Rant About Modern Business Practices (Why I love Alembic)

[lbpesq]

I have to get this off my chest somewhere!  Here's the set up: I'm currently building a new pedalboard employing a bunch of micro pedals.  A year or two ago I bought a Boss FV30L volume pedal with the intention of replacing my Ernie Ball with the smaller Boss pedal, but never got around to it.  I used the Boss pedal on this new pedalboard.  When everything was togehter, I plugged in, turned it on, and it didn't work!  Got out the multimeter/continuity checker and traced it down to the Boss pedal.  It just doesn't work.  The signal on the tip doesn't pass through at all.  Now I know it's long out of warranty, and I should have tested it when I first got it, but I at least wanted to let Boss know about this and give them the opportunity to make it right.  (Like Hercules that replaced three stands when mine started melting after ten years!). O.K., that's the set up.


So I go to the Boss site to send them an email or get a number to call.  What do I find?  Of course no telephone number, but I can't even email them unless I open an account and join the "backstage" club!
Exasperating!!!!   It makes one appreciate companies like Alembic all the more.


Bill, tgo

[edwardofhuncote]

I really appreciate the personal nature of business with companies like Alembic too. They do take very good care of us. 

Another of my favorites is Kaffe Magnum Opus. I love these people...  http://www.kmocoffee.com/

Note the telephone number at the top-right of the home page. Cecelia already knows I want 5 lbs of Jamaican-Me-Crazy, whole beans. I can call up there, and two days later (sometimes, next day) there's a bag of coffee on my porch.

[pauldo]

In a day and age when almost everyone has a phone attached to their hip... yet you can't 'reach out and touch' someone about their product - it goes beyond exasperating.

Bill I applaud your self-control. 

[growlypants]

Greg - Not to de-rail... (I couldn't find an e-mail link in your coffee post) how does that coffee TASTE?  It seems reasonably priced.  Should I try some out?  I went to their website, and they certainly offer a lot of different stuff.

[edwardofhuncote]

It's the best coffee I've ever had Growly... the taste is what sold me on it in the first place. Just started on my third cup today, matter-of-fact. 

(things not-so-quiet at the ol' workplace today...)

[jalevinemd]

Not to detract from your point - as I find big companies so frustrating at times as well - but I just had a very different experience with Boss.

I recently bought one of the MS-3 pedal controllers. I decided to build a tiny travel board for rehearsal. Anyway, I was having difficulty with some of my patch presets. I emailed their customer service late Friday. Got an email from them early Monday afternoon with detailed instructions on how to fix the problem, plus 6 helpful web links and a phone number with direct extension if I had any other questions.

Guess it's totally hit or miss with the big box companies, though you'll still never get the same kind of attention that Santa Rosa gives.

[gtrguy]

I buy music stuff through Sweetwater whenever possible. They have exceptional customer service and an 'in' with the companies whose products they sell. Sweetwater will get right back to you with a knowledgable answer that as often as not will solve the problem.

[growlypants]

(This is a message to Gregory - edwardofhuncote - ). Well, I went and ordered some of that coffee you raved about!  Just 1 lb, to try out - I ordered the Jamaican-me-Crazy, as well as a lb. of Italian roast.  I need to WAKE UP, man!!

[edwardofhuncote]

Be careful with that stuff Growly! 

Hey, Thanks for supporting the caffeine-team... let me know how you like it.   

Come to think of it, I gotta' order some more in a couple weeks too. We went through quite a bit of J-M-C while on vacation at the Old Fiddler's Convention earlier this month.