Customer Service Poll

[Aslan]

I purchased a DV8 Ruckus back in 2014. The ball was undrilled and while sitting on my bowling ball rack (air conditioned apartment, not in the direct sunlight, etc...) and I noticed it suddenly had a 1/8th inch crack around the entire ball.

On 10/6, I notified DV8. They replied quickly and asked for a picture. I sent the picture. They offered me another ball as a replacement and I chose a 16lb Thug Life. I was going to use the Ruckus as my fresh conditions/heavier oil ball but I figured I could use the Thug Life as my skid/flip ball instead. At 16lbs, I don't have a skid/flip ball and I plan to throw 16lbs again with my next arsenal (a year off).

On 10/21, I asked for a status update and was told the ball shipped on the 11th/12th and I should receive it any day now.

On 10/28, I again asked for a status update.

On 10/31, the customer service representative said they were probably out of stock on Thug Lifes, which were recently discontinued. He told me I could choose any ball in the Brunswick/Radical/DV8 family and I decided to go with a Quantum Forest Green Solid.

On 11/10, I again asked for a status update and the rep asked for my address (again).

Today (11/22) I FINALLY received the replacement ball....a 15lb DV8 Grudge Hybrid.

Here's why I am posting this as a "poll" (unless I can't figure out how):

Essentially, to be 200% FAIR...

...I paid $89 for a Ruckus that was on sale at 16lbs online.
....that ball was a year old when I bought it and was a $150 ball when it was new.
...I asked for a 2015, $150 ball.
...I settled on a $180 new release.
....I received a $160 ball that came out this past July.

See, I have a real problem coming down too hard on DV8 over this. I paid $89 for a 1-year old 16lb ball that nobody wanted and now have a brand new, 2016 ball that would cost me almost twice as much as I paid originally for the Ruckus.

AND...to be FAIR...when I contacted Ebonite about a brand new roller bag where the roller bag handle broken...I never even received a response. So, I was really impressed with Brunswick's customer service. They could have fought me on the warranty...claiming the ball was past the 3-year manufacture date...or that I couldn't find my receipt from exactly when I bought it, etc... They could have even made me ship it back to them, but they didn't.

AND...not to be too much of an egomaniac...but honestly...of all the nightmare customers that the DV8 customer service could have gotten a call from...it was the "Bowling God" with 5400 posts on the most prominent bowling forum online.

So, to be FAIR...I thought I'd ask you fellas (and classygranny)...by YOUR standards....where would you rate this customer service exchange...because I'm really torn on this one. I made out just fine...DV8 was fair...hopefully I can drill this one before it cracks...but I also feel like this customer service experience is "an expected disappointment". I feel like, in bowling, we've come to 'accept' that the companies are going to ignore us. Why do you think I never re-connected with Ebonite? Whats the point? I'll end up spending 3 months with e-mails and phone calls and at the end of the day if I'm "lucky" they'll send me a new handle that I'll have to install.

Thanks!

[JaxBowlingGuy]

I'd say your lucky to even get a replacement lol

[Amyers]

Well in all I'd say you were lucky they replaced it and the Grudge Hybrid maybe $160 now but it was a $220 when first released so in that sense you came out ahead.

As long as the Grudge is a useable ball I'd keep it say I came out ahead and chalk it up as a good experience. My pro shop would trade it out for me anyway. So I wouldn't worry much about it myself.

[NewToBowling]

Not sure why you would even post this. Just be happy you got a replacement. I say DV8 did fine.

[Aslan]

Not sure why you would even post this. Just be happy you got a replacement. I say DV8 did fine.

This is why I made it a poll. I'm interested in everyone's opinions.

Like you guys are saying, there's a part of me that thinks I made out well in the exchange and that part of me certainly appreciates DV8 customer service.

On the other hand, imagine if it wasn't a bowling ball. Imagine it was my Ebonite roller bag. Lets say I kept bugging EBI and eventually they offer me a new bag. Lets say weeks turn into months...finally they tell me that said roller bag is discontinued and offer me any roller bag I want. I choose a Hammer 6-ball roller bag and they send me a Columbia300 deluxe 3-ball roller about a month after that.

See, it's easy to just breath a sigh of relief and say, "well, at least I got something out of this." It's even fair to say, "hey, this deluxe roller bag is even better than the Ebonite one I originally purchased!" BUT...it's also fair to say that when I order a ball from bowlingball.com or bowlerx.com...I get, not only A ball...I get the ball I ordered in the weight I ordered it and it usually arrives in under two weeks.

And thats why I find this rather interesting. If I was running an online business like bowlingball.com; I'm not sure I would read my story and see that as "successful, above average customer service." And I'm even MORE confident that people wouldn't just order a ball from bowlingball.com, not get it for a month, agree to a different ball/weight, then are happy when they get a completely different ball. I'd say, that would be a bowlingball.com "faux pas" or some type of "oops". I'd be surprised to hear them respond to the complaint by saying, "well...you DID get a ball didn't you? It may not be what you originally ordered...but come on, this is bowling...you're lucky we even shipped ya anything."

This is a tricky situation because I represent a very small group of customers that purchase bowling balls and don't IMMEDIATELY use them. Once you USE them...(drill them, etc...)...the companies will likely void their obligations to warranty the product. It's too easy to screw up a bowling ball or misdrill it. However, if a manufacturer warranties a product for 3 years...and the product is not used/altered/damaged in any way...then it seems the 3-year warranty MUST apply. Not just for ME...I don't matter much in the big scheme of things...like I said, very, very few bowlers buy balls and don't have them drilled immediately. But, what if you're a pro shop? What if you order 20 Storm Snap Lock Extremez (new ball I made up)? Let's say two of them crack while sitting in your store room. Do you just take a loss on those and say to yourself, "well, my bad. Should have sold them faster." Or, more likely, do you send them back to Storm expecting a credit or replacements? And if they send you two new balls...are you okay if they just send you anything? Or do you expect what you ordered?

I dunno. I seem to think we give bowling product companies a little more "leeway" on things like this than we do other industries...and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the understanding that bowling ball manufacturers aren't making billions? Thats possible. Or maybe it's something else, I dunno. It's interesting.

[Amyers]

This is why I made it a poll. I'm interested in everyone's opinions.

Like you guys are saying, there's a part of me that thinks I made out well in the exchange and that part of me certainly appreciates DV8 customer service.

On the other hand, imagine if it wasn't a bowling ball. Imagine it was my Ebonite roller bag. Lets say I kept bugging EBI and eventually they offer me a new bag. Lets say weeks turn into months...finally they tell me that said roller bag is discontinued and offer me any roller bag I want. I choose a Hammer 6-ball roller bag and they send me a Columbia300 deluxe 3-ball roller about a month after that.

See, it's easy to just breath a sigh of relief and say, "well, at least I got something out of this." It's even fair to say, "hey, this deluxe roller bag is even better than the Ebonite one I originally purchased!" BUT...it's also fair to say that when I order a ball from bowlingball.com or bowlerx.com...I get, not only A ball...I get the ball I ordered in the weight I ordered it and it usually arrives in under two weeks.

And thats why I find this rather interesting. If I was running an online business like bowlingball.com; I'm not sure I would read my story and see that as "successful, above average customer service." And I'm even MORE confident that people wouldn't just order a ball from bowlingball.com, not get it for a month, agree to a different ball/weight, then are happy when they get a completely different ball. I'd say, that would be a bowlingball.com "faux pas" or some type of "oops". I'd be surprised to hear them respond to the complaint by saying, "well...you DID get a ball didn't you? It may not be what you originally ordered...but come on, this is bowling...you're lucky we even shipped ya anything."

This is a tricky situation because I represent a very small group of customers that purchase bowling balls and don't IMMEDIATELY use them. Once you USE them...(drill them, etc...)...the companies will likely void their obligations to warranty the product. It's too easy to screw up a bowling ball or misdrill it. However, if a manufacturer warranties a product for 3 years...and the product is not used/altered/damaged in any way...then it seems the 3-year warranty MUST apply. Not just for ME...I don't matter much in the big scheme of things...like I said, very, very few bowlers buy balls and don't have them drilled immediately. But, what if you're a pro shop? What if you order 20 Storm Snap Lock Extremez (new ball I made up)? Let's say two of them crack while sitting in your store room. Do you just take a loss on those and say to yourself, "well, my bad. Should have sold them faster." Or, more likely, do you send them back to Storm expecting a credit or replacements? And if they send you two new balls...are you okay if they just send you anything? Or do you expect what you ordered?

I dunno. I seem to think we give bowling product companies a little more "leeway" on things like this than we do other industries...and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's the understanding that bowling ball manufacturers aren't making billions? Thats possible. Or maybe it's something else, I dunno. It's interesting.

I agree that you were entitled to a replacement ball. undrilled balls shouldn't crack. I agree that they should've replaced the ball with a comparable ball and that's where in my opinion they made up for sending you a ball that wasn't what you asked for. A phone call should have been made but to the best of my recollection the Rukus was midline to lower midline ball (maybe wrong) and they sent you a top of the line ball in replacement. That kind of makes up for a lot of ills in my book.

Warranty replacements are different than new orders on a new order I expect what I ordered regardless or a phone call /email explaining why.

[JaxBowlingGuy]

According to bowlingball.com the DV8 warranty is 2 years. That's why I said you're lucky you got a replacement.

[Amyers]

According to bowlingball.com the DV8 warranty is 2 years. That's why I said you're lucky you got a replacement.

Kind of wondered about that myself. Hammer has a 3 year warranty. Brunswick line balls I thought were 2 years myself.

[JasonNJ]

I think you got a mixed bag. Getting a brand new top performance ball is awesome but if they promised you a Quantum Forest Green ball then that is what you should have gotten. All they had to do was inform you that they couldn't send the Quantum and that they were sending you the Grudge instead and that would have made me decided that it was a good customer service experience.

On the flip side, I've only had good customer experiences so far. I haven't had any luck with roller bags but Rotogrip, Brunswick and KR Strikeforce all replaced a bag for me within a week or two of placing my warranty claim. Motiv replaced my Jackal with the ball of my choice and I've emailed Ebonite, Storm, Columbia 300 and Motiv questions about resurfacing or requesting more information about bowling balls and they've all gotten back to me within 2 days.

[Aslan]

Interesting.

Thanks all.

I saw a Youtube video by DV8 where they said their balls were warrantied for 3 years and they made a "point" of it as if to say, "Hey, we stand behind our products." They may have even said exactly that.

I actually agree with just about everyone that posted...except for the person that asked why I'm even posting this...as if a poll about bowling industry customer service is in some way inappropriate for bowlingball.com forums...???, but, whatever.

I'm perfectly fine with a 15lb Grudge Hybrid. It's actually ONE OF the balls I was looking at to replace the Ruckus. I liked the Forest Green Solid and one of the Radical balls better...but the Grudge Hybrid is perfectly fine. Had they sent it in 16lbs I 'may' have been able to use it sooner...but, whatever. Ironically, it fits in the same slot as where I'd have put the Forest Green.

I'm happy with DV8's communication....at least early on in the process. They could have made me call BowlerX to get the receipt...they could have debated whether it was a 2-year versus 3-year warranty, and rather than have me take a picture...they could have made me pay $25 to ship it to them. They also could have just sent me some old Ruckus from some old ball storage bin or online retailer.

But, as JasonNJ mentioned...they could have made the "net experience" more positive for me had they just promised to send something and sent THAT thing. I didn't NEED a Quantum Forest Green. I'd have never even asked for it had he not SPECIFICALLY told me I could have any ball from all 3 brands. I was perfectly happy with the DV8 Thug Life replacement...and actually could have USED that ball to replace the Defiant Edge I had to retire...would have saved me over $200 on the Scandal Pearl I had to buy.

Add to that the delay and intermittant gaps in communication...and I think "my vote" will be "below expectations". And whats 'sad' is...this would have been a non-poll post about how EXCELLENT Brunswick customer service is in regards to replacing my Ruckus. This post was supposed to be praise. And it would have been SO EASY to make that happen...simply doing exactly what they did...but with better communication and actually matching their promises with their actions.

And I'm not willing to give any bowling related company a 'pass' because "it's bowling". We give far too many passes to centers, to manufacturers, to the PBA, to the USBC, to pro shops. They provide horrible service, products, or facilities and we just look the other way because bowling is a dying business. And thats not right. If bowling is dead...let it die. But, if you STILL think you can make money in the business of bowling...do so with quality facilities, products, and service...or don't do it at all.

Fortunately for Brunswick...their customer service was "just good enough" not to upset me AND I love Brunswick's line of bowling balls more so than any of the other manufacturers...AND they sponsor most of my favorite bowlers...so unlike Motiv (which is dead to me)...I will still proudly support Brunswick......until they sell their ball side of the business to Motiv or some Chinese investment conglomerate...but we'll deal with that bridge when we come to it.