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Thread: Harbor Freight customer service

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    6,983

    Harbor Freight customer service

    Beating up on Harbor Freight seems to be a popular sport.
    Its only fair to give them kudos for when they do something good.

    My wife and I joined the Insider's Club a few weeks ago and I tried to go online today and log in.
    I kept getting an error so, I called their customer service line.

    I left a call back since the message said they were having heavy traffic and suggest I let them call me back instead of holding.

    20 minutes went by and they called me back.
    They asked me what the email address was for the account and there wasn't one that matched what I told them.
    Next they asked what phone number, but, before I could answer, they asked for the club member number - which I had handy.

    Less than 5 minutes from the callback and I'm logged in.

    When they set up the account in the store, they entered a character in the email address wrong.

    Nice job & way to go HF support.
    My granddad always said, :As one door closes, another opens".
    Wonderful man, terrible cabinet maker...

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    While I've only dealt with in-store customer service, I've always felt well taken care off.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Lewiston, Idaho
    Posts
    28,504
    Good customer service should be applauded wherever it exists!
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    Somewhere in the Land of Lincoln
    Posts
    2,546
    Glad they took care of you in a satisfactory way.

  5. #5
    I have had several good experiences with HF. A couple bad ones as well, but overwhelmingly positive. I once got drunk and bought their Mortising machine (I wasn't drunk, but I like to tell it like that out of embarrassment). Got it home and it was missing half of the hardware pack. Called the number on the manual and they called the store for me and made sure they had another one to pull the hardware package out of. They did and offered to ship it, but I drove the 15 and picked it up a half hour later. My dust collector ran for 15 years before I sold it and the large lathe I bought used for 75 dollars ran for 10 years. I did buy a sewer snake that broke first time out though.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2021
    Location
    Mid West and North East USA
    Posts
    2,833
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    Our store has a very helpful and ever changing staff that I find no fault with. The quality of the tools is very poor. I go there to buy gloves and magnetic tool holders. I worry that the gloves contain toxic waste imported from China.
    Best Regards, Maurice

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    West Lafayette, IN
    Posts
    6,529
    The people that knock HF haven’t been in there in the past 10 years or remember the old days when they really did make some junky stuff like portable power tools.

  8. #8
    My harbor freight bench chain saw sharpener has been great for the 18 yrs of hard use I gave it and still going. The $9 angle grinder is now 21 yrs old and works like a champ. Cuts rusty bolts, with a cup brush, cleaned rust off farm equipment for painting, etc. I needed a part for the reeves drive on my 12 x 34 lathe. Got a really ditzy sounding gal on the phone and thought "Oh crap!" She surprised the heck out of me. Even knew what a reeves drive is. Took her less than 40 seconds to look up and verify the part and another minute to order the part. I had it two days later from the other coast. I do get a bit miffed when the store personnel can't tell me where their items are but that is true almost everywhere.

  9. #9
    Every time I’m at the Harbor Freight cash register they ask me to give them my address and phone number. Time for them to step up and
    offer customers free “ forehead info tattoos “ then they can just read it.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    NE Ohio
    Posts
    6,983
    Quote Originally Posted by Mel Fulks View Post
    Every time I’m at the Harbor Freight cash register they ask me to give them my address and phone number. Time for them to step up and
    offer customers free “ forehead info tattoos “ then they can just read it.
    Sadly the one thing I miss most about HF is the "Freebie". I had/have a bunch of flashlights, tape measures, scissors - and except for never being able to find one when I need one - screwdrivers!

    HF quit the free stuff back in 2020.

    It is missed.
    My granddad always said, :As one door closes, another opens".
    Wonderful man, terrible cabinet maker...

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2021
    Location
    Mid West and North East USA
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    2,833
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    I will keep going there for certain things. My complaints are the bad smell, the tremendous amount of run out and vibration present in every HF power tool that I have ever used, the short life span, the quality of the steel, the very rough surface of all the milled iron and steel. The tools are poor quality. I am a person of modest means but I am not lured by the low price of HF tools.
    Best Regards, Maurice

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    Quote Originally Posted by Rich Engelhardt View Post
    Sadly the one thing I miss most about HF is the "Freebie". I had/have a bunch of flashlights, tape measures, scissors - and except for never being able to find one when I need one - screwdrivers!

    HF quit the free stuff back in 2020.

    It is missed.
    I got a free small flashlight free not long ago...
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Doylestown, PA
    Posts
    7,551
    It does seem like HF is trying to up their game. I haven't bought any of their icon branded tools but their pricing and handling them makes me think they're comparable to Husky or Kobalt hand tools. It wouldn't be a surprse if they come off the same lines in China. I did buy a pittsburgh branded 1/4" drive swivel head ratchet recently. The job was automotive and in a fairly tight spot. It seems fine for weekend warrior use.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,688
    Even the next level down on the hand tools are good, Curt. Surprisingly good. I've also been very pleased with all the Bauer 20v tools I have for both outdoor maintenance (whacker, hedge trimmer, 10" chain saw, 8" pole saw, blower) as well as the tool-tools. (circular saw, drill/driver, impact driver) Honestly, I think these are pretty much the equivalent of any house brand like Craftsman, etc., at this point. I think the "upping the game" that's happened over the past few years has helped them spread their footprint, too. If you think about it, we now have four HF stores that are within reasonable distance, depending on what direction we are heading...Warminster, North Wales (newest), Quakertown and Flemington.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Doylestown, PA
    Posts
    7,551
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    ............................................
    we now have four HF stores that are within reasonable distance, depending on what direction we are heading...Warminster, North Wales (newest), Quakertown and Flemington.
    They certainly have sprouted. I didn't know about Warminster & Montgomeryville/North Wales until recently.

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