[Antennas] Lack of Customer Service Support - Cushcraft

Tue, 5 Feb 2002 21:50:31 -0500 (EST)

Dear Ron:

   Your detailed defense of Cushcraft was probably 100 words more than I got when I made my inquiry to Cushcraft.  I believe if you read the whole tread, you will find similiar criptic and unsupportive responses from Cushcraft to others making such requests.  

   You see they didn't say it costs to much, it takes too much time, or we don't have the resources to provide this service.  To there credit, they didn't say their business is too complex for simple minded Hams to understand as you have.  What they did say was that Hams didn't have the inherient ability to change out a RF choke and therefore needed to buy a complete new assembly.  Probably very profitable for them, but also a transparent attempt to gouge a customer in need.

   Your business lesson 101 is an hypothetical discussion which overlooked some facts.  The company was nonreceptive and condesending. No explanation was offered or suggested.  This kind of treatment demonstrates a lack of business accuman; in particular, their failure to at least attempt to deal in a civil way with customer needs shows a total lack of understanding of basic marketing principles.  If you were in a business where your customers could pick up a microphone or send an e-mail [to a user group like this one] and tell the world how poorly you treated them, wouldn't you make an attempt to deal with the problem in a civil fashion?  

   So Ron, the real bottom line is that Cushcraft does make some good products, but this doesn't mean they shouldn't attempt to provide customer support.  

Ron W7MRR

P.S. I didn't understand the "old farts ham" comment at the conclusion of your monolog.  Perhaps you could explain how this adds to the supposition that treating customers badly is somehow all right.

--- On Feb 3, 2002, RM  wrote:
> Unless you really had BAD human interaction, please first understand
> that the cost of carrying parts in a small company is EXPENSIVE and can
> normally be a money losing event with resulting bad customer
> impressions.
> 
> Unless one understands the concept of selling 'value added' spare parts
> then you really do not understand the problems that small companies have
> in stocking and selling individual piece parts to the consumer.  
> 
> A Five dollar part (i.e., a choke) could cost the company 100 bucks in
> its administration of it as a spare part.........Would you like to buy a
> 100 dollar choke.  
> 
> However, the company could sell you a subassembly, the value added
> concept, off of its production line without losing money. But being hams
> and perhaps not understanding the 'real' cost of piece part spare parts
> you figure you are getting screwed.
> 
> If you have a human problem with a company, call management and give the
> company a chance to fix things.......Support the company if the product
> is good....Avoiding truly good ham radio supplier companies will surely
> drive the cost of ham radio stuff up...... Instead of buying off the
> self antennas you get to buy all of the parts from various commercial
> venders and build your own antenna.
> 
> Figure the cost of doing that......  The bottom line is that Cushcraft
> provides very good antennas to a very tiny business base (the old farts
> ham radio folks) at a decent price.
> 
> 
> Ron...........NU1U
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected]
> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of LEE R. WICAL
> Sent: Sunday, February 03, 2002 14:51
> To: Bill Mills; [email protected]
> Subject: [Antennas] Lack of Customer Service Support - Cushcraft
> Importance: High
> 
> 
> Fellas:
> 	The bottom line is quit buying CUSHCRAFT antenna! Then you don't
> have to worry about parts and bad Customer Service from them...which is
> NIL and NONE.
> 	I did! 
> 	They don't get any more antenna money from me any more.
> Besides....There are better products in the market place. Those that
> don't serve, they die on the vine!
> 	Lee
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 12:16 PM 2/1/02 -0000, Bill Mills wrote:
> >I had a similar experience with the Cushcraft Customer Service 
> >Department
> in year 2001.  After two telephone calls and two letters to the Customer
> Service Department trying to obtain the correct replacement parts for
> the D-40 rotatable dipole antenna, I sent a letter to the President of
> Cushcraft.  I received the correct parts within 7 days of posting my
> letter.
> >
> >Too bad Bill Cushman is deceased.  I am sure he would not tolerate
> the
> incompetence of the current Cushcraft Customer Service Staff.
> >
> >Regards,
> >Bill Mills
> >KC4AA
> >
> >
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