Savage Customer Service - From Bad Experience To Good

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NXMR

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Edited: Further contact with Savage is restored my confidence in them and they have been extremely helpful.

Just a general note: had a bad experience with Savage Customer service.

Had to call customer service regarding FTF on a model 64.

1) The representative was unresponsive, blasé, and flippant - I had to prod the guy to get any responses out of him at all. Like talking to a cat. "Here's what's going on (proceeded to explain the problem), etc." ... silence... "Hello?" "Uhhh... yeah?" etc. I thought I was talking to some stoned college kid.

2) The representative seemed to have little knowledge of what I was talking about. Example: how magazines work, etc. He made no effort to assist in helping troubleshoot the problem or make recommendations about how they could help.

3) Their attitude was basically "Yeah well, (yawn) you can send the magazine in if you want (at my own expense of course). We'll send you another one back."

Well, I guess that's my penalty for not going with the good old Ruger 10/22. I own two other Savage rifles, but this will be my last purchase of any of their products, since they don't seem to have any enthusiasm for assisting their customers or backing up their brand.
 
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Did you ask to speak to a supervisor?? I've never had an issue with anyone at Savage... Normally their CS is very good... Sorry you had a bad experience.. I would call back and ask for a supervisor...

I've had to go higher up the food chain at Remington on several occasions to get anything done... The initial people I talked to were pretty pathetic...
 
Hey there!

Thanks for the response.

I didn't go up the chain. I was so taken aback I just told the guy that firearm owners were a very vocal group and that I would spread the news about my experience with them as far and wide as I could.

I've been pretty impressed with Savage up until now. I thought that as good as my other Savage rifles were, that the whole company must be really packed tight, all up and down the line. I thought they would at least put forth some effort. Well, you know what they say about assuming - lol.

I've had bad customer service experiences with other companies (Para Ordnance for one - years ago - but at least they fixed the problem) but this guy was just... wow. Sleeping? Deaf?
 
Just one bad apple,Would'nt let one sorry Rep.change my thoughts on a good company. Looks like Savage got a bad apple also with this Rep.

I like Rugers also,Dont think I'd let this slacker A-hole be my last say on my Savage,I agree with the others,Go up the ladder talk to someone that isnt smokin something.
 
They are good folks to work with.

I have never had a problem with Savage and not wanting to drop her name, but I usually deal with Cathy. She has been a whole bunch of help and doesn't hesitate to refer me to another, when she can't answer my questions. .... ;)

Surprised and sorry that you were given a rough time. .... :mad:

Be Safe !!!
 
Thanks Big P, will do. I've got a name "Joe DeGrande" but I can't find an email so it looks like I'll have to write a letter.

I'm with you on the quality - wouldn't trade my other Savages. Both are .30-06's (my son uses one for deer hunting and I use the other) and they are extremely reliable and accurate - every thing you always hear about Savage.
 
Hey Pahoo, thanks.

Yeah it was kind of surprising. I thought maybe the guy was too busy reading a book or watching TV. Kind of like talking to me was just some call he happened to be stuck on while waiting for the "real person" to show up. Kind of weird.
 
So...
You're bashing them on the 'net, because you didn't like the guy's tone...

He told you to send back the mag, and they'd send you a new one.

I don't see that as justification to post a thread about a "Bad Experience" from Savage, JMO....
 
Reminds me of a guy we used to call Rude Jude. He was a state trooper and he'd get more complaints of rudeness than anyone else. All he'd do is ask for license, registration, proof of insurance, then he'd write the ticket and hand it to them. People called in by the dozens.

When the complaint came in, we'd ask "What did he say?"

"Nothing. He just asked for license, registration, proof of insurance."

"Is that all?" We'd ask? "What did he say that was rude?"

"Nothing." they'd reply "He didn't say nothing. Rudest man I ever met."

We never did figure out how he was making people angry, but Rude Jude would get complaints every time he went out on the road.
 
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I sent a mag back last week at my own expense, a whole whopping $1.95, and got a new one back in the mail in about five days. I don't understand what your problem is. Sounds like you had a lot to say about nothing and he wasn't interested. Can't blame him. It just wasn't that complicated. Your mag didn't work and he said send it back and they'd send you a new one. What's your problem? Now you get on here and bash them? I can't even imagine what you expected them to do. They offered to replace it. What were you expecting?
 
I had to prod the guy to get any responses out of him at all. Like talking to a cat. "Here's what's going on (proceeded to explain the problem), etc."
Click to expand...

Classic phone trainee move. Not exactly in the realm of friendly, proactive, and attentive customer service, but not exactly a kick in the eggs either. Just to play devil's advocate, you are the one calling with a question, and they're expecting you to tell them what they can do for you, not just tell stories.

The representative seemed to have little knowledge of what I was talking about.
Click to expand...

If this guy was an expert at troubleshooting firearms, then he wouldn't be working as a phone monkey. He's just taking calls and processing claims, he's not there to fix it.

He made no effort to assist in helping troubleshoot the problem or make recommendations about how they could help
Click to expand...

Of course not.

So lets assume for a second that this guy is a gun guru and it's not that he didn't know how, it's that he just couldn't be bothered to help you (he's likely not, but anyway). It takes years of experience to effectively troubleshoot and repair firearms professionally, and any idiot with $400 and a phone can buy a gun and call the manufacturer with a problem. They're not going to trust you to be their eyes and ears and to give them good enough information to determine what's wrong, and they're certainly not going to walk you through fiddling with it, trusting that you won't do anything to make the gun unsafe. Which brings me to...

Their attitude was basically "Yeah well, (yawn) you can send the magazine in if you want (at my own expense of course). We'll send you another one back."
Click to expand...

Of course they don't want you touching it if there's a problem. They want to touch it for you for liability reasons. Can you imagine if one of their guns blew up in someone's face, and when the detective asked they said, "Well the guy at Savage I talked to on the phone just told me to bend the little piece of the magazine a bit and see if it fixed my feeding problem, then it blew up in my face!"
 
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A bad hair day !!!

NXMR
I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. You did not pick a bad company but instead, may have gotten as bad apple. ..... ;)

Be Safe !!!
 
@Xanadrew: Okay, fair enough points on all counts.

The whole thing is extremely frustrating. The rifle won't hardly cycle a round (tried roundnose earlier today - only very slightly better - will occasionally feed on the bolt load and then jams every 2nd or 3rd round thereafter), so I call in and darned if they didn't agitate me with their nonchalance.

Though I do concede your points and admit I was frustrated, remember that it's easy to play devils advocate when you weren't the one on the phone. Total lack of proactive response is what got under my skin.

@NoSecondBst: no way I'm sending in my mag and waiting on a new one. If they want to ship me a mag and a container to ship the old one, fine, I'll do that. I'm not entirely convinced it's the magazine at this point, but that's another story.
 
Paw Paw posted:

Reminds me of a guy we used to call Rude Jude. He was a state trooper and he'd get more complaints of rudeness than anyone else. All he'd do is ask for license, registration, proof of insurance, then he'd write the ticket and hand it to them. People called in by the dozens.

When the complaint came in, we'd ask "What did he say?"

"Nothing. He just asked for license, registration, proof of insurance."

"Is that all?" We'd ask? "What did he say that was rude?"

"Nothing." they'd reply "He didn't say nothing. Rudest man I ever met."

We never did figure out how he was making people angry but Rude Jude would get complaints every time he went out on the road.


That's actually hilarious! I don't expect a cop to be friendly, though - knock on wood - I've had pretty good luck with them. If that was the extent of my interaction in getting a ticket (and I've had nearly that - business only) I'm happy and not complaining! :D
 
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"Had to call customer service regarding FTF on a model 64."

I was going to ask if you meant fail to feed or fail to fire. Now I know.

Good luck fixing the mag yourself if you don't send it in. And the guys are right, the people on the phone aren't gun repairers, they are there to answer the phone and read from the script they're given.

Only at small outfits do you sometimes get a call back from the head guy; places like Rohrbaugh and GueriniUSA.
 
@tobnpr: I'd say that's a bit of an oversimplification. Tell ya what, I'll sell you something and when you call me because it's messed up right out of the box, I'll respond to you like I'm too busy laying out in the sun and we'll see how you like it. ;)

Oh and ETA: Not only the net. My buddies know too. If Savage takes care of this, I'll revise my stance accordingly.
 
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@johnbt: Yeah, true. I concede that point which is also one that Xanadrew made. It was just a frustrating experience all the way around - and still is until I get this thing fixed or just let it rust and get the Ruger 10/22 that I now wish I'd gotten. Wanted that Savage accuracy for the price :)

I have an email for someone at Savage and will see what I can get worked out here in a bit.
 
Yep, let it rust. That'll show em. Seriously, why don't you just send the mag back and get a new one. This is much ado about nothing. A bubble pack envelope and a buck ninety-five in postage and you'll get a new mag. Problem solved.
 
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