Discussion: welcome to my world
in: Tim S; Tim S > 2009-01-26
Jan 30, 2009 4:36 AM
#
I sent this email today..It made me feel better
From: Tim Seddon
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 4:07 PM
To: 'cbusch@fitnessdepot.ca'
Subject: Customer service issue - help please!
Chris,
I understand that you are the president and COO of Fitness Depot, and I write to you frankly in despair.
I purchased a new Lamarr treadmill from your Scarborough, Ontario branch 2 years ago. I use it heavily, and it was a great purchase.
It developed a small-malfunction about 9 months ago with the speed sensor. Your service department at the time were reluctant to deal with it, as they claimed that they?re as Lamarr had gone bankrupt parts were no longer available. Independently I discovered that Startrac who bought Lamarr?s assets still had parts. While the service centre still refused to help, it was arranged that another local branch (Missassauga), who had their own engineer, would fix it, which they did. A positive outcome in the end.
In November, a crack appeared in the deck. Thinking ahead, I confirmed that Startrac had decks, and placed my service call. I wait for a call to be returned. After a week I call again. After much discussion, it appeared that my phone number had been taken down incorrectly and the service call had been cancelled. No one presumably thought to use 411, however the correct number was given and I was promised that I would be called to arrange a visit.
A few days later I am called by a contractor who has been told to say that parts are no longer available. I tell him I know this isn?t true. A few days later he calls again, the service centre says that I have to buy it, or arrange it via the branch again.
I call the Scarborough branch to arrange this, and I get a very, very helpful guy (whose name escapes me, a Justin maybe (whoever he is, he now works at another branch) who promises to sort it all out. Supposedly the part is ordered, and hopefully will be in by Christmas.
Christmas comes and goes, and I follow-up again. Scarborough nobody knows anything about it, suggests I call Missassauga. Steve at Missassauga doesn?t know anything about it.. however steps up, and takes ownership of the problem, calls around to find out what?s happening, keeps me in the loop. All round excellent. It turns out somehow the order wasn?t placed, so it needs to be ordered again. And it?ll probably be ordered from another manufacturer who uses the same components. Hopefully, finally on the road to being resolved, but as you might imagine by now my patience is wearing a little thin.
At this point for some reason I am dealing again with Scarborough and a Dave. Dave promises me that it?s ordered. I call a week later and ask for an ETA. I?m told he doesn?t have one, but will get one for me and let me know. I hear nothing. A week later I call again, and ask for an ETA. Again I am promised that he will get one and get back to me. Again I hear nothing. Not even an ETA on the ETA. Finally in frustration I call again. He hasn?t heard anything, and frankly didn?t seem too bothered about it, or keeping me updated. This time I probe a little bit more, as I?ve lost confidence in the whole process. ?It?s been ordered from head office? I?m told. ?From where?? I ask bearing in mind the whole Startrac saga. At this point he starts asking my serial number. A serial number I?ve given already three times in the process at various points. I?m afraid at this point I?m starting to see red, given that if he needed the serial number he?s had multiple opportunities to ask for it, or even call me to ask. I ask him why he hasn?t asked me before. ?I guess I forgot? was the response. Why didn?t you call me to ask. ?I?m a busy man? he says!!!!!!!
This whole experience is unsatisfactory on so many different levels. The numerous failures to call back (which I haven?t even bothered to list), the reluctance to support the product you?ve sold me (which I kind of sympathize with, if I wasn?t lied to about it), to the multiple failures of the process. Some of your guys have been extremely helpful (Steve and Justin?)? but despite their best efforts something in the company has let me and them down.
Please, please can your office make sure that this is sorted out. I would use my treadmill pretty much everyday, so have already clocked up costs and inconvenience in using gyms.
I look forward to your response
Tim
From: Tim Seddon
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2009 4:07 PM
To: 'cbusch@fitnessdepot.ca'
Subject: Customer service issue - help please!
Chris,
I understand that you are the president and COO of Fitness Depot, and I write to you frankly in despair.
I purchased a new Lamarr treadmill from your Scarborough, Ontario branch 2 years ago. I use it heavily, and it was a great purchase.
It developed a small-malfunction about 9 months ago with the speed sensor. Your service department at the time were reluctant to deal with it, as they claimed that they?re as Lamarr had gone bankrupt parts were no longer available. Independently I discovered that Startrac who bought Lamarr?s assets still had parts. While the service centre still refused to help, it was arranged that another local branch (Missassauga), who had their own engineer, would fix it, which they did. A positive outcome in the end.
In November, a crack appeared in the deck. Thinking ahead, I confirmed that Startrac had decks, and placed my service call. I wait for a call to be returned. After a week I call again. After much discussion, it appeared that my phone number had been taken down incorrectly and the service call had been cancelled. No one presumably thought to use 411, however the correct number was given and I was promised that I would be called to arrange a visit.
A few days later I am called by a contractor who has been told to say that parts are no longer available. I tell him I know this isn?t true. A few days later he calls again, the service centre says that I have to buy it, or arrange it via the branch again.
I call the Scarborough branch to arrange this, and I get a very, very helpful guy (whose name escapes me, a Justin maybe (whoever he is, he now works at another branch) who promises to sort it all out. Supposedly the part is ordered, and hopefully will be in by Christmas.
Christmas comes and goes, and I follow-up again. Scarborough nobody knows anything about it, suggests I call Missassauga. Steve at Missassauga doesn?t know anything about it.. however steps up, and takes ownership of the problem, calls around to find out what?s happening, keeps me in the loop. All round excellent. It turns out somehow the order wasn?t placed, so it needs to be ordered again. And it?ll probably be ordered from another manufacturer who uses the same components. Hopefully, finally on the road to being resolved, but as you might imagine by now my patience is wearing a little thin.
At this point for some reason I am dealing again with Scarborough and a Dave. Dave promises me that it?s ordered. I call a week later and ask for an ETA. I?m told he doesn?t have one, but will get one for me and let me know. I hear nothing. A week later I call again, and ask for an ETA. Again I am promised that he will get one and get back to me. Again I hear nothing. Not even an ETA on the ETA. Finally in frustration I call again. He hasn?t heard anything, and frankly didn?t seem too bothered about it, or keeping me updated. This time I probe a little bit more, as I?ve lost confidence in the whole process. ?It?s been ordered from head office? I?m told. ?From where?? I ask bearing in mind the whole Startrac saga. At this point he starts asking my serial number. A serial number I?ve given already three times in the process at various points. I?m afraid at this point I?m starting to see red, given that if he needed the serial number he?s had multiple opportunities to ask for it, or even call me to ask. I ask him why he hasn?t asked me before. ?I guess I forgot? was the response. Why didn?t you call me to ask. ?I?m a busy man? he says!!!!!!!
This whole experience is unsatisfactory on so many different levels. The numerous failures to call back (which I haven?t even bothered to list), the reluctance to support the product you?ve sold me (which I kind of sympathize with, if I wasn?t lied to about it), to the multiple failures of the process. Some of your guys have been extremely helpful (Steve and Justin?)? but despite their best efforts something in the company has let me and them down.
Please, please can your office make sure that this is sorted out. I would use my treadmill pretty much everyday, so have already clocked up costs and inconvenience in using gyms.
I look forward to your response
Tim
This discussion thread is closed.