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ctcpool · September 30th, 2009

After having problems with failing ink flow, particularly white, my first action was to order new Dampers. This cost about $100 and was done without consulting with tech support. I later troubleshot the problems with tech support, after the damper replacement was unsuccessful. My first mistake was not asking for a new tech when he admitted not being real familiar with my version of the machine. He made a recommendation to procure some pipe cleaners and clean out the valves. I did so with no result. I called again, and spoke to a tech, not sure if it was same one, who suggested that I had a bad print head, and that the capping station may also be a contributing problem. I proceeded to order both pieces and replaced them. By this time, the machine was inoperable for approximately one week. Again, I cannot sell the service when it is inoperable. After replacing the print head and capping station, the problem persisted. I called tech support again, and was told that I would need to do a conversion to bypass the valves. I was told that I could spend another $100+ to get the conversion lines. When I said that wasn’t a good option for me because I couldn’t afford any further downtime, plus no more additional expense after spending over $400 on print head/capping station, the tech told that if the lines were long enough to reach, I could use the lines that are already on there. He directed me to an online video that showed this process. The process on the video was different from my situation since I wasn’t replacing the lines, only shortening the distance they were traveling.

Well, this conversion worked. My ink flow improved and the machine was operational again. Tech support cost me over $400 by misdiagnosing the problem, causing me to replace the print head. (The tech denies having made this suggestion. I apparently just pulled it out of thin air. Of course, my first thought would be to spend more money that I don’t have. This is why I suggest recording conversations). After a couple days of successful operation, (I printed a couple shirts), I noticed that I seemed to be going through a fair amount of ink. Not certain whether I had a certainty to what the levels were prior, I though maybe I was incorrect. Then one morning, I came to the machine and found the ink overflow lights blinking. (I keep the machine on, per manual direction, to do occasional head cleanings). Much of my ink was wasted (I estimate about $200 worth) pulled through the lines and overflowing my overflow container. (A mess was waiting for me). I suspected that the auto head cleanings got stuck so I refilled my bottles and turned the machine off. It was a weekend, so I planned to call service on Monday. The following morning, I was shocked to see that my overflow bottle was again overflowed, (another mess to clean) and my ink was drained even more than the night prior, WHEN THE MACHINE WAS ON! This again was another estimated $200 worth of ink down the drain.

My subsequent calls to tech support got me in touch with the service manager. After two days of back and forth troubleshooting, there wasn’t a real answer for me and I was told to just clamp off the lines at the end of the day. I asked for and was initially granted a full credit for the lost ink, a satisfactory result, even though I was still out $400 for replacing a good print head at tech’s direction. The following day, all bets were off. It was determined that the tech’s never told me to replace the print head or to use the existing lines for the conversion. I was told that I would be given a credit for half the ink since the entire problems I received were all of my doing since I was never told to replace the print head or use the existing lines. I also “made a choice” to not follow the instructional video precisely so therefore, I must take accountability for the problem. I could not follow the video precisely since it was for replacing the entire set of ink lines. But, since the tech NEVER told me that I could use the existing lines, this is entirely my fault! This is why I strongly suggest that all conversations with tech support be recorded. This would be of benefit to me as well, because if I truly am just picking service solutions out of thin air, I would like to be able to play it back and figure out what truly is wrong with me and seek the professional help I would require. For a tech to deny giving such direction, that may be a survival technique to cover one’s tail and to maintain job security. For me to just choose to do things contrary to what tech support tells me is ridiculous. This would suggest that I feel I know better than them. If this were the case, why would I call them in the first place?

All told, this service experience cost me over $900, left me with no ink, and without use of the machine for nearly two weeks. I accept responsibility for the first $100 for the dampers, because I personally thought that might help the ink flow. The other expenses all occurred from suggestions/instruction given to me by tech support. When told that I would need to perform a “K2” conversion, I was told explicitly that if the lines were long enough to reach, that the existing lines could be used for the conversion.

I have spent over $7,000 in ink and supply costs to operate this machine since January 2009, approx. 9 months. A good portion of that money was flushed down the drain due to constant ink flow problems and subsequent line flushes. As I mentioned to the service manager, I probably enjoyed a solid two months of smooth operating bliss. Much of the rest of the time was a constant struggle to keep the machine running properly. The main problem was white ink flow.

Don-SWF East · October 2nd, 2009

Brad,
Your post led me on a mission to try to determine if we had indeed done you wrong and if so, what I could do to remedy your problems. This is what I found:
1. You purchased the machine used, it was originally sold in June 2007
2. There are no support records indicating that any parts were ever replaced on the machine prior to the incident you recently reported
3. Prior to Sept. 3, 2009 - there was only one support call in the system from you (dated 2/20/09) in which you needed help resetting the waste ink counter. [there were notes in this timeframe indicating the transfer of operator and the letter from the previous owner claiming that the machine was still theirs and being sub-leased - which we accepted and are still providing toll-free support for]
4. The above information leads to an assumption that things were going fine - no calls would indicate no problems
5. Your $7000 plus estimate is close - our records indicate about $6300
6. Sept. 3 - you spoke with a tech who was not with us during the early Kiosk days, so he inquired with our lead DTG tech who gave him the information he passed on to you regarding the valves
7. Sept. 9 - a tech recommended that you replace your printhead as the symptoms described inferred that the head was clogged, you indicated that you would be buying it online elsewhere as it was cheaper
8. Sept. 11 - problem description from tech - indicates that the head, dampers and capping station were replaced, capping station grinding due to improper installation & air seems to be leaking in around the valves. - problem solution includes the following quote from our tech "I informed him the only thing in this equation that hasnt been replaced is the ink lines. he did tell me they are hard. i informed him the benifits of the new ink line setup vs his setup. i also informed him how he would need to do this. He is going to try and use his existing ink harness. I informed him about the I.v. clips. He will find them locally rather than buying them"
9. Sept. 28 - call to service manager reporting ink waste (as described in post)
10. Following this a long email string between customer and service manager
11. Sept. 30 (morning) - Customer hung up on service manager as he was offering to replace 1 - 4oz each of CMYK and a half liter of white ink.
12. Sept. 30 (evening) - posts began on T-Shirt forums

Now, should you record tech support calls, if you want, be sure to determine legality of this in your state and the state where the call is coming from. It might not be a bad idea as it would confirm things that were relayed to you (also would confirm or deny tech notes in system).
In regards to our tech support system - once an entry is made - it cannot be edited. The post on 9/11 (almost 3 weeks before all of this blew up) indicates that the tech informed against using the short tubes on the original ink harness - and that a new harness was advisable. The short ink lines are ultimately what caused the ink syphoning indicated in the above post. And yes, the video does show the entire conversion from Kiosk to K-2 and it shows that you should replace the hose harness (as the new harness has much longer ink lines) - this step was left out based on a conscious decision by the enduser. The offer to replace nearly $390 worth of ink was very fair in my humble opinion.

ctcpool · October 2nd, 2009

Don,

It is apparent that your company philosophy is to place a lot of emphasis on catching the customer with technicalities, rather than satisfying their problems. I just ran a vendor report for Colman and Company and have spent just over $7000 after purchasing $169 worth of ink. Granted, a portion of this money probably includes shipping charges. So maybe it is closer to $6500.

Your service manager renegged on an agreement we made on Tuesday afternoon. He agreed to replacement of an entire supply of replacement ink. I thanked him in an email as I was satisfied with the result. I did not demand this offer, we agreed to it, because of the situation. About 12 hours later, the manager asked me to call and then proceeded to accuse me of lying by stating that the techs never told me to do the repairs that they did, and that he knew they wouldn't make those suggestions. He then cut the offer he WE AGREED TO in half. At this point, I did hang up. I admit, not very professional, but with all the problems I've had, the frustration got the best of me.

So, in a matter of 12 hours, your company had a satisfied customer turned into a bitter, unsatisfied customer because of a desire to squabble over a couple hundred dollars and a need to cover your tech's incompetent suggestions and to prove your customer wrong.

Today's order with Colman will be my last. I used up some credits I had. I will either return the machine to my contract employer, will continue to work with it buying ink elsewhere, and/or just close up shop until I find a new machine brand, if I decide to continue in this business.

So what could your company's grandstanding cost to prove your customer wrong?

Well, there's the $6500 per year in purchase from Colman. (This is actually only 9 months worth, and would have certainly been more if the machine was functional more frequently.)
I was in the market for a new heat press and was considering the models available through Colman. (Probably a model in the $500-$600 range)
I was looking to upgrade at/near the end of the lease term, possibly to the HM1.
Badwill. Your service manager quickly turned a situation that had some goodwill and quickly turned into a P***ing match. You can be sure that I won't be encouraging others to deal with SWF.

I hope it is worth it to your company to feel the upper hand over your small business customers. All we have ever wanted was an operational machine to try to earn a living. 9 months ago, I became a contract employee for the company leasing the machine. I took the training class and made an inoperable machine, operable. The machine sat idle for a year and a half prior to this time. So know, my contract employer had both his embroidery machine and DTG producing for him while paying the lease. Your company has always tried to disallow support because of the uniqueness of my employment situation. (I am a subcontract employee to help a small business owner not have to worry about payroll and payroll taxes.) So instead of being pleased about a lease paying customer who now buys embroidery and ink/machine supplies through you, your company did its best to rid itself of the burden of supporting the product you sold. Even after the situation was cleared up as you stated, I still was frequently hassled when calling for support.

I hope its worth it.

ctcpool · October 2nd, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don-SWF East


	Brad, 8. Sept. 11 - problem description from tech - indicates that the head, dampers and capping station were replaced, capping station grinding due to improper installation & air seems to be leaking in around the valves. - problem solution includes the following quote from our tech "I informed him the only thing in this equation that hasnt been replaced is the ink lines. he did tell me they are hard. i informed him the benifits of the new ink line setup vs his setup. i also informed him how he would need to do this. He is going to try and use his existing ink harness. I informed him about the I.v. clips. He will find them locally rather than buying them"

Don,
Your service manager emailed the following,
"We already know that the lines aren’t long enough, so I feel confident that no tech here would tell you use them, and not get the ink harness to do the job correctly. Picking and choosing instructions to follow is a choice you made, so do you really not feel that you have some responsibility in this?"

If this is true, wouldn't your tech have informed me of the dangers of using the existing lines? IT WAS at the tech's direction that I could use the existing line "if they are long enough to reach". I did tell him that my machine was down for some time and that ordering a new set would take too long and I couldn't afford the extra expense. This is when he told me using the existing lines was an option. He even told me that reordering where the bottles lie in the ink tray could be done if needed. Additionally, he suggested that the white plastic harnesses, mounted to the machine could be removed to create a more direct line to the ink bottles.

These aren't ideas I would just pull out of the air. So your service manager's assertion that everybody knows that the lines are too short so they wouldn't suggest it, doesn't hold water, otherwise the tech would've presented or at least noted an objection to this course of action. Besides, if I just arbitrarily pick and choose actions to fix the machine, why would I bother calling tech support in the first place?

Don-SWF East · October 2nd, 2009

Brad,

I'm sorry you feel the way you do. We provide the support materials we do (videos, pdf's and the like) to help minimize errors (including errors of omission). If someone desires to diverge from the instructions in these support materials - they assume responsibilty for the results.

It's not about proving anyone wrong. It's about the truth being laid out for all to see.

We do a very good job of taking care of our customers, and our technicians are very good about documenting the conversations they have so that the next tech you speak with will know what has or has not been addressed. We have pretty straightforward support and warranty policies laid out in writing that are signed by our customers prior to the sale. When situations such as yours arise we evaluate the situation and make a decision based on the facts.

The grandstanding was not started from this end, my response was simply that - a response to your post. In my eyes, ignoring your original post equates to accepting it as true.

I wish you the best with your business in the future.

ctcpool · October 2nd, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by Don-SWF East


	We do a very good job of taking care of our customers, and our technicians are very good about documenting the conversations they have so that the next tech you speak with will know what has or has not been addressed. We have pretty straightforward support and warranty policies laid out in writing that are signed by our customers prior to the sale. When situations such as yours arise we evaluate the situation and make a decision based on the facts.

Don,
If it is true that your techs do such a wonderful job documenting the conversations, why did I have to repeatedly go through a witch hunt every time I called for support? I was constantly questioned about whether I was the owner after my situation was supposedly documented, repeatedly. In fact, one of the techs assured me that the notes would be updated and he would have your service manager email a confirmation that this was done. Of course, that email never came.

I do believe you Don that you are trying to find the truth. You will never find it if your tech's deny making the suggestions they did, presumably to cover their tail.

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