PLS lases rep posting had me thinking about customer service…
If you stop listening to your customers, you will soon lose them. Makita’s lack of accessibility to customer service( a 1-800 number that is operating m-f while I work, no e-mail!?) c’mon, this is the information age. I’m a Dewalt convert. Makita seems to stay mired in old technology. Case in point is their cordless right angle drill- old 9.6 volt stick batteries that have remained from the mid to late eighties, and a whopping 44 in lbs of torque! Thiss thing has the power of a battery powered screwdriver!
Dewalt, on the other hand, has steadily increased the power and voltage of its rt. angle from 9.6 to 12, to 14.4 to 18. The 18 volt model has 310 in lbs of torque! This makes the Makita look like a toy.It would seem that Makita does not even care to compete or find out what customers want. Dewalt offers alot of varied tools in a range of voltages. My makita 14.4 set up is limited to drills, trim saw, impact driver and flashlight. I would have loved to have gotten a recip saw, but that was discontinued!(you should see what they go for in the rare event they end up on E-bay)
Dewalt reps are constantly at the home centers, changing displays, restocking shelfs and answering customer questions. I have read countless accounts of service reps doing the right thing by the customer.
Where Makita is happy to keep reissuing old tools, Milwaukee makes me wish they would leave the old tools alone. I would prefer a Magnum hammer drill to the newer AEG knockoff they are hawking. And Ridgid is cheapening from what I hear as well. I have Ridgid’s older hammer drill that is made by Metabo. A great drill. Now, I understand that Ryobi is the parent company behind thier newer hammer drill.
Black and Decker could make a mint by bringing back the old Sawcat sidewinder and sell it under the Dewalt name.But they probably won’t.
Stanley had a hit with the old workmaster screwdrivers…Craftsman stainless steel ratchets from the early eighties go for up to 75 dollars on E-bay…
Are there any other tool reps on this board?
Replies
Isn't it funny how two folks can look at the same picture, and see the exact opposite?
I was also, for some reason, 'put off' by Makita. When DeW came on the scene, I was ready to 'go for the gold.' At one point, I even wrote DeW, with my thoughts ... I got a nice letter back right away, and several of the ideas soon appeared in their products. (I'm not claiming all the credit ... I'm sure many folks saw the same things as I).
Fast-forward a decade. DeW's quality seems to be slipping. Their products seem to be 'behind the curve,' following after everyone else. My last letter to them got a stuffy legal release form in reply. Go to a trade show, and you'll never find a DeW guy anywhere near the trailer. Fancy stuff shown in their trailer is never available at the show.
Cross the aisle to makita, and what do you find? First of all, a dedicated "Miss makita" who is OUT THERE, in the wind and the cold rain, giving her best. An enthusiastic, friendly rep, who actually seems to know his product. Products that seem to have nice added features (like a built in light), fit the had better, and better operating battery releases. I find myself - lacking any brand loyalty whatsoever - choosing makita more often these days.
To be fair, I get my tools at 'professional' tool stores. Touring the 'boxes' this holiday season, I saw that they have very little makita, and most of what they have is the outdated stuff I left in when the 90's arrived.
I see your point, though. Some firms seem to make it a policy to avoid any contamination by contact with customers. I'm vexed with a number of firms for that very reason. probably the easiest way to upset me is to promise performance - and when the thing fails, right away assume that I'm somehow at fault. One firm, that I detest for other reasons, made it's entire success possible simply by relacing with 'no questions asked.'
Makita lost what little respect I had for them when they discontinued Miss Makita.
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Is you complaint really about customer service? Or is it really about products.
I used to sell tools in a real tool store, not a home center. In over a 2 1/2 year span, we never saw our Dewalt rep. Well, we kinda saw her...she would pull up in her cute little Dewalt truck and get her nails done a couple of doors down, but never came in the store. Whenever I tried to contact her, either for a tool availbility question or a complaint, I never received any response. Peroid. Zero. Zip. Absolutely nothing.
When we had Open House, where all the reps set up their displays in the parking lot and did a great job of selling. She attended with no display. She wanted us to drag stuff out of our store and make her a display. Then she spent the entire time on her cell phone dealing with her personal life and never spoke to a single customer.
On the other hand, my very best reps were Dan from Bosch, Mike from Makita, and John from Green Bull ladders. Those guys always came through for me whether it was a question, or a problem.
Are you a tool rep?
"He said "Buck up baby, it's okay. The sunlight on the floor will always fall." ~ Sarah Harmer
Funny you should mention Makita. I was just going to search their webpage for a FAQ on tool problems, but since it's obviously not there, maybe you guys can help.
I have a 14.4 impact (not the Lithium Ion) and when I depress the trigger, there is a delay when the driver bit starts to hit resistance. It hesitates for a second, almost like the battery's dead, and then the impact kicks in and everything's back to normal. There doesn't seem to be any less power when it does wake up, it's just the hesitation that has me confused.
Do you think this is a switch problem or a brush problem?
Did you try a different battery? Mine did that too, and it turned out to be the battery. Shows fine on the charger, but has a "slow start" effect in the tools. I marked it with an x and it is now only used with the flashlight. Hope this helps, good luck.
I'm not a huge fan of Dewalt due to their lack of customer service when I've needed parts in the past. Calling their parts number has put me through to the Black and Decker service number where it's nothing to be on hold for a half hour or more at a time. In contrast to this when I've called Milwaukee I've always been connected with someone knowledgable in very prompt fashion who was able to find the needed parts immediately and I've received them within a few days.
You mentioned Makitas 90 degree cordless... I'll agree that it's just about useless for the construction trades but on the other hand I have two friends who do mobile communications installs along with outfitting public safety vehicles and love it because of it's small size and light weight. They constantly use it under the dash to drill holes and install radios ect. without the slightest problem. I guess it comes down to the application.
One thing that bothers me about Milwaukee is that they have went to the use of plastic cases and bags instead of the old metal ones. Some of them are fine while others are cheap junk. I have several tools that were my dads with the metal boxs, no problems with them breaking hinges after over 30 years of use.
Aside from the metal case vs. plastic case issue - I'll give Milwaukee props for having some very well designed and tough plastic cases.The tilt-lock circ saw case is very tough and well designed, and the hand-grip router case is also a nice design. Compared to a few Bosch plastic cases that have been #### and a few Makita cases that have also been less than useful.JT