Customer service done right
Customer service doesn’t have to be hard but it’s amazing how many brands completely fuck it up. But rather than moan about the bad lets praise the good.
My rear triangle came loose on my new Brompton recently when riding up the Grand Union and back. I’d done it up and then done it up again a few weeks later. It’s not a simple operation but I had assumed that it was in need of some thread lock.
Yesterday I was up at silly o’clock to get to the office and then get a train to Oxford to 9am. On the ride in I could feel it coming loose again. In my boredom on the train I tweeted at Brompton asking if I was doing something wrong. Within an hour I had a reply from their Twitter person who directed me to their technical email. Within 30 mins I had a reply with an informed response and a plan of action to sort it out. No asking for proof of ownership or pushing it back to a dealer etc.
Hi Andy,
Unfortunately once a bolt comes loose it can continue to do so frequently (as you have discovered), to resolve this we will need to replace the hinge spindle too. This is a fairly unusual occurrence and we expect the bolts to stay tight for the lifetime of the hinge bushes at the very least which is usually a minimum of 2 – 3 years.
If you could let me know when it would be convenient for you to take the bike to our Brompton Junction store I will call them and let them know to expect you and have the spindle replaced. If you need to leave the bike with them I will arrange for you to have a courtesy bike until yours is ready, however it may well be possible for them to do it while you wait.
Then followed a few more emails updating me on when they could do it in the store. I popped down and was offered a free coffee whilst they swapped the necessary parts out, which only took 20 mins. No hassle, no suggestion I’d done something wrong, just simply dealing with the issue and sorting it out in a quick and efficient manner. The offer of a loan bike was also a particularly nice touch. Thanks Nev and Marlon! Other brands take note.
I still can’t forgive them for spelling espresso with an x though.