Poor Service from Springfield-Armory Custom Shop/ Dave Williams

[natestj]

I had an issue with my slide binding, so I called springfield and spoke with Kathy Dochterman, and John the warranty gunsmith, both of whom are very professional and knew what they were talking about. I sent it in and while it was in I called back and asked about sight pricing and having the custom shop do this while it was there anyways. the lady I dealt with and Kathy both assured me that my shipping was paid both ways since it was in for repairs but when the custom shop finished the job and sent my gun back they charged me shipping which I never authorized. I called them up and they refused to refund the shipping costs. I also asked very specifically at the time I ordered the work on my sights if there was tax since they just gave me an even number for a price they said no tax, I thought cool well there is tax collected for washington residents no biggie just answer correctly when asked a specific question. my issues really lie with Dave Williams the custom shop mananger he is a total jerk! I probably would have dropped the whole issue if he had been pleasant and courteous, but he wasn't even close. He essentially called me a liar multiple times and actually laughed at me a few times, completely unprofessional. I was so pissed about the treatment I sold the gun and will never buy another springfield again which actually sucks as I really liked the 3.8 compact .45 xdm and was planning on purchasing that soon, but no longer as a matter of principal, especially since I spent over 2 hours on the phone trying to get to someone over him that actually cared how their customers were being treated with no avail. Not one person actually said hey that sucks sorry you were called a liar and that douche laughed at you that was unprofessional. as I said I would have dropped it had he been courteous but since he wasn't I didn't. Now I am letting everyone know about thier service on the custom shop side.

Read More

 

[deen_ad]

We only have one side of the dispute, waiting for Springfield Armory's post.

 

[Jammer Six]

When I ran my business, I learned to recognize customers who could not be pleased.

If I were Springfield, there is no way I would respond to this post in any manner, and if Springfield reads this, (which I sincerely doubt) that is what I suggest they do.

I don't believe any part of it because of the way it was presented, and I think that's the way Springfield should leave it.

 

[natestj]

It doesn't matter whether you do or do not believe what happened. why would I make it up? The fact of the matter is, Dave Williams called me a liar and laughed at me. That is not how a business should be run that deals in customer service. I understand what you are saying about there being customers who are never pleased. I can assure you I was pleased with the work that they provided but not the treatment I was given. I think that comment is an uneducated/uninformed one, since you do not know me or anything about me.

 

[Velzey]

Wow to bad you sold your Springfield over that..Most shops have jerks working for them, somewhere in the system.

 

[natestj]

I sold my Springer for a few reasons the biggest being the customer service.the problem was not only that there was a jerk I dealt with it was twofold, 1. Dave Williams is the head of the custom shop and should know better especially since this was the first time I ever spoke with the man. 2. (this is really the biggest reason) It was how the company dealt with it. I was shocked that they could treat a customer this way claiming to have the best customer service in the industry, yet no one seemed to care. but that is ok I am moving on to bigger and better; a Dan Wesson, Gaurdian Bobtail.

 

[PuddleMonkey]

For every Springfield you don't buy, I'm going to buy three.

 

[natestj]

Okay, well in that case, I plan on not buying all of them. Go ahead and go broke! I wont ever own another one, because of their horrible service.

 

[Jammer Six]

Best service I've ever received from a manufacturer. Above and beyond in all ways.

 

[natestj]

Well Jammer, you must have never had to deal with Dave Williams, or the custom shop. I would day the warranty side was pleasant and professional, but the custom shop is a joke.

 

[Jammer Six]

I've dealt with both. There's no question in my mind where your problem lies. Listening to you, and having dealt with them, I'm certain that you were the problem.

 

[natestj]

You must be right Jammer, I'd very you think you're right most of the time. you've sure got me pegged here, because, in reading this thread, I've been nothing but rude and abrasive. And you seem to know me so well too, especially after low balling me on the springfield I sold. The funny thing is that I wasn't rude to you then either.

 

[pietro beretta]

Hello,

Sounds like you might have paid with a credit card?

Simple -- dispute the shipping charges, it's a partial charge back.


I won't comment on the service or anything else.

 

[556]

i just asked them a question about adding an ambi safety to my mil spec 1911 and kathy was kind of vague about answering my question,she just said"send it in to our custom shop and we can add the ambi safety"i know they want the money but
it would be good customer service to answer my question about what has to be done to add the ambi safety in her email.

however my springfield is the best 1911 i have ever owned and it's a very well built weapon so i will be buying more products in the futre from them but probably wont deal with their customer service dept.

they were not rude just not very helpful

 

[Faawrenchbndr]

Hmmmmm, I've had nothing but great service from SACS
However, I knew the pricing of the work I had done. Asking
about pricing is like standing in McDonalds & asking how much
a Big Mac is.

 

[PrDubi]

Great service, came back quickly and with swag.

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

 

[gehrheart]

Love all my springers. Have had nothing but great service, great support and great products from them. I will continue to do much more with them in the future!

 

[Blitzkrieg]

I have a SA 1911 and love it and have zero experience dealing with the co but I have experienced this very sort of treatment and even worse from a scanner manufacturer, IMAX. It does happen

 

[iamme]

If you search you'll find SA has a rep of having some of, if not THE BEST, customer service in the industry. SA no longer allows people to send in their guns for "warranty" work as a means to have your shipping paid to get custom shop work done. Dave has always been more than kind, Deb is a saint in her own right. Warranty repairs get return shipping paid, custom shop work does not. There's a reason SA had to make these decisions- they're one of the only large manufacturers with an actual real custom shop, not just script on their slide like Kimber.

Faawrench who posted above should come back along shortly and post some pics of his Pro he just got. It sure reads like someone didn't do their due diligince and rather than have any personal responsibility wants to pass it off.

 

[wichaka]

I have a 1911 Loaded model, which puked the lower lugs because of an ill fitted barrel.




I install my own barrels, but thought...since its under warranty, I'll send it in and have them do it.

When it came back, it was ill fitted the same way. The barrel came to rest on the link, not the frame bed/VIS,
and the hood was too long, which was causing the upper lugs to crash a bit.

I called them and they told me they leave the hood long, for a tight lock up. I explained that it was too long,
which was making the upper lugs crash together, and would take off the leading edge, and peen up metal.
Then I also told them about the barrel not coming to rest on the frame bed/VIS.

They told me if the barrel impacts the VIS and frame bed, the lower lugs would shear off.
I explained to both Williams and his flunky about barrel timing, and what/where the barrel should impact during link down.

They asked where I gained my knowledge on barrel fit, I told them Wil Schuemann.
They then said..."So I guess you won't be sending the gun back?"
I told them no, because they were too incompetent to perform a simple operation for a so called "Custom Shop".

Unbelievable! UGH!