Normally I don’t ever consider putting a model company on blast, especially online like this, but I had an experience with a Bachmann Repair Center employee that I think needs to be made known.
I’ve got a Bachmann 45 tonner that I have had since December, and have been having serious issues with the performance.
Yesterday one of the trucks fell off when I took it out of the box. I rolled the truck on the table to see if it was binding. it was so I tested the other truck and it ran well. Popping the panel off of the bottom of the truck I figured out that if I can get the truck apart to access the gearing I can fix it, as I’ve done similar jobs on other models. But the trucks on the 45 tonner are oddly constructed and I don’t know how to get them apart, so I called Bachmann to see if I could order a new truck or if they could tell me how to take it apart and the guy basically said:
"Let me explain something to you. Let me tell you what you should have done. You should have put it in the bo
I have never dealt with the Bachmann folks in the customer service department over the phone, but I exchanged a number of emails and found them friendly, responsive, helpful and fast. They even sent me a spare part - free of charge and shipping (to Germany!).
Bachmann’s policy always has been, “Send it to us for repair or replacement.” I think that is even in writing on the warranty card that comes with the item, and is stated on their web site.
I understand that this is Bachmann’s policy and it’s completely understandable for them to request for me to send it back, however doing so in such an unneccesary and condescending tone is completely uncalled for and out of line. The Sales representative was the rudest person I’ve ever dealt with as a customer and even though he was explaining company policy he did it in a way that was so rude and inconsiderate that I will no longer be dealing with them on any level
I do not think the OP is calling into question the policy, but how this representative went about explaining it. Customer Service is supposed to be just that, “service”. I do not mean Bachmann should bend over backwards, or adopt a “give the customer anything they want” approach, but the explanation of what they can or will do for a customer with a problem should always be handled politely and professionally.
Manners, however, are not a one way street. Whenever I am dissatisfied with a product and have to interact with a companies employees, I always start with “I need to vent a little about the problems I am having with your product. Please understand that I am not mad at or blame you, but I am quite frustrated with the situation.” This has almost always met with understanding between the representative and me, and the ensuing conversation remains civil, even if the resolution offered is not what I had hoped.
In the rare circumstance that I do meet with “attitude” (we all have bad days), I politely request that I be allowed to speak to a manager. If the representative is still resistant, I politely end the conversation, hang up, and call back and ask for a manager immediately (but still politely).
That would be my suggestion for the OP’s next step.
Instead of blasting them here, I would have reported it to Bachmann. The company is not going to stand for such poor representation. I’m sure they’ll take care of you.
It’s a Repair Centre not a “Dispensary for Free Advice”, there is nothing worse than trying to trouble shoot problems over the phone, especially to a customer whose ability to actually carry out a satisfactory repair is not only problematic, but a lot less than they think.
Well you haven’t!
Get off your high horse and do what the “horrible” Bachmann rep told you to do, send it back and get it fixed or repaired, and be grateful that such a facility is readily available.
I should add that that I have had nothing to do with the Bachmann Repair Centre or its employees, but know from experience how hard it is to be polite to even well meaning “experts”.
It’s a Repair Centre not a “Dispensary for Free Advice”, there is nothing worse than trying to trouble shoot problems over the phone, especially to a customer whose ability to actually carry out a satisfactory repair is not only problematic, but a lot less than they think.
trainguy4466
, and wouldn’t have if I didn’t think I could fix the problem,
Well you haven’t!
trainguy4466
So what do you all think should be my next plan of action?
Get off your high horse and do what the “horrible” Bachmann rep told you to do, send it back and get it fixed or repaired, and be grateful that such a facility is readily available.
A friend works in the repair department of a large outfit the name of which all of you would recognize. All day long the calls and emails he gets relate to repairs and he enjoys his job, but often the requests and the people he deals with are bizarre and off putting. Many of them involve models that people have pretty clearly destroyed on their own and expect his area to fix for them. In some cases the models are decades old. Maybe you caught this particular person immediately after just such an experience. Or maybe something in the way the inquiry was phrased made it sound like you were expecting a free fix for something you caused. All of us have had bad days at work and reacted to things in ways we came to regret, I am sure. Still it is that person’s job to be friendly and cheerful even when they feel anything but. There is nothing any of us can do – only Bachmann can make it right.
The old thinking of “Bachman Junk” and to be avoided is a thing of the past. They have made milestones in quality of their products. this is especially true of the Spectrum line of steam. I never was much of a fan of the diesel offerings, they are much better and for the price and overall running quality for fairly inexpensive pieces many will consider them for purchase. I have never had issue w/ their service and find it better than most competitors. I am thoughly pleased w/ the latest EM1, it is a remarkable piece in fine prototypical detail and quality of running.
Don’t be so harsh and rush to judgement, they have made remarkable improvements.
as an update I called Bachmann back, this time their HR department. I explained the situation and stressed that I don’t think the rep meant to come off the way he had and that I didn’t want to see negative action taken against him personally for something that could have stemmed from either my poor wording of what I was wanting or any other possible cause. The woman I spoke to was extremely friendly, helpful and courtious and gave my information to the manager of the parts department to order the replacement via phone. She assured me the replacement would be thoroughly checked to make sure it performed satisfactorily. Overall this experience was absolutely lovely and much more in line with my previous experiences with the Bachmann people. I’m still a bit miffed about being spoken to the way I was but I accept that we all have our bad days and that maybe today was his. In future I’ll be a bit weary of calling Bachmann’s Repair/Parts number for fear of a similar experience but all in all I think the people I spoke to afterwards did an excellent job in helping solve my problem
I’ve always had good courteous response from Bachmann Customer Support. My problem has been their poor product quality. Before my health went over the hill I had Bachmann G gauge in our back yard garden for years and never had a serious problem with any of their products. I received a new 2-8-0 in 2004 with a cracked axle gear out of the box but a phone call got me a replacement part in three days. They gave me the choice of sending it back or doing the repair myself. But that was G gauge.
My experience with Bachman HO products has been very bad with the exception of one Daylight GS4 4-8-4 in 2008. They simply replaced a DC locomotive with a new DCC locomotive after the drivers fell off my original. A year later I returned a second GS4 for the same problem and they offered to replace it with a 2-8-0. I ordered the wheel set from Bachmann Parts and fixed it my self. With shipping the replacement driver wheels were less than the cost of their offer for a smaller locomotive.
In 2006 I bought a new Shay that wouldn’t run out of the box. I returned it for a second Shay that wouldn’t run out of the box. I put a hidden mark on it and returned it for the third Shay that wouldn’t run out of the box. Checking for the mark that wasn’t there I took it apart and fixed it my self. For those who haven’t experienced a Bachmann Shay moment their motor mount design is terrible at best! There is no way the single screw that holds
I had a singular experience with Bachmann’s service department myself. I bought one of their recently released GP7s in January. Out of the box it ran very erratically, sometimes refusing to move in one direction or refusing to reverse with the headlights cutting in and out. I sent it to the service deptment and about a month later received a replacement which exhibited virtually identical problems. I sent it back again and this time received a phone call stating that they had tested it and found nothing wrong so they were returning it to me. I got it back and found it still had the old problems which they attributed to my power pack and/or throttle. Point is, every other engine runs fine on my system including other Bachmann engines like the S2 switcher that I bought at the same time as the GP7. In the end I tore down the engine myself, stripped out the circuit board and wired the wheels directly to the motor. I lost the headlight function but now the engine runs fine.
I find Bachmann’s decoders and circuit boards leave a lot to be desired. When the 45 tonner’s up and running I plan on replacing the decoder with a tsunami or loksound product. Most of my other Bachmann stuff have had their decoders replaced.
I swear some people just love to Bachmann bash like it’s their (other) hobby. And I don’t understand all of the hate - even their trainset quality “junk” from the 80/90’s is perfectly usable, and in fact I still have my first ever diesel from them. I got it when I was 7, and it’s sitting next to the track right now, ready to run should I ever upgrade it to DCC.
Their newer tooled steam engines are some of the nicest sub $500 models you can buy, and I’m quite impressed with the quality of their GG1.
FYI, the “plus” line was discontinued in 1997. Perhaps the issue isn’t Bachmann, but that you bought a 10 year old F7 and expected it to run like new?