Customer Service

[mewalsh100]

I debated whether or not to even post anything about this, but the more I thought about it, the more it cheesed me off, so here I am.


I recently reached out to Ed at CI Foams to get his opinion on foams for some Proline Grunts I purchased for Project K5. After a couple exchanges back and forth, I went with the size/specs he recommended. Well, they were way too big for the tire, I mean spilling out of them. Reached back out to Ed for some clarification. He owned the mistake and offered me a rebate/discount on my next order. All good, and I appreciated the offer. I knew I could always use these foams in another build down the road.


I ended up ordering some J Concepts Landmines for the Capra. I needed some foams for these, and figured the Lil Nova 4.5 comp cut inners, soft and medium outters would fit the bill perfectly. Reached back out to Ed about using the rebate/discount on these to which he replied, "we're out of stock on those". Again, all good. I understand inventory turn and re-supply, and I'm not in a huge hurry because we're still buried in snow. Anyway, shot a quick email back inquiring if he knew when they'd be back in stock. I figured if anyone would know, it'd be the OWNER of the company. The reply I got back was, "NO". Just the word, "NO". Not, "No, but as soon as I get word, I'll shoot you an email". Not, "No, I apologize, I don't have any idea right now, but I will advise when I do know. None of that, just the word "NO".



I'm sorry, but as VP of Sales for a large Telecom Company. If I heard that one of my people replied this way to a customer, we'd be having a serious chat. This is simply an unacceptable response to a customer inquiry. To be clear, I'm not usually one to vent on these sorts of things as I understand that "chit" happens. The big difference being, how you handle/approach the customer when "chit" does happen.



I've steered dozens and dozens of people to CI Foams for their rigs here on the forums, on Social Media, in person, etc. I'm not even going to sit here and say that I'll never use them again. What I will say is that I'll be researching my foam options for future builds.

 

[JacktheRipper]

I will say this as nicely as I can.................. I work in IT , and there a lot of folks that ask one useless question after another.


"What I will say is that I'll be researching my foam options for future builds. "

I bet you will not be missed:lmao:

 

[mewalsh100]

I will say this as nicely as I can.................. I work in IT , and there a lot of folks that ask one useless question after another.


"What I will say is that I'll be researching my foam options for future builds. "

I bet you will not be missed:lmao:

You're right, I probably won't be missed, which is an unfortunate position for someone running a business to take. Having said that, I certainly don't think asking the owner of the company when he might have stock on HIS products again is a useless question. I'm in sales with technical products, so I know all about "useless questions". I also get the whole deal with stock and inventory. But like I said, he answered the question like it was costing him $20 a word. That simply does not fly in my book. At the end of the day, your customers are the only reason you have a business. I'm not even trying to soap-box this, It just generally surprised me that the owner of a company would reply with such a curt, vague response, and have no clue when he would have stock on his products again. :roll: BTW - I bet you're a blast at parties.:lmao:

 

[JSterrett]

I had a similar experience a while back (don't remember who specifically at CI I talked to). Curt response with the bare minimum of information. I guess when the competition is limited, less effort goes into CS. Not bad enough to be a serious issue, but...

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

 

[mewalsh100]

I had a similar experience a while back (don't remember who specifically at CI I talked to). Curt response with the bare minimum of information. I guess when the competition is limited, less effort goes into CS. Not bad enough to be a serious issue, but...

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

I thought the same thing regarding limited competition & CS. Sooner or later though, another company sneaks up on ya.

 

[high plains drifter]

Thanks for posting. Publicizing these kinds of experiences can certainly help others when they're considering utilizing a company... regardless of the niche environment that companies like this have created. I get that it's not a huge deal but still... you've always struck me as someone with a great deal of composure and integrity so I'm definitely empathetic.

 

[mewalsh100]

Thanks for posting. Publicizing these kinds of experiences can certainly help others when they're considering utilizing a company... regardless of the niche environment that companies like this have created. I get that it's not a huge deal but still... you've always struck me as someone with a great deal of composure and integrity so I'm definitely empathetic.

Thanks Bud."thumbsup" The whole situation is just weird. I’ve dealt with them before with zero issues, and I’ve always appreciated the product. Who knows, maybe he was just having an off day. I reckon we’re all entitled to one of those now and then.

 

[Nova's Ark]

In all honesty guys, I do not know when I will get more product in stock. The raw material is difficult to acquire, as well as difficult to machine to the desired size. I am completely at the mercy of two large corporations that frankly, treat me like shit and have for the decade I have been in business. Straight up. As much as I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the RC community, I have questioned whether it's worth it. I could honestly make more money working for some a corporation. The heavy weight foams that are FINALLY being brought to market this month, were started in 2018! I cannot relate in words how frustrated I have been and how much my health has suffered negatively. I also cannot answer every single email in the tone and manner that person expects. With a decade in business, hundreds of videos, thousands of posts, tens of thousands of pictures, and still you guys flame me publicly when I do not answer in the way you expect. Sorry. Thankfully I am man enough to read your criticisms and answer honestly and respectfully.

 

[mewalsh100]

Just had some back n forth with Edmundo. Basically, he’s at the mercy of suppliers whose materials are required to create CI products. What came across as a curt response to me, was his frustration of not being able to give me a definitive answer due to these supplier issues. I respect the hell out of the fact that he reached out on this. ALL companies have customer issues, it’s the ones that step up and communicate that stand out.

Thanks again for providing some insight and reaching out Edmundo. It doesn’t go unnoticed or unappreciated.

 

[Panther6834]

Here's my take on CI. I'm new to crawlers, and was building my first vehicle. Not knowing what to go with, but having read several positive things about CI foams, I called them. I'll be honest...I don't remember who I spoke work, it even exactly when I called, other than it was mid-to-late October. I had several questions, as I was considering a few different tires, including the not-yet-released JConcepts Landmines. Whoever I spoke work, while not exactly "patient" (he did interrupt me several times), he did explain things extremely well, and helped me to understand how the different foam lines affected tires in different ways.

In the end, that call lasted about 15-20 minutes, and, by the time I hung up, I had a much better understanding. Again, I don't remember who I spoke with...but, I CAN tell you this - despite the interruptions, I would GLADLY speak with that individual again, and I would GLADLY purchase from CI again.

~ More peace, love, laughter & kindness would make the world a MUCH better place [emoji1690]

 

[high plains drifter]

Much respect and appreciation to CI for addressing this here. Sometimes that's all it takes. I've purchased CI foams before and I will again. Hoping that things get better for you.

 

[dezfan]

I have never had anything but exemplary service from Eddie and nothing but good to say about CI foams.


Being that he is a long time crawler and an innovator in this sport/hobby, I’ll stick with Eddie and CI.

Thanks for all you have done for the sport/hobby Eddie. It is much appreciated!

 

[JatoTheRipper]

I've had mixed experiences. Sometimes his responses to questions are terse and often incomplete. On more than one occasion I've had to send multiple PMs/emails reiterating questions to get answers. It's like he reads part of the PM/email and then responds. It can get very frustrating. Other times I've gotten great responses the first time, but that's definitely not the majority of times. I also don't always like his suggestions after receiving the foams, but foams are a preference thing where some like their tires fuller and others do not so I can't exactly fault him there.

I'd rather wait a day or two for a complete response rather than getting an incomplete response the same day.

It might be too late at this point. It seems like he's frustrated with his business.

Good thing for you is that there are alternatives these days from Proline. Unfortunately, they only have one density and one size at this time.

 

[mewalsh100]

Just wanted to post a quick update. Ed reached out again today after searching his trailer early this morning for the 4.5 Lil Novas I was after. In addition, he went above and beyond to get them to me at a discount and ship them out today. I’m genuinely thankful and impressed at how he’s has jumped on this issue to resolve it. I know firsthand how difficult running a business can be and that as long as there are customers, there will be issues. What sets a company apart is their ability to engage a customer directly when issues arise and then work to take care of them. This is exactly what Ed has done.

Edmundo - Thanks again for all your efforts on this. I greatly appreciate the dialogue and how you’ve handled this situation.

 

[Stormin2u]

I have never had anything but exemplary service from Eddie and nothing but good to say about CI foams.


Being that he is a long time crawler and an innovator in this sport/hobby, I’ll stick with Eddie and CI.

Thanks for all you have done for the sport/hobby Eddie. It is much appreciated!

I agree with dezfan's statement and recognition of CI and its place the scale truck community.

I personally have benefited from my relationship with Crawler Innovations and its owner. From its very inception they have been the undisputed leader in the scale tire foam market.

Good people with the best tire foam options for scale trucks in the world market.

IMO it's always the best practice to resolve personal issues outside of the public forum with any vendor or member.

 

[themountain]

IMO it's always the best practice to resolve personal issues outside of the public forum with any vendor or member.

Agreed..but sometimes it only works out when you whine a bit here on the board ....sad but true.8)

 

[JatoTheRipper]

IMO it's always the best practice to resolve personal issues outside of the public forum with any vendor or member.

You try your best to get it resolved via private conversations, which mewalsh100 seems to have done, but if that doesn't work forums and social media are a very powerful tool. And it worked in this case.

 

[meatmonkey]

I guess I'm lucky enough to not need to contact CI. I get my tires, do some research as to what foams others are running with similar weight trucks, and make my order, usually through Amainhobbies. They fit, they work, and they last. Well, as long as you don't get them wet or crush them for long term storage. It still amazes me at times how big a difference quality foams makes in a trucks capabilities.

Hat's off to CI for filling our niche market with a wide variety of options.

 

[Inspector86]

I think this entire discussion is a good example of how easy it is to convey an unintended meaning in a text based message and how all caps DO matter. Because the reader cannot see or hear meaning from the senders facial expression or voice, it becomes so important to take the time to spell check and use proper punctuation when you post.