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Old 12-22-2014, 10:23 AM   #1
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While I'm sitting here stomping my feet and having a child's adult-size tantrum I wonder how many here have experienced the same thing.

Many of us here will go online or in store to buy stuff or even to see what's out there for the consumers. The newest latest gizmo or to find parts as a replacement, whether it's for our TTs and anything else in life.

I have noticed over the past several years that customer service had dropped exponentially. Example, you go to XYZ website to find a replacement part is not available and what's worse, is when we try to contact company XYZ (via CONTACT US) they just don't answer and if they do answer, it's usually some gibberish.

Recently, I had to contact my cell phone manufacture and my printer manufacture for a problem I had.
(Sorry, this is about the story not a particular brand name [as much as I'd like to]).
I also had a couple of those brand name power washers purchased at a very well know big box, home improvement store. After the sale and after the fact no one knows anything. Knowing my item would be slightly out of warranty I would try to order a small part to keep my product working. Nope, not available. I have to throw mine out and buy a new one.

What I have found out from a few suppliers, after intense Q&A, is that some of these brand names that WE all know have been bought out and Hijacked and a company in third world is making junk under these old trusted brand names that we grew up with. Looks like everything has a price and pride of manufacturing means nothing any more.

Too many people we know will just throw their old item out and go buy new. Boy, there goes the land fill.

I found that some of these unfortunate people in the call center(s) have not been trained, have little to no product knowledge and most companies don't want to train them.

I tried to contact an online support, by click for a couple of companies. You would not believe the gibberish I received back. These are online bots that pick up on key words that you type. You get all worked up and stressed and then your session times out. Insult to injury.

Just wondering if anyone here has experienced the same problems. IMO our North American products have been sold out.

I don't mind paying more if I know I'll be getting quality
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Old 12-22-2014, 07:23 PM   #2
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AMEN. I've had the same. All they teach these phone "TECHS" is to read from a script (that's if you can even understand their broken English). What I find, is I know more than they do about their product.
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Old 12-22-2014, 08:45 PM   #3
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Jerry,

We know what you mean and have the same gripes that you do. We go on-line frequently to research whatever we buy in order to get a good product with good customer service which, as you point out, is getting rarer and rarer. We make every effort to buy American whenever possible and, while most of the time it is a better product it is still no guarantee on customer service. There is a definite link between declining CS and when companies began outsourcing in the past 20 years. Many companies appeared to ignore the basics like having CS reps who are fluent in English and have also cut corners in the ways you mention. Some companies are now "backtracking" and bringing their CS back to this country but others appear not to care about CS at all anymore. If we continue to live in a "disposable" society then CS will continue to go downhill or simply disappear.
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Old 12-23-2014, 06:53 AM   #4
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From what I have read they figure all of the CS jobs will return to the US by 2020 due to rising costs over seas. It would be so nice to talk to someone you could understand. Here is my take on the whole business of shipping jobs overseas. The companies want tax breaks to start a business in your town OK fine but as soon as they move their jobs they will be responsible for ALL of the taxes they would have incurred at fill tax level.
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Old 12-23-2014, 08:00 AM   #5
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Pardon me but one of my biggest beefs with North American (Canada and US) is that old pride of ownership aspect. If we make it and it says made in USA or made in Canada there's a certain emotional tie and pride.

You can't expect a call center from overseas to have any pride or emotional attachment to a product not even remotely related to them.

When a person represents a company like you represent your car or your house or your front yard, do you not have a personal pride for your own turf?

Call centers over there, or even here, that are third party, those outsourced type, really have no attachment to the company that makes or sells are so far removed from the very company that we are trying to contact, it's not funny.

Mainah: I hope you're right because we need to get back to what is ours.
BTW 85% of our, Canada's, exports go to the US and we here in Canada refer to North American made with great pride attached.
We here also buy as much American made as we can as well but when we see store shelves with off-shore products it kind of gives us that queezee feeling inside.
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Old 12-23-2014, 08:50 AM   #6
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Personally I find it is and has been a global economy for many many a year/s and I also find that many things are made better outside the USA.

But that is just me, maybe.

As a professional model maker, prototype maker, product developer and light manufacturer, I have gotten used to the overseas trend many moons ago.

Our manufacturing is in the USA.
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Old 12-23-2014, 11:22 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bunjin View Post
Personally I find it is and has been a global economy for many many a year/s and I also find that many things are made better outside the USA.

But that is just me, maybe.

As a professional model maker, prototype maker, product developer and light manufacturer, I have gotten used to the overseas trend many moons ago.

Our manufacturing is in the USA.

I'll agree with you but only partly. There was a time when, for example, our North American auto makers were slipping behind the 8-ball. The Japanese came in with better built cars and we had to either shape up or ship out. I believe today that North American cars are built better than ever before. There are of course, exception to every rule.

But there are other products that we see on our shelves that are labeled as good ole North American made. Quietly behind the scenes there are companies buying the good ones out. Using the same label and nearly the same looks they're building cheaper so to keep prices down. Add to that those call-centers we talked about and then, multiply that by many, many manufacturers for various products and our retailers, buying on volume treat things like commodities, not products.

Yes, they have to make profits but don't make inferior products in the mean time.

Top brass also need to maintain that connectivity with their customer base. not sourcing everything out and selling their soul for "that buck"
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Old 12-23-2014, 02:55 PM   #8
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Yes RCA for example is "now" a Chinese owned company and there is no question that the quality isn't what it was back in the day. I'm referring more to companies and products that aren't using this ploy.

Consumer's must do their homework no question about that.
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Old 12-23-2014, 03:45 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JerryJ View Post
Pardon me but one of my biggest beefs with North American (Canada and US) is that old pride of ownership aspect. If we make it and it says made in USA or made in Canada there's a certain emotional tie and pride.

You can't expect a call center from overseas to have any pride or emotional attachment to a product not even remotely related to them.

When a person represents a company like you represent your car or your house or your front yard, do you not have a personal pride for your own turf?

Call centers over there, or even here, that are third party, those outsourced type, really have no attachment to the company that makes or sells are so far removed from the very company that we are trying to contact, it's not funny.

Mainah: I hope you're right because we need to get back to what is ours.
BTW 85% of our, Canada's, exports go to the US and we here in Canada refer to North American made with great pride attached.
We here also buy as much American made as we can as well but when we see store shelves with off-shore products it kind of gives us that queezee feeling inside.
I wonder how many Americans know that Canada is the US's biggest trading partner.
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Old 12-23-2014, 05:38 PM   #10
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I wonder how many Americans know that Canada is the US's biggest trading partner.
Unfortunately, not many. Also unfortunately not a lot of Canadians know about that either.

As far as buying off-shore products I think we'll all agree that items made in Japan, Germany and a few other countries DO make and sell quality products. Many are high end. My target was that of the other second and third rate countries that make and sell cheep stuff.

Disclaimer: I'm trying to avoid using certain country names and product names. Not to offend those involved. IMO this forum is not for the attack and I know it's not a political forum. My topic was/is that of generalities.

I only wish that some of OUR retailers and manufactures took our concerns to heart.
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Old 01-13-2015, 08:59 PM   #11
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I have not had a chance to use them but my neighborhood at camp(who was the camp host) swears that the Parts / Service Dept. (Robert) can get any part or point you in the right direction, great customer service.

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Old 07-13-2016, 05:07 PM   #12
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I found out about world wide conglomerates when I was working in a Mobil Station in 1965 and left to join the Army and went to Viet Nam in the Infantry as a rifleman….I found out during that time frame, that Mobil was supplying the North Vietnamese with fuel for there armed forces…Some people have no conscience when it comes to themselves and what they can take from you to benefit themselves….Dave
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Old 07-14-2016, 07:41 AM   #13
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Not to change the subject since I agree with product problems but I sent a email to our Federal Gov asking a environmental question. Never saw so much gibberish from a computer generated program in my life. Our governments have been outsourced along with everything else.
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Old 07-22-2016, 06:02 AM   #14
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And to add to that....

If I'm allowed to drop one specific name that we're all familiar with.. Coleman.
What camper does not own a Coleman product?

I actually contacted Coleman Canada about most of their products being made in China and how cheaply they're being made. The front-liner call center person had a rough time time answering my question because he/she had instructions to be careful (understandable).
Still, I was persistent and he/she actually escalated my inquiry. I talked to a top ranking sales executive and he too provided the same type of answer.
He said we have many items made in US and Canada Air mattresses and coolers don't cut it for me. What about the original life blood of Coleman?
Stoves, lanterns and other basics.
I also told him that people we talked to also agree that most seasoned campers would be willing to pay more for quality if it was made here, in or own back yard. They had no answer.
However, it's my opinion that if more people spoke up they MIGHT listen. (ya right)
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Old 07-22-2016, 06:35 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JerryJ View Post
If I'm allowed to drop one specific name that we're all familiar with.. Coleman.
What camper does not own a Coleman product?

I actually contacted Coleman Canada about most of their products being made in China and how cheaply they're being made. The front-liner call center person had a rough time time answering my question because he/she had instructions to be careful (understandable).
Still, I was persistent and he/she actually escalated my inquiry. I talked to a top ranking sales executive and he too provided the same type of answer.
He said we have many items made in US and Canada Air mattresses and coolers don't cut it for me. What about the original life blood of Coleman?
Stoves, lanterns and other basics.
I also told him that people we talked to also agree that most seasoned campers would be willing to pay more for quality if it was made here, in or own back yard. They had no answer.
However, it's my opinion that if more people spoke up they MIGHT listen. (ya right)
….The gov't could correct that by raising the tariffs on "ahem" oriental countries trade agreements….The cost of researching products in time alone makes it unattractive and as you say even notable US companies pedal Oriental stuff under their name ,so people are becoming use to just buying things, as they are getting stuff pushed down there throats by our gov't…IMHO…Its not just china , everything we buy is pretty much foreign made….
We even send US Fish to China to process it…I don't know the answer , but if I was playing the cards, I'd Trump the other players…..My wifes Camaro was built in Canada and My Challenger was also…My Ford Truck was built in Virgina in 2008….For some reason I don't mind Canada, however I should…They sheltered a bunch of cowards years ago…I should shut up now…And I willDave
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