Customer support observations

[Thomas Currin]

Hello,

I've been following this forum/mail list for a couple of weeks now and I
thought I'd share a couple of observations.  You may agree or disagree with
my conclusions.  So be it.

I'm a very new Ham and am in awe of the collective knowledgebase shared
here.  I learn a lot from just reading the posts.  Collectively you are
quite an amazing group.  Really.

Also, as a new Ham, I probably have more questions than the average
customer and those questions lean to the very basic end of the spectrum.
 Do you know which company has answered all of my questions without
hesitation?  Yes, it was Elecraft and some of those questions were pretty
basic.  They were answered in a timely fashion courteously.  That means a
lot to me and I can see from the posts that others appreciate that as well.

My experience with other companies, a couple of them based in the USA, has
been that they didn't respond or their response was simply, "It is in the
literature."  or words to that effect.  I really don't appreciate that lack
of customer service.

So, what that means is I'll be buying products from Elecraft and not from
others.  I appreciate their commitment to their customers and their sincere
desire to provide the best products they can provide.  I've never met them
and have no connection with their company or their employees.  So far all
I've purchased is a dummy load kit so I'm not a big spender either.

I'm taking the time to write this because having been in a profession which
is heavily involved in customer service for the past 40 years, I know that
dealing with complaints and questions all day every day can be trying.  A
few compliments every once in a while go a long way to making the job, and
life in general, a lot more pleasant.

You are doing a great job guys and am confident you will continue to do so.

Thanks,
Tom
WA3L
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[wayne burdick]

Thanks for these sentiments, Tom, and welcome to the hobby.

Customer service, as practiced by an amateur radio company, should go  
beyond sales and support: it's part of a social contract. In a way,  
Elecraft employees and customers all belong to the same club. We work  
together to dream up new products and refine them. It's fun. Like our  
motto says, it's "hands-on."

This relationship is more fluid, more symmetrical, than what many  
people are used to. Sometimes it can be chaotic. But overall, I  
believe it's more satisfying than the one-way relationship some  
companies have with their customers. Many new radios seem to be cast  
in stone on delivery. Of course, compared to ours, they're also harder  
to lift :)

73,
Wayne
N6KR


On Aug 6, 2012, at 8:08 PM, Thomas Currin wrote:

> Hello,
>
> I've been following this forum/mail list for a couple of weeks now  
> and I
> thought I'd share a couple of observations.  You may agree or  
> disagree with
> my conclusions.  So be it.
>
> I'm a very new Ham and am in awe of the collective knowledgebase  
> shared
> here.  I learn a lot from just reading the posts.  Collectively you  
> are
> quite an amazing group.  Really.
>
> Also, as a new Ham, I probably have more questions than the average
> customer and those questions lean to the very basic end of the  
> spectrum.
> Do you know which company has answered all of my questions without
> hesitation?  Yes, it was Elecraft and some of those questions were  
> pretty
> basic.  They were answered in a timely fashion courteously.  That  
> means a
> lot to me and I can see from the posts that others appreciate that  
> as well.
>
> My experience with other companies, a couple of them based in the  
> USA, has
> been that they didn't respond or their response was simply, "It is  
> in the
> literature."  or words to that effect.  I really don't appreciate  
> that lack
> of customer service.
>
> So, what that means is I'll be buying products from Elecraft and not  
> from
> others.  I appreciate their commitment to their customers and their  
> sincere
> desire to provide the best products they can provide.  I've never  
> met them
> and have no connection with their company or their employees.  So  
> far all
> I've purchased is a dummy load kit so I'm not a big spender either.
>
> I'm taking the time to write this because having been in a  
> profession which
> is heavily involved in customer service for the past 40 years, I  
> know that
> dealing with complaints and questions all day every day can be  
> trying.  A
> few compliments every once in a while go a long way to making the  
> job, and
> life in general, a lot more pleasant.
>
> You are doing a great job guys and am confident you will continue to  
> do so.
>
> Thanks,
> Tom
> WA3L
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:[hidden email]
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html

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[W0WFH Bill]

Hello Tom:
 
Very well put!! 
 
Having been in the professional two-way radio
business it was always nice to hear from a satified
Police chief or Sheriff.  I don't like to see all
the flame throwing that goes on, but I guess everyone
has that right.  I am new to the Elecraft equipment
having been a ver big Y**?? owner for over 30 years
now that they are not supporting their equioment
over 10 years old.  It has made me do a lot of thinking
about radios that I can work on, in my own home shop.
Also a radio that doesn't use a lot of custom parts
that when that company runs out you just trash that $3000.00
to $10,000.00 radio. 
 
I don't know about you and most of the other retired hams
that go out and buy a new $5,000.00 radio every 10 years!!
 
That is why this old dog so like Elecraft I can stick a soldering
iron in it and no one gets excited!!!
 
73s all from a very happy K2 owner.
Bill, W0WFH
Linn, Mo.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

________________________________
From: Thomas Currin <[hidden email]>
To: [hidden email]
Sent: Monday, August 6, 2012 10:08 PM
Subject: [Elecraft] Customer support observations

Hello,

I've been following this forum/mail list for a couple of weeks now and I
thought I'd share a couple of observations.  You may agree or disagree with
my conclusions.  So be it.

I'm a very new Ham and am in awe of the collective knowledgebase shared
here.  I learn a lot from just reading the posts.  Collectively you are
quite an amazing group.  Really.

Also, as a new Ham, I probably have more questions than the average
customer and those questions lean to the very basic end of the spectrum.
Do you know which company has answered all of my questions without
hesitation?  Yes, it was Elecraft and some of those questions were pretty
basic.  They were answered in a timely fashion courteously.  That means a
lot to me and I can see from the posts that others appreciate that as well.

My experience with other companies, a couple of them based in the USA, has
been that they didn't respond or their response was simply, "It is in the
literature."  or words to that effect.  I really don't appreciate that lack
of customer service.

So, what that means is I'll be buying products from Elecraft and not from
others.  I appreciate their commitment to their customers and their sincere
desire to provide the best products they can provide.  I've never met them
and have no connection with their company or their employees.  So far all
I've purchased is a dummy load kit so I'm not a big spender either.

I'm taking the time to write this because having been in a profession which
is heavily involved in customer service for the past 40 years, I know that
dealing with complaints and questions all day every day can be trying.  A
few compliments every once in a while go a long way to making the job, and
life in general, a lot more pleasant.

You are doing a great job guys and am confident you will continue to do so.

Thanks,
Tom
WA3L
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
______________________________________________________________
Elecraft mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:[hidden email]

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html