Good service from Lee Valley

I purchased a set of knee-pads from LV a couple of months ago, and just the other day I got a letter in the mail from them. Basically it was a "recall" letter that stated they were aware of a problem (the plastic caps coming unsnapped during usage) and that if I was experiecing the same problem I should call customer service.

I did call, as they occasionally do come unsnapped, and a new set is on the way.

Nice job Lee Valley.

JP

Reply to
Jay Pique
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Hah. That evil tool pimp has gotten my money for the last time, right after I place my next order. I'm sick and tired of his innovative tools and customer service. I want cheap, low grade crap from China, and I want to wait three weeks to receive it.

Reply to
Silvan

I'm getting sick and tired of having the option of buying quality tools at a fair price. Can't something be done about this?

Reply to
Dave Balderstone

Worse. He taunts you with catalogues too.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

Good service from Lee Valley

Isn't this redundant?

Reply to
Wes Stewart

Just to pile on a little My latest LV shipment was to include the full Veritas scraper package. Order arrived minus the variable angle burnisher. One email later and they apologized for the inconvenience and shipped it immediately no questions asked. Who ever packed the original order did not check off the burnisher so there is an opportunity for improvement there. LV is an excellent etailer my only wish is they had a west coast presence BTW this is the first time I've produced little curly's with a scraper in stead of dust

Reply to
joey

Be careful with that scraper. I got mine a few weeks ago and now have to get the blood off of my wood work :-(

Reply to
Stacey

amazingly thin and fluffy shavings, aren't they?

Reply to
bridger

Yesterday I went to the lumber yard to pick up some more maple for the mother of all chests of drawers I'm building. While waiting to pay for my boards I glanced down at a copy of the monthly employee newsletter that was on the counter. My attention was drawn to something in particular on the front page--my own name?!

I picked it up and started reading the message from the company president about a couple of letters she had received recently from satisified customers and she wanted to tell the company about them.

A few months back, when I started the project, I called this lumber yard and asked about buying rough sawn lumber. The fellow who took my call was very helpful, quoted me prices for various species and thicknesses and answered all my silly newby questions. When I arrived at the bulk yard the guys had already pulled pallets full of lumber for me to pick through and checked in on me to make sure I was getting everything I wanted. Half a day and a half a thousand dollars later, I drove away with a van full of lumber and a lot of gratitude for the service I had received.

In a world where people are quick to complain, I decided somebody should hear about something different. I sat down and composed a letter of thanks to the company president, explaining how helpful her employees had been (naming names) and that they had earned a loyal customer (despite the 45-60 minute drive). I had hoped she might share the letter with the employees involved.

So, it was quite a surprise to see her share it with the whole company through her newsletter. She quoted the letter at length, included pictures of the employees I had dealt with, and concluded her monthly message with, "This is why we do what we do." It made me feel good that she chose to publicly praise her employees after receiving my letter.

I quipped to the cashier that I was flattered to have made the front page. "Oh, is that you? Hey Jim!", he yelled, "Come up here. The guy who wrote that letter is here buying more wood." Jim (one of the employees I had mentioned) came out of the back office and shook my hand. "You have no idea how nice that letter was. The president called me immediately. Morale around here is definitely up."

I don't share this to toot my own horn. I'm doing it because there are still places like this lumber yard and Lee Valley tools that really do provide customer service. It took me about 15 minutes to write the letter, a small investment of my time. If we each took a little time to praise when it was warranted, we'd probably spend a lot less time condemning later.

Ian

Reply to
Ian Dodd

snipped-for-privacy@all.costs wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

And addictive. If you're not careful, you can have so much fun that you have a hollow to deal with. DAMHIKT.

Patriarch, who only recently broke the code on card scraper tuning...

Reply to
patriarch

I recently refurbed a handsaw filing vise and use it for card scraper sharpening. it's *perfect* for that application.

Reply to
bridger

Shhh... you might wake up Boobert.

Mike

Reply to
Michael Daly

Very cool Ian.

UA100

Reply to
Unisaw A100

Yeah. Getting it right with a scraper for the first time is damn near a religious experience. I got the Woodsmith scraper sharpening jig (perhaps from LV?) and suddenly I was doing stuff right with the scraper. That and the #80 holder and life got a whole lot more rewarding.

Moral: If you don't know scrapers, spring for a package.

--RC

You can tell a really good idea by the enemies it makes

Reply to
rcook5

Darn! Last time I used a scraper was in HS wood shop in early '50's. Now you've all got me drooling over the prospect of doing *that*. Guess I'm gonna have to break out the crowbar.

Reply to
Norman D. Crow

They do have 2 stores in the west coast: Vancouver and Coquitlam

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Reply to
f/256

Excellent thought. I am SO dense. I've been doing it freehand in a face vise. Next time I'll use my saw vise and saw file/holder. Anything else that 's nice and obvious that I shoulda thought of?

Dave in Fairfax

Reply to
Dave in Fairfax

Nice to hear something postive and inspiring for a change.

Reply to
mp

Well done. On the flip side of the recent Rockler clamp episode. I noticed at my local Rockler store that they had plenty of leftover P/C routers, Master Lifts, and clamping straight edges from the same sale that involved the clamps. I haven't seen a single poster showing any sympathy for Rockler having ordered too many of those items, only lame complaints from those who felt that they had some sort of right to buy as many Bessey clamps at less than cost as they could carry.

Funny how when a company tries to do right they get ignored, when somebody perceives them to have done wrong, they get pilloried. I wonder if some of the guys whining so much about the clamp deal will buy a couple of routers...but I sorta doubt it. Consumers today mainly want everything for nothing or as close to nothing as possible. We all complain about job losses and lower quality as we pull into the parking lots of the Borg's and Walmarts of the world. The advice, tips and general good will I've gotten at my local Rockler far surpasses the couple of bucks I could have saved buying

4 lousy clamps. Not to mention that the president of the company has publically stated that they'll make it right to all the whiners. I wonder how many of them will be here praising Rockler when that happens...your letter was the right thing to do.

John Emmons

Reply to
John Emmons

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