Is my first impression with Dixie Gun Works normal?

[white_tail]

I agree with your comments. However this was my first time to deal with them and wanted to give them a fair shake before I go elsewhere.

 

[jimmy82]

We ordered the wife's gun from them without incident and it came with prompt delivery. We also ordered from them only to cancel because of finding similar stuff only much cheaper. All we had to do was call and cancel. No complaints here except for the price of their merchandise.

 

[Walks Alone]

I on the other hand think that any company that goes south on its customers (services/products) and continues to do so is worthy of the bad press. You get what you reap in any business and have to earn customer satisfaction. A customer must be civil about it if there is a problem and give them a chance to fix it, but the customer service of any company that is rude and will not make corrections for a paying customer with a smile has gone south - period. Their business will suffer for it, and rightly so. Arguing with me about the exact order I know I placed and shipping it wrong sends me somewhere else. They obviously do not want or need my money.

It is a competetive market place out there for sure with too many other places to spend your money at to put up with poor customer service from any company, no matter how long they have been around.

I didn't consider DGW as a loss myself when I stopped buying from them for the same reasons. But I especially hate to see it in any company that has long stood as the ideal in customer service like TC, but seems to also be slipping since Tim retired and S&W took over.

YOMV

 

[mykeal]

...I dont think it right to detail a handful of bad experiences against all the good experiences that fellow forum members here have had that are not going noticed...We all can pick and choose who we do business with...do the research and act accordingly!

???
I have no idea what your point is.]
How do we "do the research" if we don't discuss, in an open forum, the problems we have?

 

[Sham66]

Howdy!

Being in the customer service business myself, I always find it amusing (and disconcerting at the same time) that any vendor would tell a customer some of the things I have heard here. These folks need to be reminded who pays the bills. I recently went to a seminar at Disney in Orlando where the service motto is: "It's not our fault, but it is our problem." How easy would it have been just to say: "Let me fix the order. Would you like to order anything else while we are speaking?" Customer service, plus the opportunity of another sale!

I am also into muscle cars and have a '70 Mustang. Talking to the parts vendor "tech-lines" or customer service is a beating. They are kids whose goal in life at this time is to make you feel stupid. Not all vendors are like this, but some are.

What business is missing here is that customer service folks need training in how to speak with customers. It is not enough to be a nice person. They need to know how to support, empathize, apologize correctly, and sell. When a customer calls, it is not an infringement on your time, it is your job to do the right thing. And get a reminder from time to time on who pays the bills.

Regarding Dixie specifically, I have bought from them several times and have never had a problem. Maybe I am lucky.

James

 

[flintlocksnh]

hi: just to put my two cents worth in, i have ordered many times from dixie with no real problems. i also have done business with about all of the suppliers out there, totw, pecatonica, log cabin, muzzleloaders builders supply,etc. and some that are no longer around, and all have been good,[ also probably just lucky.]i think it mostly has to do with the people they hire to sit in a cubicle and answer the phone for orders. the new generation! flintlock55

 

[Sherlock]

I first dealt with Turner Kirkland in 1967 when he looked me in the face, lied, and sold me junk as a poor sailor up to Union City from Millington to visit the vaunted Dixie Gun Works. I was a newbie and was neatly skinned. I remember when they sold hundreds of Pietta "Smith" carbines with bad bores to skirmishers and knew it, not so long ago. Even checking with them is a distasteful effort of last resort for me. Keep quiet? If you luck out with a good transaction and get good stuff, it's luck and a good manufacturer, not DGW. I say "Pirates"! WONKY

 

[richardn]

I guess I have been luckly as I have never had a problem with them - at least no more than with the rest of the suppliers I have dealt with i.e. TOW, MLBS, etc.

Richard

 

[pab1]

To paraphrase a sign at the shop where I buy my tires, "It may take months to earn a loyal customer, but only minutes to lose one".

 

[crockett]

Something is wrong because I have never had anything other than good luck with Dixie Gun Works- great people. Here's an example. I wanted to customize a standard, inexpensive kit which included a new trigger guard but I wasn't sure the guard would fit. I therefore faxed what I had and one of the guys, Jamie, took the fax, walked back to the inventory and checked what I had versus their parts, to see if the set triggers would fit in their part and if the bases on their part would fit or could be filed down to fit the pre-existing inlet in my kit. They then shipped the trigger guard.

This guard had a lot of scale, when I knocked it off there was an air bubble right in the middle of the guard so I called them back, told them the situation and asked if I should ship back the defective part- not a problem I was told, save yourself the postage- they shipped free of charge another part.
Well....... this one had the same problem so I called again after knocking off the scale. I was wondering if they would believe the customer- it being two in a row. Well they did, in fact Jamie took some other guards to their shop and knocked off the scale until he got one that was okay and shipped that.

Well talk about GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE. How can you top that. As far as I am concenred they are good people at DGW and the public deserves to know.

 

[Walks with fire]

I never dealt with Dixie but RMC Sports has been great to me and highly recommend them. I always make it a point to get a persons name when I deal with a new company and go through that person when I order something. There are good, excellent, and average people in every company and I make it a point to find the excellent ones!

 

[Bob Riegl]

:hmm: Quite unfortunately DGW has a well-developed Bad Attitude. This is not a new act for them, as has been noted Turner Kirkland RIP was quite simply an SOB (sweet old boy--not) :shake:. Though I must say I have bought items from them in the past,(20)years ago and never had a problem at that time. Unfortunately their reputation is based on the self-delusion that they are the only business in the city. I never recommend DGW to any one looking for certain items. Their phone order crew acts as if they are doing you a favor to sell you an item. I think that Dixon's is not far from the DGW attitude as well and have some business practises that I find to be downright unfriendly and scurrilous as well. Might as well wash the whole floor. :thumbsup:

 

[FishDFly]

In June 1996 I was headed to Chicago to get married.

After studying different ways to get there, I decided I wanted to go see Dixie Gun Works on the way. The trip also timed with the Spring National Shoot at Friendship. No problem, I get to see both on the way, this is going to be great.

Dixie Gun Works, the people were not friendly at all, would not wait on me and the things I wanted to see were behind the yellow tape where I was not allowed. Out of frustation, I left and will not return nor order from them.

There are a lot of really nice places to order from without a hassle. I could list them, but most have been mentioned, no reason to do so.

I have a moto, "I will not spend my money and be miserable".

RDE

 

[zukeeper1]

they've always been nice to me on the phone. I've bought to rifles and a pistol plus odds and ends from them. In fact , just ordered their 08 catalog

 

[wildeagle]

After reading this whole thread, I'd offer my two cents. There has been experiences from both ends of the spectrum, I would think that consistency is one thing we all look for in a supplier. As tough as things can be, do we really want to deal with bad transactions, now everybody is entitled to a bad day now and then. While I have never done business with them, I do enjoy their catalogue and would probably try them once or twice, but if experienced repeated bad dealings, would put my business elsewhere. I guess sometimes you just ante up and take your chances.

 

[bwhoffman]

there is a reason they are still in business,
even after reading all these pro's and con's.

could just be that the catalog is worth the price of admission!

 

[Runner]

I called once years back. The call was enough to make sure I never called again! Who needs high prices, rudeness, and incompetant service combined with questionable quality products?