Buzz Kidder order

[Magnus Sporrano]

One thing I've learned with kilts is PATIENCE. This isn't Walmart. Most of the quality stuff is made to order. Buzz Kidder sporrans are really nice, a terrific value. I'm sure it will be worth the wait and hope you like it. I got mine through USA Kilts, but it helps that at the time I lived close enough to drive up to the shop, pick it up myself, and hang a bit with my favorite kilt elves.

[Norbydog]

Yeah, I understand. I just get frustrated when I can't actually talk with someone or know what is going on. I've been ripped off before, so that plays a role in it. But Buzz Kidder came through in the end.

[Norbydog]

Got a call this morning from Buzz Kidder. My order hadn't been shipped yet; my understanding is that it was inadvertantly tucked away. The same nice lady offered to overnight it and send a free T-shirt. She was certainly willing to do what she could to make up for it. Hallmark of a good company.

I convinced her to not spend the extra overnighting it, but she insisted on sending a T-shirt.

[Riverkilt]

Buzz Kidder seems to be a family business. Their website says they're in southern Arizona - Sierra Vista, but when I was going through the same thing with my sporran order they were having the goods made up by a family member in Texas.

They seem to make the sporrans to order. They also seem to market to many Scottish supply houses where they are resold. Because of that I'd assumed there'd be lots of sporrans on hand, they'd just pull it off their shelf and ship it to me. Not so.

I also ordered some of those sporran hanger things. I like them. But one snap just wouldn't hold. Emailed them and they replaced it. Good they seem to stand behind their products.

One thing I've learned about the kilt world is that there are many small family businesses trying to get by - each with their own "personality." They have to react to business as it comes in...sometimes that's overwhelming and a lot of us have to wait while they catch up. Seems the better their product the worse it can be.

There are also a lot of suppliers that are just jobbers....middlemen who reorder from a source but advertise that they "have" products. So we order from the middleman and wait while they reorder from wherever...sometimes a long wait, and no matter how much we hound the middleman there's nothing they can do but wait with us.

Like, I ordered Kilt hose from Clansman Knitwear in California...they advertise its in stock, they assured me it was in stock....yet it took many weeks to receive the kilt hose....when they arrived they'd been drop shipped from the Locharron warehouse in New Hampshire.

Hope I haven't stolen the tread...just over elaborating on the above comment that this ain't WalMart...

Ron

[mudd]

Got a call this morning from Buzz Kidder. My order hadn't been shipped yet; my understanding is that it was inadvertantly tucked away. The same nice lady offered to overnight it and send a free T-shirt. She was certainly willing to do what she could to make up for it. Hallmark of a good company.

I convinced her to not spend the extra overnighting it, but she insisted on sending a T-shirt.

Same sort of thing happened to me when I bought my Utilikilt. It arrived and one of the back pockets was no sewn on completely. I called Uncle Otto and he had me send it back for repairs and insisted that he would send me a T-shirt for my trouble. I said that wasn’t necessary, but he insisted.

I never actually got the t-shirt, but who cares.

[jjoseph]

Same sort of thing happened to me when I bought my Utilikilt. It arrived and one of the back pockets was no sewn on completely. I called Uncle Otto and he had me send it back for repairs and insisted that he would send me a T-shirt for my trouble. I said that wasn’t necessary, but he insisted.

My first UK came without the "modesty" snap I had requested... When I called, they were great and gave me the options of a partial refund, an exchange or a freeby T. I had the shirt before the week was out. Great service and great to work with.

I think the thing kiltmakers need to remember is that their product is NOT just their goods and wares... it's their service. Keeping the communication loop to your customers open and not letting us hang wondering is the first and best way to keep us happy. It's a small industry with a small, loyal .... and communicative cadré of customers... even more than in most businesses, by keeping us in the loop and feeling included in the process, you will build trust and a good reputation that goes miles! The experience I had w/ Utilikilts is a great example of a company doing the right thing and making it a win/win situation.

Congrats to you ladies and gentlemen who are real entrepreneurs and true craftsmen. My hat is off to you.

[UmAnOnion]

My first UK came without the "modesty" snap I had requested... When I called, they were great and gave me the options of a partial refund, an exchange or a freeby T. I had the shirt before the week was out. Great service and great to work with.

I think the thing kiltmakers need to remember is that their product is NOT just their goods and wares... it's their service. Keeping the communication loop to your customers open and not letting us hang wondering is the first and best way to keep us happy. It's a small industry with a small, loyal .... and communicative cadré of customers... even more than in most businesses, by keeping us in the loop and feeling included in the process, you will build trust and a good reputation that goes miles! The experience I had w/ Utilikilts is a great example of a company doing the right thing and making it a win/win situation.

Congrats to you ladies and gentlemen who are real entrepreneurs and true craftsmen. My hat is off to you.

but the question remains: how did you protect your modesty with no modesty snap???

KIDDING!!!

JJospeh has hit the nail on the head in regards to the importance of good customer service & follow thru. You can have the best product in the world but if your customer service isnt up to par no-one in the world will want to but it. and with a commodity such as kilts where a lot of information is passed on by word of mouth, its vital to leave every customer with a good impression so that t hey will have good things to say about you to potential future customers.

Kudos to all who are brave & bold enough to embark on a kilt making venture. You have my unending respect & admiration (and a touch of jealousy as well )