on customer service

I posted a little while back on having to contact QuicKutz customer service regarding some defective embossing folders. Last night I received a comment from Kelly, who appreciated hearing about the QuicKutz embossing folders from the customer service standpoint. That reminded me that it's time for an update.

I'd emailed QuicKutz regarding the issue that I was having with a couple of their 2x2 folders. They said that they'd send out replacements. I received one quite promptly, along with a note that said that the other was on back-order and would be sent when it became available. I also received an enclosure suggesting that using a shim would result in a deeper impression. It was great to receive the replacement. It still isn't aligned quite properly, but unlike the other, it's close enough that it will line up under pressure. So that's cool. And the advice was appreciated, though no amount of shimming would have ever gotten that original embossing folder to mesh correctly. So, now I'm just waiting for the other embossing folder to arrive.

What I've found is that when items don't perform the way that they should, it's best to go directly to the source. It's not unusual for me to come across some issue long after I've lost or misplaced the receipt, but I do know how to find and contact a manufacturer by email, and how to politely but firmly ask if I have any recourse.

Here's a quick rundown, in my experience, of the folks who've stood by their products:

Scor-It: The scoring bar on my mini Scor-It was off-center resulting in scores that were off when I used the centering ruler. When I figured out that this was what was causing the problem and not operator error, I dropped the Scor-It folks a line. My note was answered on a holiday weekend by the owner of the company, and he promptly Fed-Ex'd me a new one.

Plaid Enterprises: I'd had some Dimensional Magic, unopened, which was very thick and unusable when I did finally open it. I wrote to them, asking what I could use, if anything, to reconstitute it. They apologized and sent me new product.

Wilton Industries: Okay, I know that there are a lot of folks who've had trouble with Martha Stewart punches. I had one that appeared to be defective. This had been ordered online, so I contacted EK Success customer service. (Contacting Martha Stewart customer service was not useful--automated reply that said that they couldn't help.) A rep from Wilton wrote back, agreeing that it sounded like the punch was defective. He sent out a replacement.

Making Memories: I've mentioned that I like the MM paper trimmer. When the cuts began fraying, I contacted MM to see if I could get/purchase a replacement blade. I'd already done the troubleshooting to no avail. They regretted that there were no replacements as the blade is designed to be self-sharpening and essentially told me to write a different dept about getting a replacement. A couple of weeks after making that contact, I had a new trimmer on my doorstep.

Then there's QuicKutz, which is also standing by their products and trying to make things right.

Those are the companies that I wanted to mention. BTW, Kelly, I do have some JustRite stamps but have not had any issues with mine, so I can't comment on their customer service. Sorry to hear that you've been disappointed so far. Hope they come through for you.

Addendum: In the comments below, Lesley reminded me of yet another company that stands behind its products and that's We R Memory Keepers, makers of the Crop-a-dile, among other things. My experience was with a defective Crop-a-dile also.