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So tried to get a hold of Stew Mac for an order and they only communicate via email. WTH? As a business arrangement this is not going to work. So none is available to take questions and clarify details and specs. SMH

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Lots of people are not in the office like they used to be…

It's cheaper and more cost effective to pay a few people to work from home and answer emails than it is to man phones which have higher overhead and more cost (electric/plumbing etc...).

Lots of companies like Fender are also having their customer service people work from home to keep things going. Will probably end up being the norm from now on.

Gee can you say call forwarding? I imagine they get a lot of questions from pro's that need answers. Communicating thru email is lame. And yes I understand the whole pandemic issue with people onsite and not working like we used to. However they need to address th needs of the Luthier community. Im not talking about questions like How much is such and such product.

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A lot of the state and county offices in Maryland have gone to an "appointment only " model. It's very frustrating, but they can do that because you need them, they don't need you! They are making paying property taxes and some MVA services doable online, so perhaps we won't need as many of "them"
When a business stops offering great customer service and also doesn't have a real price advantage they may be on their way out.
I too am somewhat of a luddite when it comes to communicating with people. I prefer to call on the phone rather than text. I use email, but not when I expect an immediate response. And for answering questions email can be difficult to clarify exactly what information you are seeking.
The Covid thing is making some people reassess their options. It's kind of like "Who Moved My Cheese" on steroids.

Yeah, I hear ya!...Ordered 4 sets of ukulele tuners last week, paid for 4 sets....only delivered 1 set.....still trying to get it straightened out via e-mail!!!???....ready to string up 2 ukuleles.....

I deal with Stew Mac almost weekly and was at first frustrated with not being able to reach a live customer service person by phone. Stew Mac has always impressed me with exemplary customer service. From my recent experience with using email to reach the folks at Stew Mac, I can honestly say that the response and assistance remains first class and very timely.

I look forward to being again able to reach a live person but in the meantime, Stew Mac's customer service is still on the ball.

Mike Franks
www.mjfranksguitars.com

My personal experiences with StewMac throughout the pandemic has been great. They've gone above and beyond for me just as they have for over 20 years. I don't mind exercising a bit more patience considering everything that has and is going on.

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Gosh I have not called Stew Mac since probably 2000 or so. You used to have to call in your order back then. I MUCH more prefer email for interactions because that way it's spelled out and there is a log in writing kept of what everything was said and so on. And you can always go back to it for reference. I would think that when dealing with specifications email would be much better for such reasons but then that's just me. Everyone has their own way of liking to do things. And it does seem true that as a business they should have all channels of communication open.

Yes, it is a little weird, but I place an order every couple of weeks and have had no issues......

I've done business with Stew Mac since the 70's when they only sold banjo parts. I can't remember ever having called them. It used to be by mail, and in more recent years by email. The few times I've had any problems, they resolved them quickly and to my satisfaction. I've had a couple of small issues (like packages that got lost in transit) since the pandemic started, and they responded to my emails very quickly.

Dave

Big fan here. Have always had extremely rapid shipping. Have ordered a lot lately.
Had one mistake recently and had to email customer support. They were back to me the next day.
I am OK with it.

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

FWIW long time customer , since 80/s never had a problem .!

I order every two weeks or so and have never had an issue.
OK, a couple of years ago I complained the coco binding (on sale!) they sent wasn't as dark as their picture showed (who complains about random wood color?) and they just re-shipped the order and said to keep the earlier order.
If StewMac closes, we are going to be in deep do-do!

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Multiple emails and no response 5 days later............Stewmac sucks now. There is absolutely nothing wrong with their shipping its the customer service and dealing with any issues that arise that need a phone call. I used to spend about $10,000 a year with Stew Mac I'll prob be pursuing other avenues if this terrible customer service keeps up.

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Maybe they don't like you....
Just kidding!

A lot of small businesses are having a hard go of it right now. I don't know what Stew Mac's situation is but they might be dealing with supply chain and personnel disruptions like a lot of others are. At least they are not in NYC....

David, sorry you are having such issues with customer service. Hopefully you will get resolution soon. I have not had to contact them by email in about 6 months so not recent, but I got memorials service by email. Several other commenters have reported getting quick responses. Stew Mac may be having issues right now, hard to say. It seems unlike them to not respond. You might check to see if their emails are getting filtered out of your inbox for some reason. That seems unlikely since it would be a reply to a message you sent, but it might be worth looking into.

Edit: As luck would have it, I just stumbled upon a post on a Facebook group I belong to. The original poster was not getting responses and asking if others had this problem. There was an update to the thread today where the OP indicated that he was contacted through Facebook messenger (I think he made a comment on their Facebook page). We was told that they have been having some issues since the launch of the new website and we’re able to locate his ticket. I’m not sure that helps you in anyway, but I figured I’d pass it along.

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Heck, I've ordered from StewMac since it was only by phone or USPS order forms. I've never had a problem with them that wasn't quickly resolved, but I agree with David that when there were rare issues, nothing beats a phone call to a knowledgeable sales rep that can put things in order with the click of their mouse.

AND, lots of purchases from SM clientele are not from pro builders and the phone calls helped customers figure out what to buy in the first place.

Eliminating phone support I expect will hurt their bottom line and possibly hurt building a future customer base by not giving nubes a helping hand.

Hopefully SM will get it together and resume quality phone support but it isn't the way the marketplace is moving these days. Maybe they could add a premium service like they do with "free" shipping and for a fee provide phone support. I'd pay something for that.

Just think if SM goes down the tubes, replaced by ScAmazon like every other marketplace is -- where will we be then?

BR

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

Bryan thanks for the suggestion. I left a comment on Stewmacs FB page, hopefully this will get addressed.

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Stewmac has completely lost it. Ive sent every kind of email, FB post and message no response after 9 days. This Company's customer service leaves something to be desired. Unbelievable.

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Finally after texting their Instagram and FB accounts I get some customer service........SMH

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Did you try a brick through a window or a flaming arrow?

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

I've done less than a dozen orders with them. They, and Aquila usa and strings by mail have all had amazing service. The last order at SM took 8 days. I was shocked.

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Why be normal?

Is Brock still running their customer service and marketing?

I thing when they nixed their phone customer service they opted out for a string and can method.

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