Customer Service

S

Stan_da_man

Aug 29, 2006
2,033
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5,096
UK
#1
How do string companies treat you?

I like to think I know my strings. I've played over 50 different types of rounds. Rarely, I've had a dead string out the packet. 5 companies total:

Rotosound - dead A string. Contacted the company and replied within 24 hours. 3 days later had a new A string and a brand new set.

D'Addario - dead G string. Contacted the company and replied within 24 hours. 6 days later, a new G string arrived.

Fender - dead G string. Contacted the string seller first (stringsdirect.co.uk) and sent me a new G string 3 days later.

DR - dead G string. Contacted the company. Nothing.

La Bella - dead E string. Contacted the company. Nothing.

So Rotosound, D'Addario and stringsdirect.co.uk are very much in my good books. Dunlop has well are worth mentioning because they've always been quick to reply to queries I've had (including strings).

DR and La Bella I won't be buying again. It's one thing getting a dead string but another not even replying to your message. I was willing to buy a single off them but nope, nothing.

How do your experiences relate?
 
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#2
Count me in as one who rarely had one dead out of the pack. I had this happen recently with a set of SIT singles I bought, but I did let them sit for a moment before installation. Had I installed immediately, I may have contacted where I purchased the string from.

Sorry to hear about lousy DR customer service. I find their strings to be superb.
 
#7
Stan_da_man said:
DR and La Bella I won't be buying again. It's one thing getting a dead string but another not even replying to your message. I was willing to buy a single off them but nope, nothing.
Click to expand...

My experience with these two companies is they're not very good in responding to emails.

At the same time, I keep reading about how great they both are in customer service when you contact them by phone.
 
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#9
I am UK based hence I don't order from BSO. Shipping is a lot from the US.

I contacted the companies directly bc I felt contacting who I bought the strings from would just contact the string manufacturer anyway so I just cut out the middle man. A lot of strings I order using eBay.

I contacted the manufacturers using their 'Contact Us' section on their website. I can't exactly phone unless I'm willing to pay international call charges.
 
#11
michael_t said:
That's exactly what I did with DR and La Bella a few times each in the last couple of years and got absolutely NOTHING!
Click to expand...

I never understood this about companies. Very often the button should not say 'Contact Us'. It should say 'Click here for message dialogue box that will be purged from our server upon submission'. It seems to be what MANY companies do. For the sake of professional standards, they should not let their web site architect build these features into a website if they are not going to use them. The kicker is they often send an automated e-mail that they will respond within 48 hours, so you waste another two days naively thinking they are going to get back to you. I don't bother with these points of contact any more.

Sorry for the derail.
 
#12
I've been using Rotos for a few years now and only had a dead D string once. I emailed them and they sent me a free pack within the next week, didn't ask for it or expect it but it was a nice surprise!

Honestly even if they hadn't contacted me back or sent me a free pack I'd probably still use them, they're cheap and sound good to where I can tolerate a bum pack every now and then. :D
 
#14
Stan_da_man said:
How do string companies treat you?

I like to think I know my strings. I've played over 50 different types of rounds. Rarely, I've had a dead string out the packet. 5 companies total:

Rotosound - dead A string. Contacted the company and replied within 24 hours. 3 days later had a new A string and a brand new set.

D'Addario - dead G string. Contacted the company and replied within 24 hours. 6 days later, a new G string arrived.

Fender - dead G string. Contacted the string seller first (stringsdirect.co.uk) and sent me a new G string 3 days later.

DR - dead G string. Contacted the company. Nothing.

La Bella - dead E string. Contacted the company. Nothing.

So Rotosound, D'Addario and stringsdirect.co.uk are very much in my good books. Dunlop has well are worth mentioning because they've always been quick to reply to queries I've had (including strings).

DR and La Bella I won't be buying again. It's one thing getting a dead string but another not even replying to your message. I was willing to buy a single off them but nope, nothing.

How do your experiences relate?
Click to expand...

you should be dealing with the shop where you bought the strings from - not the manufacturer.

If you have a car problem - do you go to dealer or call Ford?

never understand people who think that this is the right path.
 
#15
For anyone complaining about DR or Labella, just be happy they aren't Rickenbacker. I called them about a concern a week after buying my 4003S, and the guy literally accused me of lying to him on the phone! It was one of the most awkward conversations of my life.

Me: "So there's a finish flaw on this bass I just got..."

Guy: "That's impossible, our QC would never have let that through. Either you or the retailer must have scratched it. Contact the retailer."

Me: "Uhh...."


Edit*

For the sake of remaining on topic, I called D'Addario with a question once (I was a salesman at a music store) and I talked to the rep for a bit after asking my question. I professed that I love their strings and always recommend them, and he sent me a pack of what was their newest bass strings at the time!!! It was Flex Steels, for anyone who is curious, and they have the best feel of any roundwounds I've ever used. D'Addario rules.
 
#16
Stan_da_man said:
How do string companies treat you?

I like to think I know my strings. I've played over 50 different types of rounds. Rarely, I've had a dead string out the packet. 5 companies total:

Rotosound - dead A string. Contacted the company and replied within 24 hours. 3 days later had a new A string and a brand new set.

D'Addario - dead G string. Contacted the company and replied within 24 hours. 6 days later, a new G string arrived.

Fender - dead G string. Contacted the string seller first (stringsdirect.co.uk) and sent me a new G string 3 days later.

DR - dead G string. Contacted the company. Nothing.

La Bella - dead E string. Contacted the company. Nothing.

So Rotosound, D'Addario and stringsdirect.co.uk are very much in my good books. Dunlop has well are worth mentioning because they've always been quick to reply to queries I've had (including strings).

DR and La Bella I won't be buying again. It's one thing getting a dead string but another not even replying to your message. I was willing to buy a single off them but nope, nothing.

How do your experiences relate?
Click to expand...

Maybe the word is spreading ..You know like,
hey Watch out for that guy who always ends up with a dead string one way or another! lol..

Serious dude how bad is your luck that you end up with so many dead strings & not by only one company but different ones..
 
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#18
I'm waiting on a new A string from D'Addario. It's the first bad bass string i've gotten. It feels like a ground-wound but is supposed to be flat-wound. I contacted the seller, Artist guitars here in Australia, and they have arranged a replacement from D'Addario. It will be interesting to see if I get just the one string or a set.

My best customer service from a string manufacturer ever was with Elixir. I got a set where the coating came off one string after about three days. Wrote to them and received two sets a week later. I use them on every guitar plus my acoustic bass. Unfortunately they don't make short scale or flats.
 
#19
Basstringsonline is the b**ls! Jason will take good care of you! As far as string issues the only one I've had was twice with Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats that broke. Jason solved the issue to the first one, second time I called EB customer service and they fixed me up with no problems.
 
#20
Guys, saying buy strings from BSO isn't helping. For me to buy a standard set of D'Addario XLs would cost $37.29.

For reference, I have contacted the sellers in the past and a lot of them normally pass me on to the company itself - well the eBay sellers do.

The strings I mentioned are over a period of about 8 years or so. 5 dead strings in 8 years so it's not all the time.

My question is why have a contact us section on their website if they won't even bother to get back in touch?
 
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