Bad experience with a sponsor

FAOL Community Sound Off
1

I haven’t done any business with Hook & Hackle since the company was bought and moved, but I recently put in an order with them and this was my experience. Take it for what it’s worth.

Saturday, July 7: I placed an online order in the evening for everything needed to build a complete rig. Blank, components, building supplies, reel, line, backing, the works.

Monday, July 9: Received an email notification from H&H that my order had been received.

Monday, July 16: My order had still not come in, and I hadn’t received any communication from H&H since their order confirmation email. I decided to email them about this, and the dialogue below is paraphrased:

Okie: “Hi, I haven’t received my order yet and I am worried that something was lost in the mail or backordered. I would like to receive my order soon so that I have time to build this rod and use it on vacation. What is the status of my order?”

Eric from H&H: “The blank you ordered is on backorder, with no lead time given by the manufacturer. Call us and we’ll figure something out so that you can use your rod on vacation.”

I called H&H and talked to Eric. The fix we came up with was to swap out the blank I ordered for one with the same length, weight, & pieces from a different manufacturer. I did save some money, but it wasn’t the blank I wanted. Oh well, sometimes you just have to make do.

Two days later (today), my order arrived. I opened the box, and didn’t much like what I found. Here are the burps I encountered:

  1. Nickle winding check does not fit the blank. In the past Bob would send multiple winding checks to ensure that this problem didn’t happen.
  2. A spool of Pac Bay thread was substituted for Gudebrod thread. The other threads I am using for this rod are Gudebrod, and I don’t like mixing brands even if it probably won’t matter.
  3. My reel is on backorder. You would think that if backordering is a big enough problem that I would ask for a different blank to ensure that my order gets to me in time, they would have the presence of mind to tell me that my reel is backordered too.

I will post a follow-up tomorrow after I have had a chance to call them about this, but for the time being Hook and Hackle has left me significantly less than satisfied.

2

that sucks, i have had some similar service from cabelas, do i still shop from them? OF COURSE.

3

I, too, have had a few “burps” with Hook & Hackle. Some issues have been resolved quickly, while other seem to drone on forever. You are absolutely correct when you say they don’t communicate well. In my opinion, this is their biggest problem, and the one most easily corrected. If you don’t have it in stock, IMMEDIATELY e-mail the customer and let them know the status of the backorder so they can decide weather to wait for backorder, accept a substitute from stock, or order from someone else. If the customer knows what’s going on, they will be more willing to work with the vendor. Not knowing what’s going on is anathema to quality customer service.

BTW, my last order came in quickly (a Pac Bay complete kit), but the winding checks I ordered for other rods were wrong. I was so upset that I didn’t even waste the phone call to tell them about it, but just decided to not order certain things from them because they are consistently wrong. This is my third (and last) mess up with winding checks, so now I order them from another vendor who gets it right every time, even though he’s a little higher priced. As the saying goes; “The Bitterness of Poor Quality Lingers Long After the Sweetness of Low Cost is Forgotten”

Lastly, you are correct about the previous owner. Bob would call me to let me know that items were backordered, and offer substitutes if necessary. He was a great communicator.

Joe

4

I guess I’ve been lucky with Hook & Hackle and Cabelas. I have always gotten my order fast and they’ve always been correct. But all I ever buy from them is fly tying stuff.

Semper Fi!

5

I will add here that a couple of times I have been annoyed when I followed up items not received to find they had been on backorder and I wasn’t told… and that was Bob. I didn’t find the communication dept too good at all but still liked to deal with them due to the honesty etc.

6

I too have had a back order from H&H, but Ron and I worked it out okay. I ended up satisfied; he actually sent me a better blank for the same price.

Okiebass, I have been able to dremel out, with a sanding drum, a winding check to fit a blank that was one size too big. The sanding drum works well for inletting grips for reelseats, too.
http://www.dremel.com/en-us/attachments … 08&I=66409

Greg

7

I guess I have been lucky. I have never had a problem with any on-line catalog. I don’t order from cabela’s anymore only because I have found better prices and less shipping cost elsewhere. If I did have a problem with a catalog that wasn’t rectofied quickly and effeciently, that would be my last order with them, no matter my previous record with them. I have done this with numerous “local” stores and shops, and have a black list of places I will not spend money with anymore. I have worked in customer service jobs for most of my life and find it unaceptable when companies don’t attempt to make it right even if fault isn’t their own, but their providers. IMO a bit of a loss on one order with the expectations of repeat bussiness is well worth it. If H&H did that to me they would have an earfull, a return, and would never have my word of mouth or my bussiness again. I would have gone without or found another catalog to supply me for my trip and that would be that. Just my opinion.