The Firing Line Forums

Go Back   The Firing Line Forums > Hogan's Alley > Handguns: General Handgun Forum

View Poll Results: Does customer service factor in your handgun purchase?
Yes 106 77.94%
No 30 22.06%
Voters: 136. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old May 29, 2011, 09:41 PM   #1
TennJed
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 26, 2010
Posts: 1,536
Does Customer Service factor in your Handgun purchase?

Ok this is kind of a piggyback off of my other poll, but like I said I work in customer service so I fnd these types of questions interesting.

under normal circumstances (I know sometimes a purchase may come up that breaks your "rules") purchasing a handgun, does the manufacturer's customer service rep. play (what you would consider an important) role in making up your mind?

It does for me. There are too many quality firearms being made by comp. with good reps (ruger, kel tec, ect) to support comp. with spotty customer service (Taurus, Karh, ect).
TennJed is offline  
Old May 29, 2011, 09:57 PM   #2
oldandslow
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 2, 2007
Posts: 641
tj, 5/30/11

Customer service is definitely a big factor in pistol selection. For example, I had two new EAA Witness .45's which both broke frames and slides with low round counts and EAA refused to honor their warranty. So now I never, ever consider another EAA pistol. Most other brand's customer service have run the range of great to acceptable (I've used SW, Springfield, Taurus, CZ).

best wishes- oldandslow
oldandslow is offline  
Old May 29, 2011, 09:59 PM   #3
tguil
Member
 
Join Date: March 15, 2010
Posts: 41
You bet!
tguil is offline  
Old May 29, 2011, 10:10 PM   #4
Aguila Blanca
Staff
 
Join Date: September 25, 2008
Location: CONUS
Posts: 19,051
Absolutely.

For example, Taurus offers some handguns and some long guns I'd like to own. Except that they are made by Taurus, and I won't ever buy a Taurus product.
Aguila Blanca is offline  
Old May 29, 2011, 10:13 PM   #5
TennJed
Senior Member
 
Join Date: September 26, 2010
Posts: 1,536
Quote:
Absolutely.

For example, Taurus offers some handguns and some long guns I'd like to own. Except that they are made by Taurus, and I won't ever buy a Taurus product.
Couldn't have said it better myself. That hits what I was trying to get across. Even though they have a "lifetime warranty" I have heard/read to many bad things to (so far) pick up a Taurus. Lifetime warranties are only good if they are backed by a cust. friendly company (IMO)

If you own a Taurus you must choose no
TennJed is offline  
Old May 29, 2011, 10:38 PM   #6
raftman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 4, 2009
Location: Oregon
Posts: 1,890
My vote is no. Maybe I am just negative, but I assume no matter what customer service I call, I will end up getting crapped on so I don't really consider what the customer service reputation is when deciding on one manufacturer compared to another. Sometimes I buy guns that I know full well I won't have any kind of customer service available.
raftman is offline  
Old May 29, 2011, 10:38 PM   #7
JohnKSa
Staff
 
Join Date: February 12, 2001
Location: DFW Area
Posts: 25,569
I only care about customer service when I'm purchasing handguns I plan to shoot.
__________________
Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?
JohnKSa is offline  
Old May 29, 2011, 10:53 PM   #8
Don Glock
Junior member
 
Join Date: September 16, 2010
Posts: 1,141
absolutely it does!

i've owned a couple guns that were backed by lousy service (Para being one). never again.
Don Glock is offline  
Old May 29, 2011, 10:58 PM   #9
Lateck
Member
 
Join Date: December 22, 2010
Location: Arizona, USA
Posts: 72
My dealers stand with me if I were to have a problem.
I have had NO problems with any gun that I have purchased
So, Customer Service has not been needed.
Maybe I am lucky, I don't know

But I have recently been researching my purchase quit well.
In the past I only bought name brand guns, Smith, Browning, Glock, Ruger...

Lateck,
Lateck is offline  
Old May 29, 2011, 11:28 PM   #10
ClydeFrog
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 1, 2010
Posts: 5,797
"Dont buy junk."...

I voted no, but to be honest, if I read forum posts or heard a lot of horror stories, it'd make me think twice.

A few years ago I read a magazine item by gun press writer/use of force instructor Massad Ayoob about how he was permantly banded from the property of 2 US firearm companies. Ayoob did not state which firms he was not allowed into either.

In short, I'd save up or buy a high quality firearm over a med/low end brand that isn't known for quality or customer service.
ClydeFrog is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 08:39 AM   #11
Ozzieman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 14, 2004
Location: Northern Indiana
Posts: 6,117
I wanted to say no, but I voted yes.
Yes only in that from stories that I have heard here from other TFL members about some companies customer service (Taurus) I won’t buy any more from them.
Personally unless it’s a company that has a good track record (again from others that have commented here) I would rather spend the money and have a quality gun smith that I know work on the gun.
If it’s a carry gun and it’s broke from the factory, I won’t trust or carry it again.
TennJed, good question!
Ozzieman is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 10:09 AM   #12
lee n. field
Senior Member
 
Join Date: October 12, 2002
Location: The same state as Mordor.
Posts: 5,588
Quote:
under normal circumstances (I know sometimes a purchase may come up that breaks your "rules") purchasing a handgun, does the manufacturer's customer service rep. play (what you would consider an important) role in making up your mind?
Yes, but it's not decisive.

I have owned and do own handguns with no manufacturer support. In the one case, a milsurp gun no longer made (Makarov), in the other the maker is completely gone (Star). You do your research, and take your informed chances on acquiring parts, if needed, and fixing it yourself or paying someone to fix it if needed.

From a customer service standpoint, when I contemplate and research a purchase, I look at warranty, and reputation of the company. A lifetime warranty from a company sound enough that it will probably be there if needed, decades down the line, is very reassuring. This will cost you, up front, because it costs the company to be able to provide that. There's a reason why the XD is a more expensive gun than the HS2000 was. Same gun, but backed by an unknown company, with a 2 year warranty.
__________________
"As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. "

Last edited by lee n. field; May 30, 2011 at 11:24 AM.
lee n. field is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 10:39 AM   #13
Tyrant
Member
 
Join Date: December 26, 2010
Posts: 63
Absolutely, Parts and service reputation is everything to a successful firearm manufacturer as it is to me the customer. I factor in the warranty duration, turn around time, and those companies that may throw in a little something extra for your troubles.
I spend the time reading input here and on customer service sites before considering the purchase.
Internet is such a great tool
Tyrant is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 10:40 AM   #14
45Gunner
Senior Member
 
Join Date: August 8, 2009
Location: Boca Raton, FL
Posts: 1,902
I do not let customer service enter into my decision making of which gun to buy if I never have had any personal contact with that particular company, regardless of what positive or negative experiences others have had.

However, once I have a personal experience with a particular company, youbetcha. For example, I have had contact with Kimber on a couple of issues. I have found that customer service to be friendly, courteous, knowledgeable, and expedient. Everything I would desire in customer service so Kimber becomes high on my choices when it comes to buying a new gun. Same with Bushmaster. I had a question about a part and their customer service bent over backwards to make sure I had all the information I was asking for and even followed up to ensure I was satisfied with the way they handled the situation.

Good customer service will bring me back as a customer whereas bad or non-existent customer service will lose me as a repeat customer.
__________________
45Gunner
May the Schwartz Be With You.
NRA Instructor
NRA Life Member
45Gunner is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 12:14 PM   #15
WESHOOT2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 20, 1999
Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country)
Posts: 14,324
I own it; I'm responsible

I prefer to send guns to professional pistolsmiths, so 'factory' support means nothing.
To me.

I had a poor experience with EAA service in 1994, and chose to utilize a professional pistolsmith for further service.
Until last year, 2010, when I decided to 'test' EAA service again (mainly to confirm or dispel for myself whether the continued internet bashing was still deserved, or just internet 'lore').
While my phone conversations were not all full of flowers, my two pistols were returned promptly, and the service exceeded my wildest expectations (which were NOT artificially low).
The cost was ludicrously low. I'd anticipated one gun still fell under 'warranty', but the modifications I'd performed voided it.
Hence that less-than-flowery phone conversation, when they called to ask for more money. ONCE the caller understood I was not arguing, but merely wanted to know "how much?", things smoothed over.

Kudos to modern EAA service (okay, perhaps their customer interfacing needs a bit of polish, but as far as I'm concerned, BFD.
Fix my gun right; happy. Snarl on the phone; don't care.).
WESHOOT2 is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 12:16 PM   #16
old bear
Senior Member
 
Join Date: November 3, 2009
Location: Not close enough to the beach
Posts: 1,477
Original quality is my first concern, if you buy a quality product you should not need to find out how good or bad the company’s customer service is. Any company can make a mistake but the test of their commitment to the customer is how they handle any problems that arise. From what I understand Colt, Ruger, and S&W are very good at this. Sig and Walther are not so good, and then there is Taurus.

Have a safe Memorial Day all, and think of all the brave young and women who are protecting the rest of us.
old bear is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 12:20 PM   #17
highvel
Senior Member
 
Join Date: January 21, 2010
Location: Powhatan VA
Posts: 633
The best customer service is the one you never need!
highvel is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 12:24 PM   #18
44 AMP
Staff
 
Join Date: March 11, 2006
Location: Upper US
Posts: 30,487
Absolutely not

Other than the caveat that I prefer American made guns, if I am not after a specific model. Not because I expect to use their customer sercvice, but if I should need to, I like haveing both the gun, and the maker in the US, subject to US law.

This may skew your poll, but compared to a lot of folks (from what I read on the forum), I have NEVER had to use factory customer service for any handgun I had owned over the last 35+ years. Probably a good thing, as the majority of my handguns are either discontinued models, or have had their makers go out of business.

I have yet to buy a gun sight unseen, and I know what I am looking for. And, I do look, before I buy. If I can't look, no sale.

If minor things need fixing (because sometimes, things do break), I fix them myself. Never had a major part fail (knocks on wood) to date.

Ok, I'm not a cop, not in a situation where I have to carry a duty handgun, day in, day out. Not a competitor, only a (former) hunter and casual plinker, so maybe my guns don't see the use and abuse that some of yours do. And I no longer shoot as much as I did when younger, so even my most used guns don't get multiple thousands of rounds in a couple years time. Some haven't even been shot more than a few rounds a year. That could be why I never had the need for factory service, and perhaps why it plays no part in my decision to purchase specific guns.
__________________
All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.
44 AMP is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 12:30 PM   #19
WESHOOT2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: February 20, 1999
Location: home on the range; Vermont (Caspian country)
Posts: 14,324
great point

The 9mm Witness I sent last year had at least 80K rd-ct, much of it experiemental, and some of it in 9x21, 40 S&W, and 41 AE.
The 45 version had over 20K (40K?), some in 38 Super, and most of its ammo was definitely 'experiemental'.
WESHOOT2 is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 12:39 PM   #20
Kreyzhorse
Senior Member
 
Join Date: April 12, 2006
Location: NKY
Posts: 12,464
Yes and no. Generally speaking, I know that S&W, Ruger and Springfield will stand behind their product. After a terrible experience with Taurus, I've stayed away from a lot of second tier guns as a result. Customer service is one aspect, but I also expect reliability and quite frankly, if you buy a well made gun, your interaction with the customer service department will be hopefully be few and far between.
__________________
"He who laughs last, laughs dead." Homer Simpson
Kreyzhorse is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 12:57 PM   #21
C0untZer0
Junior member
 
Join Date: April 21, 2011
Location: Illinois
Posts: 4,555
No

I sort of pull from experience with cars on this one. I hate arguing / haggling with the manufacturer over the problem.

My wife owned a Hyundai and the bearings went out the front driver's side wheel. It was obvious to me that it was the bearings; you could hear it for one thing.

We took it to the dealer and they denied it could be the bearings and they wouldn’t take it apart to confirm. After a lot of arguing they finally pulled the wheel off and yes they admitted that the bearings were shot. We got charged $289.00 anyway. That was because according to the dealer - the brakes in the front were so worn that they were in a "dangerous condition", supposedly they had to put on new brakes - said they couldn't let it leave their shop in that condition. They also had the car locked in the back otherwise I would have just driven it out of there.

I don't care if a dealer will completely replace my pistol with no hassle and they will even pay for the shipping... I don't want to mess with it. I did a tremendous amount of research when I bought my Toyota - I didn't want a car that spent time in the shop, and I never wanted to deal with the jags I had to deal with at Hyundai. I did a tremendous amount of research when I purchased my H&K P7M8 in 1985 - I wanted a reliable pistol - period. I have never had a single problem with my P7M8 - not one failure of any kind. And that's what I wanted.

Some people don't mind shipping stuff back to the mfg and dealing with gunsmiths.

If I get into customizing / building Glocks & ARs maybe I would accept that as par for the course. I mean if you're going to play around with mix & match lowers & uppers, you don't want to order something from a company; find out it doesn't work well with the other stuff you have and then find out that you can't send it back. Same thing with drop in barrels or after-market slides.
C0untZer0 is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 01:05 PM   #22
CajunBass
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 6, 2005
Location: North Chesterfield, Virginia
Posts: 4,789
Not a bit. But then for the most part I only buy used guns, so I don't expect much in that department. I've also never had but one gun that needed service in my life (it got fixed).

Even in a new gun though, it just doesn't matter. If on the odd chance that something does happen, and the company can't/won't fix it, I'll just pay someone else to do it.
__________________
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 (NKJV)
CajunBass is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 01:10 PM   #23
JohnKSa
Staff
 
Join Date: February 12, 2001
Location: DFW Area
Posts: 25,569
Just to clarify my previous answer.

The reason I consider the customer service factor in a handgun purchase isn't necessarily because I expect to use it, but because I consider it part of what a good company should provide.

If they don't have a good reputation for customer service, WHY don't they? If they don't have a good reputation for customer service, in what other areas are they cutting corners?

Finally, a company that works hard to keep customers happy after the sale generally (though not ALWAYS) also works hard to keep customers happy in every respect and that includes putting out good products.
__________________
Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?
JohnKSa is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 01:18 PM   #24
tape
Junior member
 
Join Date: May 15, 2011
Posts: 136
if I worked CS, my attitude would deeply depend on the customers attitude, if a customer gets riled up because of something I have no control over (a broken firearm, broken parts) I may lose his claim and give him the runaround.
tape is offline  
Old May 30, 2011, 01:30 PM   #25
buck460XVR
Senior Member
 
Join Date: December 28, 2006
Posts: 4,342
Quote:
The reason I consider the customer service factor in a handgun purchase isn't necessarily because I expect to use it, but because I consider it part of what a good company should provide.

If they don't have a good reputation for customer service, WHY don't they? If they don't have a good reputation for customer service, in what other areas are they cutting corners?

Finally, a company that works hard to keep customers happy generally (but not ALWAYS) works hard to keep customers happy in every respect and that includes putting out good products.

......same here. Customer service, IMO, is like insurance. No one wants to have to use it, but if you do, you want the best. All manufacturers produce a lemon once in a while, be it a firearm or an auto. Having a place to take it and know it will be fixed and the issues resolved is important. Giving money to a gunsmith to fix a problem that would be fixed for free from the factory seems foolish......if there is customer support for that product. If there is no customer support, I always wonder .......why?
buck460XVR is offline  
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 08:59 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
This site and contents, including all posts, Copyright © 1998-2025 S.W.A.T. Magazine
Copyright Complaints: Please direct DMCA Takedown Notices to the registered agent: thefiringline.com
Page generated in 0.08697 seconds with 10 queries