Outstanding Service

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

G'day all and a slightly belated Happy New Year.

On a recommendation in one of the forum threads, I ordered some brass flat from M-Machine in Darlington. Due to a Paypal hiccup, the payment was made as an e-cheque instead of instant payment – this would mean a delay for cheque clearance. I e-mailed M-Machine explaining the situation and asking them if they could cancel the payment so that I could redo the transaction.

Reply today as follows –

"I have sent your brass flat by post today.The payment can arrive in its own time.

Best Regards

Doreen Myers
M-Machine"

I'm quite gob-smacked – I thought that this sort of customer service had long since disappeared! My total personal recommendation, therefore, (for what it's worth!) and best wishes for their future success.

Just a VERY happy customer.

Rgds

Bill

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

[Ian WelfordParticipant @ianwelford58739]

I've had great service from them over the years. As well as great advice and help with queries.

Just nice people ( no connections apart from satified customer )

Ian

[TerrydParticipant @terryd72465]

the title of this thread reminds me of the scarecrow that was awarded an MBE for being outstanding in his field ,

Sorry, I couldn't resist,

Best regards

Terry

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

I've been to see them in person with living nearby at Thirsk. As you have all said, nice helpful people and a pleasure to do business with.

Brian

[Bob PerkinsParticipant @bobperkins67044]

I'll echo Cornish Jack's comments, and add Arceurotrade and Chronos to the list. I have had excellent value and service from both of these over the past six months.

A suggestion for the site David, perhaps in light of more recent posts from dissatisfied customers of some suppliers. How about some kind of indicator of customer satisfaction for our suppliers. I'm not sure how, perhaps based on an EBay type feedback. A quick visual marks out of ten, or red amber green system perhaps? I,m sure there will be some thoughts.

Bob P

[Michael Cox 1Participant @michaelcox1]

I've been using M-Machine for more than eight years and I am very satisfied with their service.

Doreen Myers usually answers the phone and is always very helpful.

Mike

[John CParticipant @johnc47954]

Rather than start a new thread, I thought I would add some more Outstanding Service awards to this one. That way they are all together and may help people choose suppliers in the future.

First off, Simply Bearings. Ordered a pack of Oilite Bushes Wedneday evening and they arrived Friday morning. Fantastic!

Second, Verdict Repair Dept, Part of MJ Allen Group. I enquired about servicing a no longer produced T8 dial indicator. Kevin agreed to look at the item, subject to the usual fee and the caveat that parts were no longer available. I posted the indicator on Tuesday, had a phone call from Kevin on Wednesday and the item arrived, looking like new, in Friday's post. Again, oustanding!!

And I have to admit, contrary to the many criticisms they receive, Royal Mail did OK too!!

No connection to any of the above, just a very satisfied customer,

John

[john fletcher 1Participant @johnfletcher1]

I ordered some bolts from EKP yesterday afternoon and was here this morning.Barnstaple to Scarborough, congratualtions to the post and EKP.

[John CoatesParticipant @johncoates48577]

I bought an inverter from Drives Direct and they made me up a remote control pod to my specification (start, stop, forward, reverse, jog and variable speed) to go with it. Well happy and would recommend them.

[jim bothParticipant @jimboth37830]

i have to say that good service far out weighs bad service! just a shame that the worst service was my biggest ever purchase……………………………

[GaryMParticipant @garym]

How's this for a tale of customer service. I ordered a milling machine (whoopee) from ArcEurotrade on the 5th Jan 2013. Delivery was planned for today (14th). Then last Saturday, February's MEW arrived and I noticed that Arc had an advert with a special offer on the exact machine I'd ordered offering over £220 worth of accessories included in the price. The offer period doesn't start until the 15th. To say I was gutted is an understatement. These were the items I would have had to buy in the next few months. So I phoned them this morning to express my disappointment even though I thought it was just my bad luck to have ordered at the wrong time and would have to put it down to experience. However I was absolutely delighted when Ian at Arc told me the accessories had already been included in my consignment which duly arrived around mid-day. If this is not an example of outstanding customer service then I don't know what is. I think they have a customer for life.

Many thanks to Ian and Ketan

Gary

[John CParticipant @johnc47954]

Nice one Gary!

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

Whilst this is not about deliveries, it is about businessmen good to deal with. A number of years ago when starting to pack up the stand at Brighton Modelworld, I did a deal with Ketan and bought a very nice white bench lamp for a very good price. Even today many suppliers are charging very much more for the same or similar lamps, usually £40+. It was a bendy – arm magnifying lamp with a circular fluorescent tube. Another time I went to visit Warco and purchased a bandsaw. I was assisted in loading it into back of my car and managed to cut my finger and Roger Warren disappeared and came back with a plaster! I`ve always found Roger and his staff pleasant to deal with. Shame about the odd scumbag who lets the side down.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

With emai, text, and mobile there is no excuse for businesses not requesting the same in order to keep you informed of key stages

I recently ordered something (not tooling) online and immediately received an automated email for delivery day in 1 week as expected, though anytime 6am to 7pm not so good. Next day got email confirming delivery in 24hrs !. Luckily able to move day off to receive and good to get it before weekend. Then got mobile call from van driver asking if 5am was ok ! Actually also good as I could avoid using day off. So some messing around but at least they used the technology available to communicate with me.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

On the whole model engineering suppliers still know what service is.

Neil

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Thanks to CuP alloys for a wee order made on Sunday, acknowledged on Monday, received today (tuesday).

Neil

[DismalduncParticipant @dismaldunc]

I ordered some solder off CuP alloys recently, but by mistake ordered the wrong type, cup not only sent out the replacement before they received the first lot back. They didn't even charge me postage (which I was quite happy to pay ) sterling service and my custom forever

Dunc

[DMBParticipant @dmb]

I have met some of the old advertisers, now long gone. Who remembers Charlie Kennion? or possibly more obscure, Fred Stone? FS was very distinctive, wooden leg, heavy black-framed glasses broken bridge repaired with a strip of brass and copper rivets!! John

[ianjParticipant @ians]

I ordered a M8 tap from Tracy Tools at 15.00 hrs on Monday & received it the following day at 11.00 hrs.

Beat that if you can !!

Ian

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

Back in my nursing days, when I was into radio, (1970s), I ordered some radio parts from Yeysu in Japan on a Monday, and they arrived on the Wedensday, thats in the days of telegrams, and to a rural address, I still can't believe it, it would have taken a week from Dunedin, the nearest large town.

Ian S C

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

I placed an order (from Canada) on Chronos recently it was on the weekend and I received an email on the following Monday to tell me that the website had screwed up the shipping calculation. They apologised profusely for the time lost (a day or so …. it really didn't bother me) and I accepted the new (higher) charge.

I was then surprised that the parcel showed up a day or two later by Fedex (previous orders have always come by mail). I can only assume that they were so mortified by the minor delay caused by the site problem that they decided to expedite the parcel.

This was very nice of them and I truly appreciate the thought …..but ….. I wish they had said. I'd have asked them not to, knowing that the Fedex delivery would (and did) arrive together with a healthy Fedex/Customs bill which swamped the cost of the goods (regular mail at that value comes straight through).

Basically though, it was good service – I just have to be a little more careful in future.

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

I'm sure we all remember 'please allow 28 days for deleivery"

Neil

[WolfieParticipant @wolfie]

As a beginner I have been more than pleasantly surprised by the service and also advice I have had from suppliers. Particularly in two cases where the offending machine wasn't even bought from them. Mentioned in despatches: Arc Euro, M-Machine, Tracy Tools and RDG.

We'd sit in the pub with mates moaning about poor service so I'm sitting in the pub singing the praises of good suppliers!

[Sub MandrelParticipant @submandrel]

Applause to EKP, order yesterday morning, delivery this morning. Not unique among 'our' suppliers, but worthy of a commendation.

Neil

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