders with any company, not just TC. That's a fact of life in todays world you might as well learn to live with folks because it might just be here to stay.

As suggested, there is an endless supply of TC products available used and still in very serviceable condition, lots of 3rd party custom shops for more, and several very good TC smiths who can keep them all in working order for all of our lifetimes. So to me after 40 years of almost trouble free use I remain loyal to the Classic TC's and MLer's and see no reason to shy away from them. What I have will out live me, and probably many other owners after I am gone.

Sorry for the ramble,

Larry

Hopalong7 · « **Reply #18 on:** December 12, 2008, 08:13:50 AM »

Larry, I agree whole heartedly. Here's to both of us living long enough to wear'm all out. Then,... we can worry about what to do next.
GOOD SHOOTIN' BRO, Walt

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #19 on:** December 16, 2008, 12:18:38 PM »

UPDATE:

Well guess who called today; T/C. They advised me that my barrel was being shipped to me.
I asked what was causing the inaccuracy - response - "I don't know".
I asked what they did to the barrel - response - "I don't know."
I asked if it was my original barrel or a replacement barrel being sent - response - I don't know that either".

Why is it that I get this sinking feeling that after shipping the barrel back and all the time & effort involved that I will be receiving the same barrel back in the same condition that I sent it to T/C?

Gee, I hope I'm wrong about this.

barm · « **Reply #20 on:** December 16, 2008, 01:14:54 PM »

Don't fee bad, I sent them an e-mail two weeks ago with pictures of a warranty issue which I have with one of their products. I also left a voice mail last week and again today. I have gotten "no response". Really poor customer service in my opinion.

lamerabbit · « **Reply #21 on:** December 17, 2008, 04:55:55 AM »

Well, Varmit hunter:

I hope you are wrong too, however, when you called you were talking to a customer service person, and not the repair/service department. People who do the actual work don't have time to talk.

Keep us posted; as T/C owners and inquiring minds want to know....

Jim

barm · « **Reply #22 on:** December 17, 2008, 02:23:01 PM »

FYI, I called their number today and spoke with someone in human resources and within an hour I got a call from customer service.

338JDJ · « **Reply #23 on:** December 19, 2008, 04:39:40 AM »

This sounds all to familiar. Personally I feel that TC made its mark in the gun world with its black powder rifles and contenders. Its us hardcore handgunners that put this company on the map. I mean to go back in the 70's and look at the folks that were handgunning and how they made their mark on the handgunning world. When folks took notice how accurate the fine handguns were all other gun makers took notice. I agree with graybeard on the fact all the hunting shows and advertising is costing the company. There's no telling what they are paying Larry Weisun and Shockley to shoot just TC products and tell about how "great" the gun it is. You don't need all that. Just make a great product and it will sell itself.There never use to be all the expensive advertising. It was just folks who shot a great product and word of mouth got it out there. I know that's exactly how I got started with my contender. I saw a guy at the range and I talked to him a bit..I thought that was the stupidest gun..a break open with only one shot. Then I watched him shoot it, he offered to let me shoot it 3 times and I shot a group with it that I could have never shot with my 41 blackhawk at 100 yds. That same year I bought a super 14 in 7x 30 waters. I was 19.
Now TC is trying to get into every market. Now producing a bolt rifle? whats next? They going to get in the AR world too? I just think they should have stayed with the products that got them where they are today.
anyway that's my rant
Thanks
Curtis

Guy Pike · « **Reply #24 on:** December 19, 2008, 07:40:13 AM »

I live 35 minutes from T/C. Any one who wishes can send me a notarized letter authorizing me to act in their behalf. Spell out the details and I'll show up in person down there. My address: Guy Pike Box 208 Center Tuftonboro, NH 03816. Include your phone number as decisions may have to be made faster than snail mail can accommodate. More than that I can not offer. Guy

encore3006 · « **Reply #25 on:** December 19, 2008, 07:56:17 AM »

Varmint Hunter · « **Reply #26 on:** December 19, 2008, 10:27:42 AM »

FINAL CHAPTER

The barrel arrived today. Upon opening the box I noticed right away that it was a new barrel because it had factory sights installed. I removed mine when the scope base was mounted.

Inside was a note that read: "Replaced barrel - test fired using T/C 3x9 scope, 300gr ammo and received 1.5" at 100 yds."

Sooooooo........ it was a long story but had a happy ending.

Thanks T/C

One Eye · « **Reply #27 on:** December 29, 2008, 04:35:09 PM »

Simple solution: stop spending your money on their products and tell them why. T/C was the class of the US firearm industry when it came to customer service. Now you have bean counters running these companies, and they appear to be more concerned with Hollywood Hunters hawking their good rather than you and I actually spreading the word via the best advertising vehicle known: WORD OF MOUTH!

I have a T/C Encore with the 209x50 barrel. I have thought hard about jumping full blown into the barrel arena, but my experiences and those of others have caused me to spend my hard earned money elsewhere.

Keep buying their stuff and they will have no reason to address their customer service issues.
Dan

Keith L · « **Reply #28 on:** December 29, 2008, 06:44:58 PM »

It is still the few rather than the many having problems with TC. When folks like you that listen to the whining and decide not to buy then tell others whe may do the same we get another good American company that makes guns out of business. Soon all we will have are the foreign made guns, and then watch customer service go out the window.

One Eye · « **Reply #29 on:** December 30, 2008, 03:28:56 AM »

Quote from: Keith L on December 29, 2008, 06:44:58 PM

It is still the few rather than the many having problems with TC. When folks like you that listen to the whining and decide not to buy then tell others whe may do the same we get another good American company that makes guns out of business. Soon all we will have are the foreign made guns, and then watch customer service go out the window.

Another good American gun company? Yes, they "used" to be. I know what my experiences have been with them thus far, and I am no longer impressed. 10% of customer service reports that I hear (off the internet) are positive, while 90% are negative. It used to be the other way around. Ask some other American companies how that model is working out for them.

That is the best thing about this country, at least for now. We all have a right to our opinion. Feel free to spend your money as you see fit, and I will do the same.
Dan