Customer service (or lack of)

[Amphicar BUYER]

Why it it that you can't get even average customer service any more?? I just spent good money on several manuals for my 59 Skyliner. I got them and they have a HUGE watermarks on every page that makes them un-useable. The print is small enough as it is and then they add a too dark watermark that is almost half the size of the page on every page. Not east to use in low light situations or even on the bench for that matter. I used to write manuals and if I did that, I would have lost the job!! A watermark or "bug" is ok, but it should NEVER interfere nor compete with the content.

I called the publisher to voice my complaint and even asking very nicely as to why the huge watermark, they said thanks for the criticisim and hung up the phone on me!! (Jim Osborn reproductions.) Faxon literature where I bought them made no effort to keep me as a customer. They would refund but really could give 2 hoots if I did business with them or not.

Why does "customer service" end when they get your money?? Do they not know about repeat customers or care?? (In this case a dissapointed customer) This is only one example and it's certainly not limited to this type of sale. GRrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[ted sweet]

its to prevent non authorized copying

[charlier]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Amphicar BUYER</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Why does "customer service" end when they get your money?? Do they not know about repeat customers or care?? (In this case a dissapointed customer) This is only one example and it's certainly not limited to this type of sale. GRrrrrrrrrrrrrr </div></div>

Many businesses that provide poor customer service fail to understand the power of the internet in bringing their poor customer service to a much LARGER audience. They also fail to realize or care that it usually takes a lot less money to keep a current customer that it does to attract a new customer. That and good word of mounth from a current customer is *FREE* advertising and a less expensive sale.

In your particular situation I can understand your frustration about buying a manual that is difficult to read.

Obviously they watermarked it to prevent duplication and loss of revenue. Too bad they could not have protected their work and not compromised readability so much.

[Guest madmike]

seems many have forgotten rule #1 in business...

RULE #1 if we dont take care of the customer..........

.......somebody else will...

[Amphicar BUYER]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ted sweet</div><div class="ubbcode-body">its to prevent non authorized copying </div></div>

Yes, Ted I know that. I have professionally written many technical manuals (in my previous career) and as a rule no watermark or bug should ever interfere with or compete with the content. The 59 Ford electrical manual is unuseable because of the over size and too dark bug which does both, making it useless especially on not so perfect eyes or less than perfect lighting conditions. This poorly reproduced manual would never fly in the Technical Writing world.

The watermark should not be covering almost 50% of the content! It should also be much lighter and not so complicated. A smaller, less ornate bug located where it does not compete with the content would be more than sufficient. Look at all your reproduction manuals and pictures, you will probably see only a small bug in the corner, not this egotistical, oversized in your face monster.

This does not stop any unauthorized copies, it may prevent re-selling them, but it will not stop any copies. What it did do is cost them a customer and I suspect I am not the only one. I can spend my time removing it with software I have, but I prefer to just buy a clean professionally done copy that I can actually use.

[Rusty_OToole]

Did they write the manual from scratch all by themselves or are they republishing an old Ford manual?

If the latter I think it quaint that they are so zealous in protecting something they stole.

Even if they wrote it themselves it is plain ignorant to inconvenience all your customers in hope of stopping the one in a million who will rip them off.

It won't even stop the ripoffs. I'm sure anyone who wants to copy the manual will copy it anyway.

After all if they can sell a manual with every page disfigured why should a theif worry?

[Twitch]

Amphicar-By posting that story here a much larger number of people can see it than you could have ever told one on one. Thanks. I'll never buy anything from that outfit.

It's a poor excuse that a huge watermark is to thwart unlawful copyers. This is one of the most esoteric subjects you'd ever imagine to find in print! How many people have any interest in it? Few indeed. We're not taking Harry Potter here.

Relative to all things NOBODY is restoring 59 Skyliners!! The audience for that subject is miniscule, relatively speaking! Those people are amazingly anal!

[Sweepspear]

I think I bought my Buick assembly manual from Faxon.

On one of the first pages they apologize upfront for some of the copies being illegible.

Well, they got that right. Some pages hardly show any images at all, and others look to be 10th generation copies.

There is no excuse for hanging up on you.

They should make it right by you!

I like to say, "I may not be your biggest customer, but I have the biggest mouth!"