Do you guys return emails?????

[pig.slayer]

Gees all, lighten up.

I fully understand the frustration of ordering an item and having to wait days for replies, Gees at least you don't have to wait as long for postage as your in the same country (well the majority is)

Having over the last few months completely kitted myself out with hammock camping gear from just about all the major vendors (Warbonnet, OES, TeWa, Hammock Gear, ArrowHead Eq and a few other cottage industry people in the US), I can only express that the team at hammock gear have probably been the quickest to respond and have been amazing. Not saying the others are better or worse in any way but these guys have been great.

Keep up the good work and when my quilts arrive I'm sure they will be great !!

I'm sure when they say email's and pm's have gone missing or lost in a spam filter they mean it.

Don't think I'm sucking up either, My quilts are in the mail after the usual wait but you need to understand they must be very busy.

After all I purchased from the cottage guys and gal's to support small business and get top quality light weight gear. If I wanted fast I'd be lugging a 30 kg pack I stocked out in an hour from K Mart.

[stormcrow]

Retailer writes, "In the course of 10 months, we have received over 600 orders." -- and then you go on to pick one poster on this Forum thread and explain to him that he only sent one email and one PM? Are you kidding!? You have had 2-3 separate threads simultaneously running for over a month at the top of your own dedicated web forum with increasing ire of pre-paid customers!!! Wake up!

We were just responding to the OP. The response could be applied to others as well. We have responded to people in those other threads as well. Many via pm or email. "Wake up" I AM awake...most times these days.....

You've replied to your own forum only a handful of times with "I'm sorry" and "We're busy" as an explanation. Huh!?

I AM sorry....and we ARE busy. Like I said. that is what we have written in the thread but we have had correspondences with many posters.

Why are you still taking orders when you clearly can't fill them to the satisfaction of customers in general?

We ARE filling them to the satisfaction of MOST of the customers. Even posters in the "waiting" forum have not be angry....just asking what others are experiencing.

Why are you not sending out a mass email or auto-reply stating the actual turn-around time and offering a refund or cancellation of orders?

With the amount of custom orders we have received historically, it has been hard to dial in the wait time. We are working on that too...

Temporarily shut down your website, lock your Paypal for new business, send back Paypal refunds automatically and ask that people reorder in the future.

We will consider this.

Warbonnet, JacksRBetter, AHE, have no similar problems. More seasoned retailers than Hammock Gear? Then HG should call them for advice about how to run a business.

Maybe I will. They are great bunch of guys for sure. I am not sure how they will respond to such a request though....lol.

It takes a lot to raise the anger of HF members--frankly, for the most part this forum is one big hug fest--but to take customer's money via Paypal, never send even a confirmatory email that the money is received, and then reply to PMs and emails with "I'm sorry" and "we got 600 orders" is damaging to even the best industry. If my own mother gave me this form of customer service, I'd not order from her again. ("Mom, I love you with all my heart, but now you have 599 orders. I'm cancelling mine forever.")

I am not sure how much "anger" we have raised. It was my impression that confirmatory emails are being sent via paypal and/or my shopping cart. I will look into it. Maybe we should not have stated our volume but we are a bit stressed here this evening/morning.

Lesson learned. Fix it. Stop taking orders (as Warbonnet, JacksRBetter and others have done at certain times). You can't sell tickets until you learn to fly the plane.

I get "the lesson". I can fly this plane. In THIS particular case there is no plane if I do not sell tickets. Maybe you have an extra plane you can just give me? Walk a mile in my shoes, my friend.

A growing business and a learning curve is one thing, but to keep taking orders when you are over your head is pure lack of judgment.

We are not in over our head. We are just figuring out how to adjust to demand.

I am not sure how well I responded to this since it is very late....even for me. My wish is that I did not come off as a smart alack. We are just asking for a little more understanding for just a bit longer. It will be worth it guys.

If there are any concerns that someone has over our customer service or our products in general, please feel free to call me anytime at 740-277-9678. I will get that phone number up on the website asap as well.

~Adam (Stormcrow)

[Bunk]

Well put Adam and spoken like a gentleman.

You have an excellent business and offer high quality products and very reasonable prices. I've priced out similar models of quilts as to those you make from other larger companies and the price tag goes up 3-5X easily. I sure as heck don't mind a longer wait to save money and receive a better product.

Please keep up the great work!

[Ken]

Here's another "pat on the back" for you and Jenny and your business Adam!!

I work with the public every day and have for 40 years now. Many seem to think work is done with a "magic wand" and takes no time. 6 to 8 weeks for a custom, hand made product is "no time" in my opinion. Just from the talk I've seen on here over the last year, I KNOW you are overwhelmed, and I know how it feels. Keep doing the good work, and doing it right. That is what folks who are interested in quality want. Wal-mart is there for the rest!!

Ken (love my burrow)

[Hawk-eye]

Plus one on what Ken said Adam and Jenny!

You wouldn't have so many satisfied customers if you weren't doing it right!

[trigger hurt]

Hey there,

I have emailed you guys three times in the last week and one pm just to inquire about when my quilts will ship and haven't heard anything back. I have to admit I am a little disappointed. Your website says "our quality, attention to detail and dedication to customer service remains unchanged." A simple reply would be nice. I'm not trying to stir the pot but would like just a little info on when I can expect delivery. Thanks.

As stated before, many of these guys are cottage manufacturers. There aren't a few dozen people at sewing machines making crap gear. This stuff is quality and quality takes time.

Ask yourself this question:
Would you rather they decrease their work force by 50% to have one of them sitting in front of the computer to email every one of the who-knows-how-many customers, or would you like them to work on your quilt?

Every time one of them is sitting in front of a computer answering emails means that that person isn't working on your quilt, thus increasing the amount of time it takes for you to get your quilt. One email is enough. I promise you, they'll answer it when they pull themselves away from making the product you're emailing them about.

It took me nearly a month and a half to get my UQ with only the bi-weekly reply to my tell. I understand they have your money and you want your quilt, but with cottage industries where everything is made by hand to exacting specifications, you have to understand that instant or near-instant gratification doesn't work well here.

[bugman0914]

Well I am brand new here! I think someone needs a nap...in a hammock! Stormcrow sounds like you would gladly take a nap if you could find the time. As for the others, have a hug, a nap, ......or something. These guys will only fall behind more if they have to keep responding to unnecessary berating. Like you said if your not satisfied don't order again or get your money back and move on. But from what I read in the thread sounds to me like the number of satisfied customers and those willing to wait far out weigh the negative.
And the publicity got me looking at your website to see what all the fuss was about. I might have to get on the list lol. I am a patient man I have been married with children for nearly 20 years. God knows how patient I have become lol.
God Bless all!
T
And forgive me for putting my .02 in.

[JCK]

I am prepared to wait a couple of months, knowing that the end product I get will be of very high quality. Personally I'd rather wait a few months, and know that Stormcrow and Thorwren aren't cutting any corners.

In saying that, having downtime to catch up on back orders is a good idea, otherwise IMO, you will swamp yourself with too much work. So maybe closing the site for orders for a month or 2 would be a good idea. Just let me get mine in before you close it

[Bradley]

Adam don't you dare turn off your site.

Just state on your site that delivery times are extended in this busy season.

EG; "Please expect longer delivery times in this, our very busy season".

Everyone else, should chill,
he's not Mac Golden Arches with a dozen in the warmer,
and an equil amount of bodys at min-wage who don't care.

Big ol' shesh man

[The RidgeRunner]

I was quite frustrated I hadn't received my order yet,UNTIL I read all these posts. Some of them were funny. I can wait.