The Drum Carder Saga....the Final Chapter

Hmmmmm....what different customer experiences I've had dealing with the Post Office and Otto Strauch - the designer and craftsman of the Strauch Drum Carder. Otto was very responsive and provided exceptional customer service! The PO did not and was a bit frustrating to deal with.

The PO was VERY slow in processing the insurance claim for replacing the handle of the drum carder that had been broken in shipping - see the Oct. 5 and Oct. 12 posts for more information. It took additional phone calls to finally get the ball rolling. The original estimate had been 1 1/2 weeks to process my claim and provide a money order, but that morphed into a much longer length of time. Keep in mind that the claim I filed was very small and was for a significantly smaller amount than full replacement!

The original "slow-down" was due to the PO request for the OTHER half of the insurance receipt - they already had the part that was attached to the box I received. I'd been unable to obtain the other half from the sender, and I tried for a couple of weeks. I finally gave up trying and called the PO to let them know I was unable to attain the other half (it doesn't seem plausible that I should expect the sender to retain it and have it available for me...after all, I did have the proper insurance sticker complete with numbers attached to the box.). I made 3 phone calls before FINALLY getting their commitment to finally send the money order for the claim. Whew! I received the MO in the mail today - yeah!!!!

Contrast this with the exceptional customer service I received from Otto - the designer and manufacturer of the Strauch Drum Carder. He was INCREDIBLE!!! In spite of being an extremely busy man attending and demonstrating his carder at numerous fiber festivals, he IMMEDIATELY responded to my e-mail and spoke with me in person about my repair needs and gave me pointers on checking the over-all "health" of my carder and reminded me that they're guaranteed for life and if I have ANY problems with it to contact him right away.

When I saw him at the NY Sheep and Wool Festival (I swear he goes to ALL the fiber fests - I told you he was busy!!!), he said I should have received the replacement part already as he'd sent it out earlier that week. Additionally, he offered tips on keeping his product in prime working condition and tutored me on how to adjust the drums - they should spin silently as they mesh together. (The new handle HAD already arrived at my home, so it was waiting for me when I returned from NY!)

I am absolutely THRILLED with the care, attention, and customer service that I received from Otto! If you're considering a drum carder, I highly recommend purchasing one from Otto - they're built well, are of high quality, work like a dream, have a fabulous guarantee, and the customer service can't be beat!

BEFORE (left) and AFTER (right)




TIMELINE:
Oct 5 - Received damaged package from the PO E-mailed Otto at Strauch Equipment to ask about repairs/replacements. Received immediate response from Otto complete with price quote.
Oct 6 - Spoke with Otto at Mt. Pelier - indicated he'd already replied, graciously explained his replacement process, and tutored me on the use and care of his product. AND re-emphasized the lifetime guarantee!
Oct 11 - Filed official insurance claim for actual damages and shipping - a fraction of the actual value of the product.
Oct 12 - PO contacted me to request the other half of the insurance receipt I mailed the broken crank handle to Otto and provided the PO with the shipping receipt to be added to my claim. I e-mailed the seller for the first time asking for receipt as per the PO request.
Oct. 15 - Otto received the broken crank handle required for matching the threading to ensure proper placement of the handle when the seam of the drum carder is facing up.
Oct. 16 - I e-mailed the seller a second time asking for receipt Otto shipped replacement part back to me
Oct. 18 - Replacement handle arrived at my home
Oct. 20 - Spoke with Otto at NY Sheep and Wool - found out my replacement handle was ALREADY waiting for me!
Oct. 29 - I e-mailed the seller a third and final time asking for receipt
Nov. 6 - I called the PO to speak with the original claims rep. who was out
of the office for the week. I left a message with another employee for the supervisor and was told they'd call me back.
Nov. 8 - After patiently waiting and NOT receiving a call, I called again. I was then told that the reason they didn't call back was because the original claims person had the paperwork and they couldn't do anything until they returned. The would be back the Tuesday after Veteran's Day.
Nov. 14 - Called again. This time, I was told the claims person was out this entire week as well and may or may not be back the following week. At this point, I'm VERY frustrated!!!! I explain my situation and am transferred to the supervisor.
The supervisor listened to my "saga", and said she'd need some
time to check into it and would call me back - probably the next day.
Nov. 15 - The supervisor called me back....we discussed the claim, she found the paperwork, and tells me she'll get the MO sent out to me. FINALLY!!!
Nov. 16 - The long awaited money order arrived today - Yeah!!!!!