L&B: new customer service era

[CJKalle 0]

- Bought a used protrack here at the classifieds. It powered up, but used up the batteries within a week.

- Told the story to L&B. I knew it would elevate my chances to tell them it was mine for years, but instead I decided to tell them the truth.

- They told me they won't do anything. Its too old and I'm not the original owner.

- After a few emails I told Mads that I would of course pay for the repair

- Now he finally agreed that I could send it in.

- In the picture you see the result.

- Lesson learned: L&B's customer service is not any better than any other...

- I know I don't have a right to get service of a years old, second hand device. I hoped for it anyways, since everybody is always crazy about L&B's CS...

- I still think their products might be good, I just want to share my experience, so the next person doesn't make the buying decision up to L&Bs reputation.

- Their service might still be average. But if you are excellent and then fade to average, you disappoint.

- Lesson learned: no second hand electronics. Personal lesson: no L&B...

[inline protrack.jpg]

[excaza 1]

CJKalle

- Now he finally agreed that I could send it in.

Did they say they would fix it, or just take a look at it?

[demon4o7 0]

One report of how many? And yes, I agree w l and b, I mean Cmon.... L and b will have my money and their cs reputation is a good reason why. I've had issues w alti 2 in the past and nothing but good w l&b

[wmw999 2,452]

Quote

- Told the story to L&B. I knew it would elevate my chances to tell them it was mine for years, but instead I decided to tell them the truth.

- They told me they won't do anything. Its too old and I'm not the original owner.

I'm glad you told the truth. I washed my (bought used) protrack last year; they said it was irreparable over email (although they were quite sure it was very, very, clean ).

Later they did offer to replace it, in part because I'd originally initiated the contact via a dealer friend of mine. But, you know -- I did wash it, it was used. Seemed tacky, so I just bought another.

They can keep up with the stellar service as long as they know that in general their customers aren't going to abuse them. Some companies err on the side of protecting their assets, others (like L&B) on the side of protecting their customers. Only if it's a two-way street can it remain that way.

But it's good karma to be honest, and in the long run more fun anyway.

Wendy P.

There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

[Zlew 0]

CJKalle

-

- I know I don't have a right to get service of a years old, second hand device. I hoped for it anyways, since everybody is always crazy about L&B's CS...

- Lesson learned: no second hand electronics. Personal lesson: no L&B...

So you knew your expectations were too high, but hoped for something anyway. You didn't get it, so now use the net to declair their service is "average" and you have boycotted the company for future purchase.

I'm sorry your new to you gear didn't work out, but I don't think this is being fair to L&B. Their warranty is 12 months. Like any manufacture there is a point of no return where things cannot be fixed/repaired. It sucks to be the guy who bought the new toy and now has a brick, but that isn't their fault, and doesn't mean they don't have countless stories of going well above and beyond for the sake of customer service.

They have gone above and beyond expectations for me twice, and I still think their service is a great example for the industry.

[ghost47 18]

Well, I sent in my Solo for repair a few years ago. They fixed it, and mailed it back to me. Unfortunately, it somehow got lost in the mail, which is not L&B's fault. What did L&B do after I asked them where my audible was? Sent me a brand new Solo II. Plus they were very responsive when I contacted them, both initially and after the audible went missing.

So, they're still aces in my book.

OP, if L&B told you they would definitely fix it, or they took your money for something they didn't do, then I'd agree you have a complaint. If they just said they'd look at it, and then verified that it was too old to repair, then I say they did nothing wrong.

[strife 0]

Fairly similar to me, except for I was the original owner Viso2 but given I stuffed it I brought a new. I read reports here that more than likely that they would replace, but I just took some personal responsibility.

Not sure how you write of L&B products because its to old to repair. I think the lesson about second hand electronics though may be a good one.

[Joellercoaster 6]

Maybe 'too old to repair' just means it's too old, and they can't repair it?

Refusal to perform miracles is definitely average customer service in my book - send it back again!

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[darkwing 5]

I think you are unreasonable. Congrats on telling the truth, not that I see that as something congratulatable. First, you have no claim on any free service that I can see. Ok, so you are willing to pay. Lets consider what repair might entail. Products evolve, even externally identical products may be very different internally. I can easily believe that the only viable "repair" option may have been a completely new unit. That is, in effect, what they told you. Perhaps they should have said it more clearly.

In my book, they are still tops. They did nothing wrong here. In my eyes they most certainly did nothing to tarnish their reputation.

-- Jeff
My Skydiving History

[Remster 30]

I'm pissed off too. My 17 year old ProDytter's case is cracked and they wont replace it. What kind of crap customer service is this????

[/sarcasm]

Remster

[voilsb 1]

About six months ago I had a VisoII get broken off during a backfly wingsuit rodeo. I told them what happened, and that I only had the back of of the altimeter, and asked if it qualified for service. They said yup, send it in. Got a brand new one.

On the same jump my 4-year old Optima also stopped working, because the case was too badly cracked that I couldn't even tape it shut anymore. They said to send that one in, too. Got a brand new OptimaII.

Of course, I never e-mailed at all about one a friend broke while borrowing it, or one I lost in freefall. I just bought new ones.

Brian

[diablopilot 2]

You sure you didn't just get a bunk set of batteries?

----------------------------------------------
You're not as good as you think you are. Seriously.

[nigel99 480]

You know this is a recurring theme. L&B used to go beyond reasonable expectations, providing free replacements well after the warranty period, replacing abused equipment etc.

Clearly the economics have shifted and they feel the need to tighten their belts. It is really sad that their previous generosity, has now resulted in sour grapes and a perception that they have somehow lost their customer service.

To me customer service is responding to faults for equipment in warranty, sales enquiries and service issues in a timely and fair manner. Once you get into looking after equipment that is past the warranty date, then I agree that trade ins or repairs are a good form of customer service, that doesn't mean they have to be free.

I personally will continue to support L&B, I think they have great products, and I've only had one dealing with them regarding my Viso and it did NOT result in any freebies.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[stayhigh 2]

I think the guys name was stefan, when I met him at elsinore, he addressed the issue of plastic cracks on my Solo, and Optima, and on top of it he offered me free Viso for my Viso that flew away in freefall before the times of more secure mount.

I took new Solo and Optima ofcourse but I declined on Viso since I use Suunto Vector.

Can't beleive L&B did not sent you a new audible as a replacement.

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[babz 0]

To echo the points made above, I think you are being a little unreasonable. An unknown aged protrack which you didnt even purchase from L+B which couldn't be repaired. It's consumer electronics, try buying a 5 year old mobile (cellphone) and try getting it repaired when it goes titsup.

Chances are you can't.

My own personal experience with L+B was that I had a Solo Mk1 I bought a few years ago, the case split in a training camp and had to be held together with a bungee to keep it on. Emailed Mads asking about a repair (I considered it to be out of warrenty so would have paid). I sent it back, within 3 days of them receiving the parcel they'd posted a Solo II back to me FOC.

So I still think their customer service is stellar, but not infinite in what they can do for customers.

[Quagmirian 40]

I think it would have been better customer service for L&B to at least show some good faith and offer some kind of small discount on a new product, rather than saying 'there's nothing that can be done'. To use the phone analogy, if you took your old phone into the dealers and they said it was unfixable, wouldn't you expect them to at least try and flog you some kind of new service instead of leaving you high and dry?

[likestojump 3]

Quagmirian

I think it would have been better customer service for L&B to at least show some good faith and offer some kind of small discount on a new product, rather than saying 'there's nothing that can be done'. To use the phone analogy, if you took your old phone into the dealers and they said it was unfixable, wouldn't you expect them to at least try and flog you some kind of new service instead of leaving you high and dry?

My the same logic I would expect a tire store to give me a discount on new tires because I worn my old ones out.

Ya know, just because electronics don't have measurable "wear" it does not mean that the manufacturer must support them indefinitely. At one point you realize that you got what you paid for, and got your value out of it.

Paying for things is more or less playing it forward - allowing companies to make a profit is what allows them to do R&D and bring better/newer/more durable product on the market.

[mr2mk1g 10]

Only thing I can think should have been done differently is either:

1) Advice should have come on a headed compliments slip rather than a post-it note.

or

2) Should have had an engineers check log indicating its strip and showing what was wrong/why it cannot now be fixed because of parts unavailability or whatever.

I would have expected to be billed for 2).

[BrianM 1]

My ProTrack stopped working last fall - completely dead. I asked L&B how much it would cost to repair (it's an older one and I wouldn't have felt right getting a new one for free). They told me they won't repair any ProTrack over a year old. Not won't repair for free, not won't repair yours because it's too old, but won't repair any ProTrack over a year old. That last part surprised me.

Since mine was quite old, I wasn't upset about it. I like their products, and they've taken really good care of me in the past. I bought a new one. Now if the new one dies a month after the warranty expires and I can't even pay to get it repaired, then I'll be upset... but it does sound like that is their new policy, so I've got my fingers crossed that this one lasts as long as the first one did (which was a long time, BTW; longer than a brand new CYPRES would have lasted!).

"It's amazing what you can learn while you're not talking." - Skydivesg

[davelepka 4]

Quote

- They told me they won't do anything. Its too old and I'm not the original owner.

Ok, fair enough.

Quote

- After a few emails I told Mads that I would of course pay for the repair

- Now he finally agreed that I could send it in.

So you pressed the issue, and they decided to make an effort to help you out.

So you sent it in, and they were correct that it could not be repaired. How is this their fault in any way? They told you up front that there was nothing they could do, but upon your insistence, they went against what they said and gave it a shot.

From my point of view, that is excellent customer service. They went against their policy to help you out, it just so happened to be that they could not (just like they told you in the first place). For their effort, above and beyond their company policy, you come on the internet and bash them. Real classy move dude, real classy.

[popsjumper 2]

I'm sorry to see L&B get unreasonably bashed like this.

They don't deserve anything close to this treatment.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[popsjumper 2]

Quote

- Bought a used protrack here at the classifieds. It powered up, but used up the batteries within a week.

So, you bought a lemon and want the manufacture to make it right? Offering to pay is not a deciding factor here...it's not going to guarantee success.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[CJKalle 0]

You guys are so funny :-)

- I am happy for everyone who is satisfied with L&B's products or CS.

- I did not write that L&B did not do something they should have. Therefore I don't understand why I am unreasonable. I did not demand anything...

- I don't see any bashing or similar in my post. The average CS in this industry is very good. So might be L&B's (can't say, only had this one experience)

- This is really all I am saying: Don't expect more. I heard stories (like some on this page), so I thought it would be okay to buy a used audible, as long as it is from L&B. I wouldn't have, if I would have read a similar post to this one. That's why I shared my story...

- The information about other devices that didn't get service after one year was, let say...interesting... Thanks to whoever posted it.