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  1. #1

    Default Feedback about Valentine's Customer "Service"

    I am so glad I gave away my Valentine Ones away a few years back after terrible customer service by them. Why? I did this after my wife ordered a concealed display for me as a Christmas present and it never arrived. When my wife contacted them about it, they said they needed the serial # before they would ship it. She was treated in a VERY condescending manner and it left us with a bad taste in the mouth. (We still have recordings of the phone calls.) Sure, they would take the money but couldn't bother to contact someone to tell them about why the order wasn't fulfilled.

    After giving them the serial #, we were shipped something that didn't work when it arrived. At that point, we were fed up with them so we didn't bother to contact them about the DOA - who wants to deal with a company that treats you terribly? I gave the radar detectors away. Why would I spend my money on a company that will not treat you properly and in a respectable manner?

    Fast forward to a couple of days ago. One of the people that I gave a radar detector to had their car broken into and the radar detector was stolen. They asked me if I had the serial # for it so they can report it as stolen. I didn't have it - I got rid of all my Valentine JUNK when I gave them away. I contacted Valentine's customer service and this is the response I received:

    "Your account is inactive. You placed an order some time ago and we asked for the serial number of your Valentine One. Your response was that you are no longer a customer of ours and will never purchase from us again." and "You said you would be purchasing a Passport.

    Hmmm …..

    Customer Service"


    The bit that sets me off is the "Hmmm.....". That just shows how UNPROFESSIONAL this customer "service" agent is and what Valentine Research will allow their employees get away with. They really need to learn that the CUSTOMER is ALWAYS right - even when they are wrong, they are right. Without a CUSTOMER, they have no business.

    Mike Valentine, if you ever read this (and I truly doubt you ever will), you will now understand why I am so fed up with your company. If you were treated like this and had this type of customer "service", I am sure that you would not do business with them again. I regret that I have bought any of their products in the past and recommending them to others that have purchased based upon my recommendation - my brother, sister, friends and others that I have met at SCCA events, etc.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Feedback about Valentine's Customer "Service"

    Quote Originally Posted by flyboynm View Post
    I am so glad I gave away my Valentine Ones away a few years back after terrible customer service by them. Why? I did this after my wife ordered a concealed display for me as a Christmas present and it never arrived. When my wife contacted them about it, they said they needed the serial # before they would ship it. She was treated in a VERY condescending manner and it left us with a bad taste in the mouth. (We still have recordings of the phone calls.) Sure, they would take the money but couldn't bother to contact someone to tell them about why the order wasn't fulfilled.

    After giving them the serial #, we were shipped something that didn't work when it arrived. At that point, we were fed up with them so we didn't bother to contact them about the DOA - who wants to deal with a company that treats you terribly? I gave the radar detectors away. Why would I spend my money on a company that will not treat you properly and in a respectable manner?

    Fast forward to a couple of days ago. One of the people that I gave a radar detector to had their car broken into and the radar detector was stolen. They asked me if I had the serial # for it so they can report it as stolen. I didn't have it - I got rid of all my Valentine JUNK when I gave them away. I contacted Valentine's customer service and this is the response I received:

    "Your account is inactive. You placed an order some time ago and we asked for the serial number of your Valentine One. Your response was that you are no longer a customer of ours and will never purchase from us again." and "You said you would be purchasing a Passport.

    Hmmm …..

    Customer Service"


    The bit that sets me off is the "Hmmm.....". That just shows how UNPROFESSIONAL this customer "service" agent is and what Valentine Research will allow their employees get away with. They really need to learn that the CUSTOMER is ALWAYS right - even when they are wrong, they are right. Without a CUSTOMER, they have no business.

    Mike Valentine, if you ever read this (and I truly doubt you ever will), you will now understand why I am so fed up with your company. If you were treated like this and had this type of customer "service", I am sure that you would not do business with them again. I regret that I have bought any of their products in the past and recommending them to others that have purchased based upon my recommendation - my brother, sister, friends and others that I have met at SCCA events, etc.
    I disagree that the customer is always right. SO, if the CD package got stolen off your porch and you want a new one at THEIR cost, you're right and they're wrong???

    They've been requiring serial #s for years to prevent stolen units etc. from going around. Bad for consumer, bad for business. You may THINK you're right, BUT your wrong. V1 makes a fine unit and the fact that you're badmouthing them at SCCA events (when everyone is actually working on their cars or set-up anyway) doesn't bother them. They (V1s) are a fixture at SCCA and PCNA events etc. Most of those guys and girls know whats good, and the V1 is good!!

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Feedback about Valentine's Customer "Service"

    Was it a woman that was like that? Mike V's wife answers a lot of times, not particularly nice sometimes. lol Definitely reports of not so great CS from VR, but that can be the case for really any manufacturer.

    I too disagree that the customer is always right. Do everything you can for the more probable buyer than wasting your time on the less probable buyer that has an unrealistic expectation.



  4. #4

    Default Re: Feedback about Valentine's Customer "Service"

    What's the famous saying "Without a customer, you do not have a business"? If you alienate a customer to such an extent that they will not do business with you again, there is a problem. That is what happened here. This is not something as simple as a CD being stolen off my front porch and wanting it replaced at the business's expense; it has to do with poor customer service.

    As for the SCCA, PCNA and other events I am at, I am often asked about what I use. If they ask me my opinion on V1s, I tell them that it is a good unit, that I have had 6 of them over the years (2 I bought on my own, 3 were bought for me by my wife and 1 from a friend) but will not buy from them again because of a bad customer service experience. If they want to know more, I tell them. That is not badmouthing them - I am telling them about my experience.

    I have 4 9500iXs and 3 Passport Max detectors now. I am more than happy with them. I am glad that Valentine's Customer "Service" made it so I tried out their product.
    Last edited by flyboynm; 12-09-2014 at 04:52 PM. Reason: clarity

  5. #5

    Default Re: Feedback about Valentine's Customer "Service"

    CJR, my wife says it was a woman that she talked to back in 2011. We do not know if it was Mike's wife or not. Whomever it was, they really need to read "The Raving Fan" by Blanchard. The way to treat a customer is not like the way that this person did. With an irate customer, you do something to calm the situation and not make the matter worse - you never poor gasoline on an open fire. That is what whomever it was did.

    As for the customer not always being right, I disagree. As I have said before, without a customer, you do not have a business. As a customer service manager at a previous business, I learned that you have to do what you can to keep your customer happy as long as your actions are reasonable. I have seen research that shows you need to have 7 new customers to make up for 1 dissatisfied customer. (I can't remember the name of the research project but it was done in 1998 by someone at USC or UCLA.) In a market that is as small as the radar detector industry, that cuts out a lot of profits.
    Last edited by flyboynm; 12-09-2014 at 05:17 PM.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Feedback about Valentine's Customer "Service"

    Feedback about V1 service: Great, no problems, super service with no charges- they wavered it. They have been super towards me because I'm nice on the phone stating that their product is a great product that I have used for years, getting points. When shipping the V1 for repairs/up-grades, I write my story about how I love their product for years on a note and add it, even get more points......The op is not the only one who has complained before about the rude lady........ But on the flip side, if the lady asked me for the SN# to look up the info and history (to make it easy for both of us), I would give it to her very nicely without an attitude. And if I had a bad mouthin' history with Valentine, the lady at Valentine has the right to be an a$$ toward me because I would expect it in return......

  7. #7
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    Default Re: Feedback about Valentine's Customer "Service"

    Funny story, back in 2006 I was in Ohio and met up with an old forum member $HappyAss and we called V1 and spoke to Mike's wife to see if it was ok to stop in and introduce ourselves.

    She said no, they didn't want us to come by and hung up the phone...



    Quote Originally Posted by CJR238 View Post
    Was it a woman that was like that? Mike V's wife answers a lot of times, not particularly nice sometimes. lol Definitely reports of not so great CS from VR, but that can be the case for really any manufacturer.

    I too disagree that the customer is always right. Do everything you can for the more probable buyer than wasting your time on the less probable buyer that has an unrealistic expectation.


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  8. #8
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    Default Re: Feedback about Valentine's Customer "Service"

    Quote Originally Posted by Radar Roy View Post
    Funny story, back in 2006 I was in Ohio and met up with an old forum member $HappyAss and we called V1 and spoke to Mike's wife to see if it was ok to stop in and introduce ourselves.

    She said no, they didn't want us to come by and hung up the phone...



    Quote Originally Posted by CJR238 View Post
    Was it a woman that was like that? Mike V's wife answers a lot of times, not particularly nice sometimes. lol Definitely reports of not so great CS from VR, but that can be the case for really any manufacturer.

    I too disagree that the customer is always right. Do everything you can for the more probable buyer than wasting your time on the less probable buyer that has an unrealistic expectation.


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  9. #9
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    Default Re: Feedback about Valentine's Customer "Service"

    Quote Originally Posted by flyboynm View Post
    CJR, my wife says it was a woman that she talked to back in 2011. We do not know if it was Mike's wife or not. Whomever it was, they really need to read "The Raving Fan" by Blanchard. The way to treat a customer is not like the way that this person did. With an irate customer, you do something to calm the situation and not make the matter worse - you never poor gasoline on an open fire. That is what whomever it was did.

    As for the customer not always being right, I disagree. As I have said before, without a customer, you do not have a business. As a customer service manager at a previous business, I learned that you have to do what you can to keep your customer happy as long as your actions are reasonable. I have seen research that shows you need to have 7 new customers to make up for 1 dissatisfied customer. (I can't remember the name of the research project but it was done in 1998 by someone at USC or UCLA.) In a market that is as small as the radar detector industry, that cuts out a lot of profits.
    Raving fans is a great book! Its required reading for my company.

    It is a fine line, we all want the customer to feel they are right and always exceed there expectations, but its not always 100% possible. Sometimes a customer is just too much trouble and will never be satisfied no matter what you do. But i guess this is focusing on the exception more than the rule.

    Another good book in terms of the exception "High Probability selling".

    Quote Originally Posted by Radar Roy View Post
    Funny story, back in 2006 I was in Ohio and met up with an old forum member $HappyAss and we called V1 and spoke to Mike's wife to see if it was ok to stop in and introduce ourselves.

    She said no, they didn't want us to come by and hung up the phone...
    Shes a real charmer. But i guess most of us understand our wives/GF's feelings about this hobby, let alone if they had to work with us all day about them. lol

 

 

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