I'm new to the forum, so hello everyone. I would like to share an experience I had with ErnieBall/ MusicMan.
I walked into a music store with the intention of finally buying a high end guitar. I played several(Gibson, PRS etc..) but then came across a John Petrucci 6 string. It blew me away. I could not believe the sounds I was able to get and playing it just felt so natural. I'm really not into signature guitars, I like to do my own thing but it was just too perfect. To top it off, the sales guy tells me its the last one, they arent selling them anymore and that I can have it for $999.00. They can't measure with existing technology how fast I bought it. I was prepared to spend up to $2,200.00 and got the guitar I wanted for less than half.
So I get home and decide to go on the internet to find out some more information regarding my purchase, and I see posts regarding stress cracks in the neck pocket. I check my guitar and sure enough, 2 cracks, one on each side! To say I was disappointed would be like saying the ocean has a little water. I call ErnieBall/MusicMan customer service to see what can be done.
I get in touch with a man by the name of John Smith. He is the personification of what customer service should be. He made me feel comfortable right away. He gave me a code to send my guitar back for repair. He said he will have the body ordered now to avoid any uneccessary delays. Then he asks me if I would like to have the neck sealed while its at the factory (apparently alot of pros have this done, it helps keep the wood more stable during seasonal changes). I said sure, that would be great(no charge by the way). I also told him that the volume knob felt a bit funny. His reply, "Sure, I'll check that, no problem"(he replaced it, no charge). He also asked me how I would like the guitar set up. Mr. Smith must have spent a half hour on the phone with me. Answered every question I asked and was extremely patient. I then sent the guitar in for repair.
Two days later, I get a call from John informing me that he received the guitar and every thing would be taken care of. I thanked him and expressed concerns regarding the condition of my guitar. He said to me your guitar is going to get the "rockstar" treatment. I was totally at ease. Two weeks later(as promised) I get a call from the company, telling me that my guitar was being shipped(no charge to me).
A couple of days later I get the guitar(in a new case by the way, no charge). It was perfect. The body, the neck, the setup. Perfect, perfect, perfect. I could not put it down.
Now for the topper. The only thing that bothered me was that I had to pay the shipping costs to send the guitar to California for repair. I live in New York. I wasn't going to ship it 4 day ground and have it dropped a million times, so I paid around $80.00 to have it sent by air. The other day I get a package from Ernie Ball. I open it up and it was twelve sets of strings. The bill said "To help with the costs of shipping your guitar for repair, no charge".
ErnieBall/MusicMan is a company that stands behind their product and treats their customers with respect. They do business the way it should be done, period. I would not hesitate in buying another guitar from them. As a matter of fact I am getting ready to purchase a seven string.
And to Mr. John Smith, thank you for reminding me how customers should be treated. You are a true asset to your company. :-D
I walked into a music store with the intention of finally buying a high end guitar. I played several(Gibson, PRS etc..) but then came across a John Petrucci 6 string. It blew me away. I could not believe the sounds I was able to get and playing it just felt so natural. I'm really not into signature guitars, I like to do my own thing but it was just too perfect. To top it off, the sales guy tells me its the last one, they arent selling them anymore and that I can have it for $999.00. They can't measure with existing technology how fast I bought it. I was prepared to spend up to $2,200.00 and got the guitar I wanted for less than half.
So I get home and decide to go on the internet to find out some more information regarding my purchase, and I see posts regarding stress cracks in the neck pocket. I check my guitar and sure enough, 2 cracks, one on each side! To say I was disappointed would be like saying the ocean has a little water. I call ErnieBall/MusicMan customer service to see what can be done.
I get in touch with a man by the name of John Smith. He is the personification of what customer service should be. He made me feel comfortable right away. He gave me a code to send my guitar back for repair. He said he will have the body ordered now to avoid any uneccessary delays. Then he asks me if I would like to have the neck sealed while its at the factory (apparently alot of pros have this done, it helps keep the wood more stable during seasonal changes). I said sure, that would be great(no charge by the way). I also told him that the volume knob felt a bit funny. His reply, "Sure, I'll check that, no problem"(he replaced it, no charge). He also asked me how I would like the guitar set up. Mr. Smith must have spent a half hour on the phone with me. Answered every question I asked and was extremely patient. I then sent the guitar in for repair.
Two days later, I get a call from John informing me that he received the guitar and every thing would be taken care of. I thanked him and expressed concerns regarding the condition of my guitar. He said to me your guitar is going to get the "rockstar" treatment. I was totally at ease. Two weeks later(as promised) I get a call from the company, telling me that my guitar was being shipped(no charge to me).
A couple of days later I get the guitar(in a new case by the way, no charge). It was perfect. The body, the neck, the setup. Perfect, perfect, perfect. I could not put it down.
Now for the topper. The only thing that bothered me was that I had to pay the shipping costs to send the guitar to California for repair. I live in New York. I wasn't going to ship it 4 day ground and have it dropped a million times, so I paid around $80.00 to have it sent by air. The other day I get a package from Ernie Ball. I open it up and it was twelve sets of strings. The bill said "To help with the costs of shipping your guitar for repair, no charge".
ErnieBall/MusicMan is a company that stands behind their product and treats their customers with respect. They do business the way it should be done, period. I would not hesitate in buying another guitar from them. As a matter of fact I am getting ready to purchase a seven string.
And to Mr. John Smith, thank you for reminding me how customers should be treated. You are a true asset to your company. :-D
