globalgolf - decline in service?

[teamtmag]

I've shopped at globalgolf for years and had positive experiences with them but recently have noticed their websites slowing down or crashing as well as their customer service not up to par. For example, I've recently ordered a few used clubs and one of the clubs I received was an incorrect club (not the first time this has happened) - that was a demo on top of it . In the past, their customer service has been great about being apologetic and trying to make things right by either offering some coupon or expedited shipping for the replacement club at no additional charge. This time around, not even one apology for sending the wrong club or offering any incentives trying to make things right. It almost felt like as if they were apathetic and didn't care whether you were sent the wrong club or not. Not sure if others were experiencing similar issues...

[wobgon]

So what did they do about the mistake?

[sergio285]

Haven't been impressed with them as well lately. Used to be my go to website for stacking coupons and being able to get great deals. Now seems like they have higher prices and no more discount codes. Haven't experienced any negative issues with their service though.

[CrushSticks]

As someone in a very similar part of the industry, I’ll chime in. Note: I don’t work for global and am not familiar with their service overall.

 

When faced with these situations on a regular basis, you are always trying to deliver the best service, be understanding, apologetic, and offer compensation. But on the flip side, when things are busy, you must treat some of these scenarios with a standard, workmen like procedure. It’s no excuse for a lack of apology, or even a tone of sympathy for making an error. But when we make an error, shipping three times often erodes all of the profit, and the best thing we can do is swiftly clean up our mistake and move on.

 

The other side is the attitude of the customer. When they enter the conversation with an angry tone, making demands, threats of social media exodus, it is difficult to make them happy, no matter what you do. I think all service departments for golf retailers have the best intentions, and sometimes you just catch someone on a bad day, or a bad week. Or we treat them a little unfairly off the bat while expecting the world in return.

 

OP, not suggesting any of this applies to you or your situation, but it’s a small piece of the e commerce customer service story.

[augustgolf]

And this is what happens when driving prices to rock bottom, minimal profit margins become the norm, folks.

 

Don't want to say "I told you so"...but..

[CrushSticks]

And this is what happens when driving prices to rock bottom, minimal profit margins become the norm, folks.

 

Don't want to say "I told you so"...but..

 

This kind of goes along with what I’ve said in other posts. Everyone wants Amazon prices, free shipping, free returns, and the worlds most amazing customer service experience. It’s not feasible. Trust me. When you make 18 points on a close out item, there isn’t much left over for the worlds greatest service and free returns.

 

I’d love for all of my reps to be world beaters, but it’s not like I can pay everyone 80k a year.

[BRS2014]

Their pricing has increased since the merger with 3balls

[teamtmag]

So what did they do about the mistake?

 

They sent me a return shipping label (which they always do) but in this case, they asked me to call them back as soon as I ship it back to them to let them know that I sent it and then they will send my replacement club. In the past, I wasn't asked to call them as they would simply send me the replacement club as soon as I dropped it off at FedEx (I believe they were able to track it in their system as they would get notifications that it has been dropped off) or even send me the club first (not expecting this but was a nice gesture in the past).

[GoIrish17]

So what did they do about the mistake?

 

They sent me a return shipping label (which they always do) but in this case, they asked me to call them back as soon as I ship it back to them to let them know that I sent it and then they will send my replacement club. In the past, I wasn't asked to call them as they would simply send me the replacement club as soon as I dropped it off at FedEx (I believe they were able to track it in their system as they would get notifications that it has been dropped off) or even send me the club first (not expecting this but was a nice gesture in the past).

 

Is it that they're not meeting standards now, or is it that they were exceptional previously and this most recent experience was just ok? I can't speak personally, because I don't shop with Global Golf often and I've never had a problem with them. But, if my most recent order a couple months ago had been incorrect, I'd have been perfectly happy with how they responded with your order. Anything more I would consider beyond expectations, and an exceptional experience wouldn't cause me to adjust my expectations moving forward.

[specialtony]

I order from the frequently (about weekly) and have not noticed a down turn in customer service. Their prices have gone up though and they haven’t had a good stacking discount in a while.

[snapier]

So what did they do about the mistake?

 

They sent me a return shipping label (which they always do) but in this case, they asked me to call them back as soon as I ship it back to them to let them know that I sent it and then they will send my replacement club. In the past, I wasn't asked to call them as they would simply send me the replacement club as soon as I dropped it off at FedEx (I believe they were able to track it in their system as they would get notifications that it has been dropped off) or even send me the club first (not expecting this but was a nice gesture in the past).

 

Maybe GlobalGolf has tired of your act?

[viperstudio]

Never have issue with global golf. I order a few "value" from them and to me I was expecting a beat up clubs but many times they are like in pretty good condition. Maybe I am just lucky.

[teamtmag]

As someone in a very similar part of the industry, I’ll chime in. Note: I don’t work for global and am not familiar with their service overall.

 

When faced with these situations on a regular basis, you are always trying to deliver the best service, be understanding, apologetic, and offer compensation. But on the flip side, when things are busy, you must treat some of these scenarios with a standard, workmen like procedure. It’s no excuse for a lack of apology, or even a tone of sympathy for making an error. But when we make an error, shipping three times often erodes all of the profit, and the best thing we can do is swiftly clean up our mistake and move on.

 

The other side is the attitude of the customer. When they enter the conversation with an angry tone, making demands, threats of social media exodus, it is difficult to make them happy, no matter what you do. I think all service departments for golf retailers have the best intentions, and sometimes you just catch someone on a bad day, or a bad week. Or we treat them a little unfairly off the bat while expecting the world in return.

 

OP, not suggesting any of this applies to you or your situation, but it’s a small piece of the e commerce customer service story.

 

I agree with your assessment. I'm not expecting them to provide me with free clubs and I try not to give them a hard time as most of the time the issues that customers are calling about weren't caused by that particular customer service rep who is on the receiving end of the call. It also usually turns out to be unproductive when a customer lashes out at a customer service rep. throughout the call. The most recent experience didn't result in me lashing out at the customer service rep.; it was more so disappointing in terms of the experience than upsetting. It all started with what seems to be a poor QA check (they not only sent me the wrong club but a demo club usually given to testers which I don't believe they shouldn't be selling for retail). In addition, it is an inconvenience if I have to now print out the return label, repackage it, take it to FedEx, then give them a call (sometimes put on hold if there is high volume) so that they can send the replacement club because they failed to send the wrong club. I do expect their customer service reps., as part of their roles and responsibilities in the company, to address and handle customer service issues appropriately and in this case, I don't believe they did.

[grm24]

Never have issue with global golf. I order a few "value" from them and to me I was expecting a beat up clubs but many times they are like in pretty good condition. Maybe I am just lucky.

Has been my experience as well. I took a chance on a value rated TM Rac LT PW as I had lost mine. For the price ($14.99) I figured why not. The only thing value about it was a worn out Black Widow grip. Cleaned the club face up as it was a little dirty. The club should have been rated as very good at a minimum and possibly excellent when considering the actual condition of the shaft and club head. No gouges or nicks or worn grooves. Of course YMMV.

[teamtmag]

So what did they do about the mistake?

 

They sent me a return shipping label (which they always do) but in this case, they asked me to call them back as soon as I ship it back to them to let them know that I sent it and then they will send my replacement club. In the past, I wasn't asked to call them as they would simply send me the replacement club as soon as I dropped it off at FedEx (I believe they were able to track it in their system as they would get notifications that it has been dropped off) or even send me the club first (not expecting this but was a nice gesture in the past).

 

Maybe GlobalGolf has tired of your act?

 

Not sure what you mean by "has tired of my act" but if a simple question of the most recent experience is an act that is tiresome, then that would be a cause for concern of their customer service approach.

[nochct1]

Did you purchase a new club and they sent you a demo?

[nochct1]

I order from the frequently (about weekly) and have not noticed a down turn in customer service. Their prices have gone up though and they haven’t had a good stacking discount in a while.

 

They provide a huge marketplace for used clubs and you're mad they they don't discount the clubs even more? Perhaps they want to make money. Or maybe simple supply/demand is driving those decisions.

 

[CrushSticks]

As someone in a very similar part of the industry, I’ll chime in. Note: I don’t work for global and am not familiar with their service overall.

 

When faced with these situations on a regular basis, you are always trying to deliver the best service, be understanding, apologetic, and offer compensation. But on the flip side, when things are busy, you must treat some of these scenarios with a standard, workmen like procedure. It’s no excuse for a lack of apology, or even a tone of sympathy for making an error. But when we make an error, shipping three times often erodes all of the profit, and the best thing we can do is swiftly clean up our mistake and move on.

 

The other side is the attitude of the customer. When they enter the conversation with an angry tone, making demands, threats of social media exodus, it is difficult to make them happy, no matter what you do. I think all service departments for golf retailers have the best intentions, and sometimes you just catch someone on a bad day, or a bad week. Or we treat them a little unfairly off the bat while expecting the world in return.

 

OP, not suggesting any of this applies to you or your situation, but it’s a small piece of the e commerce customer service story.

 

I agree with your assessment. I'm not expecting them to provide me with free clubs and I try not to give them a hard time as most of the time the issues that customers are calling about weren't caused by that particular customer service rep who is on the receiving end of the call. It also usually turns out to be unproductive when a customer lashes out at a customer service rep. throughout the call. The most recent experience didn't result in me lashing out at the customer service rep.; it was more so disappointing in terms of the experience than upsetting. It all started with what seems to be a poor QA check (they not only sent me the wrong club but a demo club usually given to testers which I don't believe they shouldn't be selling for retail). In addition, it is an inconvenience if I have to now print out the return label, repackage it, take it to FedEx, then give them a call (sometimes put on hold if there is high volume) so that they can send the replacement club because they failed to send the wrong club. I do expect their customer service reps., as part of their roles and responsibilities in the company, to address and handle customer service issues appropriately and in this case, I don't believe they did.

 

All true, and I understand the hassle of getting the wrong club back to them. But there is no other option there. They have no way to automate that process for you. I don’t know how it is for other companies, but I know mine gets a bad rap occasionally for shipping a wrong item, or a missing item. Fact is, our percentage of wrong shipped items on an order is 0.3%. So 3 out of every 1000 orders. Unfortunately, you were one of those 3 this time. The odds of this happening to you again are slim to none( unless you place hundreds of orders!) and that 0.3% is achieved with 95% of our data and warehouse teams never having touched a golf club in their lives besides when they put it in a box and slap a label on it.

 

I’m going to stop ranting and go away, but I guess my point is that, no retailer is perfect. Most of these people are hard working, and care about what they do. They are trying to ship out hundreds of orders a day, and there could have been a problem from the beginning that led to a mistake in the end( product listing person puts wrong item number in the system with a different picture. You order that item and the warehouse guy grabs what the ticket says, but since they inputted the wrong image, you got the wrong item). Then here’s customer service guy trying to help you out with something that he had nothing to do with. Do that 10 times a day for a year and then tell me you’re going to kiss the ring every time someone calls.

 

I bet the next time you call them someone is going to be super nice to you and you’ll forget this ever happened.

[rynobucket]

My last few orders Global have had their fair share of issues (loft and length really far off from standard and a wedge that should not even be sold or accepted in trade-in due to excessive wear). Customer service has been pleasant and apologetic in offering a postage paid return. The thing I find best about their customer service is that you don't have to wait on hold forever to talk to somebody and their online chat normally is responded to promptly. They will continue to get the majority of my business.

[BiggErn]

And this is what happens when driving prices to rock bottom, minimal profit margins become the norm, folks.

 

Don't want to say "I told you so"...but..

 

 

I guess people get tired if paying $500 for a club that costs less than $100 to build that are told 6 months later it’s obsolete.

 

That said I’ve had hit and miss results with global golf. A couple times I’ve won “very good” clubs on eBay that should’ve been rated “value” and I’m assuming because it didn’t sell for what they wanted. I guess the rating changes based on final selling price.

[Dpak05]

Deal with them all the time and I think everything is still pretty good...maybe I'm lucky. I feel like people have too many expectations with global golf if you luck out a few times and receive something better than rated. Prices still seem okay as well, recently picked up a set of 2013 X-forged for $170...

[Ferris2001]

Was it a Taylormade club?

[North Butte]

I've never dealt with Global Golf directly (or not that I can recall) but they handle Taylormade's trade-in program and I'm getting pretty tired of waiting for them to process my trade. It's been three weeks and counting, still no confirmation that the trade has been accepted at the agreed on price much less any credit posted to my card.

 

I traded them in for a new Taylormade driver and I'm not about to unwrap the driver and hit it until I know the trade has gone through. So it's been sitting in the shipping box waiting, waiting, waiting.

[krutoi]

I think they are fine. Better than 3balls CS. Prices are high, but they do have coupon stack specials sometimes. Sometimes I get frustrated explaining to CS at 3 balls that a club in good condition should not be described as such if it has been dragged behind the car for 2 miles. GG usually is better.

[ProphetLogic]

I love globalgolf, just counted and I've placed 27 orders with them over the last couple years. I would buy all my golf stuff there if I could. Your expectations are out of whack, the service you are getting is cheap prices.

[dcfball88]

I can vouch for the *change* in their customer service- going back probably around the holidays or right after. If I had to pick an area as an example, let's use the wrong club/wrong condition situation. In the past you would call, describe the issue, and they would work with you in real time to get a new club out to you and then they'd email you the shipping label. In certain cases they might give you a discount on your order for the trouble. Now, they just say "send it back," and if they have another of the same one, they'll hold it for you until they get yours back. There's no effort to make up for the hassle they've caused, and if they don't happen to have another one of that club they really don't care, they just say too bad. Which is fine- it's their choice. But it IS a difference, and it's noticeable, especially to guys who buy from them every week or two weeks.

 

If i had to speculate, I'd venture to guess their ramping up of their eBay store has a lot to do with it- they are constantly moving clubs back and forth from their website inventory to their ebay store and back again. I assume that takes some degree of manpower, which would mean they have less time to devote to customer service.

 

And I assume ALL of this- decline in customer service from what it had been, the rising prices, the lack of coupon codes, and the ramp up of the eBay store, is aimed at higher margins. Which is fine- I'd rather they stay in business honestly than me save a couple of bucks on each club purchase. I will say though that I find myself buying less from them and more from other outlets- whether that's a store locally near me, or another online retailer, or other ebay sellers. I would assume they have smart people on their finance team that can find the break even point between fewer sales at slightly higher prices and less satisfied customers.

[GoIrish17]

Do those of you who are on the side of GG’s customer service declining equate good customer service in response to a mistake with deserving something for the inconvenience? I don’t agree with this mentality, but I’m asking honestly to understand.

[dcfball88]

Do those of you who are on the side of GG’s customer service declining equate good customer service in response to a mistake with deserving something for the inconvenience? I don’t agree with this mentality, but I’m asking honestly to understand.

Can't speak for the other guys, but for me, no, I don't *expect* anything for the inconvenience. I thought we were only speaking to whether there has been a decline, which I believe there has been. A change from "Outstanding" to "Normal" is still a decline.

 

I will say that over time, individual transactions add up- if you make enough mistakes on my orders, and never offer me something for the inconvenience, that adds up and could lead me to purchase from you less, which I have in this case. I still don't expect anything other than to be made whole from a cash perspective- it's the seller's choice whether or not to do more. It's also my choice where to buy.

[wobgon]

I order from the frequently (about weekly) and have not noticed a down turn in customer service. Their prices have gone up though and they haven't had a good stacking discount in a while.

I used a stacking discount last week.

[wobgon]

Do those of you who are on the side of GG’s customer service declining equate good customer service in response to a mistake with deserving something for the inconvenience? I don’t agree with this mentality, but I’m asking honestly to understand.

Can't speak for the other guys, but for me, no, I don't *expect* anything for the inconvenience. I thought we were only speaking to whether there has been a decline, which I believe there has been. A change from "Outstanding" to "Normal" is still a decline.

 

I will say that over time, individual transactions add up- if you make enough mistakes on my orders, and never offer me something for the inconvenience, that adds up and could lead me to purchase from you less, which I have in this case. I still don't expect anything other than to be made whole from a cash perspective- it's the seller's choice whether or not to do more. It's also my choice where to buy.

First time I have seen someone take the time to start a negative thread about a company because said company made a mistake and only corrected it........