Evil Empire has Evil Customer Service - Surprised?

[Bruunwald]

I have come to rant. And rant I shall.

 

As we all know, a certain Evil Empire is in the middle of converting the majority of their better models from metal castings to "Fine Cast(ings)" in resin/plastic.

 

One day, about two-and-a-half weeks ago, I snatched up a cool model my local FLGS had on the shelf in the old (H)Eavy Metal form. I bought it because I liked it, and because they had it on sale. At that moment, I did not realize there was a new, plastic version. (It was not on the shelf anywhere, and this is an army I have only just begun to look at.)

 

I got it home, and found a piece was missing from the box. I went online, and found there was a new version. I immediately sent the Evil Empire an email, asking for a replacement, and knowing they preferred phone calls, picked up the phone and called them. I got nothing but an hour or so of waiting music. Discouraged, I hung up and waited until the next morning. I called again, and got nothing but an hour or so of waiting music. No email came.

 

For the following week, I checked repeatedly for an email that never came, and I called repeatedly - always sure to call during business hours, but got nothing but hours and hours of waiting music.

 

Finally, today, I got through. (On the first try!) The guy sounded irritated. I politely advised that I had a piece missing from a box. Before I could finish my sentence, he interrupted with "From what?!"

 

Good start. I continued to be polite. I told him that I had a metal model, what the model was, and that I had since found out there was a "Fine" version of it. Before I could finish that sentence, he interrupted with a third degree interrogation, demanding to know who was still selling metal models. It was clear he was alternating between just not trusting me (as if I were scamming him), and trying to imply my FLGS could get in trouble for selling their metal stock.

 

Now I got assertive. I let him know that I have an FLGS that has a lot of their stock in general, and yes, they still have metal stock on the shelf, and that I didn't see what was wrong with that. If they paid for it, they have to sell it. Disappointed that he was not going to get the name of the store from me, he moved on to acting like he didn't think I would get a replacement. He went away for a few seconds, then came back and said they'd send me the plastic bit. I was fine with that.

 

Now he advised me that the next time I go to that store, I should open the package before I buy it to make sure all the pieces are in it. When I told him it was ridiculous to ask a store to open the shrink wrap for me, he advised then that I should ask the man there if there is a "Fine" version, and buy that instead.

 

I thanked him for advising me to buy the more expensive thing to make his life as a customer service rep easier, and got off the phone. I won't mention how impatient he was with me when he could not get my name and address right. (Oops, I guess I just mentioned it.) The only moment he was friendly was when he said goodbye (and that was scripted).

 

You know, I never have this problem with Reaper, or any other company I work with, for that matter. Reaper, PP, whoever, they have always been cool about it, and the replacement always comes quickly and without bullying me into buying something more expensive.

 

It all begs the question Farmer Ted asked Carolyn in Sixteen Candles, when he found out what a pain in the butt the prom queen really was:

 

"How do you get so popular acting like this, Carolyn?"

[Dr.Bedlam]

I regret that you have had this experience. I do not think well of the Evil Empire, but I have always heard that their customer service was quite good. Apparently, this, too, has begun to decay. Sympathies.

[Angorak]

As much as I like the peeps on Reaper forums I really think that going on more broadly visited sites such as Frothers or CMoN and recounting your experience with the "Evil Empire" would perhaps be to more effect.

I plainly won't tolerate poor customer service after I have spent my coin especially from an obvious Cromag CSR. But then again I haven't played any evil empire games since Battlefleet Gothic.

[Bruunwald]

As much as I like the peeps on Reaper forums I really think that going on more broadly visited sites such as Frothers or CMoN and recounting your experience with the "Evil Empire" would perhaps be to more effect.

 

True enough. But this is a friendly place where I feel comfortable complaining. So I came here first.

 

Thanks for putting up with the rant, though.

[Leader of the Rats]

Personally I'm fed up with the Evil Empire. I give all my business to their enemies.

[cerebro1974]

Here here, Reaper all the way!

[Runecaster]

Feel your pain, I had to fight tooth and nail for a bloody Tau Drone sprue that was deformed (mold didn't fill).

 

That said, only a few months before I emailed the company on a WD mag that had a rules set in it. He said he didn't have any and apologized. The next day he emailed me and said he found one in the office and would mail it to me free of charge.

 

Idk... My money is going to CAV and Gruntz 15mm now. Screw those price hikes!

[sethohman]

I have had and have heard only goof from them. Just recently, they shipped out a sprue to me that was missing from my terrorgheist box, and they made good on some wracks for a friends army. To the effect of sending him replacements twice since the first set was messed up.

 

I would hope this is a fluke type thing, as anyone I have ever personally met has nothing but good to say about them.

[MikeD]

I've delt with the Evil Empire's CS department for years. They used to be great, just an email and they'd send off the missing parts without a question, often just sending out a whole new figure if it was a blister. Unfortunatly, their CS has deteriorated over the years. The last time I delt with them, my emails were ignored and I got the third degree once I got through on the phone and was made to feel like I was trying to steal something from them, rather than asking them to give me something they owed to me.

 

At the time I posted a complaint on a forum dedicated to the Evil Empire, and got shouted down by fanboys who tried to make me it seem I should be honored that they would bother to replace the missing part at all.

[sethohman]

I am not a fanboy, but this is really the first time I have heard of a bad experience with their customer service.

[The Basilisk]

I see this Evil Empire title tossed around a lot, and my google search is coming up inconclusive.

Why, other than poop tier customer service, is You-Know-Who so maligned? Sorry if this is in need of it's own thread, and I know it's a silly thing to ask. I've just never had any dealings with them.

[Dr.Bedlam]

I can't speak for everyone, but my first beef was the old "$4 for a grunt figure, but $12 for an army general that uses the same amount of metal and packaging." Not long after, they invalidated my undead army for tournament play when they split Undead into two separate factions. Then they began retiring old minis for tournament play, requiring you to buy new and more expensive versions of the same figure you already had (looking at YOU, Goblin Doom Divers). Then they announced a new edition of the game with a variety of rules changes... and at that point, one of our FLGS threw in the towel, citing some pretty stiff requirements before they would be permitted to continue selling Evil Empire products (minimum monthly purchases, mandatory tournaments and TYPES of tournaments, etc.) Eventually, I got fed up with their way of doing business.

 

This is, of course, a personal opinion. Lots of other people love'm to bits. And I never had any bad experiences with customer service... but, then, I never had ANY personal dealings with customer service. I do know others who benefited from their dealings with Customer Service, though, and they had a good rep. Apparently, someone's decided they're letting too much profit escape through that particular loophole...

[Baphomet69]

Every time I walk by that part of my FLGS and see the little plastic or resin 'boss' single figures in a clamshell for $22+ I throw up a little in my mouth...

[MikeD]

Why, other than poop tier customer service, is You-Know-Who so maligned? Sorry if this is in need of it's own thread, and I know it's a silly thing to ask. I've just never had any dealings with them.

In a way, its a bit of a joke. That company is indeed to 900 pound gorilla of the gaming industry, and despite several valient attempts no one has been able to threaten their dominance of SF and Fantasy gaming in decades.

 

That said, over the years they have managed to hack off many of their customers. From things like constant price increases that are generally well ahead of industry averages, to dropping popular product lines, to often poorly though out and playtested rules changes, to often ignoring customer feedback, etc. Its so bad that even forums focused on their games, which one would expect to be full of fans, are often filled with constant complaints about the company and their products.

 

Of course, despite al this people still keep buying their stuff, so its little wonder they have no real incentive to change.

[kristof65]

My experiences with them are similar to Dr Bedlam's, so I gave up on them years ago. Even when they were going downhill in my opinion they still had decent customer service though. Sounds like the bean counters finally got around to that portion of the company.