Whats going on with Woodmizer?

[Brucer]

Even the best companies screw up once in a while. What sets them apart from the not-so-great companies that screw up is this ...

... and we've come up with new procedures to make sure we don't repeat these mistakes in the future.

Making things right with you is fine. Changing procedures to prevent it from happening again is better.

[5quarter]

Hey Mike...Thanks For putting that out there. The truest test of any company is not how they treat you when things go right, it's what they do when things go wrong. It is refreshing to see someone taking responsibility for what was done or not done, for a change. I predict that once the dust settles, Cypress man will be back in the saddle and you guys at Woodmizer will have once again demonstrated how to go the extra mile...and do it in front of an audience.  ;)

[delvis]

Cypress,  I take it you've never bought a new car from a car dealer if you're not used to having stuff come in the wrong color and all messed up.  It happens.

Unacceptable! The customer service element in all but gone from our corporate society. I have heard many many good things about WM I'm sure this will be taken care of. I believe Cypress Man has every right to post his frustration. No one should be expected to just accept what is handed to them.  >:( >:( >:( >:(

You've missed my point.  I bought my first mill from Timber Harvester and they were more than happy to take my $26,000, build a mill with a 10 page owner's manual with hand drawn parts diagrams, and then declare bankruptcy without actually telling any of their customers.  I know a thing or two about poor customer service.

There will always be mistakes in manufacturing and mistakes made by certain people in the company in dealing with those errors, but a person should not be so quick to sound like they are ready to write the whole company off because of one bad experience.

[Ianab]

I would have a deep distrust of any company that claimed to never make mistakes, or never have equipment fail. Reason? Because when it eventually does, they have no system to actually put things right.

The OP has a legit complaint that his order was messed up. Fair enough.

The value of a thread like this is to see what happens next. So far WM have accepted there is a problem and are working to fix it? Hopefully to his satisfaction. That's what we want to see happen, because if anything it gives you more confidence in a company to know if something does go wrong, they will sort it out.

Ian

[ladylake]

I'd never pay any more than what the quote was, several thousand more is a lot.  If they miss quoted you that's their problem..  Unless you added some options after the original quote.  Steve

[SawyerBrown]

The thing I find interesting about WM is they are not publicly traded, and as of about 5? years ago are employee-owned -- so as things like this go wrong, and if/when they start to lose customers and customer loyalty, every employee is affected directly.  They are the "stock-holders".  As such, my own experience with WM is that they in fact ACT like it is their company, and every customer and their satisfaction is important.

That said, what Cypress has been experiencing is not a single incident but a pattern of reduced customer focus.  Let's face it, mistakes happen.  Suppliers aren't perfect.  New employees may think they're doing the right thing but don't have the experience yet.  A company is made up of people, and people make mistakes.  None of us is infallible!  I hope Mike makes the "owners" (every employee) aware that reputation is everything.  If that starts going in the tank, eventually the company starts to shrink and people start losing their jobs.  Saving a few pennies in resolving his (and other's) issues is insignificant in the big picture, because WE are all watching via this great Forum.  I'd hate to see WM's reputation tarnished, because I consider them just a great, great company ...

[tmarch]

"I think sending someone out to professionally paint the mill is a sufficient solution."  Sorry, but really just repainting won't fix it IMHO, paint wears off and the original color comes thru so you've got a customer thinking WTH is with this.  Sure it's less expensive, but this guy has spent how much??????????

[Okrafarmer]

Waiting to see how Woodmizer comes through for you. . . .

I must admit that if and when I get a chance to replace the Millenium Falcon, I will be scrutinizing WM very carefully. I get that flyer from TK in the mail every three months or so even though I've never bought anything from them. . . .

At this point I would really hate to change brands because I'm so familiar with my WM groove that it would be a huge paradigm change to convert to another brand. But my groove is getting a little worn out and the bearing's starting to wobble a little in it. . . .

But I'm just afraid if I converted to another, I would be constantly bumping into all these little moments where I would say to myself-- I sure wish I had bought a Woodmizer!

Customer support has been about 90% satisfactory for me, which is far higher than most other companies I deal with out there selling unrelated products.

[SawyerBrown]

I must admit that if and when I get a chance to replace the Millenium Falcon ...

The Millenium Falcon??? 

 

Very sad that would be!

[Okrafarmer]

I must admit that if and when I get a chance to replace the Millenium Falcon ...

The Millenium Falcon??? 

 

Very sad that would be!

My LT40HD got nicknamed that by a regular customer of mine who was once the owner of a much newer LT40HD. He sold it and now does woodworking part time. I asked him if he wanted to try operating my LT40 and he said no, it's a one-man machine, like the Millenium Falcon. He's probably right-- there are so many idiosyncrasies to it, it would be a rather steep learning curve even for an experienced sawyer.

[OffGrid973]

I purchased a WM LT10 a few years back and it was the best customer service I could ask for.  Not sure if folks are looking for a handout or freebie in this thread, but I personally decided on WM because of their customer service.   Had my first paying job on 4 walnut logs this past wed ($100 a log) and both myself and customer were happy.     Stay loyal, join the WM family and look forward to your next issue of "woodmizer way" second favorite to "wood" magazine :)

For WM owners I feel bad your purchase was not smooth, but an email to management should help especially with pictures (we love em)

- CW

[scully]

There is no such thing as a DCS walk 70 ! Sounds like the person who took the order was new ! With that many things shipped wrong there has to have been an issue at a lower level . I can't imagin any of the more seasoned WM folks messin up like that . All that said I feel it is indeed a forgivable situation . Lets remember that we are not talking about a poor quality product ,but one of the best . I think that WWm will do what is right , the way I see it for them it would be as easy as waveing a hand over the situation and healing it . 

[jd_odell]

Sorry to hear about your unfortunate experience.  I have experienced nothing short of excellent service and support from Tim & Crew at Wood-Mizer South. 

[Finn1903]

The take away message here is to inspect your order when it arrives, and don't be afraid to reject the order and send it back.  Don't just sign the paperwork because you have been waiting with baited breath for months to receive your new toy.  If something is wrong, you need to figure it out before you sign for it because once you do, you own it, even if it means you refusing the order and sending it back.  As expensive as you may think it is, you don't want to get stuck with something you will complain about every time you see it.   

I have learned this lesson both professionally purchasing manufacturing equipment and personally with purchasing equipment for my farm.  I have found myself accepting errors on my personal equipment where I otherwise would have had the manufacturer correct the problem. 

Remember, you paid good money for the equipment, the manufacturer, no matter how great they are can make mistakes and the mistakes need to be corrected before you take delivery.  After you take delivery your leveraging power decreases significantly and you will have to live with it, worst case the company folds and you are really sol.  If caught early, manufacturers are more than willing to fix an error, as WM has explained and tried to do in this example. 

Finally, if you are buying a new mill, my recommendation is to go over it with the vendor.  This is what is called a Factory Acceptance Test (FAT), this is your last chance to check that the manufacturer assembled the equipment properly.   Take out the manual and go through an alignment, make sure everything works as it should. 
   

[barbender]

Keeping your money in your pocket until everything is just as it should be definitely keeps you in the drivers seat.

[backwoods sawyer]

Another take away from this is that this is a fine example of how all of us sawyers should strive to beable to correct issues with our customers as well  ;)

Be clear with our customers about what our mills are capable of and what the limits are, understand what the customer is after and if we miss the target that is set, find a workable solution for both.

[Okrafarmer]

Another take away from this is that this is a fine example of how all of us sawyers should strive to beable to correct issues with our customers as well  ;)

Very true! Sometimes the shoe is on the other ft.

[Cypress Man]

Just an update to let everyone know how its going. As of Friday 07/11/14, I still had not received a call or any information from WoodMizer about when someone would come out to paint the log deck so I called them to see. They said they were waiting for a LT15 wide head to come in that has to be delivered somewhere near my area.  They were not sure when it would be in exactly but they were expecting it to be in the next two weeks and would stop by then. As of today (Monday) 07/21/14, my $10,000.00 log deck is still out in the yard, I havnt heard anything else and still have no clue what day this will be taken care of.
Yes Fin1903 you are absolutely right. I should have simply just refused delivery but I knew the shipping would have been expensive for Woodmizer to pay and I didnt want to be the "unreasonable" bad guy that caused a 14yr old relationship with a company go sour. >:( Ill give it another week and see what happens. 

 

[Dave Shepard]

 ;)

Communication is vital, even if they have news you don't want to hear. Hearing nothing makes you feel unimportant, and leaves you wondering what's going on.

At this point, I would tell them to bring me the right log deck, and take the old one home with them. You have been patient, and without your new tool that has just been sitting.

[tmarch]

;)

Communication is vital, even if they have news you don't want to hear. Hearing nothing makes you feel unimportant, and leaves you wondering what's going on.

At this point, I would tell them to bring me the right log deck, and take the old one home with them. You have been patient, and without your new tool that has just been sitting.

It appears as though this entire issue is being treated as unimportant.  Once again "too big for your britches" comes to mind.
I run several business ventures and guarantee that if I have an employee handle a situation like this he/she would be gone.  This will hurt worse than they might realize.

[Don_Papenburg]

SEND THEM A BILL.   Storage is anywhere from $10.00 to 40.00 a day depending on the space it takes up.

[barbender]

Personally, I feel like they ought to just get you a deck in the right color. I would tell them I am not satisfied with their solution, and they need to make it right. The first time something scratches that deck and you see that green paint underneath, you're going to be grumbling. I would be, anyways. They should have been tripping over themselves to right this situation, as far as I can see. Not making you wait for weeks so they can deliver an LT15. Ask them how many LT15's they need to sell to make the size transaction you just made.
    My experiences with WM have been all positive, if an order gets messed up, they send me the right part no questions asked. The techs and parts people are very knowledgeable, courteous and pleasant to deal with (once you get someone on the phone, my one gripe- the long phone "on hold" times).  One thing I would mention, I think you said you were dealing with one of the WM branch locations, is that a WM owned or privately owned ASC? Most of the negative service experiences I've read about were in regards to an ASC. If I were you I would be talking to someone higher up in Indy about my experience, and demanding a timely (past due) resolution.

[beenthere]

I'm not judging either side, as we have just heard one side.  But realize not pleasant to have to sit and wait.

[barbender]

I went back and read Cypress Man's opening post, and it appears that there is an ASC in the middle of things. I'm not knocking any ASC's, but I would point out that as far as I understand, they are like a local car dealership. They aren't owned by WM, they just sell WM products. I'd be surprised if Indy wasn't real happy with the ASC making you wait for weeks so they could catch your log deck while they were "passin' through".

[LaneC]

  This just blows me away! I can only imagine how you feel. This is just so bad, as I am used to hearing good things about WM. I would probably be like you and try to not get upset, but this long and waiting, so they can kill 2 birds with one stone. I really appreciate the update because I am certain now of which mill I would buy if I am ever able to. I certainly would not deal with anyone who would treat me like that, especially after spending so much money with them and being that loyal. They have had plenty opportunity to keep up with this thread and comment. Thanks again for the update and I hope you are not loosing too much on your brand new equipment, while it is being left out in the open. Man, I cannot believe this. Thanks again. Hope something happens soon.