Back about 8 months ago I purchased a 7″ Kyocera Ceramic Knife at a Kitchen specialty store in Guilford. The price was near $70.
It’s a lot for one knife, at least for me, but they’re very sharp, and will supposedly last a lifetime.
Mine lasted about 6 months, then lost a 1/4 inch sized chunk, mid-blade, while my wife was slicing fruit.
So, last November 11th, I brought it back to where I purchased it, being promised I should get word in a few days regarding a replacement product. Kyocera was said to be a stand-up company, and this would be resolved very soon.
Busy as I am, I never thought much about it until late December. I hadn’t heard anything, so calling the store I was told that many knives had been returned, it was a holiday period, and, in all fairness, I had purchased the knife several months earlier.
I responded that if many knives had been returned, we must be dealing with a defective product, so there shouldn’t be a whole lot of delay involved. Then I continued along the line that it wasn’t a holiday period when I’d initially returned the product, not to mention that 8 months light usage of a $70. knife shouldn’t be considered unusual. Honestly, if the blade was exercised more than 10 times in its life, I’d be surprised.
Even so, I got off the phone.
Today however, since we’re now almost mid-way through January, I called again.
This time I was told that the store had been closed for a week, phone calls were being caught up with, and I really needed to be patient.
Then, when the owner began repeatedly referring to me as “hon”, what little patience I had drained completely, and the conversation quickly came to a conclusion.
“Hon,” she said again, “Maybe you should just come in and get a new knife.”
So, I took a new tack.
“Yes, ‘hon’,” I replied, “That’s exactly what I think I should do, ‘hon’. I’ll come in tommorow, ‘hon’.”
“Fine! I hope so!” (hang up).
Heaven knows where the chipped knife is… Probably never left the store.
The chipped and defective customer service remains, and is pretty evident.
And truly unwise.
Fact is, without even trying, I can get the same knife on Amazon for 25% less… Less cost and less lousy attitude.
The one thing brick and mortar retailers have going for them is the ability to offer top shelf personal service.
If they can’t do that, well, it’s much easier to save effort and gas and added expense, make a few clicks, and move on.
BillKeane Perceptions 