GEAR: outstanding customer service at REI

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 As avid consumer of outdoor gear I have purchased enough stuff to fill a small house. OK, maybe not but I am getting pretty close.
It was not always kayaks; it used to be mountain bikes, backpacking and dirt motorcycles before that.
I haven't ridden seriously in years, backpacked much less lately but I still acquire light camping gear for my kayaking trips.
When I lived in USA the local REI shop employees thought that I was on their payroll, I was that often at their store. Eventually I took a job at REI, as Master Tech managing one of their bicycle departments. Half my wage would be "reinvested" directly into gear that the shop sold. I would not buy anywhere else as the warranty offered by REI was outstanding.

 I use my gear, some of it a lot. If a manufacturer offers lifetime warranty I have no reservation buying that item. I am confident that REI will honor a possible claim. Gear that I buy is not cheap, often the very best in that category and I believe in buying quality that lasts and offers the security of service when I need it. Cheap big box stores don’t appeal to me as I don’t like replacing failing items just because they are cheap while I have to deal with sub-standard equipment robbing me of my outdoor experience.

 REI sells excellent tents for hot climates under their own label, design and specification. Of course their tents are made in China, just like 99% of the most reputable brands are. I purchased two tents that were light, compact and sturdy, offering ease of pitching and good ventilation.



I used them on many trips and I never felt that they would not stand up to what the weather was throwing at me. They never failed, never broke a pole and never got wet in them. Solid, as I expected. Then one day the seam sealing tape of the fly of one tent started to deteriorate and peel off in chunks. The fabric became a bit sticky and the crumbling seam tape compromised the waterproofness.



I purchased that tent 5 years ago, online.
I was not sure if REI would really stand behind their promise of lifetime warranty since I often I hear manufacturers interpreting “lifetime” as lifetime of the tent. Nowhere is disclosed what that means and how many years that warranty is good for; it’s at the discretion of the manufacturer to establish that, of course after I have a problem with my item.
I contacted REI via email and told them of my problem. The next day (time zone difference) I received a reply that I should take my tent to my local REI store (they have over 130 stores, all in USA tho) or send it in for them to inspect.



When I lived in USA I returned a faulty item to REI and they replaced it there and then without any fuss. This time I was supposed to send my tent to USA; the postage via Australia Post would be worth half of the tent! (shipping from USA via USPS is substantially cheaper)
I asked if detailed images of the tent would be acceptable to REI for assessing my claim. They agreed and I supplied the images. Two days later I received an answer from the Technical Department confirming what I thought: the tent was found to be faulty in material and a refund was organized for me. They were kind enough to understand that sending the tent to them for assessment was not economically feasible and rectified the problem with a refund (they would not send me a new tent as it was purchased in USA and not originally shipped to Australia).
Now, that is what I call customer service!



It is in such a stark contrast with the service that I have received in a similar store here in Australia where the manager of the store belittled me, accusing me of causing the fault when a self inflating mattress delaminated and failed: he said I rolled it up too fast when deflating it (?). Needless to say his ignorance and arrogance ill served Kathmandu’s business and I no longer wish to shop there. After the manager shared his belligerent opinion with me he replaced the faulty mat anyway, so I did not understand his point/view of arguing with the customer anyway. Ego/power trip? Who knows…

REI has always met my expectations, often exceeded. Their gear is solid, maybe not the most trendy or desirable in the outdoor fashionista circles but nevertheless great value for money. And since it’s a co-operative all profits are shared back to its members in a yearly refund of approx. 10% (of purchase) , with a portion donated to environmental/community projects.

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Buying a dream

I am a sucker for toys. Just like a bowerbird collects blue objects I love gear.
Some might say however that stuff means nothing if it doesn't get used.

But is that true? 
 

gear closet?
A collection of toys for the sake of just pure possession is often viewed as a pointless consumeristic decadence and I tend to agree. But I also see the other hidden side of the reason why often individuals find pleasure in just "owning stuff".

Let me tell you about my experience of a few years in retail at the largest outdoor gear retail chain in the world.

I used to manage the bicycle department in a massive shop and occasionally I would mingle on the floor and help customers with their purchases.

There were some genuine outdoor type guys that needed gear and pretty much knew what they wanted and knew how good/bad the offerings in the store actually were.

The vast majority  of people tho that came through the door were clueless and wanted gear for what they thought would give them a lifetime experience.
 

Him: “I saw this program on TV about Mt. Whitney; I want to go there. What do I need?”

Me: “Sir, what experience do you have in the outdoors?”

Him: “I walk my dog to the park and I play baseball. I am a real outdoors lover”

Me: “Hmm, OK, let’s see…”

I love their enthusiasm, the candour with which they approach life and that they have a dream.

They would ask me what  gear I use when I go in them “out of doors” places and inevitably they would buy the exact same product from the store. I knew that there was also no point in telling them that some of the gear that I had was home made or that it was no longer available, so I kept quiet ; who was I to disappoint them?

I also knew that they were not buying equipment to go to the mountain, they were buying a dream. 

A few years later, returning to Australia, I started sea kayaking.

The first kayak that I bought was “expedition” capable. I knew very little about paddling and even less about seamanship. My new (to me) kayak was large, had a great big rudder and even came with a sail. I knew I was going to be paddling and exploring far away places in about a week or so.

Fortunately reality checked-in before I got in trouble and I learned that the sea is not a forgiving place where I should really prepare myself before dreaming too big.

I recently read on a sea kayaking forum about somebody that wants to paddle from Australia to Papua New Guinea soon. His experience so far: paddling a few hours on a calm lake :-)

My second kayak was also a large big-guy boat, for expedition use of course.


 

Eventually it hit me: who am I kidding?
I rarely go away for an overnight paddle and maybe once or twice a year on a camping trip for a week or so.

I soon realized that that mighty big boat is not the best suited vessel for my day paddles. 
 

Just like those big stompers that my customer was now buying in my store, with a cart full of top end gear worthy of a Himalayan assault. He would have been better off with a lighter and nimble boot that would not give him blister the size of dinner plates, but I knew I could and should not convince him. He was dreaming.

And that is how far his dream went.

I saw him a few months later, now winter, in my store again. I asked him and he told me that he never got to that mountain: “Things got in the way”. I will do it next year, for sure.

All he wanted now was some full suspension bike because he was going to compete in a 24 hour mountain bike race.

I should have known: Discovery Channel showed a piece on that a few nights before. 
 

I loved that guy: he was enthusiastic about his dreams (and keeping my biz healthy).

I knew that the bike, just like his “Everest” jacket, would have a special place in his home.

Every so often he would open the wardrobe and look at the jacket and sigh: one day... 
 

Dreams is something money can’t buy, for everything else there is MasterCard.

Oh wait a minute, people are buying “dreams”
Some say that traveling and buying gear are the only two sure ways of converting dollars into happiness.

Don't renounce the customer service

As a dedicated sea kayakers I usually seek specialized equipment to purse this highly-technical gear-intensive sport. Such equipment is generally not available from big box stores but is rather sourced from the knowledgeable and educated staff of dedicated paddling shops.
Well established businesses that have been around for a long time owe their success to a number of factors but, in this small tightly-knit community of skilled kayakers, one very important aspect of retail is customer service.
It seems that aggressive advertising can lead to a healthy customer base too since often paddlers are willing to give the "new guy in town" a go.
The initial success however must be backed by a solid customer service or the buyer has the same security of purchasing gear as on eBay.

Photo: Arden
As an avid consumer of outdoor gear I have purchased (way) more than the average share of equipment throughout the years.
I do my shopping locally, if I can (if the desired items are available for a reasonable comparable price), or I shop online to source the exotic equipment that most local retailer have not heard of.
When purchasing online I buy almost exclusively from trusted vendors that offer a serious warranty policy: if it does fail they will replace it, unconditionally.

Wow! Is that true: unconditional guarantee? How can that be possible? How can they stay in business? one might ask...

The concept of an unconditional guarantee was pioneered in USA by LL Bean in 1912.
Unthinkable at the time, he started to offered unconditional warranty replacement on items that he sold in his store. The concept was so progressive that naysayers were convinced he would be bankrupt in very short time.
Well, his retail concept worked and against all odds he became very successful.
Many vendors followed his idea and equally succeeded including now the biggest retailer of outdoor gear in the world: REI.

This policy incites me to have no reservations purchasing from a retailer that genuinely backs its products by a warranty that can be claimed when things fail.
Unfortunately not all items that I purchase are from these vendors since some highly specialized gear is not main stream and is available from only selected retailers that don't have this policy.
I have purchased several items that I wished were sourced from vendors that would back up faulty equipment.

I have noticed a recent increase in dissatisfaction from local and interstate paddlers with the purchase of some British boats. Several high end kayaks have displayed problems in manufacturing ranging from poorly assembled decks, hulls and coamings to problems in the laminate.
I had my share of bubbles in the gel coat where the fibreglass was not laid out carefully in the factory but I repaired those voids myself without inconveniencing the retailer of the kayak or the manufacturer. I did not have to and I could have had it done professionally and billed the retailer.


laminate problem on the keel line
I had also a couple of imported kayaks that had problems with the construction of the laminate and could not be repaired to a satisfactory level. I had to negotiate a deal with the manufacturer and eventually had those kayaks replaced.
I am also aware of the same laminate problem on a kayak in Tasmania and the customer has never had the kayak replaced. He is stuck with a kayak that is faulty.
Several other customers have come forward with faults on their kayaks.
Some problems were rectified by the owners of those kayaks but in too many cases the retailer has simply washed his hands of the problem.
High end sea kayaking retailing is based on repeated custom or word-of-mouth advertising; poor customer service is giving these retailers a bad reputation and is very damaging.
While their business seems to be still thriving now, eventually it will suffer.
They are not dealing with teenagers that assume faulty equipment is just the nature of the product: cheap and with a short lifespan.
Sea kayakers are demographically more mature and value good after sale service; failing them is shortsighted.

photo: Chris Walker

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Customer service and loyalty

I often wonder why people are loyal to a brand or product.
What is it that makes them support a brand large or small?
Why would anybody praise a product?

I do understand a sponsored individual that has been paid to endorse or use a particular brand but why would an individual that has parted his/her hard earned cash to actually purchase a product than go about advertising for the company for free?
I am probably just as guilty as a lot of folk out there.
I label my products, I let people know what I use and often defend the brand if somebody seems to be rubbishing it publicly.

So why am I driven to do so?
Maybe because I am insecure and I want to convince myself that my choice was the right one and I want others to know that I have not done a mistake?
Maybe because I want to boast that I can afford those items and make myself feel superior in owning them?
Or is it something more profound that is deep in our complex human behavior?...

I took stock of the brands that I believe in and that I have been endorsing.
There are several but certainly not all.
I have a lot of gear. Really, a lot.
Accumulated throughout the years of backpacking, mountain biking and now sea kayaking I have used a lot of products.
I have also tested products and consulted to outdoor gear manufacturers in the past but those are not the companies that necessarily I am loyal to.
So why am I fond of some products and not others?
I guess it does come down to the actual use and the satisfaction of when a product performs well.
Sure, we all like to let our peers know that we have found something that is good.

But it is not always that, it is not always the products that work for us.
It's often for products that did not work out the way we expected.
What? are you nuts?
Let me explain.
After decades of using products it is just a matter of time to come across products that don't work or just fail.
Sometimes is a single unit that had a manufacturing glitch, sometimes is a design flaw for a product that was not tested well enough and released onto the market prematurely.
The fundamental thing is: what was the experience of the after sale customer service?
Yes, that's it.

I am usually a loyal endorser of a brand when the company producing the faulty item has come good when things went wrong.
Things go wrong, stuff brakes and things jam and fail.
Often is user error, sometimes is accident but occasionally there really is a fault in the product.

Brian Towell
User error: smashed by huge wave. Werner replaced paddle at cost.
And while some would just say: "this is rubbish, I will never buy it again..." , I believe in warranties.
I usually buy high end products and with it's high price tag I expect a solid warranty.
So when my bike gear, backpack or kayak related item fails (not by accident) I contact the retailer that I purchased it from.
The results are mixed: some retailers are very reasonable and when presented with a genuine warranty claim they will honor it.
Some other retailers are not so good and try to shoe you off to the manufacturer or importer directly.
They just don't want the hassle; after all there is nothing in for them.
But that's where they are wrong.

I personally resent doing business with retailers that will not help you in case of a faulty product that they have sold you.
Admittedly dealing directly with the manufacturer could be faster and better, but that's for me to decide.
So, when I had a positive experience with customer service (and it has not always been about stuff that broke, often is just advice/clarifications) I will undoubtedly praise their products.
Somehow if feels like that a personal relationship has been established with the manufacturer and knowing that they were there for you when I needed them has earned them my trust.

There are currently several retailers and manufacturers that I deal with that understand this subtle psychological factor.
Build a trust with your customer.
And while some operators are fly-by-night affairs others are in for the long run.
A word of advice to the outdoor industry: look after your customer when he has a problem and you will build a long lasting commercial relationship that most certainly will go beyond that initial sale you have generated.
After all most of us have mates and we tend to tell each other our bad or good experiences.
More so in the outdoors: it's a small world...