Vararam Customer Service Experience
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 38,314
Likes: 35
May I respectfully disagree?
While 'after sale' service is certainly critically important, a company - and their reputation - must be judged by their commitment to producing the highest quality product possible within their chosen price point. I would argue that a company must constantly monitor customer experience - good and bad - and make improvements to their product as that experience suggests. Likewise, ongoing product testing should drive product improvements, and perhaps reduced manufacturing costs (read: better product at a lower cost).
As for them 'losing money' by having to take a few calls, answer a few e-mails, and replacing a few parts, I'm calling bologna! ...
Depending upon where you live, Bologna is probably long distance.
Bologna
You're better off just calling bull$#**. Thats what I'd do because its a lot easier, more accurate, and just feels better.
.
Last edited by '06 Quicksilver Z06; Jun 19, 2009 at 07:01 PM.
SUBVETTE
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 3,841
Likes: 93
From: San Diego CA
Why spend so much money on a questionable quality product with so much negative feedback by users. I decided not to even chance wasting big bucks and instead bought a BPP Vortex Rammer to get that outside air. I couldn't be happier. The quality is top notch, it looks good and fits well, and works well, and ingests lots of outside cold air.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 357
Likes: 1
From: Sterling VA
Why spend so much money on a questionable quality product with so much negative feedback by users. I decided not to even chance wasting big bucks and instead bought a BPP Vortex Rammer to get that outside air. I couldn't be happier. The quality is top notch, it looks good and fits well, and works well, and ingests lots of outside cold air.
and I already had some other things on the list, so I went with the Vararam and luckily have had no issues.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 7
From: Hurst (Fort Worth area) Texas
St. Jude Donor '09
Maybe I should have been more specific in my post. I do not disagree with ANY of you who pointed out that they should have sold a good product to begin with, and that $400 is a hefty price to pay for a defective piece of plastic. The simple fact that I was attempting to point out is that they apparently have recognized that there is a problem, and are attempting to fix it. Obviously they can't rewind time, and fix the problem before it started.......but giving people a brand new piece at no cost, and in some cases even two years after the original purchase IMO is not a bad step in the right direction.
I will respectfully disagree with you again with regards to them not losing money. The phrase "losing money" in no way was directed at Vararam answering phone calls or emails. It simply means that if you sell someone a product for $400, and then two years later when the customer comes to you and complains about the quality......if you decide to give them a brand new unit at no cost to them, you have just lost money on that brand new unit. I'm fairly certain that Vararam does not make these pieces in house, like most businesses they probably contract out to a company that deals with plastics and resins. Vararam obviously has to pay for the product that is made for them, and in turn marks it up accordingly to sell the the public.
I would agree that this is a case of damage control, and at the stake of losing their reputation could certainly tell anyone who isn't happy with the quality to go pound sand. Now, I'm certainly no Vararam nut hugger, in fact they shipped me the wrong PCV fitting with my unit which irked me right off the bat. I do however respect the fact that they are handing out replacements like candy.
Enough rambling, take it for what you will.
I will respectfully disagree with you again with regards to them not losing money. The phrase "losing money" in no way was directed at Vararam answering phone calls or emails. It simply means that if you sell someone a product for $400, and then two years later when the customer comes to you and complains about the quality......if you decide to give them a brand new unit at no cost to them, you have just lost money on that brand new unit. I'm fairly certain that Vararam does not make these pieces in house, like most businesses they probably contract out to a company that deals with plastics and resins. Vararam obviously has to pay for the product that is made for them, and in turn marks it up accordingly to sell the the public.
I would agree that this is a case of damage control, and at the stake of losing their reputation could certainly tell anyone who isn't happy with the quality to go pound sand. Now, I'm certainly no Vararam nut hugger, in fact they shipped me the wrong PCV fitting with my unit which irked me right off the bat. I do however respect the fact that they are handing out replacements like candy.
Enough rambling, take it for what you will.
Good post, Brian... I appreciate your thoughts and insight.
I have a couple of decades of operations management under my belt with a Fortune 200 outfit... my direct responsibilities included all engineering (design, manufacturing, sustaining, etc.), manufacturing operations - five plants, three countries - as well all materials, distribution, customer service, warranties, and on and on... no wonder I'm still tired even after several years of [glorious] retirement.
Even so, none of this makes me any more knowledgable about the goings on at Vararam than anybody else. But it does make me wonder just why a company would (as you indicate) "recognize" that they have a problem and leave it essentially uncorrected for (again, as you suggest) two years (even longer?). During my years steering our little business boat, I wouldn't have been all that happy had my people failed to aggressively and decisively addressed such a "known" problem.
I would guess that Vararam has the cost attendant to "warranty replacements" built into their cost structure and find that the "try-to-placate-the-angry-customer" approach better (cheaper?) than the relatively high cost of retooling to address the product's shortcomings.
Again, this is just my two-cents worth... and I'm probably wholly unqualified to make such judgments (or any judgments for that matter), but these "Vararam quality" threads just seem to keep on going like the Energizer Bunny.
Again, thanks for the good - and thoughtful - post, Brian!
R
b
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 1,283
Likes: 7
From: Hurst (Fort Worth area) Texas
St. Jude Donor '09
My apologies to the Italians! I should have at least gone with boloney... got some great synonyms!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------
bo·lo·ney (b-ln)
n.
1. Variant of bologna.
2. Variant of baloney2.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. boloney - pretentious or silly talk or writing
baloney, bilgewater, bosh, drool, humbug, tommyrot, tosh, twaddle, taradiddle, tarradiddle
hokum, meaninglessness, nonsense, nonsensicality, bunk - a message that seems to convey no meaning
jargon, lingo, patois, argot, vernacular, slang, cant - a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves); "they don't speak our lingo"
Procharged F1X 7.18 @ 197
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 2,322
Likes: 8
From: Staten Island NY
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
Racer
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 357
Likes: 1
From: Sterling VA
Good post, Brian... I appreciate your thoughts and insight.
I have a couple of decades of operations management under my belt with a Fortune 200 outfit... my direct responsibilities included all engineering (design, manufacturing, sustaining, etc.), manufacturing operations - five plants, three countries - as well all materials, distribution, customer service, warranties, and on and on... no wonder I'm still tired even after several years of [glorious] retirement.
Even so, none of this makes me any more knowledgable about the goings on at Vararam than anybody else. But it does make me wonder just why a company would (as you indicate) "recognize" that they have a problem and leave it essentially uncorrected for (again, as you suggest) two years (even longer?). During my years steering our little business boat, I wouldn't have been all that happy had my people failed to aggressively and decisively addressed such a "known" problem.
I would guess that Vararam has the cost attendant to "warranty replacements" built into their cost structure and find that the "try-to-placate-the-angry-customer" approach better (cheaper?) than the relatively high cost of retooling to address the product's shortcomings.
Again, this is just my two-cents worth... and I'm probably wholly unqualified to make such judgments (or any judgments for that matter), but these "Vararam quality" threads just seem to keep on going like the Energizer Bunny.
Again, thanks for the good - and thoughtful - post, Brian!
R
bWhy in the world Vararam hasn't gone to a 1 piece injection molded variant is beyond me. It certainly would make for a much better, stronger product and would git rid of most all of the strength, and sealing issues.
-Brian
Last edited by SpeedFreak81; Jun 20, 2009 at 12:16 PM.
