I'm just curiously with how you guys handle warranties, and specifically how you handle customers who want to ignore your warranty and want a new rod for free (because nothing is their fault!). Do you guys have the customer sign the warranty? I'm thinking of having this done by every customer before I ship them the rods.

I go through all of the stress testing, etc on every blank I build on. I'm as certain as anyone can be that the rods are defect-free when they leave my shop. Twice in the past few weeks I've had guys break rods while casting and they claim the rods weren't damaged and they did nothing wrong. A 9' musky rod rated for 3-8 ounces doesn't just break on a cast. These guys refuse to admit that there's any possibility that they were at fault- it has to be my fault! One guy broke the rod on his first trip out, it was an obvious crush fracture. The second guy has had the rod for over a year and a half and just broke it.

Here's my warranty that I give to everyone who purchases a rod from me:

Rods from Tuscarora Tackle include a lifetime warranty on craftsmanship to the original purchaser. Components are subject to their respective manufacturer's warranty- most manufacturers will warranty their products against defects. The definition of defect does not include breakage from the following (or similar) acts:
-slamming the rod in a door, etc.
-jamming the rod tip into the ground or other large object
-smashing the rod over a tree limb, gunwale, large rodent, etc.
-high-sticking on the rod while hung up, fighting a fish, etc., and any
other abuses as well as “normal wear and tear.”

In the event that your rod breaks, please contact Tuscarora Tackle and we will assess the breakage, reach on agreement on repairs, and get your rod back to you as soon as possible.

NOTE: In no event shall Tuscarora Tackle be held liable for incidental or consequential damages due to breach of this warranty or other warranties implied by law. Under no circumstance will the liability of Tuscarora Tackle exceed the original purchase price of the rod, less applicable taxes.

thanks,
jeremy

You know this conversation could get interesting. As an industry of builders we could come up with a standard here. Jeremy has a good start. I have to admit, I have stepped away from this standard on a few RARE occasions for return customers. But I would think as a group we communicate very well. A "standard" or "straw man" would be great for new builders as well as the seasoned guys.

Gabe

Gabe,

I have made some exceptions for repeat customers as well. I reduce my labor charge.

I have a hard time making any exceptions for new customers who immediately refuse any responsibility and accuse me of building an inferior rod. When a guy's first contact with me after the rod breaks is nothing but anger and accusations, it doesn't make me want to go out of my way to help him. This latest guy then proceeds to tell me that he's going to go around bad-mouthing me and telling everyone how horrible my customer service is- he's a very classy guy!

jeremy



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2014 11:16AM by Jeremy Wagner.

I think you're on the right track with a written warranty. Being able to ascertain exactly why the rod broke is another valuable asset to have, particularly if you can explain it to your customer. Sometimes when they realize that you know how they broke it, they back down a bit if not entirely.

Some builders even set a time limit on defects, say about a year. If the rod hasn't broken in that time period, it is reasonable to assume there was no defective part or workmanship at the time of delivery.

....................

Tom,

I like your idea of a time limit! I'm implementing that immediately.

jeremy

I give a year that's it! I used to give a lifetime but had a few bad people like you. Even the year if it is obvious to be a neglect break I will not repair for free. Now I will repair any rod I built and at a discount. This is not only discussed in full but written and signed by both them and me. Every once in awhile it will cost a sale with a fence leaner but for the most part its been a blessing. You will have guys who will bad mouth you no matter how hard you try. Its part of retail. I have customers I have done everything but give them free stuff and they still weren't happy. I mean full refunds!

Jeremy,

I've had about 3 years in retail and I'll be completely honest with you, the first thing to accept is the fact that there will be some customers that are just not going to be a customer for you. No matter what you do there will just be some customers that you won't be able to please, even if you give them a gift card / store credit (depending on how you run business) all the way to a full refund. I will say though that many manufacturers are switching to a one year warranty, one major example of this is Shimano switching all of their rods that were limited lifetime to now a limited one year warranty. My suggestion to you is to do a written contract with every customer explaining your warranty process and provide them warranty paperwork that explains top to bottom your entire warranty process and give it to the customer when they purchase a rod, also I would add the paperwork for the manufacturer warranty on the blank as well. Providing all of the paperwork up front on the original purchase will provide all information on what a customer can expect from a warranty and will save you future discussions and possibly arguments. If a rod doesn't break in the first year alone, it's safe to say there was no defect on the rod itself. I'll tell you based on what I have seen there will be some exceptions, especially when it comes to repeat customers. I would specifically tell the customer some things you will not give in your warranty before they leave your shop as well, I have had customers expect me to replace rods that are under lifetime warranty with NO questions asked and a FREE replacement and they still were not happy with that and wanted me to replace the rod out of my inventory. There will always be customers that will try to cheat the system and they've been able to do it before with other retailers. The best thing I can tell you is to put together a very comprehensive list of what you will cover and what you will not and set a one year limit to it. Provide all documentation to the customer when they purchase the rod and you physically give them the product. Always try to refer broken blanks to the manufacturer as many have a replacement warranty already and make sure you give them the paperwork for that as it will save you money and protect your inventory.

Just to lighten things up......... How about a tail light warranty on everything ? yea that'll fix them.

Also one of the Rod Builders volumes describes and shows various breaks and how to determine how the break was made.

I am not a Professional Rod Builder, just a hobbyist, but from a customers point of view, when you purchase a rod from a major manufacturer, the majority of the high end Manufacturers replace broken rods or sections no questions asked. Yes there is a big difference between a Custom Shop and the Big Boys, but the same customers that complain are the ones with the big mouths, and will also use their big mouths to tell there friends when they have received great customer service. Sometimes it is just the cost of doing business.

Another way to approach the situation is to assume that at one point all customers or at least a good percentage, will damage their rod and return it for warranty, and build the average cost or repair into your price. You can then offer a superior warranty program to your customers who abuse the rods and take advantage of the program and increase your margin on good customers, and then offer discounts for returning business, customer referrals etc.

The problem with them telling their friends where they got "great customer service" is that you are likely to wind up with more customers just like them - those who expect a free replacement every time they break a rod. You won't last long with those type customers.

One thing that is worth mentioning, is that custom rods should come with a brief hand-out on the proper care and use of a rod. Many fishermen do not understand that rods aren't unbreakable. They do all sorts of damaging, abusive things to rods and then don't understand why their rod broke. Hey, they do it all the time on the Sunday morning fishing shows, don't they? A little up front customer education can help a great deal in preventing bad warranty claims on the back end. It won't stop them all, but it won't hurt.

...............

Years ago I made a nice rod for a fellow, and when he came to pick it up, I walked out to his pick-up truck with him. He just dropped it in the bed of the truck. He spent $200 for the rod but didn't want to pay an additional $15 for a sock and tube for it. I told him that he had just made null and void any warranty on the rod. That fishing rods were not 2X4''s to be thrown into the back of an open truck. He just said, "it will be fine" and drove off.

Well said Tom!! I don't need the customer who feels like he got good customer service because he got one over on me. And I certainly don't need all of his friends coming in as well for the same reason. I also am on board as I give out an instruction manual with every rod I build. Some guys laugh at the statement but all the time they say when they read it "ha I never knew that". I also take the time to introduce the customer to his new rod and give him a break down of care and cautions when he picks it up. I ask them to bring it back after season for a once over and inspection. All this is enough that customers already talk about my customer service.

Jeremy,

What stands out in my mind when I read your warranty are the violent nature of the words you use to describe acts not covered under the warranty and the implications of using those words. A customer might not feel they may not have smashed, jammed, high sticked. In the world of rodbuilding these are more extreme acts and do not include accidental mishandlings that lead to failures down the rod. For instance, I might get careless and let a rod drop and bang on the gunwale of a boat. I might not notice it happen, or if I did I might check it over and find no apparent damage and assume there was none. Two months later, after many fishing trips and lots of landed fish without a problem, the rod breaks. If I even remember the impact, I'll probably dismiss it because the rod didn't break two months ago. These kinds of events happen all the time. Ask yourself how do the big MFG handle these situations. What they do, for the sake of maintaining goodwill with their customers is give the customer an insurance policy on their rod and call it a warranty. There's a big difference between the two.

As a rodbuilder, I do not offer insurance policies to cover a customer's mishandling, misuse, or abuse of a rod during ownership. Big MFG factor this cost as an overhead expense. We rodbuilders don't work to the same scale of economies as large manufacturers. If you try to, it's just going to cost you in the end.

I basically tell people there is no warranty other than what a component manufacturer might offer and that there's a cost if you want me to replace the component should the manufacturer replace the item. I only sell locally and transfer ownership in person. I have the customer examine, fully load the rod, and if applicable test cast the rod. I cover how to handle the rod, and I review with them the difference between insurance policies and warranties. Notice I said review - this implies that I explained the policy to them previously. As part of accepting every commission for a build a customer will sign off in advance that they understand there is no warranty. If they're unwilling I don't build the rod.

Good points. We need to be clear - there are two types of warranties. Those that cover defects and the "no-fault" variety. Few custom builders can afford to offer "no-fault" warranties.

Too many fishermen believe that a "lifetime warranty" means the rod is not supposed to break, and if it does, the rod was defective and they are owed another one.

..................

Thanks to all of you for taking time to share your thoughts. I'm open to any other thoughts or suggestions if anyone has something to share.

John,
I appreciate your insite. I like the idea of getting rid of the 'violent' descriptions. I'm planning on having a new policy written up in the next week or so. I've realized there's quite a bit that I need to change in mine!

jeremy

from my feeble perspective all of the points made have merit and the major reason I do not build except for family members and exceptional friends currently,

Have requests from people who have seen my own rods and lliked them and want them until they find out how much i spent on componenets- but like I have told them it was for my own use and satisfaction but you can use cheaper componenets-

Have though long and hard doing some kind of warranty sheet and may use all of the ideas and statements if no one minds


mark

Jeremy Wagner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks to all of you for taking time to share your
> thoughts. I'm open to any other thoughts or
> suggestions if anyone has something to share.
>
> John,
> I appreciate your insite. I like the idea of
> getting rid of the 'violent' descriptions. I'm
> planning on having a new policy written up in the
> next week or so. I've realized there's quite a
> bit that I need to change in mine!
>
> jeremy

Jeremy,

When you re-write you policy will you share it with us?

I'd be happy to!

jeremy