GREAT cust. service from STI; I am LIVID with TargetMaster

[randomoutburst]

I am VERY upset with TargetMaster in Garland right now, and I need to vent. I'm writing them an email of displeasure (because I don't think I can keep myself civil via phone) and I think writing about my intense anger on this forum FIRST will prevent me from completely losing it in my email.

tl;dr TargetMaster botched my order, blamed it on STI. I contacted STI and was told the truth about TargetMaster placing my order. STI found what I wanted and are shipping it to me next week. Three cheers for STI, two thumbs down for TargetMaster.

I placed my order on May 24, 2010. TargetMaster "called STI" while I was browsing their guns and accessories, and came back with a quote of 11-14 weeks delivery time if the order was placed that day. I remember commenting that it was a short wait time compared to other companies, and that it would put the longest delivery time, 14 weeks, right around my birthday in August. The guy who took my order chuckled and said, "Well, that's good timing!" I put a deposit of $610 on the gun and I was led to believe that my order was placed that day, with that wait period, and that it would be ready in late August.

On June 24, TargetMaster called me and left a message that STI needed additional information about my pistol. I did not get the message until after they were closed, and was unable to call back until June 28 because I worked all day on June 25, 26, and 27. They wanted to clarify the caliber I wanted the handgun in. I was told, and I quote:

STI said it's still early enough in the process that they've been working on your order, but they can't do much more without knowing the caliber. It shouldn't affect your wait time too much.

Yesterday I was at lunch celebrating with my husband, sister, and her boyfriend; I got a phone call from TargetMaster. I was excited. It was 13 weeks from the day I placed my order and I was hoping my handgun had been delivered to TargetMaster and was ready to pick up. The guy I talked to was very nice, but was the bearer of bad news: my pistol would only be guaranteed to be shipped by NOVEMBER 11.
He said, and I quote:

Well, when I called to check in on it three weeks ago, they said it was on schedule to be delivered when they first said it would.

When looking at what they originally quoted me, that was NOT okay, especially since they were telling me the week before the latest date it should have shipped. On a product like that, you would know if the handgun was not going to be ready long before the end of the quoted wait time, especially since they had "checked on it" three weeks ago. I was polite to the guy from TargetMaster, as he was just the messenger and shouldn't get the brunt of my frustration.

I guess they didn't count on me contacting STI directly to complain. I sent the following to STI last night:

To whom it may concern,

I am very disappointed in STI's handling of my order. I ordered a Ranger II in 9mm from TargetMaster on May 24. They said that STI quoted an 11-14 week production time. Next week would be week 14 from the date of order.

TargetMaster called me today to advise me that STI had extended my order to November 11. That is unacceptable to me. Three weeks ago STI told TargetMaster that my firearm's production was on schedule and should arrive before the end of August. When they called me, TargetMaster did say that STI might ship my firearm in late September/early October, but could only guarantee its shipment by November 11.

If STI had my firearm on schedule three weeks ago, what happened to extend my wait time by two months? To inform TargetMaster (and me) of this the week before STI initially said my firearm would be ready is VERY disappointing.

I have heard rave stories about STI customer service from happy customers, but I have yet to see it in this case. If my firearm is delayed by two more months, I find it hard to believe that STI only determined this towards the end of the original quote period. Had I been informed earlier I would have been okay with waiting longer, but I was expecting to have my firearm in hand this month.

I researched many different companies and firearms before deciding to support STI and buy one of your products. I can't help but think that had I chosen a different company, I might have a firearm in hand sooner, despite their initial quotes being a few weeks longer than what STI quoted me in May.

Honestly, I did do extensive research before buying from STI, but would have been happy to wait LONGER for an STI gun than another brand. I was just upset with the way my order was panning out and threw in a little jab indicating that I could have chosen someone else, but I chose STI so I expected them to make it right.

Imagine my surprise when I got this response back today:

I can understand your concern, however you information is not fully correct. I have 2 Ranger II 9mm pistols on order from Targetmasters both orders were placed on June 24 with a 24 – 26 week lead-time placing the order at Nov 11. I am not sure where you are getting your information but I can assure you that the above information is correct. From the orders received from and place for Targetmasters, STI is still within our quoted time frames.
I will try to expedite the pistol but cannot make any promises at this juncture.
I will update you as I find out more information.
Thank you and best regards
Jay

After reading that, I felt like a horse's rear.

Look at the date the order was placed by TargetMaster: the same day they called to verify the caliber. They said it had already been ordered and was being worked on, which I guess was technically true since I called four days later. But they have led me to believe that my order was placed in May and that it would be here in August. Then they tried to blame STI for the additional wait past what TargetMaster quoted me. Oh, and may I add that the original wait time TargetMaster gave me was probably a bunch of bunk to begin with, since Jay is talking about a 24-26 week waiting period for new orders only a month later than when I "placed my order".

My response:

In that case, I was misinformed by TargetMaster; I still have my receipt from the day I placed my order in May. They quoted me 11-14 weeks from STI at that time and led me to believe that my order was placed at the time I ordered my pistol on May 24.

When I spoke with them yesterday they made it sound like STI had extended my estimated delivery time, but it looks like they simply thought they could shift the focus from themselves and the way they handled my order.

I would very much appreciate it if you could expedite my pistol, but understand that it may not be possible. Thank you very much for the information and I will be contacting TargetMaster about this today.

Jay's response:

I hope that between the 3 parties we can take care of you and get this remedied quickly.
Thank you
Jay

Then, as I was typing this post, I got another message from Jay:

I have located a Ranger II 9mm, I will have to have ambi safeties add to it and this will take a couple of days to retro fit. If you like I should be able to ship this by the end of next week. This way we can help you and hopefully restore your faith in STI and Targetmasters.
Please let me know if this is ok with you.
Jay

I was floored. It wasn't STI's fault, I had indicated that I knew it wasn't their fault, and yet they were bending over backwards to make things right.

I would have been content with chewing TargetMaster out and taking my business elsewhere, then waiting on my order from STI because I really want that gun!

So long story short, STI just jumped through hoops to help me out, and TargetMaster was dishonest. I'll have what I ordered very soon, and I'm not placing an order with TargetMaster ever again. I will definitely be buying again from STI when I decide that I want a new toy.

What really gets me is that when I placed my order in May, I told TargetMaster that I live in Grayson County. I drove for nearly 2 hours to place my order with them because I had enjoyed doing business with them while I lived in McKinney and frequented their range more regularly. I purposely went out of my way to order from TargetMaster, even though there are half a dozen places much closer to home who could have handled the order. Probably would have handled it better, too.

[Oldgringo]

It's because you're a girl. Us old folk get a similar runaround from time to time. It just ain't right!



Show us a picture when you do get it.

[randomoutburst]

It's because you're a girl. Us old folk get a similar runaround from time to time. It just ain't right!



Show us a picture when you do get it.

I have felt like I've gotten the runaround for being female before, but I don't think it's the case here. I just think they made a bad decision to lie about my order. My husband and I have patronized their range for a while and this was the first order we've placed with them. Big disappointment.

But I'm very pleased with STI and am very excited about having my gun in hand soon! Photos will DEFINITELY be posted. :)

[Oldgringo]

Well done STI - boo Targetmaster.

I have zero tolerance for folks that shift the blame elsewhere; I was raised to immediately admit fault if that was the case and do whatever it took to make it right. In addition, I prided myself on letting a customer know that I had made a mistake even before they knew about it, take full responsibility and again, make it right whatever it takes.

Now, what I'm about to say next may rile some folks up but it's just a general observation:

The folks in Texas are almost always exceedingly polite and make all the right noises - but man, it's real hard to get someone here to actually do what they promised they will do.

Dell in Austin: "I will call you back tomorrow and let you know about your ABC software" - never happened.
Local gas company: "Let me get with my boss about your query and I will call you tomorrow" - never happened.
Local bank: "I'm so sorry that we declined your payment of $175 when you have over $xx,000 in your checking account - let me get back to you tomorrow once I've checked" - again, never happened.

I'm getting the impression that Texans - as perhaps a horrible generalisation, I know - are all talk and no go when it comes to customer service. Say the right things, get the customer off the phone - and then sit back and do nothing about the enquiry. I've had far better service almost all of the time in Africa, for pete's sake.

Seriously - a whole lot of Texans need to slap themselves awake and make a lot less noise and make with more action - it's making the entire state look like a bunch of lazy lip-servicers and I no longer believe that a Texan's word is his bond.

There's way too much truth in what Andy is saying above. Alas.

[CrimsonSoul]

I am very pleased for you how STI handled the situation for you, and grats ont he new toy

[wheelgun1958]

...I no longer believe that a Texan's word is his bond.

No ones words are bond. Those days are over. Get it on paper.

Seriously - a whole lot of Texans need to slap themselves awake and make a lot less noise and make with more action...

It's known as 'All hat and no cattle.'

[WildBill]

"All hat and no cattle" - I like that saying, very apt

I hadn't heard that one, but I like it.

[lonewolf]

Poor customer service is the rule of the day. Many workers are told that they must get "management approval" before deviating to handle a customer's problem, thus delaying any possible resolution and further aggravating the customer. My philosophy is that if I can fix the problem immediately, then I will do so. Otherwise, I will continue to make every effort to get a resolution and keep the customer well informed of the progress I may or may not be making. No stone left unturned, if you will. Even on occasions where the situation gets bumped to upper management, I will continue to follow up, as the customer will continue to call me since I am the primary point of contact. Nothing will fall into a black hole on my watch.

On a side note, one must also understand that there are situations where the customer is not always right, and there is nothing to be gained in working with an abusive person. I have been known, on very rare occasions, to say to a customer who is swearing and cursing, "Its obvious that we're not really having a productive conversation right now, and while I would be more than happy to help you out, I'll be leaving and contacting my supervisor to see that you get the attention you deserve." I then do exactly that. Fortunately, at the time, I had a manager that would back me up.

[G26ster]

I'm proud to say the company I retired from (a Berkshire Hathaway company), is the exact opposite. All employees are told to handle customer problems until the issue is resolved. Even if someone simply asks, "where can I find so-and-so, as I need to speak to them," we were to personally escort that customer to person they need to see, not simply say, "down the hall, first office on the right." A customer with a problem was "everyone's" concern, and we bent over backwards to accommodate. I always compare the customer service I receive to that model, and I am very often, if not 99% of the time, disappointed.

[randomoutburst]

lonewolf, I work as a server so I deal with customers who aren't always right on a daily basis. That's why I place a high value on politeness, both from customers and employees. You were lucky to have a manager to whom you could send unruly customers. Your brand of customer service is the kind of service I strive to give.

G26ster, I agree. I usually encounter subpar customer service and rarely see anybody go above and beyond. And as a server, I see my coworkers slacking and it pains me. They think it's not worth it to be kind and give good service. To be honest, in a system where you earn income based on tips, it's often not. But I know that if I give the best service I can, I've done right by me and that's something I can be proud of.

I've sent off the email to TargetMaster and we'll see what they say. EDIT: Oops, I only thought I had sent it. I found it in my drafts just now. Second draft is on the next page.

[jester]

I think any company with poor customer service in this economy deserves to go under.

[WildBill]

I've sent off the email to TargetMaster and we'll see what they say. EDIT: Oops, I only thought I had sent it. I found it in my drafts just now. I reread it and am hoping it's not too harsh...comments, anyone?

If the complaints that you say are "not a big deal" are really "not a big deal" then leave them out of your email. Concentrate on items that are really important to you. This will result in a more concise communication.

[jeeperbryan]

I stopped going to Targetmasters after 2 trips there. Both times I walked around the store for 15-20 minutes and didn't have a single person greet me or ask if I needed help. Both times there were very few people in the store. I can walk into Bullettrap (and most shops in DFW for that matter) any day/time and everyone is friendly and ready to help.