Leather Burnishers - Poor Customer Service

[Pounder]

I do not enjoy fronting out a business but when they refuse to reply to a simple e-mail, what can they expect. . I have read here how great Leather Burnisher tools are and when I received a $100. gift certificate for my birthday I contacted them for a maul, this was October 23, 2015. At that time their website indicated a two week lead time for orders. Ed was quick to get back with me and over the next few days we worked out the final details of what I wanted. On November 11, I received and e-mail that he had started on the maul. On November 17, I approved the final design and submitted my final payment via Paypal for the extras I had added in addition to the gift certificate they already had.

December 17, 2015 I e-mailed them inquiring about the maul and was told it was at the engravers and should be shipped soon.

January 17, 2016 I e-mailed them inquiring about the maul and when I could expect delivery and have receive no response.

Now I read on their web site that his full time job is taking away from his time with Leather Burnishers, basically not filling orders. There was nothing on the site about part time work when I ordered the maul, I understood I was dealing with a full time business but there is no excuse for failing or refusing to reply to an e-mail inquiring about an order. Of course they have been paid in advance so why worry about it.

As a business owner (custom leather, full time) I know how important customer service is and the next time I am shopping for tools I will remember the customer service I received from them. I want them to know there is one PO'd customer out here and give a heads up to others.

Thanks for letting me vent.

[JLSleather]

When I order something, I want a reasonable time frame for shipment / delivery. This type of thing happens so regularly any more that I simply can't be bothered to argue it. If you can't fill my order in the time stated, and you can't be bothered to let me know what's going on and when I should expect it, then just tell it to the credit card company when you're notified of the charge back.

But that's just me. My personal opinion, there is NO tool worth a 3-month wait.

[TinkerTailor]

To be a devils advocate, This hobby is not cheap. Quite a few people on here start small businesses making tools, respooling thread on smaller spools for resale, etc. The intention is to keep costs down. This industry is fairly small and it is difficult to make a full time living making tools or selling small amounts of tiger thread. However, sometimes, a product is very popular and people want alot of what you produce. You turn into a one armed wallpaper hanger and the enjoyable hobby becomes stressful due to workload. This can effect your bread and butter day job. Most people will sacrifice the hobby first.

This leads to the question of fish, or cut bait. You either need to go full time into the small business or stop taking orders and preserve your day job.

The friction happens when people take too much time to make this decision. Orders get dropped and mistakes happen at the day job due to lack of sleep .

This is not a justification for the lack of communication, just a thought on how someone ends up in that position. They probably have not responded because they are embarrassed it got this far in the first place.

[Pounder]

Tinker Tailor

I agree with everything you said, everyone has a life outside of the job, be it part or full time. One can surely affect the other and things can happen but in this age of technology there is no excuse for not responding to a customer inquiry. I would rather hear excuses, apologies or just a good cussing than to not hear anything at all.

[Murf]

Im in the same boat with Ed. I have a maul and several dremel burnishers from him. My previous orders have had a 2-3 week turn around time. I finally got a drill press so i ordered a new burnisher for it. That was 8 weeks ago and i haven't heard from him since. I e mailed with no reply. Its to the point that im actually worried something happened thats keeping him. I do hope that he is just swamped with life but at the end of the day like the rest of us have stated, you have to keep your customers in the loop. Life happens. Im currently juggling 4 seats and several belts and wallets with a baby due any day. People have to understand that life can get overwhelming. But they can't understand if you dont communicate. The tools are exceptional, but it doesnt matter how great they are if you dont have them in your arsenal.

[Colt W Knight]

When I ordered my burnisher from there, my ship time was delayed as well.b finally got it, and it's been a quality and useful tool

[Pounder]

Finally received my maul, not real impressed at first look but I used it to tool a small project and immediately fell in love, it handles perfectly. Not real impressed with the delay but Mr. Stiles made that right as well. Well worth the wait.

[Colt W Knight]

Did you get the Bear man maul?

I am facebook friends with Ed Labarre, and the mauls he makes look great from the pics he posts on facebook. I am wondering if those are just how pieces.

[Pounder]

Did you get the Bear man maul?

I am facebook friends with Ed Labarre, and the mauls he makes look great from the pics he posts on facebook. I am wondering if those are just how pieces.

Ed Stiles made my maul, I understand he took over for the Bear Man.

[Colt W Knight]

That would explain why why he changel his Facebook name from ed bear man Labarre to ed labarre

[tnhomestead]

With those prices for burnishing tools, I need to get my new shop finished!

[Colt W Knight]

With those prices for burnishing tools, I need to get my new shop finished!

I would turn some burnishers, but I am allergic to woods like cocobolo that make good burnishers. That sawdust is nasty.

[club49]

That explains why he never sent me a price for his burnisher. I am glad he didn't ,I would be in the same boat.

I would turn some burnishers, but I am allergic to woods like cocobolo that make good burnishers. That sawdust is nasty.

[tnhomestead]

Luckily I have a nice powered hood for turning the nasty stuff, between that and my vacuum setup I dont usually get much sawdust to breathe. probably turn some in a couple weeks, I need a new one and I like the design.

[Colt W Knight]

Luckily I have a nice powered hood for turning the nasty stuff, between that and my vacuum setup I dont usually get much sawdust to breathe. probably turn some in a couple weeks, I need a new one and I like the design.

Nice,

When I build guitars with rosewood, ebony or cocobolo, I have to wear goggles, gloves, long sleeve shirt and respirator. It gets in the pores of my skin and feels like a chemical burn. They abalone and Mother of pearl dust from the inlays is also really bad for your health and I take similar precautions.

Edited March 3, 2016 by Colt W Knight

[bgl500]

My sister was kind enough to order some dremel burnishers from Ed Stiles for Christmas. It is now to middle of March with no burnishers and worse yet, no response to numerous emails inquiring of when the product will be sent. I am pretty sympathetic to longer lead times but I have little tolerance for not communicating to the customer especially when the customer reaches out numerous times.