Axminster Customer Service

[Scouse]

So first of all the disclaimer; I don't work for them. Anyway...

I've noticed Axminster taking a bit of a kicking over the past couple of months, so I thought I would share my recent experience dealing with their customer service department.

I ordered a Jet JWBS-16Q bandsaw in December, it was reduced from almost £1300 to £999 and it was out of stock and due for delivery in mid January, which suited me fine, Christmas out of the way etc. Axi called the week before it was due to confirm delivery arrangements, and it arrived on an Axminster truck and was brought into the workshop in a crate on a pallet. The crate was in good condition, so I signed the delivery off and the driver left.

After opening the crate, however, it became clear that the wrong machine had been delivered, a 16X rather than the 16Q, which had a quick release blade tension lever. So I called Axi and inquired about the mistake.

A helpful customer service rep said she would call the shipping department, see what the problem was and call back. She called back within 15 minutes to confirm the details of the saw, since their records showed a correct model number. Off she went again, and again called back within 15 minutes.

She apologised and explained that the entire delivery of 5 machines from Jet was the X rather than Q model. I wasn't really that bothered, it's the same machine but for the QR lever, and I really only wanted to flag up the mistake; an exchange would have been ok if they could have done it quickly, but if not the apology was fine. I ended up with a £200 refund which frankly amazed me; Axminster voluntarily offered it by way of an apology, straight back to my debit card within the hour, on an already discounted saw.

Good customer service is such good business practice. It cost them £200 in the short term, but after a trip to Warrington the following week they got it back plus another couple of hundred when I bought my extractor and a few other bits that I hadn't gone for, extra money they wouldn't have seen had they had a more negative attitude over the phone.

While I appreciate that people have good and bad experiences with companies, but the good ones seem to rarely get highlighted, and I for one couldn't recommend Axminster more highly.

El.

 

[NotLRG]

Nice to hear dude, thanks for putting this on here. I've not had bad experiences myself yet but it's always nice to hear of people having good ones with shops and outlets =)

 

[Scouse]

I just think it's important to flag up good service if you get it, especially given the indifferent press they've had on here of late with regard to Clifton planes a while back and price comparisons with a German company in a thread at the moment. Axi are after all a British company employing 170 odd people.

 

[Eric The Viking]

And, given the sad news from the other end of the town, they deserve all the encouragement we can give them.

I really hope someone rescues the carpet business. You can bet it's not the workforce that's responsible for the collapse!

Just to be clear: as far as I know there is no connection at all between Axminster power tools and the carpet company, and APTC is very healthy commercially. I do, though remember when we visited how proud APTC were of their specially woven carpet in the administration building and training centre - made across the valley, naturally.

It's a small town and the demise of the carpet business will hit very hard.

Sad days.

E.

PS: Sorry, reading this back it looks like a thread hijack - wasn't meant to be. I can't believe though that APTC families aren't closely connected with the carpet firm: in the community everyone will be feeling it.

 

[Newbie_Neil]

On every occasion that I have contacted Axminster with a query, they have been extremely helpful.

I am always very impressed with their service.

Thanks,
Neil

 

[Jonzjob]

Twos up on that Neil. I have delt with them for about 18 years now and haven't been able to fault their service.

I have had a few minor problems, but they have been sorted in no time at all.

I will complain if I have to but I also congratulate every time I get good service and they have only ever had my congrats 8) 8)

 

[dickm]

I posted around Christmas about the unbelievably good service Axy (in the person of Nick Brown, but colleagues also) provided over my elderly Jet thicknesser. One of the good things up here is that many more companies seem keen to provide decent or better service than seemed to be the case when we lived in S.E. England, but on the basis of my experience, Axy are up with the best.
There will always be opportunities for someone to undercut them on price, but to do that, they also have to cut something else. If things go wrong, will the cheaper outlet be around in a few years time to pick up the pieces?

 

[AES]

Newbie Neil & Jonzjob:

Another + one for Axi service here too.

Excellent company to deal with. One time when part of my (pretty small) order was out of stock they advised immediately and offered to send it on asap, NO shipping charge. They estimated 2 weeks and sure enough, without any prompt from me the stuff turned up a couple of weeks later, no shipping charge just as promised.

So far I've only ordered bits & pieces a few times (mainly consumables) probably max order value 100 quid a time, but it's clear from the way that they handle my business that to everyone at Axminster Tools my 100 quid is just as valuable as someone else's many 1000s. Guess where I'll be ordering the big stuff from next time around, even if they are a bit dearer at the time? (And BTW, usual disclaimers, no connections at all other than as a very satisfied customer).

Hopefully not adding to the thread drift above but I too was very sad to hear the news about the carpet company. Must be a huge problem for the workers, especially down in that part of the world, and as an ex-pat Brit it's really awful to hear about famous names of my youth like HMV, Axminster Carpets, etc, etc, having so much trouble these days.

Krgds
AES

 

[Jonzjob]

The only couple of times I have been in to Axy they were in their little Aladins Cave in the middle of Axminster. What a fabulous place with all the little rooms FULL of toys! They were just starting to move into their first big place on the Axminster outskirts on the second trip in and I had to go out there for a bigger peice I had bought.

To expand as they have and still keep the same service going I think is a REAL acheivment and I congratulate them on it =D> =D> =D> =D>

 

[stuartpaul]

And another one from me .....

I was given a Gem Red digital angle thingy for Christmas and only last week started to use it.

On second use the display clearly wasn't working properly and I had difficulty distinguishing between numbers. A change of battery made no difference.

I thought I'd e mail APTC on the off chance (no receipt or proof of purchase!) on Sunday and yesterday a replacement (FOC) arrived.

Now it's not a big expense but as someone who has spent rather a lot of money with them over the years it was a very pleasant gesture that I appreciate.

I'm not sure what way they're going in terms of cost, stock or the stickers they put on stuff but with that sort of service they will get repeat business, - from me at least!

 

[nicguthrie]

I have also had phenomenal service from them.

I have ordered a fair amount of tools and machinery from them for my workshop (still in progress), but before I had ordered a single thing, I emailed for a little advice. I wanted a good solution for dust mask/face protection, that was not goingt o cost me the earth, and had several complications to matters in that 1) I have breathing troubles anyway due to lung damage 2) I wear specs 3) my workshop is fairly small and cramped so any external apparatus would likely snag.

I was called directly by a guy in tech support the very next day, who had trawled thru their entire catalogue of PPE and come up with several possibilities and their relative merits and demerits. Not only this, but he'd personally used several of them so could talk to me about comfort, compatibility with glasses etc. All this before I was even a customer, and without chasing in the slightest for a sale.

I've worked many different jobs over the years, and many times had a lot to do with customer service and customer interaction etc, and of all the modern companies I've dealt with, I'd be comfortable saying that Axminster is among the best examples I've experienced.

I'm not sure why they're getting quite so much flak over the price increases either. As a catalogue business, they have to change prices once a year, which makes for a single large increase rather than small increments thru the year. It looks like a large leap in January that way, but the fact of the matter remains that their prices are still very competitive with the rest of the market.

I don't work for them, but I'm a very happy customer.

 

[M P Hales]

Sorry to have to contradict above comments but from my personal experiance I had a problem with some items purchased from Axi,when I contacted them I got a very flippant approach,sarcastic attitude and tone on the phone that was basically "naff off not interested" .

Won't use them again :!:

PS I've since spent over £1200 elsewhere because of attitude on phone.

M

 

[Jonzjob]

Well. it just goes to show that the old saying is true?

You can please some of the people some of the time,
you can please all of the people all of the time
but you can't please some of the all time of the people :? :?

Or something like that. I will continue to shout their praise and recommend them to anyone who is looking for good kit with good service.