I posted an OT ping to Rob Lee yesterday asking about "Bag Balm" and why they can't sell it in Alberta.
I received an email reply from Rob today, from an email account that's not his, 'cause he's travelling outside the country.
Customer service, or what?
djb
Sure it is great customer service, but now that you asked the question and have us all on the edge of our seats, what was the answer?
Sorry 'bout that... From Rob:
"The Bag Balm has a DIN number - so we need a licence to dispense it in Alberta....it's considered a drug....."
djb
Yeah - if you disolve as little as a gram in a liter of ethanol, then drink the mixture, it can make ya pretty dizzy and crosseyed
- eh?
No wonder those Albetans act so weird. Why can't they smoke up like them British Columbians?
Mike
On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 21:23:03 -0600, Dave Balderstone brought forth from the murky depths:
She told me that it stung too much. She's sensitive.
Yes, true CS.
On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 21:23:03 -0600, Dave Balderstone scribbled:
So, what is the reason? Could we make a pile smuggling it into Alberta?
Luigi Replace "nonet" with "yukonomics" for real email address
The other day I got a letter from Lee Valley. Inside was a cheque for $12, with a note saying that an item I bought six weeks ago has been reduced in price and they're refunding me the difference. It's not a lot of money, but it shows a degree of integrity and business ethics that is sadly lacking in most other businesses. I'll be a loyal customer of LV for life.
Ditto that. I graciously received a set of the Hirsch Firmer chisels from LV as a Christmas present. One of them came with a cracked handle and a signifcant chip in the metal. Not only did Lee Valley send a perfect replacement, but they sent a check for the return shipping to boot! Resellers I use for my tech job will not even pay for return shipping on defective equipment anymore. Keep up the good work LV!
-- Cheers! Duke
This is the ONLY company giving money BACK to their customers. Guess it refutes the laws of economics but I predict they will prosper even more!!!
I thought he was always outside the country.Canada and all, don'cha know...
Whadd'a you guys know about IT??? Any chance of sending you some projects???
Well I for one am an example of exactly that. I hadn't heard of Lee Valley until I started reading the wreck. After hearing all the great examples of customer service, not to mention the incredible quality of their products I ordered a catalog and have placed 4 BIG orders so far :) (On a side note, yeah, their low angle block plane is SWEET!!)
Ok, back on track here. So I had the pleasure of talking with their customer service last Christmas when I ordered their brick clip thingees. I had gotten the wrong ones and they sent out the other size right away. Wow! So, yeah, these days good customer service is sure addictive, you don't get it very often and when you do you want to hold onto it and not let it go.
Oh, and I've introduced Lee Valley to my coworkers who make sawdust/shavings as well -- excellent advertising machine, huh.
Glad to hear you had such a great experience with them, and hopefully they'll always be a private company so they'll stay focused on customers rather than stock prices :)
Mike
ummmm.......
Dave *is* Canadian.....
On Wed, 11 Feb 2004 23:10:45 -0800, Luigi Zanasi brought forth from the murky depths:
I can see the headlines (do you have newspapers?) now:
BAG BALM BOOTLEGGER BUSTED BRINGING BOOTY INTO 'BERTA
Check my email address. Dot Cee, eh?
djb
I had the expensive pleasure of working at 1010 Morrison Drive in Ottawa for
2 years -- literally next door to the Lee Valley store and warehouse -- and the store is just the same as online/catalog. Walk in with anything wrong, and it is fixed INSTANTLY. They have a "scratch and dent / as-is" area where they sell of things, and I've talked to sales folks there for quite a while about the products, and they aren't even making very much on it, if anything!Yeah, LV is the king. They have 3 warehouses here and must have 100
18wheelers every single day at their doors. Customer service costs them nothing, but the dividends are for everyone to enjoy.
I bought a tail vise hardware at Woodcraft about 2 months ago. It didn't come with instructions. It was a Veritas, so I emailed LV and ask if I could get some instructions for construction of the tail vise. They told me that none were available for the particular model that I had, but sent a PDF of one of the other models they carry. I was expecting to pay for the instructions, but they didn't mention it. I'll be placing an order from them tonight for some other parts I need for my bench, great company.
KY
We are missing out a lot here in Miami, Florida...only catalog and online....but an unsurpassed service and commitment from LV. Wish I could walk into one of their stores soon...
HNB
I posted here a while back (summer) with a similar tale. Bought a LV push lawnmower at a yard sale, and emailed them to ask if a manual/parts diagram was available. II had a pdf back in under 45 minutes.
djb
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