Corbin seat update.: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Sept. 27, 2011 5:44 p.m. 914Driver SuperDork

I ordered a seat from Corbin for my BMW R-90 in early July, pretty common item I thought. They took my money, sent me a seat and it's 1.5 inches too long.

Numerous phone calls and emails later, I get nadda. Everyone I speak with at Corbin, I have to start all over, name, why I'm calling and explain the problem. "Ooooo, I'm sorry, I'll look into it and call you or email you within 24 hours". They don't.

After two months someone named Jennifer says they can't help me and agree to reemburse the credit card, a Fed-Ex guy picks up the seat.

Cool, lets all walk away. That was a month ago. Several phone calls and emails trying to confirm whether they actually got the seat and I said screw it, call the Credit Card people and cancel the transaction.

Guess who called today.

I'm disappointed at their customer service skills, disappointed that I couln't get a straight answer until I contacted the CC people, disappointed that the salesman (head of sales) couldn't return my calls or emails until today, he claims no knowlege of my calls.

"Wait, tell me the truth, if I didn't cancel the credit card, you wouldn't be talking to me now?"

Well, I was just notified today.

He went on to explain that he doesn't really know what his people are doing, and YES, the researchers actually CAN make an off the shelf seat for me.

Whoda thunk?

After getting jerked around for over two months they agree to send me a seat without banging my credit card.

Sorry to go on a rant, but perhaps I'm spoiled by the GRM customer service skills. It's one thing to have a person jerk you around, but a major company like this? Just wrong.
Sept. 27, 2011 6:17 p.m. ddavidv SuperDork

Posted in the wrong forum, methinks.
Sept. 28, 2011 5:34 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork

Not off topic?
Sept. 28, 2011 5:41 a.m. ddavidv SuperDork

I thought you meant to post it in Sprockets.

The m/c world seems to be full of suppliers like this. In the KLR world we have Dual Star, which apparently makes Corbin look like they have their act together. I don't know how companies like this can still exist.
Sept. 28, 2011 5:43 a.m. JoeyM SuperDork

Love for GRM is always on topic.

Besides, this is useful info
Sept. 28, 2011 9:50 a.m. mad_machine SuperDork

very useful. Sorry you got jerked around for 2 months though.

I used to work for a theatrical Rental company. The equipment, to be honest, is old and worn out junk, but if something went wrong, we had a replacement on the way in less than an hour.

At least we had customer service down right
Sept. 28, 2011 11:24 a.m. bludroptop SuperDork

My company claims that customer service is the #1 priority and is what differentiates us from the competition. It is even part of our motto.

Truth be told, our actual delivery of customer service is occasionally outstanding, but usually mediocre and far too often quite terrible.

I've come to the conclusion that folks think everyone is born with knowledge of what good customer service is, and how to deliver it.

Whereas the truth is that most people think they are delivering good customer service simply by being "nice". That may be a small part of the puzzle, but it is almost never enough.

To me, it is like the difference between flying a jetliner and riding in one - just because you may have experienced it doesn't mean you know how to do it.
Sept. 28, 2011 9:56 p.m. Brett_Murphy HalfDork

"Great Customer Service" is going to be a moving target depending on what business you are in and what your customer expects.

For example, great customer service at an Applebees is going to be what you expect as normal customer service at Ruth Cris Steak house.