Awesome customer service is awesome. UPDATED with free stuff

"Honeybunchesofgoats" (honeybunche0fgoats) 04/09/2019 at 14:30 • Filed to: None

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I have this rucksack from LL Bean that I use all of the time:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I love it so much that when it started to fray, I decided against warrantying it, and just made my own improvements:

A while back, I found this bomb pin of it:

Today I noticed that I lost the pin somewhere. I checked online and it wasn’t listed, so I sent an email to customer service asking if any stores had it in stock.

The first email came about 30 minutes later with a list of stores that showed it in stock.

30 minutes after that, I got this email:

Now, that’s the kind of customer service that keeps customers coming back. Regardless of whether they do find one, I’m going to order some new shirts today to show my support.*

*Back when they still had their lifetime satisfaction guarantee, I made a point to always spend as much in store as the retail cost of whatever they replaced for me. Am I bitter about them getting rid of that policy because too many people were abusing the it by buying 30 year old sweaters from garage sales or eBay and taking them back to exchange for cash? Like a lemon.

UPDATE

   This is the kind of thing that guarantees that I’ll be a loyal customer for life. 

ttyymmnn > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 13:59

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My stepmother’s dad wore LL Bean duck boots, and wore them  until the leather uppers fell apart. He mailed them back to Bean, and they sewed on new ones at no charge. Multiple times, I believe.

CalzoneGolem > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 14:03

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I’m almost 39. I got a LL Bean backpack and Parka in high school that I still use 20 years later.

The Ghost of Oppo > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 14:05

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I’ll buy LL Bean over North Face or Patagonia any day

LOREM IPSUM > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 14:07

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Wow, that’s going above and beyond. Great company, and they clearly hired a great employee. I've always liked LL Bean. I should shop there more often.

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 14:11

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Nice! I got a backpack in like 7th grade, wore it every day until Junior year of college (so 8.5ish years) when a strap started coming unsewn. I took it to an LL Bean outlet and they replaced something that, by all reasonable standards, should have worn out, free off charge. It’s both a shame and no wonder they discontinued that warranty program.

Azrek > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 14:13

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I have a North Face dufflebag I got in 2000. It’s been to 2 major wars, 30 countries and random roadtrips. My best friend saw it in Ireland recently ...still looking new and went home to buy one.

But, Hyatt won me over as a customer in the past 2 years. I stayed at a Hyatt for a convention and at 8am someone started construction above my room at 8am. My drunken ass had a slight PTSD issue and panicked. Took me a moment and I lightly complained to Hyatt when I got my survey in my email. A lady from Hyatt Corporate called me back, deeply apologized and promised to help me with future reservations. Boy howdy...does she ever. Do I want a specific room? Done...do I want the room to have a view? Done...it is wild. I am not used to this and don’t abuse it. It makes my trips super easy and comfortable.

Honeybunchesofgoats > ttyymmnn 04/04/2019 at 14:16

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Bean boots are a cool case, because back when they still had their ridiculous guarantee, people would still opt to pay to repair them, since they didn’t want to argue that they were unsatisfied with them. 

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 14:16

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I’m an Llbean product whore. And only had to use the guarantee once.

It was sad but yeah one time I returnignan item for another size and this younger woman shows up with a coat styled clearly from the 80s bitching about the quality

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > The Ghost of Oppo 04/04/2019 at 14:19

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Patagonia is also pretty awesome. 

MattHurting > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 14:19

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I’ve had a pair of LL Bean chest waders for about 18 years. That’s almost unheard of for waders to last that long. 

Honeybunchesofgoats > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 04/04/2019 at 14:21

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The crazy thing that they still honor the old guarantee on anything purchased before 2018, and even now there’s still a lifetime warranty on materials and craftsmanship. 

Honeybunchesofgoats > Azrek 04/04/2019 at 14:22

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That’s awesome. I’m definitely going to start considering Hyatt more often when I travel. 

facw > Azrek 04/04/2019 at 14:34

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I’m a little annoyed at North Face customer support actually. I got a backpack last summer, and shortly afterwards one of the sternum straps snagged on something an pulled off shortly afterwards. I contacted them about how to reattach it, and they said to just pry the clasp open with a screwdriver. That definitely did not work. The clasp didn’t budge anywhere near enough, and the screwdriver marred the plastic (and I’m pretty sure would have broken it had I applied much more force.)

Granted, I’m not actually sure what good customer service would be for something like that. It’s not a manufacturer’s defect, so taking it back for warranty repair is probably more than should be required, but sending vague instructions that damage the product really isn’t a good approach either.

dropthatclutch > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 14:43

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I’ve been so disappointed with their quality lately.

Once upon a time when I was young and broke I’d take my Dad’s LL Bean shirts that weren’t quite 100% still and wear them for several more years until the collar or cuffs frayed. When they did I’d just buy new ones.

Since they changed their policies on warranties I haven’t been able to get a full year out of a shirt before things wear and fray.

Their fits are either poorly described or very inconsistent. I’ll actually be returning two “slightly fitted” shirts this weekend. What they describe as relaxed through chest and sleeves and slightly fitted through the waist is actually the opposite. F itted through the chest, and sleeves and relaxed at the waist.

Sad. I hope it’s been a fluke.

Azrek > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 14:44

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Yeah, I got their credit card and bought stock...it is up 23%. 

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 15:38

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I think Cutco and JanS port are just about the only companies left that still offer a guarantee like that, and who knows how long they’ll be able to keep offering those.

Honeybunchesofgoats > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas 04/04/2019 at 16:08

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Yeah, I was really sad, but also not surprised. It’s sad that people would abuse such an incredible guarantee just to make a few bucks.   

Honeybunchesofgoats > dropthatclutch 04/04/2019 at 16:14

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I’m guessing the shirts are from their Signature line? Their fit is awful and the quality seems worse, even though the prices are higher.

They’re meant to be targeted at trendier young people, which means they size their stuff for scrawny hipster dudes with no chests.

I can’t wait for them to finally drop that line. I blame it for why they no longer make men’s blazers. Once they rolled out that line, all of their blazers were moved to it, but the fits were awful (tight on the chest and high armholes for people without shoulders) and they’d have no interior pockets, so of course no one was buying them, so they just stopped selling them all together. 

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 16:38

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That is some good customer service. Sadly, I’ve been disappointed with LL Bean customer service multiple times.

I’ve attempted to return stuff for refund (that I bought FROM THEIR OWN WEBSITE WITH THEIR OWN CREDIT CARD), and every time they’ve been unable to find the transaction. I don’t try abuse the system, but when the leather on a belt wears out in 6 months or pants split after a year and a half, I think that’s the kind of stuff the guarantee is made for. Every single time I’ve been denied, or they’ve offered to give me the lowest price the item ever sold for.

Why do I still shop there? Generally speaking, their stuff is built to last. 

DipodomysDeserti > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 04/04/2019 at 18:41

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Lifetime warranties are pretty common among quality pack and knife makers. I have Spyderco, Benchmade and Ontario knives and they all have lifetime warranties. All three of my packs (Mountain Hardware, Chrome Industries and Eagle Industries) also have Lifetime warranties. However,  packs are a bit pricier than a Jansport or the LL Bean posted above.

DipodomysDeserti > DipodomysDeserti 04/04/2019 at 18:57

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*Granite Gear, not Mountain Hardwear

DipodomysDeserti > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/04/2019 at 19:03

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This reminds me I need to file a warranty claim on my Granite Gear pack. After getting deagged through the desert for eight years, one of the compression cords finally broke. I will not be fixing it myself, because when you spend over $200 on a pack, it’s so that it’ll last you a lifetime.

Honeybunchesofgoats > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 04/04/2019 at 19:54

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That’s weird. Do they show up in your purchase history on the website (mine has everything I’ve ever bought going back years)?

Did you try escalating it up the chain?

Honeybunchesofgoats > DipodomysDeserti 04/04/2019 at 19:55

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And Victorinox on their blades.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/05/2019 at 11:52

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I’ve tried going up the chain once before with no success. I just gave up  after that. It does show up on the website purchase history.as I said, I can't complain too much since they do make quality stuff. I just wish my customer service experience was a bit better with them. 

Honeybunchesofgoats > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/09/2019 at 14:33

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Kinja is weird with caching posts, I guess, this was what I received back from them:

Chariotoflove > Honeybunchesofgoats 04/09/2019 at 15:22

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I didn’t realize the lifetime warranty had gone away.