EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
- Thread starter TheGuitarCustomShop
- Start date
JumpMarine
18 watts of Mayhemologist
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
Reading the original post through again and I can really understand his posting here. Sorry for the misunderstanding.....
Reading the original post through again and I can really understand his posting here. Sorry for the misunderstanding.....
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
i know they are aware and are handling it. hopefully we'll get a report back from the guy in moscow when he's happy.
until then, i'd recommend that we all let the two parties involved work it out. it would be highly unprofessional for thr duncan folks to get on here and discuss the situation.
i know they are aware and are handling it. hopefully we'll get a report back from the guy in moscow when he's happy.
until then, i'd recommend that we all let the two parties involved work it out. it would be highly unprofessional for thr duncan folks to get on here and discuss the situation.
TheGuitarCustomShop
New member
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
Not stuck in customs, no!
we did have two of our Duncan Custom Shop orders stuck in customs already (The first time because they shipped it by the WRONG CARRIER - (guaranteed to get it hauled into customs!) - and the second time due to them labelling the package wrong - somebody in the shipping department put a declared value of ZERO dollars, which naturally makes the Customs Agents a tad supicious!)
If it was stuck in customs, we would have known about it promptly (we had to pay a 2000 ruble bribe to get the last ones out...)
ANYWAY... some GOOD NEWS - because after three months of RADIO SILENCE, i finally got an email!!!
Still no mention of the refund that Scott promised me three months ago, BUT MJ wrote and told me what happened to the pickup we ordered 11 months ago:
"Hi Michael The R&D Department have no order maybe it got lost in the system they said they can have it ready in three weeks do that we are close next week they only need the string spacing ASAP and they will put in top of their list .
MJ"
I just sent her the specs again... so I'm now hopeful we'll get this resolved quickly - Thanks no doubt to the power of Internet Forums!
(My sincere thanks to the DUncan Forum adminstrators for keeping this valuable resource on the internet!)
Its still a mystery as to what happened to Scott (did he leave the company, and take all of his email with him??) but with any luck, we will have the pickup in our hands AND all the acounting sorted out in time for the one-year anniversary of the order... :fingersx:
Not stuck in customs, no!
we did have two of our Duncan Custom Shop orders stuck in customs already (The first time because they shipped it by the WRONG CARRIER - (guaranteed to get it hauled into customs!) - and the second time due to them labelling the package wrong - somebody in the shipping department put a declared value of ZERO dollars, which naturally makes the Customs Agents a tad supicious!)
If it was stuck in customs, we would have known about it promptly (we had to pay a 2000 ruble bribe to get the last ones out...)
ANYWAY... some GOOD NEWS - because after three months of RADIO SILENCE, i finally got an email!!!
Still no mention of the refund that Scott promised me three months ago, BUT MJ wrote and told me what happened to the pickup we ordered 11 months ago:
"Hi Michael The R&D Department have no order maybe it got lost in the system they said they can have it ready in three weeks do that we are close next week they only need the string spacing ASAP and they will put in top of their list .
MJ"
I just sent her the specs again... so I'm now hopeful we'll get this resolved quickly - Thanks no doubt to the power of Internet Forums!
(My sincere thanks to the DUncan Forum adminstrators for keeping this valuable resource on the internet!)
Its still a mystery as to what happened to Scott (did he leave the company, and take all of his email with him??) but with any luck, we will have the pickup in our hands AND all the acounting sorted out in time for the one-year anniversary of the order... :fingersx:
G
Guest
Guest
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
Eh... didn't Scott reply to this thread quite some times?
Eh... didn't Scott reply to this thread quite some times?
G
Guest
Guest
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
so used to just reading Scott F's name I must have assumed it was him. Sorry.
so used to just reading Scott F's name I must have assumed it was him. Sorry.
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
I'm definitely not Scott Miller, I do not work for Duncan.
Hmmm... R&D is not the same as the Custom Shop.
Whatever, glad you are getting it worked out. Airing dirty laundry in a public forum is unprofessional in my opinion. Getting the Duncan folks on the phone has never been a problem for anyone I know. You do have to call during Pacific Standard Time though. I don't know the specifics, nor do I want to know anymore than what is in this thread. I do know that, at the end of the day, some customers are not worth having. I hope you are not in that category.
Just my two cents since everyone else is putting their in as well.
I'm definitely not Scott Miller, I do not work for Duncan.
Hmmm... R&D is not the same as the Custom Shop.
Whatever, glad you are getting it worked out. Airing dirty laundry in a public forum is unprofessional in my opinion. Getting the Duncan folks on the phone has never been a problem for anyone I know. You do have to call during Pacific Standard Time though. I don't know the specifics, nor do I want to know anymore than what is in this thread. I do know that, at the end of the day, some customers are not worth having. I hope you are not in that category.
Just my two cents since everyone else is putting their in as well.
That90'sGuy
DyzaBoyzologist
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
It seems to me that this poor guy is at a risk of losing a valued customer because of lack of communication. Here's hoping things work out well for everyone:fingersx:
It seems to me that this poor guy is at a risk of losing a valued customer because of lack of communication. Here's hoping things work out well for everyone:fingersx:
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
It seems that most people are very quick to believe a negative without considering the possibility of a second side to the story. Check that- it doesn't SEEM to be the case, it IS the case.
Do you honestly believe that SD would be ignoring a valued customer? Based on everything that you've seen here, heard or seen about UGD's, or experienced for yourself, do you honestly believe that there's no explanation for this?
I would hate to think that some of you guys were responsible for watching my back.
It seems that most people are very quick to believe a negative without considering the possibility of a second side to the story. Check that- it doesn't SEEM to be the case, it IS the case.
Do you honestly believe that SD would be ignoring a valued customer? Based on everything that you've seen here, heard or seen about UGD's, or experienced for yourself, do you honestly believe that there's no explanation for this?
I would hate to think that some of you guys were responsible for watching my back.
JumpMarine
18 watts of Mayhemologist
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
Personally after my experiences with Seymour and company, I would give them the benefit of the doubt everytime. They are a great, customer oriented company.
Personally after my experiences with Seymour and company, I would give them the benefit of the doubt everytime. They are a great, customer oriented company.
B
Breogan
Guest
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
I couldn't agree more... This looks too unproffesional for such a big company.
HamerPlyr said:
I couldn't agree more... This looks too unproffesional for such a big company.
TheGuitarCustomShop
New member
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
Scott_F, HamerPlyr, Breogan:
I'm NOT MAKING THIS UP!
The fact is, its just been a really BAD experience dealing with the Duncan Custom Shop.
Email communication has been nearly non-existent, and though i was able to reach MJ on the phone a few times in February, I have consistently gotten the answering machine/voicemail since then. And i ALWAYS stay up late to call during Pacific Time business hours (I am well aware that we are 11 hours ahead over here!).
Anyway, its 2005, not 1905 - so i really shouldnt have had to spend over $100 in long distance phone calls chasing our long-overdue orders, and trying to sort out the mistakes they have made in ones they sent!
"NOT WHEN THERE IS EMAIL"!!
But for some reason, the SD employees I have dealt with havent been very conscientious about their email.
Is there any real excuse for replying 2, 3, 6 weeks late? Or NEVER?
** continued next post - i have exceeded the 400 character post limit!
Scott_F, HamerPlyr, Breogan:
I'm NOT MAKING THIS UP!
The fact is, its just been a really BAD experience dealing with the Duncan Custom Shop.
Email communication has been nearly non-existent, and though i was able to reach MJ on the phone a few times in February, I have consistently gotten the answering machine/voicemail since then. And i ALWAYS stay up late to call during Pacific Time business hours (I am well aware that we are 11 hours ahead over here!).
Anyway, its 2005, not 1905 - so i really shouldnt have had to spend over $100 in long distance phone calls chasing our long-overdue orders, and trying to sort out the mistakes they have made in ones they sent!
"NOT WHEN THERE IS EMAIL"!!
But for some reason, the SD employees I have dealt with havent been very conscientious about their email.
Is there any real excuse for replying 2, 3, 6 weeks late? Or NEVER?
** continued next post - i have exceeded the 400 character post limit!
TheGuitarCustomShop
New member
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
(continued...)
We have already lost one customer, whose guitar was READY in May, just waiting for Duncan Custom Shop pickups ordered in FEBRUARY. The client waited until AUGUST until finally cancelling the order - he simply could not wait any longer. Now he has an endorsement deal with another famous guitar company - and a big opportuntity was LOST for us, since this guy is one of the most famous and popular guitarists in Russia today. Needless to say, we were also out a LOT of money - being stuck with a very unique, fully custom hand-made 7-string with elaborate personalized inlays covering nearly the whole fretboard. (we have recently managed to sell the guitar, but at a considerable LOSS)
OK, I can understand that its HARD TO BELIEVE.
Our bass customer (on whose behalf I posted this thread, in a last-ditch effort to try to get his pickup) actually accused us of LYING about the whole thing, that we never ordered him a pickup in the first place! He simply refused to believe that a 'famous American company' could mess up so badly.
Myself, i never in my wildest DREAMS anticipated such a long line of screw-ups from SD. Literally, they have not been able to do "a single thing right" in the eleven months i have been trying to deal with them.
Confusion over the orders, delays in processing, (this isnt the first time one of our orders got 'lost'...), our first order being shipped by the WRONG carrier even though another carrier was EXPLICITLY specified (this resulted in a month delay in customs, several wasted days standing in lines filling out forms, and a big customs fee that we shouldnt have had to pay!), the next two sets of pickups shipped without covers (though they were clearly specified in the order), the most recent order we got was shipped by the proper carrier, but the customs papers were filled out INCORECTLY (resulting in - you guessed it - more delays, more days wasted standing in lines at the customs office, and more money out of our pocket). Speaking of out of pocket, i still have not received the $140 shipping overcharge refund that was promised back in SEPTEMBER.
(continued next post.. still too long!)
(continued...)
We have already lost one customer, whose guitar was READY in May, just waiting for Duncan Custom Shop pickups ordered in FEBRUARY. The client waited until AUGUST until finally cancelling the order - he simply could not wait any longer. Now he has an endorsement deal with another famous guitar company - and a big opportuntity was LOST for us, since this guy is one of the most famous and popular guitarists in Russia today. Needless to say, we were also out a LOT of money - being stuck with a very unique, fully custom hand-made 7-string with elaborate personalized inlays covering nearly the whole fretboard. (we have recently managed to sell the guitar, but at a considerable LOSS)
OK, I can understand that its HARD TO BELIEVE.
Our bass customer (on whose behalf I posted this thread, in a last-ditch effort to try to get his pickup) actually accused us of LYING about the whole thing, that we never ordered him a pickup in the first place! He simply refused to believe that a 'famous American company' could mess up so badly.
Myself, i never in my wildest DREAMS anticipated such a long line of screw-ups from SD. Literally, they have not been able to do "a single thing right" in the eleven months i have been trying to deal with them.
Confusion over the orders, delays in processing, (this isnt the first time one of our orders got 'lost'...), our first order being shipped by the WRONG carrier even though another carrier was EXPLICITLY specified (this resulted in a month delay in customs, several wasted days standing in lines filling out forms, and a big customs fee that we shouldnt have had to pay!), the next two sets of pickups shipped without covers (though they were clearly specified in the order), the most recent order we got was shipped by the proper carrier, but the customs papers were filled out INCORECTLY (resulting in - you guessed it - more delays, more days wasted standing in lines at the customs office, and more money out of our pocket). Speaking of out of pocket, i still have not received the $140 shipping overcharge refund that was promised back in SEPTEMBER.
(continued next post.. still too long!)
TheGuitarCustomShop
New member
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
Its VERY disappointing, and their poor performance has caused a LOT of anguish, frustration, and genuine hardship for a number of people over here. And ALL of it could have been avoided! This company makes really nice pickups, and I don't understand why they dont have any REAL management systems in place - systems that are CAREFULLY designed so orders cannot get lost, misprocessed, mislabelled, etc etc
I have no desire to rake these nice people over the coals, (even though they have been spectacularly incompetent, they are still nice people, as far as i can tell!)
But I DO resent the implication being put forward here that I somehow have nothing better to do than make up wild, unfounded claims and post them on internet bulletin boards.
Everything i have said here is 100% true, and i can certainly prove it. Would you like to see screen caps of all the emails? Or server email logs?
Granted, most everyone here is a fan of the company (including me, as far as the actual product goes) and nobody wants to believe that Seymour could ever do anything wrong - but the truth is, in 2005 the duncan custom shop was horribly mismanaged, and they have virtually succeeded in losing our business FOREVER. (our domestic shop manager was planning on launching an entire line of guitars made exclusively with duncan custom pickups - but thats not going to happen now) We offer off-the-shelf pickups from all the major makers, as well as pickups from the well-known boutique makers Bareknuckle, WolfeTone, and Chernishev. But I would still really like to be able to offer the option of "Duncan Custom Shop" to our clients someday. But if only i could believe that they can really deliver!
I sincerely hope they will turn things around, and live up to their awesome potential in the customer service end of things. All it really takes is a FILE CABINET so customer data and orders dont get LOST, and managers who are willing to stay on top of their production timelines, and answer their emails!
Its VERY disappointing, and their poor performance has caused a LOT of anguish, frustration, and genuine hardship for a number of people over here. And ALL of it could have been avoided! This company makes really nice pickups, and I don't understand why they dont have any REAL management systems in place - systems that are CAREFULLY designed so orders cannot get lost, misprocessed, mislabelled, etc etc
I have no desire to rake these nice people over the coals, (even though they have been spectacularly incompetent, they are still nice people, as far as i can tell!)
But I DO resent the implication being put forward here that I somehow have nothing better to do than make up wild, unfounded claims and post them on internet bulletin boards.
Everything i have said here is 100% true, and i can certainly prove it. Would you like to see screen caps of all the emails? Or server email logs?
Granted, most everyone here is a fan of the company (including me, as far as the actual product goes) and nobody wants to believe that Seymour could ever do anything wrong - but the truth is, in 2005 the duncan custom shop was horribly mismanaged, and they have virtually succeeded in losing our business FOREVER. (our domestic shop manager was planning on launching an entire line of guitars made exclusively with duncan custom pickups - but thats not going to happen now) We offer off-the-shelf pickups from all the major makers, as well as pickups from the well-known boutique makers Bareknuckle, WolfeTone, and Chernishev. But I would still really like to be able to offer the option of "Duncan Custom Shop" to our clients someday. But if only i could believe that they can really deliver!
I sincerely hope they will turn things around, and live up to their awesome potential in the customer service end of things. All it really takes is a FILE CABINET so customer data and orders dont get LOST, and managers who are willing to stay on top of their production timelines, and answer their emails!
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mnbaseball91
New member
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
Of course there is another side of the story, but the bottom line is that this guy needs and deserves his pickups and this was the only other way he could think of to contact Seymour Duncan. He doesn't come accross as trying to raise a big stink - if he wanted that, he would have posted on Harmony Central - he simply wants his pickups!
Of course there is another side of the story, but the bottom line is that this guy needs and deserves his pickups and this was the only other way he could think of to contact Seymour Duncan. He doesn't come accross as trying to raise a big stink - if he wanted that, he would have posted on Harmony Central - he simply wants his pickups!
F
Falstaff
Guest
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
Well said. I feel bad for the guy, especially because he's being criticized for trying to serve his customers and run his business. I hope people realize that this guy is (or has the potential to be) a frequent customer for Duncan and that baselessly casting aspersions in his direction can ultimately play a part in his decision wether to use SD or not in the future.
He could also be an interesting, knowledgeable member of the forum.
mnbaseball91 said:
Well said. I feel bad for the guy, especially because he's being criticized for trying to serve his customers and run his business. I hope people realize that this guy is (or has the potential to be) a frequent customer for Duncan and that baselessly casting aspersions in his direction can ultimately play a part in his decision wether to use SD or not in the future.
He could also be an interesting, knowledgeable member of the forum.
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Scott Miller
New member
Re: EARTH TO SEYMOUR... Anybody Home???
Hi Everybody,
Just to set the record straight here---Michael has a very legitimate gripe here. His experience (while definitely atypical) has not been good. We have dropped the ball in a number of ways that have created long delays and plenty of frustration for him---and, to be clear, I am to blame for part of that.
Michael---I am glad you chose to post here. This forum can really be the great equilizer. And while I pride myself in the trying to make every person's experience with this company an excellent one (and those of you who talk to me on a regular basis know this to be true)---there are going to be cases where someone slips (badly) through the cracks and has a bad, frustrating experience. This is, unfortunately, one of those cases. Michael, I and Seymour Duncan Pickups would like to offer a humble apology for how your experience has gone, and we are going to do everything we can to make it up to you (if you are still willing to give us the chance). I know that you have communicated directly with MJ over the past day or so, and I would like to invite you to (via direct email to MJ or myself) tell us what we can do to make this situation right for you. As I said, I pride myself in making sure that people have positive experiences with us, and when they do NOT, I definitely take it to heart. So please accept our apologies, and let's talk about how we can make this up to you.
Hi Everybody,
Just to set the record straight here---Michael has a very legitimate gripe here. His experience (while definitely atypical) has not been good. We have dropped the ball in a number of ways that have created long delays and plenty of frustration for him---and, to be clear, I am to blame for part of that.
Michael---I am glad you chose to post here. This forum can really be the great equilizer. And while I pride myself in the trying to make every person's experience with this company an excellent one (and those of you who talk to me on a regular basis know this to be true)---there are going to be cases where someone slips (badly) through the cracks and has a bad, frustrating experience. This is, unfortunately, one of those cases. Michael, I and Seymour Duncan Pickups would like to offer a humble apology for how your experience has gone, and we are going to do everything we can to make it up to you (if you are still willing to give us the chance). I know that you have communicated directly with MJ over the past day or so, and I would like to invite you to (via direct email to MJ or myself) tell us what we can do to make this situation right for you. As I said, I pride myself in making sure that people have positive experiences with us, and when they do NOT, I definitely take it to heart. So please accept our apologies, and let's talk about how we can make this up to you.
