Actually, that seems a little short sighted to me. I have very good reasons for emailing them:
In business transactions it is always best to have a paper trail. Verbal communication can give you all kinds of promises, but when the rubber meets the road, “Oh, I never said that!” Or “oh, sorry, I forgot.” I have been there. I deal with customers and vendors EVERY DAY and if you don’t get it writing–it gets used against you and/or it quickly gets forgotten about. Email is a form of contract, and it also serves as an in your face reminder to follow through. But the worst part is, in verbal communication, people often tell you what you want to hear just to get you off the phone. Cynical? Heck yes, but THAT IS REALITY.
By using email I was able to attach a copy of the invoice showing my January purchase date. That is just me being efficient and it sets the standard for warranty expectations. Most CSRs would appreciate that information. As a sales rep I know that I would. With what I provided, including a detailed explanation of the problem, it cuts to the quick and allows the CSR to disemiminate the information quickly within the company. I was doing them a favor. That is how it rolls at my place of employment. If Badger is loosey goosey–which I am beginning to think they are, then maybe it won’t mean a hill of beans.
I won’t even get into the details of my time constraints. If I waited for a good time to call them, which might include voice messages and call backs-- it won’t get done. I have far too much on my plate.
Regarding their responce. Though it was polite and it directed me in how to solve the problem, it completley ignored the bigger issue. That being, I suspect the brush was defective right out of the box.
Here is the problem. The link that the CSR directed me to details that I need to send $19 for return shipment. So–not only that I have to pay for shipping to them, but then I have to pay $19 to get it back.
Is that good customer service? Not in my book! Not when I detailed that the brush had the noted problems at the get go. A good customer service model would be that they send a prepaid shipping label, and that they have no expectation of a return freight fee. THAT-- is good customer service, and THAT is standing behind their product. And by the way-- the brush is still in warranty. Yet, I have to pay for these things. I’d even compromise. If they’d find there is nothing wrong with the brush–OK–I’ll pay for the return shipment.
And should this lack of service get escalated by me–guess what–I have their actions IN WRITING.
With a little arm twist Badger agreed that no fee should be sent for repair. In light of that concession I will give the CSR benefit of the doubt that they might have missed my waranty concern, though, they did not say that.
I recieved the repaired brush today and the packer states that they cleaned and replaced the tip, needle, regulator plunger and O ring needle bearing.
It sounds like a thorough job and the brush was back in my hands in about 10 days from my shipping it.
Badgers concession, depth of repair, and their quick turn improves my opinion of them, into the realm of how others feel about them, but the final factor will be in how the brush operates. If I continue to get paint deep into the body, then maybe this will turn into a different discussion.
In the days ahead I will give it a test drive and report back.
Glad to hear that they have come through with their usual style of customer service. Just curious, but did you in the past backflush your 105 when cleaning after a paint session?
Hey Stik, as a practice I no longer backflush, and I don’t recall ever doing it with this brush. I may be wrong, but I tend to think backflushing pushes paint into the body of the brush. I have come to the idea that I don’t see a need to do it, so why risk it.
Ok, just checking. I do not backflush on my 105. All cleaning consists of remving the tip and on the needle that I can extend forward, as well as the paint cup. But I’ve found that the 105 is extremely simple to clean and keep operating like a champ.
Well, here is my report. Mind you, very preliminary.
I sprayed some Stynlrez. It seemed to spray ok but that has not been the issue. Cleaning the brush went better though. I did have to insert the needle a few times and wipe. So, there was some paint in the body closer to the needle bearing even after spraying lacquer thinner first. Paint seems to collect there. I waited for the brush to sit for a few hours and tested the needle movement. The good news is that the needle was not locked up with paint as before.
I suspect this brush behaves differently than what I am used to. The needle tension remains rather loose compared to what I am used to. The other extreme of this is my 200. That needle is tight, very much so. In terms of tension, my 155 is in the middle of the 2. It is looser than the 200, tighter than the 105. I suspect I will need to flush the 105 a little different. It seems a little more difficult to clean than the other two. Again, only one test into it, so very preliminary. But, I tried a challenging paint so… probably good to go.
I like to do my primer spraying with single action personally but that’s beside the point. Ihave the original version 200 but also and the one I use most for Stynlrez the Passche H.
On a second note it may have been at Don Weelers site I saw where on the 105 the needle should be pushed out the front end of the brush for cleaning, so pointed end first out. That way you don’t drag crust dry paint through the bearing. Then once clean reinserted from the rear, again pointed end first… If you use a little bees wax or lip balm on the needle the paint won’t stick so much to it and it offers a little lube on the needle bearing. Glycerin will work too. You just wipe on a light film.