Bad customer service experience with Fixe Hardware

I left 4 messages with "Kevin the Mean Guy" trying to carry Aliens at the shop I work at, that was about a month ago ( Totem's on the Way!!!!!! )... Those guy's need to stick to Rap rings and quick links. These guy's have a great opportunity here and all I can see them doing is "Screwing the Pooch." I assume Fixe has a shovel to dig them selves out, cause they already have one hell of a hole to fill... Good thing Totem is filling it:)|

Dankasaurus wrote: This is typically disgusting Boulderite entitlement. Why do you think it's his responsibility to wipe your ass and suckle you?

Wow and only on the 10th post too!! What does Kenan's location have to do with the fact this guy got the worst response from the CSR rep.

CUSTOMER...SERVICE. Pretty simple, no matter where your from. Not a big deal that he couldn't comply with Kenan's request, but you never treat your customers like that.

Don't look back. shop around next time there's always a discount on gear somewhere. You may just have to wait a week. I bought a set of Helium friends from Backcountry.com used them twice didn't like them and they exchanged them for Camalots no questions asked. they earned my business.

It's not unreasonable, albeit maybe tacky, for a customer to purchase something, see it for less elsewhere and then ask for a retroactive discount. This is pretty standard nowadays as it's important to KEEP YOUR CUSTOMERS HAPPY! If you don't shit like this thread will happen to you.
True about the wholesaler not giving a discount and why but if I was them I would have cut a deal somehow, maybe giving credit to the buyer and explaining that "we don't usually do this" and why.
FIXE wouldn't then have to extend the same deal to everyone just to those whom bought direct then saw the MG ad AND shamelessly called to ask for some coin back.
In you know anything about retail you should know that even if you lose money on a few transactions to keep a customer happy, no matter how fucking crazy they are, it's better than negative publicity.

You're a fool for paying $80 for these things anyway.

Stich wrote: I may even use Ripstop Repairs as well if I can get Princess® rates.

Say it ain't so!!!!!!!

PS: you may not like the rates.......but you could get your face on a button!!! :-)

matt davies wrote: I doubt Mr. Daniels handles all correspondence in this manner.

Yeah, he was an ass to me, too, when I contacted him a few months ago. I won't do business with Fixe again.

I bought a bunch of hangers from him it was alright even sent me a tee shirt

Wow - some real comedy has emerged. For those of you that failed third grade reading comprehension, I'll explain that there was no expectation or sense of entitlement on my part. It was a simple request to honor a sale price from an ad that I received in literally the same pile of mail as the Aliens from Fixe. It was a big enough discount to make it worth mentioning (as I bought multiple Aliens at full price). I hear a lot of talk about how manufacturers/distributors can't honor sale prices on their products from other retailers. The simple fact is that if you're selling products directly to retail customers, then you should be prepared to compete in the retail space. I'm not talking about running an ad for the products at a discounted price. I'm talking about honoring a sale for a customer so that they feel good about their purchase from you. It's good business. And in my experience, reputable companies that care about customer service will usually honor such requests.

But honestly, that isn't the point AT ALL. You can't honor the sale price? No big deal. I was obviously prepared to pay full price, and that's why I did. This isn't about me saving money on climbing gear. I've already spent way more in my time/effort on this forum. The point is that you shouldn't treat your customers like shit if you care about your reputation as a business. If you think he treated me respectfully and that this whole thing is petty, then go ahead and order products from Fixe. Hell, advocate for them for all I care. But I'll also advocate against them for what I feel is bad customer service, and that's all this is. It's called word of mouth, and it's why businesses have both thrived and failed for centuries.

Not that it matters, but I'm obviously not alone in my negative experience with Fixe. That's why this stuff works. People share their experiences, and word gets out. Eventually, you get a reputation, whether it's good or bad. 'nuff said

Just to add a little more fuel to the fire, here's an image showing the cost of the postage for my order: $5.34. You know how much he charged me for shipping? $14.95. Yep, that's a 280% markup on shipping. Awesome. Great job Kevin.

Oh, by the way, free shipping from Mountain Gear.

--- Invalid image id: 107707480 ---

I need to get a job stuffing things in envelopes! free shipping is almost a no brainer these days. Hope your at least happy with the gear.

Kenan wrote:Oh, by the way, free shipping from Mountain Gear.

Why did you buy the cams from FIXE when you can get the same product from mountain gear with free shipping before the sale?

John Wilder wrote: This is correct. Fixe won't sell below retail so as not to take business away from retailers. This is true of all manufacturers / distributors. The bulk of Fixe's business is distribution to US Retailers- they can't jeopardize that by selling at discount to individuals...

John nails it. This isn't about Fixe trying to maintain their margin on retail sales. It is about them keeping their dealers happy.

To add some perspective, imagine going to BD and asking for a discount on the C4s you just bought because they just went on sale at REI for 25% off. I seriously doubt that BD will accommodate your request. That being said, it never hurts to ask.

As far as customer service goes, IMHO Fixe / Kevin really dropped the ball. Being a rep means that it is your job to work with people and be nice. Although not totally offensive or "horrific," his e-mail fell way short of what I would expect from a sales rep / customer service professional.

Kenan, I think you're overreacting a little. Companies like Mountain Gear probably buy things like the aliens in bulk and offer a screaming deal on them to sell a bunch of units. They are a completely separate company than Fixe, and therefore can do what they want. Do you think that if the tables were turned and you went to Mountain Gear for a discount if Fixe was offering them cheaper they would do it? Hell no. It sucks you didn't see the deal, and maybe you'll check a few more sites before buying online again.

Kenan wrote:Wow - some real comedy has emerged. For those of you that failed third grade reading comprehension, I'll explain that there was no expectation or sense of entitlement on my part. It was a simple request to honor a sale price from an ad that I received in literally the same pile of mail as the Aliens from Fixe.

I call bullshit on that, son:

Kevin,

I got the aliens in the mail today. I also got a MountainGear catalog that has them on sale for $59.99 each! DOH! Will you honor this discount? If so, I'd like to use the difference ($20 each on 3 cams = $60) to get the yellow alien. So maybe you can just send that one my way as well? Hate to be a pain but that's a huge savings, so I'm hoping you'll honor it.

Thanks very much,
Eric

AFTER the transaction you come back with "HONORING" a sale price he had nothing to do with and even lay out just how he could give you free shit. No, it takes a bit more than a 3rd grade education to understand that this is flat out ethically wrong.
Not the asking if he'll help you out part, nothing wrong there as long as you're going with the idea that the worse he can say is no. But you essentially demand reimbursement by taking it to the point of asking him to honor another outfits lower price, laying out the best way he facilitate you, and then dropping the 'I'll spray' bomb.

All I see from him is typical business methods. A bit heavy on the mark-up? Perhaps. Is he all sensitive and shit? No. Is he more responsible to his retail clients than a direct buy? I would assume so. If I were him I'd just shut down direct sales altogether and be strictly wholesale.

I'd still love to hear what biz you're in, btw.

Let's be realistic, this thread wouldn't even be here if Kevin had replied in a vaguely nice manner. He could have simply said, "I'm really sorry, but it has never been my policy to honor deals from distributors." The nasty tone is what set this off. It costs nothing to treat people in a civil manner, and it shouldn't be that hard to muster up a bit of decency for the guy who just sent you over $250.

Hope you at least get a lot of satisfaction out of the gear!

you lost the high road when you broadcasted private emails... bad ju ju

For the OP's honesty in the situtation the dude should have been nice and offered him something IMO... but I think this provides the perfect example on why I almost always BS custy service. Death in the family, stolen money, can't pay rent, yata yata yata... either way need the money back. And if they charge a restock fee, call the credit card company you bought ur shit with and report it as a bad transaction in which you were not made aware of the companies policies and only given a partial refund. Let Fixe deal with the credit card custy service..., that'll be fun.

20% restock fee to inspect an Alien and hang it back on the wall is BS in my book. If buying Fixe is buying local, well Kevin ain't helping anyone local's cause and certainly not his own business... The reality is his dealers might be irritated if they were doing it on a large scale but honoring one customer in this instance ain't going to make or break FIXE.. Though the publishing of this online certainly will. Bad business decision on his behalf... he should have offered 10% on his next order or some shit. No fu*king Brainer. . .

Thanks for the heads up on FIXE! I won't ever buy direct from them after reading this thread... Good Job Kevin.

Delta Bravo wrote: I call bullshit on that, son: Kevin, I got the aliens in the mail today. I also got a MountainGear catalog that has them on sale for $59.99 each! DOH! Will you honor this discount? If so, I'd like to use the difference ($20 each on 3 cams = $60) to get the yellow alien. So maybe you can just send that one my way as well? Hate to be a pain but that's a huge savings, so I'm hoping you'll honor it. Thanks very much, Eric AFTER the transaction you come back with "HONORING" a sale price he had nothing to do with and even lay out just how he could give you free shit. No, it takes a bit more than a 3rd grade education to understand that this is flat out ethically wrong. Not the asking if he'll help you out part, nothing wrong there as long as you're going with the idea that the worse he can say is no. But you essentially demand reimbursement by taking it to the point of asking him to honor another outfits lower price, laying out the best way he facilitate you, and then dropping the 'I'll spray' bomb. All I see from him is typical business methods. A bit heavy on the mark-up? Perhaps. Is he all sensitive and shit? No. Is he more responsible to his retail clients than a direct buy? I would assume so. If I were him I'd just shut down direct sales altogether and be strictly wholesale. I'd still love to hear what biz you're in, btw.

Price matching is not out of the ordinary whatsover, so their is nothing "flat out eithically wrong" with that at all. Does Fixe have to honor it? Of course not, but it doesn't hurt to ask. I've never had a company talk to me like that however and THAT is "flat out ethically wrong".

And the markup on the shipping? That's pretty wrong to charge almost 2x more than the shipping cost. FYI Colorado Crack Gear refunded me shipping costs when he found out he could ship cheaper. Big ups to a great company.

FYI...this is from Backcountry.com's website. Simple question, simple response. Fixe should put this on their website:

Backcountry.com does not have an official price match policy, but if you call their customer service line at (800) 409-4502, they will sometimes consider price matching on a case by case basis (some sites can offer lower prices but are less reputable or do not offer the unlimited return policy, which is basically a lifetime warranty, that Backcountry.com does).

sean barb wrote:you lost the high road when you broadcasted private emails... bad ju ju

I disagree completely... It's objective material rather then a subjective review of what he may or may not have said. If you run a business and you tell me to go F' myself in an email you can be damn sure I'll publicly post that and blast your business.

Kenan is spot on. It's not about the lack of a discount...on that part, you can't blame him at all for trying, more people would get those discounts if they just asked for them...the response from Kevin Fixe is just rude.

Delta Bravo wrote: I call bullshit on that, son: Kevin, I got the aliens in the mail today. I also got a MountainGear catalog that has them on sale for $59.99 each! DOH! Will you honor this discount? If so, I'd like to use the difference ($20 each on 3 cams = $60) to get the yellow alien. So maybe you can just send that one my way as well? Hate to be a pain but that's a huge savings, so I'm hoping you'll honor it. Thanks very much, Eric AFTER the transaction you come back with "HONORING" a sale price he had nothing to do with and even lay out just how he could give you free shit. No, it takes a bit more than a 3rd grade education to understand that this is flat out ethically wrong. Not the asking if he'll help you out part, nothing wrong there as long as you're going with the idea that the worse he can say is no. But you essentially demand reimbursement by taking it to the point of asking him to honor another outfits lower price, laying out the best way he facilitate you, and then dropping the 'I'll spray' bomb. All I see from him is typical business methods. A bit heavy on the mark-up? Perhaps. Is he all sensitive and shit? No. Is he more responsible to his retail clients than a direct buy? I would assume so. If I were him I'd just shut down direct sales altogether and be strictly wholesale. I'd still love to hear what biz you're in, btw.

"Ethically wrong" to request that someone honor a sale price seen somewhere else?! Boy, that's rich. You've never tried to get a price matched or guaranteed? If not, you're missing out because IT HAPPENS ALL THE TIME.

I actually came up with the suggestion of getting an additional cam because I thought it might be easier for him than a refund of the difference. The idea was to use the difference to buy more of his product. Seems like a win-win to me.

And nobody dropped any "I'll spray" bomb. Not sure where you came up with that one. I originally replied in hopes of a better explanation, as I felt the short "No" was pretty rude. Then he came back with what I felt like was WAY over the top rude and unprofessional. So I felt the need to go public.

Again, if you feel like he treated me respectfully and gave me good customer service, then move along and continue to buy from Fixe... Promote them, advertise for them, whatever. I've got my take on it, you've got yours. I'm getting the word out from my perspective.