What the @>!$ is wrong with recumbent manufacturers?

[ElyDave]

About ten e-mails to Schlitter asking for info on frame choices and order times

Response - a big black hole of nothingness

[marcusjb]

Sorry to hear of your issues with this specific manufacturer.

It seems harsh to tar all of them with the same brush though.

I would suggest using this number 941-484-0020 with the dialing code for the US added might be an appropriate path forwards? 

Email can be a mysterious thing and people struggle with it from time to time, sometimes through faults of their own, sometimes through those of others.

[ElyDave]

I'm trying the EU distributor, but going straight to the source may be a good idea.

I this day and age though it's quite disappointing that a high-tech manufacturer can't manage high tech comms.

And they're not the only ones - I also e-mailed M5 re their high racer, to no avail.

Perhaps we need a Dark Side Rant thread

[Polar Bear]

The thing with email is, well, it's all pervasive.   I find that clients will email me and then expect an immediate reply.   They have absolutely no idea whether I am at the other end, what I am doing, etc., etc. but there is an expectation of absolute immediacy.  Email transcends privacy and private time.   It's 24x7x365 which is really impossible for most businesses to successfully manage all of the time.   Sometimes also the query will require some time to respond to but again the expectation of immediacy is crushing.

As a consumer I'd be hugely frustrated.  As a business I am even more frustrated because I cannot keep all of my clients happy all of the time.

I don't know the timescales involved ElyDave but I'd suggest that if you don't get satisfaction give somebody else your moola.   

[Clare]

This might be a dumb question but have you checked your Spam folder?

Yahoo and Hotmail regularly chuck e-mails sent from our work generic account into Spam, even if they are a direct reply to an e-mail sent to us.

[Arellcat]

Both Dave McCraw and David at Laid Back Bikes have a fair amount of experience with Schlitter Encores.  Might be worth a quick call to David to see if Schlitter is on holiday or something.

I this day and age though it's quite disappointing that a high-tech manufacturer can't manage high tech comms.

High tech doesn't necessarily imply having a business that is able to operate a customer service desk.  High tech might mean the person who designed your bike is also the one who'll answer your questions and the one who'll deal with warranty issues and the one who does market research and designs new bikes.

[Kim]

About ten e-mails to Schlitter asking for info on frame choices and order times

Response - a big black hole of nothingness

This is normal in the recumbent world.  With the odd notable exception, they're all enthusiasts who are too busy with interesting things to do much in the way of customer service.

Best approach seems to be to game the system by making yourself more interesting.  Bizarre technical questions.  Turning up in person.  Being stranded in elbonia without a pingfuckit as part of a world tour.  That sort of thing.

[ElyDave]

About ten e-mails to Schlitter asking for info on frame choices and order times

Response - a big black hole of nothingness

This is normal in the recumbent world.  With the odd notable exception, they're all enthusiasts who are too busy with interesting things to do much in the way of customer service.

Best approach seems to be to game the system by making yourself more interesting.  Bizarre technical questions.  Turning up in person.  Being stranded in elbonia without a pingfuckit as part of a world tour.  That sort of thing.

I'm wondering whether an approach is to send an e-mail with a current parts list and ask them techy advice on other aspects of the build and oh by the way how long to get me a frame?

[Nethypete]

As above - go via Dave at Laid Back bikes. He's processed at least two orders in Scotland and seems to get a response from Julian fairly quickly.

[Tigerbiten]

About ten e-mails to Schlitter asking for info on frame choices and order times

Response - a big black hole of nothingness

This is normal in the recumbent world.  With the odd notable exception, they're all enthusiasts who are too busy with interesting things to do much in the way of customer service.

ICE is one of the notable exceptions.
I know if anything goes wrong with my Sprint, I can get it repaired quick ....... 

I've twice e-mailed then phoned them for replacement brakes while on tour in eastern Europe.
Both times the parts where in the next post out to me.
Plus they made a cover for the second set to stop them failing that sill works now.

That after market service at it best ........... 

[Kim]

ICE is one of the notable exceptions.

Agreed.  HPVelotechnik seem refreshingly competent too, which easily offsets the general faff of paying Germans for stuff.


...which is all very well if what you want is a tourer.

[Tigerrr]

HP Velotechnik have always been great when I needed stuff, but paying was a nightmare. Challenge were a bit unpredictable, no idea now, even if Challenge bike parts can even be obtained.
I recall being told early on that buyingbrecumbents wasn't like buying a product, but more like being involved in a long-term prototyping process with enthusiasts. It is a mistake to expect customer service as such. As Kim observes.

[frankenthorn]

ICE is one of the notable exceptions.

Agreed.  HPVelotechnik seem refreshingly competent too, which easily offsets the general faff of paying Germans for stuff.

Bacchetta have a good rep' in the USA for customer support, but I don't know how well (if at all) this translates to the UK ...

[Blade]

Before I bought my current trike (a second-hand one), I considered a Performer.
Their responses to the several e-mails concerning specifications and prices that I sent to them were VERY quick and informative too.

[ElyDave]

In response, yes ICE are very good in my experience answering a technical question on the B2 very quickly, I can't speak for the rest.

Performer I have looked at, but can't remember if they do framesets, will have another look as I really want to take this as a build project myself.

The other thing I've thought about is a bachetta carbon, but I don't really like their handlebars, or the M5 High racer, carbon again looking at a frameset if they do one.

Just sent a more technical e-mail to Schlitter with a list of what I have, what I'm thinking of adding to the list and some other questions.  We'll see what response that gets.  Maybe they didn't think I was serious before?

[LMT]

I'd drop an e-mail to the man himself - John at Vite Bikes.

FWIW I met Julien who is the head of European Distribution at the PBP bike check, a decent chap although forgetful, the next day when he forgot to pack his brevet card.

He got around okay.

And not all recumbent manufacturers are arses, a lot, if not all are run by fairly small teams. And in the first instance for contact I'd always go with a phone call.

[Wothill]

One problem with Schlitter is that they seem to be trying to maximise their returns by web-site direct sales rather than relying on the expertise and responsiveness of local dealers. This may work well enough if you fit their standard model of customer but they really should be supporting local dealers (with a decent retail margin) to avoid frustrating their customers. I bought my Encore through Laidback without any problem but I doubt if he made much on the retail sale.
Alf

[LMT]

One problem with Schlitter is that they seem to be trying to maximise their returns by web-site direct sales rather than relying on the expertise and responsiveness of local dealers. This may work well enough if you fit their standard model of customer but they really should be supporting local dealers (with a decent retail margin) to avoid frustrating their customers. I bought my Encore through Laidback without any problem but I doubt if he made much on the retail sale.
Alf

A good point, but my own opinion TBH is that I now like to buy direct as this saves time and a lot of arsing about when I know what I want. On the other hand if I was just starting out on the recumbents then I'd appreciate some advice.

[ElyDave]

After e-mailing Julien in Sweden 10 days ago and no response, I sent the same e-mail to John yesterday with a general point that I ralise how hard it is to keep up with customer comms in a 24/7 world for a small company (I'm also in that bucket being in a 35 person global consultancy), but ten days seems a bit long for a sales enquiry.

[ElyDave]

Still nowt, and now having sold my B2 (deposit taken this lunchtime ) I'm seriously in need of a replacement for the summer.

[LMT]

What are you looking for regarding what you want from the bike?

[ElyDave]

What are you looking for regarding what you want from the bike?

Light, fast, disk brakes.  Audaxable.

I have a list of parts at the moment.

Considering Bachetta, M5, Schlitter at the moment.  Sent an e-mail to Bachetta this morning, answered this afternoon when America woke up. One consideration is wheel size, I have a lovely pair of 700c wheels, but I think I'll struggle with height on some of the frames, so may end up at 26" but gear up.

[LMT]

What are you looking for regarding what you want from the bike?

Light, fast, disk brakes.  Audaxable.

I have a list of parts at the moment.

Considering Bachetta, M5, Schlitter at the moment.  Sent an e-mail to Bachetta this morning, answered this afternoon when America woke up. One consideration is wheel size, I have a lovely pair of 700c wheels, but I think I'll struggle with height on some of the frames, so may end up at 26" but gear up.

http://cruzbike.com

The lowest seat height of any dual 700 recumbent. Light and fast, disks comes as standard.

[ElyDave]

Cruzbike frame set $2600
Bachetta Corsa $1400

I've never ridden a cruzbike, but they do look interesting.

[Tigerrr]

The cruzbike looks like it resolves a lot of recumbent issues.