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The saga of my strap...how hard can it be?
https://www.breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8448		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  Mofongo [ Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:15 pm ]
Post subject:  The saga of my strap...how hard can it be?
Last week, I asked how long it should take me AD to get a brown leather strap that I want. When I ordered the strap through them Wednesday last week, they were claiming it would take "2-4 weeks" which seemed a little extreme to ship something from CT to WA. (Thread is here: http://breitlingsource.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=8288). Other people's ADs seem to get them in a week or less.

I got a call today from my AD asking to verify some of my contact info for their records. When I called them back, the person I spoke to said "OK, we'll place your order tomorrow morning!" I pointed out that I had been there ONE WEEK AGO! They haven't even placed my order yet??! No wonder it takes them so friggin' long to get a strap. Are they just so busy that it takes them a week just to get around to placing an order?? :huh

I happen to be going to Vegas on Saturday, and will see if any dealers there have the strap I am looking for. Grrrrr.....

Mofongo
Author:  carlhaluss [ Wed Mar 04, 2009 6:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The saga of my strap...how hard can it be?
I am a very patient person, but at this point I would cancel my order with the AD, and pick one up in Las Vegas. It is really difficult to believe the low level of service that does exist in many shops. I guess I am one of the fortunate ones, though.
Good luck in Vegas, with the strap as well, and have fun!
Cheers,
Carl
Author:  RJRJRJ [ Wed Mar 04, 2009 10:27 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The saga of my strap...how hard can it be?
Yeah, screw it. Just call around and find one. Even if its out of state, they can get it to you in a day or two. Use the money youd be paying on sales tax to upgrade to overnight.
Author:  Roffensian [ Thu Mar 05, 2009 2:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The saga of my strap...how hard can it be?
Sounds like another job for George!
Author:  aleister [ Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The saga of my strap...how hard can it be?
Ah, if I had anything else than an excellent track record with the AD, my patience would have been used and I'd go for the Vegas option. Good luck!
Author:  alex** [ Thu Mar 05, 2009 4:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The saga of my strap...how hard can it be?
jesus call Andrew up he could get you one from the uk faster and with the weak £ cheaper!!!
Author:  Mofongo [ Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:20 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The saga of my strap...how hard can it be?
I got a phone call from my local AD today that confirmed that they have not placed the order yet with BUSA. Apparently, BUSA wants to know the exact model of my watch before they ship the strap, and since the salesperson had not written down this information, she called me today to get it.

Instead of returning her call, I decided to call a few of the dealers in Vegas to see if they would have, or could order, the strap. The responses were quite varied, and a little confusing. Tourneau said it would take 6-8 weeks (?!). Horologio and Hyde Park both originally told me that they could probably get one in a day, and they would call me back within an hour to confirm. Horologio called back and said their "supplier" was backordered and did not have one, so it would take 6-8 weeks. Hyde Park called back and said that they could not get it in one day like they had hoped, but were going to call BUSA first thing tomorrow morning and would call me back then.

This is strange, because it must mean that they have some sort of supplier who is more local to them? (Or do they just buy from another AD or something? Hyde Park has two other stores: one in Phoenix and one in Denver, so I guess they could have called those locations.) Hopefully it does not mean the BUSA is backordered.

Both Horlogio and Hyde Park were very friendly and helpful, though. Can't wait to talk to HP tomorrow. Then I will decide what to do with my local dealer...

Mofongo
Author:  RJRJRJ [ Fri Mar 06, 2009 1:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: The saga of my strap...how hard can it be?
Mofongo wrote:
I got a phone call from my local AD today that confirmed that they have not placed the order yet with BUSA. Apparently, BUSA wants to know the exact model of my watch before they ship the strap, and since the salesperson had not written down this information, she called me today to get it.



Minus more points for you AD for not just saying any model that the strap would fit to get the order placed.
Author:  Mofongo [ Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:23 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The saga of my strap...how hard can it be?
I hope I shall soon find happiness. Hyde Park called me today and confirmed that they can get the strap by Tuesday at the latest, and would call me as soon as it is in. This is more the experience I was expecting.

Afterwards, I called back Alvin Goldfarb, Seattle's AD. I needed to cancel my order with them, but I also wanted to make sure a store manager knew that they were loosing a sale. I asked the manager why it takes them one week just to place an order for a strap. She was puzzled and said that I was in their store on Wednesday, and they had tried ordering it on Thursday, so what's the big deal. "No," I said, "I was in your store Wednesday last week, and you did not try to order it until yesterday. I just want to know why it took you a week to order it." She paused and said, "Oh! Well, let me get the salesperson." The salesperson maintained that she had said it would take up to two weeks, so she did not understand what the problem was, as the strap would still be here within that timeframe. Then she told me that the order has to go through many different stages internally within Goldfarb (inventory, purchasing, etc.) before it can be sent to Breitling, and that it is perfectly natural for it to take this long. Evidently she did not remember telling me "I will fax this order to Breitling this evening so they get it first thing in the morning." I told her that I was leaving for Las Vegas tomorrow and I had found a dealer there who would get the strap from BUSA in two days, so please cancel my order.

Personally, I think the salesperson forgot about the order for a week. Now, hopefully, the store manager will realize this. Or if their ordering process really is as arcane as the salesperson made it out to be, I hope they realize that it causes them to lose sales.

Let me just say how grateful I am for this forum. An informed consumer is a dangerous thing! :thumbsup:

Mofongo
Author:  Mofongo [ Fri Mar 13, 2009 11:31 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: The saga of my strap...how hard can it be?
I am happy to say that Hyde Park Jewelers in Vegas came through and got my strap in a very timely fashion (ordered from BUSA last Friday, installed on my watch on Tuesday afternoon). My only complaint is that they said they would call me "as soon as it arrived" and they never called. I just went there on Tuesday afternoon, and the strap was there. The salesperson who ordered it for me was off on Tuesday, but presumably she knew that when she offered to call me. Since I was leaving on Wednesday, she understood it was crucial for me to get it by Tuesday.

Why is it when I interact with a "full service" brick and mortar establishment, I get less consistent customer service than any run-of-the-mill .com e-tailer? :?

My Steelfish white dial now looks awesome!!!! I will post pictures soon.

Mofongo
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