Universal Radio

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w0fg

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W8RW said:
So you made your point...now call them on the phone. If your email to them was anything like you are behaving here, I can understand why they haven't answered.

+1 As anyone who has worked in retail knows, there are some people you don't want (and don't have to accept) as customers. Contrary to popular fiction, the customer is NOT always right.
 

jerk

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w0fg said:
+1 As anyone who has worked in retail knows, there are some people you don't want (and don't have to accept) as customers. Contrary to popular fiction, the customer is NOT always right.
What business do you run, offer or are in charge of...
Please to tell... I'll be sure and skip that one. You're right, Sprint adopted that attitude, and where are they now, right on the brink of bankruptcy. Yes that's that right approach. Not from my perspective.

Now, my dealings with Universal radio, excellent in person. So I bought a scanner from them and other thing as well. But after I had a problem with my scanner and emailed them, Nada, Nothing, haven't bought anything from them either since then... so I guess that's they way they want to conduct business, it is their prerogative.

I just moved on, there are other places that DO want my business and answer email.
 

torontokris

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maybe the email got lost in a TON of other emails.. call them

worse case if there really is a problem with the radio go to the manufacture of the radio
 

bee

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Just for the record, I E-mailed them 4-30-08 about purchasing the PSR 500. Still not a responce. I will look elsewhere!
 

JoeyC

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IdleMonitor said:
What's wrong with picking up the dam phone. Why do people insist that the only form of communication these days is by email......

Most people don't work at dams.
In any case..

Email - much more convenient than the phone. Send your message and hopefully get a timely response you read at your leisure. Not intended for impatient types that need immediate responses. :lol: Plus you have a RECORD of the interaction.

Telephone - Hassle. :evil:
  • Press 1 for english - press 2 for español :roll:
  • If you want to place an order press 1 - blah blah
  • "Can you hold please?"
  • Annoying voice mail
  • Busy signals and no answers from the real old school businesses.
  • Rude or unknowledgable people
 
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IdleMonitor

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It's apparent, that's not the case here....as you can tell, the email form didn't get him an answer, and I'm sure if he were patient enough to wait on the phone he'd already have his answer.

As far as I'm concerned, if he couldn't be patient enough then they're probably better off without him as a customer.

And this is coming from a person, who works for a .com company and takes those calls....there's much more to it then the avg. customer needs to know..

And as already stated, THE CUSTOMER IS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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andrewccm

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IMHO: If you don't intend on answering email...then do not offer that as a form of your business communication. Only offer what you can deliver on. Pretty simple if you ask me. But you didn't. LOL
 

JoeyC

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Absolutely correct.

If you advertise a service, then you are expected to provide the service.

There is nothing wrong with using the phone but don't give options if you can't provide.

Few people expect immediate responses from email, just a timely response. 1-2 business days is acceptable for email replys. A business should state the possible delay interval on their webpage if someone isn't sitting there 24/7 answering it. They also shouldn't do as Brand U does and send canned instant replies to your email with a promise of a personal response within X number of days/hours and not follow through on that. But thats another story.

I agree, a customer is NOT always right.
 

detroit780

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I ordered something from Universal a few months back via their web site. After a week I called and asked where my merchandise was and thy said they were getting ready to ship? I asked what the hold up was I figured it would be quicker ordering on-line. I was wrong, they did however ship that day. So the next two times I ordered by phone and had my stuff in 2 days. I just bought an Icom 2820 and D-Star board from them via phone (They were about 80 cdollars heaper than most places) it arrved in 2 days.

So I guess the Internet and e-mail is not something they are good at but phone orders they take care of quickly. I 'd give them another chance and try the phone. Let them know they should probably let people know they aren't good at Internet orders oranswering e-mail.

Les



JoeyC said:
Absolutely correct.

If you advertise a service, then you are expected to provide the service.

There is nothing wrong with using the phone but don't give options if you can't provide.

Few people expect immediate responses from email, just a timely response. 1-2 business days is acceptable for email replys. A business should state the possible delay interval on their webpage if someone isn't sitting there 24/7 answering it. They also shouldn't do as Brand U does and send canned instant replies to your email with a promise of a personal response within X number of days/hours and not follow through on that. But thats another story.

I agree, a customer is NOT always right.
 

1979lee

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try scannermaster.com first

ive ordered from universal before, my mag mount scanner antenna , shipped fast, the people seemed ok, kinda dry but ok.
they know there stuff, and have good products, but in some ways they could be nicer, i spoke with a man, not a woman on the phone, a few times, he answered my questions well, he was dry and crouse, at times , but answered everything satisfactory, by the way i ordered a catalog from them , and never got it, ive requested it 3 times and havent got it, i called 2 out of the 3 times, so ?????,


try scannermaster.com first they were much nicer to me, good ole boston folk!
 

af5rn

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detroit780 said:
I just bought an Icom 2820 and D-Star board from them via phone (They were about 80 cdollars heaper than most places) it arrved in 2 days.
Wow... that's the first time I've ever heard of Universal being significantly cheaper than "most places" on anything. It is usually quite the opposite on the things I've compared.

1979lee said:
ive ordered from universal before, my mag mount scanner antenna , shipped fast, the people seemed ok, kinda dry but ok.
they know there stuff, and have good products, but in some ways they could be nicer, i spoke with a man, not a woman on the phone, a few times, he answered my questions well, he was dry and crouse...
That's typical of Ohioans though. That's just their way. There's not a lot of personality in that state.
 

mpreece

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Over the years I, too, have placed many orders with Universal Radio. Occasionally the items are on backorder, but that has always been communicated fairly timely.

I had a particularly relevant experience a few months ago. I was looking for the DC power cable for my ICR9000. A quick email to Icom got a response that "the R9000 is not capable of running from a DC source." I was pretty sure this was not correct, and emailed Universal Radio. I got an email reply within 45 mins. that stated the same thing.

But, wait, in another 30 mins. I got an apology email informing me the original response was inaccurate, and that the R9000 DOES have a DC cable, and he advised they had some in stock and what the part number and prices were. Naturally, I immediately ordered the item and received it in just a couple days.

I was very impressed that my request was not "forgotten" the moment they clicked the "SEND" button on the initial reply. They continue to keep me as a customer because of this excellent responsiveness and customer service.

Plus, I am a cat lover, too. My now 17 year old cat, Chessie, appears on the Universal Customer Cats web page number 4! That is how long I have been a customer (and much of it for HF UTE listening info and supplies as well, Lindsay!)
 

monitorman

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Universal radio = NO customer service

I gave universal their first and last chance this week, monday morning I ordered a book and by thurs a.m. had not received an email of shipping so I called to see what the holdup was, they said they just have not shipped it yet but it might go out today, I said forget it and cancelled the order. I would not recommend them.
I threw out their catalog too.
 

andrewccm

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As a point of reference,

I ordered a AN-LP1 loop antenna from Japan on a Friday. At the same time, I ordered the adapters I needed from Universal to connect it to my E1XM. I received my antenna FROM JAPAN the next Friday...I got a "shipping" notification from Universal THURSDAY. I then received the package Tue....and only part of it was shipped. One of the adapters was "backordered".

Needless to say, I am not all that impressed. Especially when their website doesn't tell you they are out of stock. I would have just moved on to a different vendor had I known (a WEEK AND A HALF EARLIER).
 

af5rn

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I'm fixin' to order one of those antenna combiners, and unfortunately, Universal is the only place I can even find that carries them, so I guess I'll have to take my chances.
 

andrewccm

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I think you'll be fine... I am just not impressed with their communication or speed and apparently there are several others that feel similarly. LOL

Still waiting on my adapter ....tomorrow makes 2 weeks.... Shows backordered with expected date of 6/12. So for now, I am alligator clipping it.
 
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