Customer Service Question

[cts125]

I sent an email to Guillow's customer service because I purchased a kit that had serious misaligned die-cut wood....unusable. I asked for a replacement sheet.

I haven't had a response...followed up with a second email...same message....same result. No reponse.

I really enjoy building Guillow kits. I've built a number of them and maybe the wood isn't always the best but I've never had a problem before.

Is the lack of response normal? Am I wrong in asking for replacement wood?
I'd be curious about others experience with customer service.

Thanks!
CT

[mark]

I sent an email to Guillow's customer service ...

Hello CTS125 and all modelers on message board.

NO, I can tell you this is not normal. Our customer service person checks emails every morning and is very good at promptly reading and responding back to all customers. Questions she can't answer she forwards off to me for "technical help", then we get a response back to the modeler as soon as time allows.

One thing I would ask of you is to please check and make sure you send to the correct email address and did not have any "typo". It is cust_service@ .... sometimes people leave out the "_" or mistake it for a "- dash".

I will tell you that right now we are experiencing some small problems and a few "lost emails" with our service provider. We currently have a case open with Verizon Business Fios and they are looking into it for us.

Regards,
Mark
Paul K. Guillow, Inc.

[SteveM]

Myself and others here have always enjoyed good customer service from Guillow's. Others have reported that there have been times when they were a little slow, but I've never experienced it. I've always called so give that a try if you can.

[cts125]

Mark,

I checked both my emails and they had the correct address. Not sure how to proceed now. I sent you a pm with the entire email..perhaps you can forward it to the customer service folks.

I'm glad to hear this isn't typical. As I stated before, I've built a number of Guiillow's kits and been very happy with the result. I'd heard about problems with the wood but never experienced myself..before this. I'd like to think the bad wood, no answer to emails is just a fluke.

Thanks for responding!
CT

[cts125]

Well, sorry Mark, but eight days, three emails and still no response.

Now perhaps all my emails got lost (I double-checked after your post and the email address is correct) or perhaps I'm being too impatient...

It just seems like a brief email is due...even if it's to deny replacing the faulty wood...I'm just very frustrated and really can't think of any other way to address this. Customer service is the only email on the Guillow's webpage.

I know this is a relatively inexpensive kit and so I guess I should just forget about it, but it seems unfair.

CT

[dpcmodels]

CT,
Sorry your having issues. But it may not be the fault of Guillow. I would suggest you check your spam filter settings. Sometimes these can cause havic when sending emails and well as receiving them. Perhaps Guillow should do the same.

If all else fails, try calling direct to Guillow.

Dave

[dbcisco]

I requested info for purchasing a replacement cowl that wasn't in a kit a few months ago but never got a response. I guess I should now send another request.

[SteveM]

781-245-5255

[mark]

cts125

I did receive your PM and have PM'd you back. I passed your request for some new diecut wood onto our customer service person and she will send some new pieces right out to you.

Our customer service email acct has been experiencing some problems with "lost" emails and Verizon is working on that for us. Most troublesome were Yahoo and Gmail accts but I think we have that fixed now. Emails should now be getting thru fine.

And yes, you can always call us if you have any problems with other forms of communication.

Regards,
Mark

[cts125]

Mark,

Thanks for moving this along. I can only guess that it was due to the email problems Guillow's is experiencing.

I'll let you know when the replacement parts arrive (and post some photos when I get it built).

Thanks again!
CT

[cts125]

Just wanted to let everyone know that Guillow's sent out replacement wood for the faulty wood in my kit.

Thanks Mark for getting this going. I'm guessing the original delay must have been email problems.

In any case, all is well and I can get on with building this kit!

Thanks again Mark and Guillow's...

CT

[Bill Gaylord]

I have been having problems too with one particular person that you named here. First I asked for replacement wood for a kit that I bought and I was asked by said person to provide photos of the parts in question and this person followed that up by saying that all of Guillows wood is soft. I replied by saying, " Never mind, I figured that it would be a big hassle so I just placed a paid order for the parts." I specifically stated that I wanted soft wood replacements because what was provided was too heavy for a rubber powered model ( I am talking about bricks here!). When my order finally arrived, the parts were even worse than those that they were supposed to replace! I contacted Guillows again and told them that the order was unacceptable and they needed to provide the appropriate replacement parts!

I can understand wanting contest grade wood. Reality is that when a place offers replacement parts, most everyone wants contest or high quality wood. Soon they would have no high quality wood to pick out, as it would already have been picked out. It's understandable that they may simply give everyone a random sort, and not do requests. Other realities are that some places actually sort the lower quality parts to be sold as replacement parts, while the better quality parts are sold with the kits. Even Horizon Hobby does that. I saw absolute factory reject foam airplane replacement parts at the LHS for some of their planes, a few years back. It was obvious that they were packaging garbage as replacement parts. These parts should have been at least half-price discounted and factory tag marked as factory rejects, so nobody would try to sell them at full price.

As for wood quality in complete kits, I could see some relevant variables. If I paid top dollar for one of the die-cut kits after the recent price increases in the past few years, or for a recent laser cut it, I would expect good quality wood. Not too many years ago however, the kits were very inexpensive compared with others, and in that case the lower grade wood was par for the course with low prices. I bought a P47 not too many years ago for under $40, and just lived with one of the two identical fuse part sheets being contest light and marble grained (crushed die-cut edges) while the other was oak heavy and hard. These kits were quite inexpensive compared with others, back then. If that had been one of the recent kits after the price increases, I would have expected better.

[Steve Blanchard]

I'd like to think that Guillow's is working toward offering an increasingly better product. They started by offering up this board for customer relations and I'm sure feedback. They now have begun to switch over to laser cut parts which is a great improvement as well. They still need to work on the wood though. Even the Laser kits come with some sketchy wood choices at times and no-one should have to complain to get better wood. Let's face it, at this point when it comes to rubber powered model kits Guillow's must be the industry leader. With that kind of clout they should be able to be sure their suppliers send then only the best Balsa available. If I was buying in the bulk that Guillow's is I'd be certain of it. I do like the designs and the kits and would love to be able count on when I open the box I can just start building. There are other companies much smaller than Guillow's that do supply only top notch materials.

Steve

[SteveM]

Oh wood discussion!

Actually this thread and the revival of it is related to customer service. I didn't have to be about wood, it could have been about replacement plastics or decals. Personally I'd just cut new parts on wood of my choice using the templates on the plans. That way you get complete control over the wood you're using and the parts usually come out more accurately shaped which never hurts.

[Bill Gaylord]

I'd like to think that Guillow's is working toward offering an increasingly better product. They started by offering up this board for customer relations and I'm sure feedback. They now have begun to switch over to laser cut parts which is a great improvement as well. They still need to work on the wood though. Even the Laser kits come with some sketchy wood choices at times and no-one should have to complain to get better wood. Let's face it, at this point when it comes to rubber powered model kits Guillow's must be the industry leader. With that kind of clout they should be able to be sure their suppliers send then only the best Balsa available. If I was buying in the bulk that Guillow's is I'd be certain of it. I do like the designs and the kits and would love to be able count on when I open the box I can just start building. There are other companies much smaller than Guillow's that do supply only top notch materials.

Steve

I agree that the wood could and should be better. (waiting for someone to start that coulda shoulda woulda or the woodchuck thing now ) They've been supplying run-of-the-mill wood for so long however, I don't see them or anyone else changing based on the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" line of thought. More simply put, we haven't been forcing them to do it. The smaller companies have to supply high grade wood, as their niche market demands it. The few larger companies haven't seemed to be much, if any better. Dumas, which is one of the few larger small balsa model companies, uses contest weight wood, but that's it. Their contest weight wood has grain running nearly 90 degrees to the sheet (has a marbled look) and some of it is so weak that some of it is useless even for contest builders. The stringers are so soft and weak that they literally break looking at them, true to the proverbial analogy.

This is from the 900 series where we are talking about whole fuselage sides. It seems to be quite a contradiction that they used to offer these kits in 1/16th but decided that because of weight issues that it should be made in 1/20th. Then they use brick quality wood and it defeats the purpose!

How long ago did they use 1/16" wood in those built-up style kits? I always remember something around 1/20" or 1/32" sheet with those kits that I built, but only have been building them since '04.