A Little Bit Of Good Customer Service Goes A Long Way: Kromski vs. Majacraft
(Majacraft: Buyer Beware!)
Lately, I have been dealing with an issue about which I haven’t spoken. It has to do with a negative experience I had with a Majacraft dealer and the aftermath of said experience.
But first, I’d like to say something about a positive experience I had.
Yesterday I met a very professional and kind Kromski dealer. My husband had ordered a Polonaise for me as a surprise gift and the box arrived damaged with a part of the wheel sticking out of a hole (in the box).
I was mortified. Anyone who has waited for wheel to arrive (my husband isn’t good at keeping surprises) will be able to relate to the heartache I felt upon seeing the beat- up box in which held the wheel of my dreams.
Anyhow, my husband called the dealer and she offered to meet with us ASAP and assess the damage and fix the situation.
She gently unpacked the wheel and explained what all the parts were. She also was able to inform us that the injured part of the wheel was the bottom of one leg and that a little oil would hide the nick although she did offer to send the part back for a replacement part.
She also apologized even though she was not at fault and took responsibility for the problem.
She also made it clear that Kromski stood behind their wheels and their dealers and that it was a great company that really cares about its customers.
I agree.
Another thing I liked about Vicky from Spinner’s Cottage is that we were able to talk about other wheels and why we prefer certain wheels over others. She knew about other makes of wheel and thus knew why she prefered Kromski. This means a lot to someone who is confused about which wheel to purchase. Furthermore, it lets customers know that, after trying other wheels, a dealer loved one (or more) brand enough to sell it/ them.
The Kromski company is also very responsive and helpful. I received an email from the company that was both kind and helpful.
Kromski is a small, family- owned company out of Poland. Many of the wheels they make are made using traditional and tried methods and every tree used is hand selected.
Even though they ship their wheels everywhere, they are able to retain an intimate- type relationship with their dealers and customers. The dealers care. The company cares. You- as a customer- matter and you will never feel insignificant when you are dealing with Kromski.
Kromski sets their prices- this minimizes confusion and keeps dealers on the same page. It also protects the customer from price gauging.
In contrast, I recently had a very nasty experience with a Majacraft dealer and a disappointing experience with the Majacraft company.
I knew that I wanted an Aura but still had some questions and reservations. I had tried both an Aura and a Rose at Susan’s Fiber Shop in Wisconsin but, because Susan wasn’t there to answer my questions, I felt the need to do more research before taking the plunge.
After doing some research, I was still confused and so I decided to visit a local dealer. Bad idea.
I told her that I wanted to spin art yarn and needed a wheel for that purpose. She hadn’t heard of Lexi Boegar and didn’t think that the tensioning system of the Aura was any different from that of the Rose. She also told me that the Aura came with the overdrive head and that the jumbo bobbin was the largest bobbin made by Majacraft.
Even worse, she told me that- with the additional purchase of an overdrive head- the Rose and Aura were the same wheel.
Now, I didn’t feel right about this and so I asked her- at least three times- to clarify what she meant by this statement.
Long story short, I went home and tried the Rose. I didn’t like it and decided to do more research. The truth was devastating!
I emailed the dealer- telling her that the Rose was not the Aura and would never be the Aura- even with the overdrive head. I also told her that I didn’t want the Rose.
She blamed my lack of experience for my dislike of the Rose and love of the Aura and offered to help me get used to the Rose.
I sent her another email and a link to the Majacraft website explaining the hybrid tensioning system. She responded by admitting that she had a lot to learn and that she would consider a trade up.
Now, first thing’s first… you don’t blame a customer when you make a mistake. You take responsibility for your mistake, apologize, and fix things.
I agreed to the trade up- hoping to pay a “factory direct” price rather than pay stock price (especially since I wasn’t purchasing the wheel from her stock!). As a result of the way I had been treated, I was hoping not to give her any money for commission. She hadn’t earned it.
Moreover, I was hoping to deal with her as little as possible.
My husband asked about factory- direct pricing and said that he wanted to put the wheel together himself. She told him that she doesn’t offer factory direct and also refused to allow him to put the wheel together himself. She stated that she has to put the wheel together to ensure that it is not damaged (?). She told my husband that that is the only way she does things.
Now this made me mad!
First of all, it is illegal to charge someone for a service he/ she declined and, second of all- as a customer- do I have any say with regards to my $1,500.00 purchase?
I contacted Majacraft- hoping that they would step in and do something about it. No such luck.
While Majacraft was sympathetic and apologized and, in addition, asked for the dealer’s name in order to ensure that she is better educated, they did nothing to fix my situation.
In fact, what I learned (from Majacraft) is that, while they do suggest a retail price for their products, dealers can charge whatever they want. Majacraft does not keep track of what dealers charge.
Moreover, they will not step in should there be an issue between dealer and customer. In other words, they seems to operate on a “buyer beware” system.
During my interaction with Majacraft, I was shocked. The Aura is an expensive wheel- supposedly top of the line- wouldn’t you think that the customer service would be top of the line as well?
My mistake is, obviously, in thinking that high price equals quality products and customer service.
In all fairness, I can understand that Majacraft may not have the necessary resources to oversee all of its foreign dealers. Perhaps Majacraft is too small a company to be able to deal with issues on an individual basis. I get that.
Or, perhaps Majacraft has never had to deal with this kind of issue and, as a result, has no idea what to do?
I also understand that Majacraft puts an enormous amount of trust in their dealers. While this is commendable, allowing dealers to operate carte blanche can be disastrous. It also tips the scale of equity towards the dealers and away from the customers.
However, the truth is that, as Majacraft becomes more popular and accessible to Americans, more issues like mine will occur. I have to wonder if Majacraft understands this and will be able to be in a place at which they can effectively deal with it?
In addition, how difficult would it be to set prices? Obviously, price gouging is going on- which makes individual dealers- as well as Majacraft- look bad.
If Kromski can set prices, why not Majacraft?
How difficult is it to say: “I’m sorry; we stand behind our wheels and are here for our customers; let me help fix this…”
I am not sure if it is a case of not caring or not being able to care. I do feel like Majacraft protects their dealers- however uneducated and/ or awful they may be. It also seems like Majacraft values its dealers over its customers.
While corresponding with Majacraft, I did not get the feeling that I mattered. This was a bitter pill to swallow considering the amount of money I had spent on one of their wheels.
I don’t have my Aura yet. The truth is that I am not sure whether or not I want it. I know that it is wrong to blame a wheel for poor customer service. I almost feel like having an Aura means somehow supporting and recommending Majacraft and, at this point, I can’t- in good conscience- do that.
Majacraft wheels might be the very best in the world; they may treadle like butter and spin as smooth as silk but it seems like the company does not care about its customers and this matters.
The local dealer who sold me the Rose should not be a spinning wheel dealer and any company that allows and enables the kind of poor customer service I received is best avoided.
Dealers represent the companies who make the wheels they sell. In most cases, a dealer is the only contact a customer has with a company. If the dealer is terrible, a customer will assume that the company is terrible. Majacraft would do well to keep this in mind next time a customer receives poor customer service.
In closing, I would recommend that spinners trust their instincts over what a dealer says and/ or over the desire to walk out of a shop with a wheel.
Do plenty of research and know what you are getting into. If purchasing from a company that cares about its customers is important to you, stay away from Majacraft. Until they are able to come to an understanding regarding poor vs. exemplary customer service and, until they are able to value customers, I cannot recommend Majacraft wheels.
If, after reading this, you are still interested in Majacraft, purchase online (factory direct); don’t bother to visit a local dealer. It is my experience that the commission made off of mark- ups will not be worth it.
If you live in NE Ohio and wish to avoid the dealer from whom I bought the Rose, please send me an email and I will send you her name.
