Contacting Alan Gibson

[5050]

A couple of friends of mine have told me that they are unable to get any response from Colin either by 'phone or e-mail.  Has anyone else experienced this? Is he on holiday - or even ill?  I don't need anything myself in the short term but my friends do.

[MJI]

I emailed a few days ago, not heard back yet, but I will call next week

[Craigw]

I emailed several weeks ago and have had no reply. Calling from Australia is "challenging" due to the time difference. Expecting someone in the UK to return a call is a bridge too far! Shall have to look at other means to order some P4 wheels!

 

Craig W

[Blandford1969]

Have phoned and emailed last week, so far no response, but as others have said could be on holiday. 

[figworthy]

I phoned and left a message yesterday afternoon, I had a call back this morning.

 

Adrian

[5050]

18 hours ago, figworthy said:

I phoned and left a message yesterday afternoon, I had a call back this morning.

 

Adrian

Interesting.  I spoke with one of my friends this lunchtime and he tells me he still hasn't had any response or contact.

[tarifa]

A couple of weeks ago I left a message on his answerphone, he replied within 2 days when I placed my order.  I think patience is needed and I believe he is a one man band.  Its worth the wait, the products are good.

 

Mike

 

 

[cnw6847]

I was in contact with Colin on the 4th August and he said he wasn't in that week.

He didn't say why or when he's back in but I guess it will be soon.

[Ruston]

I have called twice in the last couple of weeks and had no answer. A friend has been trying almost daily for two weeks now and still no one has picked up the phone.

[Crantock]

Its August, lets play cool for a few weeks.  I could email my work contacts and half would be away.

 

Sorry but every August we have people excited they have not had an instant reply from a small supplier.

[Siberian Snooper]

On 17/08/2021 at 18:31, Ruston said:

I have called twice in the last couple of weeks and had no answer. A friend has been trying almost daily for two weeks now and still no one has picked up the phone.

 

I take it you did clearly leave your name and number on the answerphone, Colin is usually pretty prompt in replying, when available. I got a call at around 6pm once, because he was otherwise engaged.

 

 

[Crosland]

15 hours ago, Crantock said:

Its August, lets play cool for a few weeks.  I could email my work contacts and half would be away.

 

Sorry but every August we have people excited they have not had an instant reply from a small supplier.

 

Small suppliers are the ones who need every customer. Sadly, too many do themselves no favours. I am not pointing at Alan Gibson in particular, just read the other threads about "incommunicado" suppliers. Sadly, it's nothing to do with it being August.

 

I speak as a small supplier who always tries to

- answer the 'phone

- respond to e-mail

- set up an e-mail auto-response if there are going to be issues

- put a note on the website front page if there are going to be issues

- contact customers and offer a refund if there will be a significant delay in fulfilling an order

- not take money for things that cannot be supplied

 

Perhaps that could be the basis of the next "7 habits" book

 

It really is not difficult.

 

 

[Phil Parker]

11 minutes ago, Crosland said:

Sadly, it's nothing to do with it being August.

 

I speak as a small supplier who always tries to

- answer the 'phone

- respond to e-mail

- set up an e-mail auto-response if there are going to be issues

- put a note on the website front page if there are going to be issues

- contact customers and offer a refund if there will be a significant delay in fulfilling an order

- not take money for things that cannot be supplied

 

Small suppliers are the ones with a staff of one who is responsible for design, manufacture, sales, IT, customer service, accounting and loads of other jobs. August seems to be the month many go on holiday, hence the rise in "Why didn't they respond" complaints on here and other forums, from people who don't understand that they are not dealing with a firm the size of Amazon.

 

While this is much that can be done to help, out of office messages and something on the website, I think you are being harsh on others - you may be happy to answer the phone and work e-mail while on holiday, but then it's not really a holiday is it?

 

TBH, most people cut cottage industries a bit of slack, sometimes too much it could be argued. I suspect a higher percentage of unhappy people take to social media than happy ones though.

[ikks]

I have had the odd dealings with Gibson, Wizard, High Level etc. and  always have received courteous responses in a reasonable time frame. Given the types of organisations they are and generally having the limited resources they have, perhaps..........Cut them some slack!!!!  as Phil says,

Mike

[Ruston]

5050's OP asked "is he on holiday, or is he ill?" Both would be legitimate reasons for not being there to answer the phone, but no one here has been able to answer that question. Instead, they have gone down the usual road of making out that anyone who has not had a reply to a call or email to be unreasonable.

 

When it comes to small suppliers, it's always excuses and "cut them some slack", from people who don't actually know what is going on, or why they aren't answering the phone, sending out orders, or whatever the problem may be.

 

I used to work for myself and if I didn't answer the phone promptly I would have found that, sooner or later, it would have stopped ringing altogether... The difference with small suppliers of model railway products is that often they have a virtual monopoly and can adopt the kind of attitude that doesn't cut it in the real world, where your customers don't make excuses for you and simply phone someone else.

 

 

[5050]

My original post was to basically find out if Colin is OK and that there is a perfectly valid reason why people haven't been able to make contact.  Holidays and illness both fall into this category so hopefully we'll all find out soon and normal service will be resumed.

 

No criticism of Colin's usual excellent service or products was implied in any way.

Edited August 21, 2021 by 5050

[micklner]

High Level

A very good example of customer relations is the High Level post hereon this site. They put themselves out to update everybody  what the situation was when they furloughed. They then gave updates until the supply problems were solved and they reopened. I also had excellent replies from them via email and phone.

 

Alan Gibson

I waited two months for some wheels , but I did get a reply from them re the order before delievery via email ,only after I chased them after six weeks. I now have another order outstanding with them since 5th August. I havent bothered trying to contact them re this one so far, after reading above.

I have also in the past ordered some wrong items from them (a simple wrong code used error)  which was earlier this year, I never had any response from them at at all, and the bits were sold off on ebay (at a loss). 

 

Alan Gibson and others suppliers arent doing theirselves any favours, with expecting future business from customers . As said , it is a very simple way to keep everybody aware via their websites as to their current situations.

 

They are their to serve the customers, at the end of the day !!

Edited August 21, 2021 by micklner

[spamcan61]

12 minutes ago, micklner said:

 

 

They are their to serve the customers, at the end of the day !!

Well some are running a business to make a living, some see it as a side project from a day job / retirement, some regard it as a means of funding their hobby, some are basically operating a parts service for fellow modellers. The tricky bit is knowing which are which, as some of them aren't very good at expectation management.

 

Oh, and some customers are downright unpleasable anyway

[mdvle]

On 20/08/2021 at 11:05, Phil Parker said:

While this is much that can be done to help, out of office messages and something on the website, I think you are being harsh on others

 

And this is the problem - anybody who raises valid complaints about the poor business practices is quickly jumped on, ensuring that there is no pressure put on these manufacturers to improve their customer service.

 

I understand being a small operation, frequently even a 1 person operation, is difficult.  But we aren't in the 20th century anymore and this refusal to move into the modern era is hurting the hobby.

 

Take this Canadian, who after a move is looking for an idea for his new layout.  He seriously considered 7mm UK - until he ran into the poor customer service from smaller suppliers.  Note this quote:

 

Quote

I have not had such problems with model railway suppliers in other countries during Covid – and did not have problems with UK suppliers catering to other hobbies I enjoy. But I decided that at this time, I could not commit to a large layout that depended on a supply chain that was, overall, unreliable. So I’ve shelved Tetbury for the time being.

 

As you see, he dealt with suppliers in the UK from other hobbies with no problem - it was only the Model Railway suppliers who caused problems.

 

Thus no 7mm layout, and that hurts everyone in the UK model railway hobby (including magazines) not just the smaller suppliers involved because he (and likely others who get the same experience) move to a different hobby or focus on other countries where the suppliers understand the concept of customer service.

 

https://themodelrailwaydotshow.wordpress.com/2021/08/06/an-edwardian-interlude/

 

 

[Denbridge]

I order from Gibsons regularly. I invariably receive my orders promptly after making payment via the phone. I am sensible enough to understand he is a small business with many demands on his time and that he is only human. I did hear he's been on holiday (how dare he have a life away from the hobby ) Reading comments about Colin and other small suppliers makes me wonder if some posters are the cause of their own problems, since the vast majority seemingly are happy with the service we receive. 

[Ruston]

3 hours ago, Denbridge said:

I order from Gibsons regularly. I invariably receive my orders promptly after making payment via the phone. I am sensible enough to understand he is a small business with many demands on his time and that he is only human. I did hear he's been on holiday (how dare he have a life away from the hobby ) Reading comments about Colin and other small suppliers makes me wonder if some posters are the cause of their own problems, since the vast majority seemingly are happy with the service we receive. 

Those of us who don't get an answer to repeated calls and emails are causing our own problems how, exactly? Please explain how I, or anyone else, can be the cause of the phone not to be answered.

 

"How dare he have a life away from the hobby". I do not think that anyone is saying that any small supplier shouldn't have a life away from their business, and shouldn't take a holiday, but it would help them and their customers if they left a message on the answerphone telling us as much. Similar action with their websites would be helpful, too. It wouldn't take more than a few minutes and I really don't think that it's  too much to ask of any of them.

[mdvle]

3 hours ago, Denbridge said:

I did hear he's been on holiday (how dare he have a life away from the hobby )

 

See, we have all this wonderful technology in 2021 which means you can leave a recording on your phone line, and you can leave a message on your website, saying you are closed from A to B - and then your customers are aware and thus don't go around asking if there is a problem - or worse badmouthing your business for poor customer service.

 

 

[Phil Parker]

3 hours ago, mdvle said:

And this is the problem - anybody who raises valid complaints about the poor business practices is quickly jumped on, ensuring that there is no pressure put on these manufacturers to improve their customer service.

 

Because many have seen the alternative - which is a witch hunt and abuse thrown at said manufacturer. Sorry, but the web (especially Facebook) is not the place very often for reasoned debate. Part of the problem is the relationship we tend to have with the small trader. Unlike Amazon etc. we get to know them as people and so seeing brickbats flying in their direction cause others to take up cudgels in their defence. You might be happy to stand back watch your friends being attacked online, others aren't.

 

3 hours ago, mdvle said:

I understand being a small operation, frequently even a 1 person operation, is difficult.  But we aren't in the 20th century anymore and this refusal to move into the modern era is hurting the hobby.

 

Out of office messages and even website updates (although for a one person business, saying "I'm going to be away for 2 weeks might encourage someone to pay a visit and ransack the workshop, so there is a security implication, this is the 21st Century after all) should be possible, and many businesses do this. Some don't, and probably should do.

 

3 hours ago, mdvle said:

Thus no 7mm layout, and that hurts everyone in the UK model railway hobby (including magazines) not just the smaller suppliers involved because he (and likely others who get the same experience) move to a different hobby or focus on other countries where the suppliers understand the concept of customer service.

 

Oh, a snide dig at my employment. Thanks for that. Picking up on the rest of the of the comment, surely the solution is a free market economy. If Supplier A is rubbish at customer service, Super-slick Supplier B will step in and take the market from them? Except that no-one goes into model railway manufacture expecting to make a fortune, handy as they won't. The driving force is likely to be enthusiasm for the product. Ideally, there would be two people in the business - one R&D and manufacture and one sales and customer service. Sadly, some of those who like making things aren't always good at the other stuff. A shame, but the solution (as so often is) is to vote with your wallet. Rubbish service? Walk away.

[Craigw]

1 hour ago, Phil Parker said:

 

 

 

Oh, a snide dig at my employment. Thanks for that. Picking up on the rest of the of the comment, surely the solution is a free market economy. If Supplier A is rubbish at customer service, Super-slick Supplier B will step in and take the market from them? Except that no-one goes into model railway manufacture expecting to make a fortune, handy as they won't. The driving force is likely to be enthusiasm for the product. Ideally, there would be two people in the business - one R&D and manufacture and one sales and customer service. Sadly, some of those who like making things aren't always good at the other stuff. A shame, but the solution (as so often is) is to vote with your wallet. Rubbish service? Walk away.

 Phil,

 

I do not do snide digs myself.

 

When Colin first took over the Gibson range, I purchased several kits from him with no problem at all. The service was excellent.

 

But now, I want to get some P4 loco wheels and I do have a problem I have sent an email asking if he is in a position to take wheel orders at present and what is the best way to order them. That was six weeks ago. Should I call? Let me work out the time difference for being in Australia and as Colin to ring me back on my mobile. I do not think that is fair or reasonable.

 

I have not had issues with many small suppliers at all and I am at the point of asking a UK mate if he can place an order for me.

 

A relatively simple solution but not ideal.

 

Regards,

 

Craig W

 

 

[mdvle]

1 hour ago, Phil Parker said:

Oh, a snide dig at my employment.

 

Sorry, but that's your misinterpretation - it wasn't (nor intended to be) a snide comment.  Simply a statement that poor customer service that drives people from the hobby has knock on effects on every company in the hobby - whether it be sales of RTR items, kits, track, books to yes even magazine sales/subscriptions.

 

It's far too easy to dismiss the poor behaviour of these suppliers with a shrug of the shoulders and a "well, they're only hurting themselves" which the blog post I linked to showed otherwise.  All the other potential purchases that he would have made have now vanished entirely from the UK model railway ecosystem.

 

Which is why not just the tolerance, but the defending of such poor customer service is so damaging.

 

Yes, you and others may know many of these people personally - but that doesn't change the fact that they are damaging the hobby.

 

1 hour ago, Phil Parker said:

Thanks for that. Picking up on the rest of the of the comment, surely the solution is a free market economy. If Supplier A is rubbish at customer service, Super-slick Supplier B will step

 

Except of course the market isn't big enough for two, and add in the tribal loyalty (as demonstrated in this and other threads) and the superior company doesn't stand a chance of lasting long enough to make a difference.

 

1 hour ago, Phil Parker said:

Rubbish service? Walk away.

 

Yep, as the blog post writer did - he walked away entirely from UK model railways.