Excellent Customer Service

[Everette Harmon]

A couple of weeks ago I ordered a new tool rest from Lee Valley tools. I realized an hour later that I had ordered the wrong size post for the tool rest. I called Lee Valley and was told that my original order had been sent already and that they would send me the right post with a return authorization for the wrong one. I did not think anything about it and returned the wrong post UPS. Today I received a check from Lee Valley for the UPS charges. I called and told them that it was my mistake and I had no intentions of cashing the check. I was told to cash the check that they always pay the postage on return items. This is what I call great customer service and I still don’t intend on cashing the check.
Everette

[Ken Wright]

They will take care of you each and every time that you do business with them. They are the top of the heap!!

[Tom Sweeney]

Thanks for the post - It's always great to hear about good companies - & Lee Valley always seems to fit that category.

Sounds like they want you to cash the check & if you don't it will just screw up their bookeeping.

Buy more stuff from them to make up for it & I'm sure your post will encourage some of us that have not yet bought from Lee Valley to do so- so to them the good will they generated was a good investment.

Thanks again :D

[Mark Mazzo]

I had a similar experience with Lee Valley. I ordered and received several things from them, one of them was a Dozuki Saw. When I received the saw I did not like its condition so I returned it, paying the shipping charges myself. Several days later when they received the returned saw, I received a phone call asking what the shipping charges were so that they could credit my credit card with the price of the saw as well as the return shipping. To me this is nothing short of outstanding! I subsequently ordered a Dozuki from the Japanese Woodworker, but my first choice is always Lee Valley. They have a me as a customer for life. Many other companies (woodworking related and not) could learn much about the total customer experience from Lee Valley.

-- Mark

[Ken Dolph]

They are just as good with their suppliers. It is our policy to try to give "Good Measure" when we ship. They count every piece and send us a check for the excess.

It is just the way they are.

Ken

[Dr. Zack Jennings]

Great Story
I really hate hearing rants but I have felt the need to rant, myself.
Another pet peeve is being routed through menus and electronic voices without getting to talk to a human. Happened yesterday.

I love hearing about good service. I've filed that away. Lee Valley Tools will get some more of my business.

[David Rose]

Lee Valley is pretty impressive on service. I order from them fairly frequently but have never placed an order over $200. I know, Dave is still pushing me into getting the FMT. And that is going to happen soon, I think.

About two years ago I built a table for my bandsaw and needed some miter track material. Lee Valley got me the stuff fast and the box was badly bent by a freight company. I called Lee Valley and they said "forget the claim and watch for new pieces". They arrived quickly from a different carrier. The long skinny box was bent again. I called again and mentioned that I still had the original pieces. They said keep all 4 and watch for the new pair. I felt guilty about keeping the other pieces as the bends were only in the middle and still rendered the shorter pieces usable... and *I needed them*. So I asked if they were sure that they didn't want them for a claim. She said, "yes, hold them and we will send a return label". New pieces were good and no label. I called one more time and they just said, "if you can use them, keep them".

It may be a little thing, but it has stuck in my mind. In fact it stuck well enough that several more orders for around $100 have gone their way as will many more. And I really appreciate their trust and service. Try them if you haven't. Even if you don't need service it is nice to keep a company going that will give it if and when you do.

David

[Ace Karner]

Not only is thier service great, they make some wonderful tools. I have thier 41/2 smoother plane and it is nothing but quality.

I bought thier sharpening guide and angle guage the other day and now I can hardly handle my plane blades and chisels without cutting myself after scary sharpening them.

Ace