New Policy (begun January 2013) about Factory Walk-in’s with your guitar. in The D28 Lounge Forum

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New Policy (begun January 2013) about Factory Walk-in’s with your guitar.

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jay mom n dad	New Policy (begun January 2013) about Factory Walk-in’s with your guitar.	Lead	[-]
02/05/13 12:06 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None I live about a half hour from the factory and my modus operandi is whenever I’ve had an issue with one my guitars (I own 3 Martins), I walk-in to the Factory and show the guitar to an expert there. I’ve done this since the 1960’s. Well this morning, I learned there’s a new policy there. And I realize just how lucky I have been for all those years. Now when you show up unannounced with your guitar, the kindly receptionist will give you a card to fill out and attach to your guitar. You will need to leave your guitar there and you will be told by the kindly receptionist that in two (2) days, you will be called about your guitar. She did volunteer that if one will phone the Factory in advance and ask to speak presently with “Barry Henney”, then you can schedule an appointment through him to have your guitar examined. When I asked if Barry Henney was presently available, I was told he was in a conference call. I don’t know if any of you knew of this policy change. I’m writing it here so you have the benefit of making an appointment first before you wander in there thinking you’ll get your guitar looked at....like in the old days. Over and Out, Jay Last Edited By: jay mom n dad 02/05/13 12:10 PM. Edited 1 time.
HD28 Player		#1	[-]
02/05/13 12:21 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	thanks Jay....very good info. I also live a short drive from the factory, and have often driven over to have them look at a new (used) purchase or evaluate a concern on a guitar or uke. Sorry to hear of the new policy. I sure liked the friendlyness of the old policy. I always felt like I was treated like family. I guess when you're selling 100,000 units a year, the number of walk-in's has probably increased dramatically in recent years. Jim
MauryOM28V		#2	[-]
02/05/13 12:39 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	thanks for the info. View actual pics of in-stock guitars FREE shipping over $99 / 7-day return period Www.MaurysMusic.com 7-day return period/no restocking fee http://www.resellerratings.com/store/MaurysMusic_com
Cardinal2B		#3	[-]
02/05/13 12:40 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Thanks for the heads-up Jay! Its a 2-3 hr drive for me, so I'd hate to make it then have to leave the guitar if it just needed something small or a look-see... Jeff Current : 1949 0-15 \| 1959 D-28E2A Conversion \| 1992 J12-40 \| 1994 000C-16 \| CS-21-11 Past: 1976 D-28 \| 1988 D12-18 \| 1993 D-16 H 93 \| 2002 HD-28
Don Hurley		#4	[-]
02/05/13 12:50 PM Administrator Emeritus Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Whilst I can understand some disappointment at the introduction of the new walk-in policy, it's hardly unreasonable imho. Try turning up at your doctor, dentist, service station, theater etc without an appointment/calling ahead and see how far you'll get. Ymmv.
Rod Neep		#5	[-]
02/05/13 1:08 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It would be extremely easy to talk about how it used to be when Carmen Cortez was head of Customer Services, and nothing was too much trouble. Of the times that Lon Werner, Dave Strunk or the inimitable Mike Dickinson were more than happy to spend time with customers, going the extra mile to be of assistance. I have experienced it first hand, and I have seen it many times when I have been there at the factory. I captured this shot in 2009 of Mike assisting a lady who walked in with her father's old mandolin. Mike was just... well.... brilliant with her. Alas.... when things change to an emphasis on "time is money" rather than true customer service, and those people are no longer in those positions, things will never be the same again. Thanks Carmen, Lon, Dave and Mike. You had it right. You did it right. Rod
Robert Earl Keen Jr		#6	[-]
02/05/13 1:15 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Time is money...on the flip side, having ordered a custom guitar and waited 6+ months for it, I'd rather have man hours on the factory floor than handling walkins. Take your guitar to your local luthier or authorized repair person and help keep them in business. "Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." - Steve Earle. "I've met Bob Dylan and his bodyguards, and I don't think Steve could get anywhere near his coffee table." - Townes Van Zandt. "Steve Earle now lives in Bob Dylan's old apartment. I wonder if he ever hops up on the coffee table..." - Me.
jay mom n dad		#7	[-]
02/05/13 1:26 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	You are eloquent, Ron Neep. So, since we are looking back some at what now after this morning is "the old days", allow me to digress with this memory: My very first walk-in was in the old factory and an elderly man in an apron signaled for me to follow him with my guitar. He walked a few steps ahead of me. Down some hallway and then to the left into a large room. On the far wall was a counter that was covered in green felt. The wall had all sorts of what were tools and measuring devices that seemed to have yellowed over the years. A number of shapes; all of which were unfamiliar to me. The man said “Have a seat over there and don’t say anything”. I handed him my guitar and dutifully complied. From my distance, I watched him lovingly handle my guitar and making use of a variety of his assorted tools. As he would do this and that, he took notes. When he was finished the exam, he came over and sat next to me and went down his notes, using his pencil with a check-mark: “This is covered by the warranty; this is covered by the warranty….” Etc. He said a fret job was needed but "not covered by warranty" and quoted me the price which I can’t remember anymore but maybe it was $75.00. That guy was a pro. I knew my guitar was in good hands. Well, change is part of life. But I’ll remember that old guy in the apron as about the best; Lon Werner runs a close second…. Jay
PengyWengy		#8	[-]
02/05/13 2:05 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	This isn't just a Martin thing... Business as usual in this country has become "lets do more with less." The effects are far reaching. I know someone who manages a very busy terminal, every year they get fewer and fewer hours budgeted for staff and training. When I worked in the hotel industry, it was the same way. People will just have to wait longer on hold, in line, for service, etc. I'm disappointed but not surprised at all. I still think they're the upper echelon of customer service, but the bar is lower than it used to be. I feel very fortunate to live close to Elderly, and if I needed something done I don't have to lose sleep about shipping and I know any work they'd do is solid. Mike.
Ste1956		#9	[-]
02/05/13 3:08 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Don makes a valid point. There are very few professionals who take "walk-ins." The luthier who looks after my guitars is a great guy and very talented at his craft, but it would never occur to me to show up at his shop without an appointment. I'm sort of surprised that Martin was able to offer that kind of service for as long as they had. A 48 hour turn around on the phone call back is still pretty good service by most standards I would think. Stephen
.		#10	[-]
02/05/13 3:17 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Ste1956 wrote: Don makes a valid point. There are very few professionals who take "walk-ins." The luthier who looks after my guitars is a great guy and very talented at his craft, but it would never occur to me to show up at his shop without an appointment. I'm sort of surprised that Martin was able to offer that kind of service for as long as they had. A 48 hour turn around on the phone call back is still pretty good service by most standards I would think. Stephen Gotta second that! Seems there are many more in need of a look see than ever! Calling first works best for me too. J.D.
Taylor 714		#11	[-]
02/05/13 3:47 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	jay mom n dad wrote: She did volunteer that if one will phone the Factory in advance and ask to speak presently with “Barry Henney”, then you can schedule an appointment through him to have your guitar examined. When I asked if Barry Henney was presently available, I was told he was in a conference call. Barry Henney (or 'Bazza', as he likes to be called) is a great guy, have dealt with him via e-mail on several occasions and he often gives prompt, detailed and helpful replies.
ScooterD35		#12	[-]
02/05/13 3:49 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Robert Earl Keen Jr wrote: Time is money...on the flip side, having ordered a custom guitar and waited 6+ months for it, I'd rather have man hours on the factory floor than handling walkins. Take your guitar to your local luthier or authorized repair person and help keep them in business. I used to do this but, no more. I live in NJ where there are no authorized warranty repair places. So now, even for something simple that would take 20 minutes to fix, I have to either pay for shipping both ways or make the hour+ drive (each way) twice to get it done. $60 worth of gas or shipping means my price for warranty work just doubled. Scooter (BTW, the repair dept. has nothing to do with the production side of things so no building time is lost on walk-ins.)
fixj		#13	[-]
02/05/13 4:02 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Levels of service change, but not always. I remember back in around 1980 I saw a shoe repair place that advertised "shoes repaired while you wait". I thought this was great and took a pair over at lunchtime. The repairman handed me a ticket and said they would be ready on Thursday. I asked him about the "repaired while you wait" sign and he came back with " yes, and you'll wait till Thursday!" Never forgot that.
Martinman55		#14	[-]
02/05/13 4:41 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Martin serves a variety of customers that place different values on different services. In the end, as long as a business gets a fair return for value provided, then services are available. How many customers of Martin took advantage of the walk-in service? Likely a very small % overall, and I wonder if they would be willing to pay for the value they received? All businesses are challenged with making a (marginal) profit in a highly competitive environment, and are no longer able to give everything to everyone ... they must choose where to allocate their resources. It seems like the proposed approach is a good compromise, still allowing access to factory specialists for those who are interested, while managing the disruption and cost to the business. In the end, money talks ... and we all have the ability to choose another manufacturer. As lousy as that sounds, it's the reality of the environment. I guess if enough customers walked away from Martin because of a policy change like this, they would reconsider their policy.
JacksonBrowneFan1		#15	[-]
02/05/13 4:59 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It makes sense from a dollars and cents standpoint. I don't think anyone disputes that. However it's the little things in life that delight. Those who were able to take advantage of a service like that were exposed to the company's culture in a very meaningful way. Now that it's gone, I can understand their feeling that something has subtly changed in a brand they've grown to love. It went from being more 'personal' to less. And that's never a positive thing. No matter how much business sense it makes.
Robert Earl Keen Jr		#16	[-]
02/05/13 5:25 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'd say if anything Martin is moving into a MORE intimate relationship with the customers. for the last decade or more UMGF has had unprecidented cozy access to the factory and the key players. We've had special editions and input into customs that a rock star would be hard pressed to get in decades past. We have personal tours and talks by the CEO. Perhaps, rather than a decline in service, they have determined they will do BETTER service by taking a little more time, a little more care, a little more effort. Or maybe they just have so much demand they can't do it anymore. Whatever the case, we common folk have a better relationship with the company than we ever have. Don't let one little change make you loose sight of that. "Townes Van Zandt is the best songwriter in the whole world and I'll stand on Bob Dylan's coffee table in my cowboy boots and say that." - Steve Earle. "I've met Bob Dylan and his bodyguards, and I don't think Steve could get anywhere near his coffee table." - Townes Van Zandt. "Steve Earle now lives in Bob Dylan's old apartment. I wonder if he ever hops up on the coffee table..." - Me.
jscio		#17	[-]
02/05/13 5:38 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I've never had an issue with Martin service. I've always called, let them know I was coming - and when - and I've always been able to speak with someone. This goes back to the early 70's. Try walking into your doctors office and tell them you want to see the Doc right then and there. "Uh, the Doctor won't see you now." Walk into an auto dealer and tell them you want work done on your car at that moment. Don't call ahead. Let me know how that works out for you. Go to a popular restaurant tell them you will not wait and you want a table. Now. I see McDonalds in your future. Common courtesy is a two way street. Queen Annes Revenge, loyal sea dog, grog. Golden Nehru Jacket Award
FourOnSix		#18	[-]
02/05/13 5:53 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	A bit of push back. Would they tell you to come back in two days to buy something? Presumably this service--probably for very few folks in the grand scheme--was built into the costs all of us paid for their products and services. It wasn't as if this was truly free lunch. That kind of atmosphere preserves the company's connection to its roots and it sends an important message to loyal owners about the kind of company they're dealing with. If they sell tens of thousands of guitars a year, how much more per guitar would it be to be truly accessible to those who took the time and effort to come out to the factory? In fact, they may have made money from doing more (non-warranty) repairs for things they spotted through informal inspections and sold more guitars to owners whose loyalty was upped a notch. Maybe you'd be less likely to look at that Santa Cruz or Collings after that experience. That kind of thing deepens customer loyalty. I doubt I'd ever avail myself of the walk-in service. But it was nice to know they provided it to those who wanted it. I'm not saying Martin is now consigned the bottom rung of corporate America, but it's sad to lose this old fashioned touch. By the way, I expect more out of Martin than I expect from the U.S. healthcare delivery system!
Thunder22		#19	[-]
02/05/13 6:42 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	ScooterD35 wrote: I used to do this but, no more. I live in NJ where there are no authorized warranty repair places. So now, even for something simple that would take 20 minutes to fix, I have to either pay for shipping both ways or make the hour+ drive (each way) twice to get it done. $60 worth of gas or shipping means my price for warranty work just doubled. Scooter (BTW, the repair dept. has nothing to do with the production side of things so no building time is lost on walk-ins.) Scooter - I live in Northern NJ as well, and Alex at Iron Horse Instruments has a great shop, and he's Martin authorized.
Imapickn		#20	[-]
02/05/13 7:04 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	What I find most surprising, is that apparently in the UK, you must call ahead before you drive into the "service station" ... Don, once there, do you still have to pump your on petrol ?? Imapickn I could be wrong, I was once before ..

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New Policy (begun January 2013) about Factory Walk-in’s with your guitar.

New Policy (begun January 2013) about Factory Walk-in’s with your guitar.