Disappointed with Egnater....

[muudrock]

Very interesting discussion. I remember much the same thing being said before Jeff was hired and a few other folks were added to the main mix at the shop way back when it was just Bruce & Frank. You'd call, they were nice, but incredibly slow and incredibly unable to deal with the load. Then Frank left, and split off into the Amp Lounge. Now support is still an issue, yes I have had problems, but i don't really post about that stuff. Not knocking anyone who has I just prefer to keep that sort of stuff between me and them. But I think this is a legit gripe that needs to be figured out. I also know it would be taken a lot more seriously if we began to make positive suggestions about how to fix it and what we want. Otherwise, it's just cyber bitching.

Couldn't agree more with you. I've had issues here and there, but Bruce in the end solved them...and Jeff the same. I've had nothing positive results in the end. My M4, Mod50s have all been some of the best gear purchases I've had to date. I just LOVE my M4. That's my personal favorite, and is something I'll never get rid of. There's less in there to go wrong too. Give me an M4 or E2, with a BMAN, VX, COD, EG34X, and Hilly XTC...and I'm in love!

I definitely think that Egnater really needs to find at least 5-6 amp techs around to offload some of the work. I don't think finding someone local in every state makes sense, but find 5-6 geographically dispersed that can be trusted, and can work on Egnater's stuff. People like Trace @ Voodoo amps, Kevin @ uncle Albert's in Indianapolis, etc. I've had both of them do work on amps of mine, and had nothing but good results.

I definitely think that something needs to happen on solving the "call someone on the phone" and do some troubleshooting that way. I used to be able to call the shop and get ahold of someone at least 50% of the time. Now that is down to 0%. But email has been successful though.

Other ideas are why not offer a troubleshooting FAQ on their website. Go through these 5,10,25 items of issues that you could find to help let people self-diagnose their issues. Also update that FAQ of any known issues and how to resolve them. Like the TM mod they did initially to tighten up the low end. That would go a LONG way to being more transparent, open, and give a lot of people "warm fuzzies."

Eric

Previously, my few issues have been solved by Bruce or Jeff as well, they really took care of me. Recently though, I haven't been able to get a hold of them. I've been trying to get my Mod100 updated for 3 years and have been put off time after time. I don't want to come off as slamming Bruce and Co. because like the majority of us, I absolutely LOVE my Egnater modular amps--- So much so that I haven't owned any other brands for a while. However, the silence from Michigan has been deafening if you know what I mean. To me, it seems as though people are just getting a little frustrated with the lack of communication-me included.
I sincerely hope things get worked out for the best. Bruce has such a good thing going.

 

[aeroic]

Very interesting discussion. I remember much the same thing being said before Jeff was hired and a few other folks were added to the main mix at the shop way back when it was just Bruce & Frank. You'd call, they were nice, but incredibly slow and incredibly unable to deal with the load. Then Frank left, and split off into the Amp Lounge. Now support is still an issue, yes I have had problems, but i don't really post about that stuff. Not knocking anyone who has I just prefer to keep that sort of stuff between me and them. But I think this is a legit gripe that needs to be figured out. I also know it would be taken a lot more seriously if we began to make positive suggestions about how to fix it and what we want. Otherwise, it's just cyber bitching.

Couldn't agree more with you. I've had issues here and there, but Bruce in the end solved them...and Jeff the same. I've had nothing positive results in the end. My M4, Mod50s have all been some of the best gear purchases I've had to date. I just LOVE my M4. That's my personal favorite, and is something I'll never get rid of. There's less in there to go wrong too. Give me an M4 or E2, with a BMAN, VX, COD, EG34X, and Hilly XTC...and I'm in love!

I definitely think that Egnater really needs to find at least 5-6 amp techs around to offload some of the work. I don't think finding someone local in every state makes sense, but find 5-6 geographically dispersed that can be trusted, and can work on Egnater's stuff. People like Trace @ Voodoo amps, Kevin @ uncle Albert's in Indianapolis, etc. I've had both of them do work on amps of mine, and had nothing but good results.

I definitely think that something needs to happen on solving the "call someone on the phone" and do some troubleshooting that way. I used to be able to call the shop and get ahold of someone at least 50% of the time. Now that is down to 0%. But email has been successful though.

Other ideas are why not offer a troubleshooting FAQ on their website. Go through these 5,10,25 items of issues that you could find to help let people self-diagnose their issues. Also update that FAQ of any known issues and how to resolve them. Like the TM mod they did initially to tighten up the low end. That would go a LONG way to being more transparent, open, and give a lot of people "warm fuzzies."

Eric

Previously, my few issues have been solved by Bruce or Jeff as well, they really took care of me. Recently though, I haven't been able to get a hold of them. I've been trying to get my Mod100 updated for 3 years and have been put off time after time. I don't want to come off as slamming Bruce and Co. because like the majority of us, I absolutely LOVE my Egnater modular amps--- So much so that I haven't owned any other brands for a while. However, the silence from Michigan has been deafening if you know what I mean. To me, it seems as though people are just getting a little frustrated with the lack of communication-me included.
I sincerely hope things get worked out for the best. Bruce has such a good thing going.

Couldn't agree more here man.

 

[aeroic]

Guess this is part of our answer....

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=63538

Jeff is no longer involved with Egnater amps. Rumor is Doug Reynolds who ran the Randall amplifier division is coming to Egnater, although it is not confirmed. Looks like Egnater Amplifiers is in transition again.

I can confirm it. He was at the Egnater booth...and Bruce introduced me to him, saying he came over to Egnater from Randall amp division.

Eric

 

[bruce egnater]

Where to begin.......
First, I feel honored that even as we deal with growing pains/issues, you all are here to try to help and make suggestions. Most people are not this loyal to a company and would "jump ship" in a second. You guys/girls are here wondering what the issues are and asking/suggesting how you can help. I truly take your show of support very personal and you have no idea how humbling that is.
As you know, after 30 years,Egnater is suddenly growing faster than I could have ever imagined. As you can plainly see, we have a few issues to iron out. Believe me, we are taking this very seriously and making every effort to keep every single customer happy but, alas, that is just not always possible. We will screw up occasionally but will do our best to remedy our mistakes and flaws as quickly as possible. Stuff happens and always will. It hurts our feelings as much as yours when something goes wrong. All we can do is ask for forgiveness and try to make good when that happens. Here is how this all works at Egnater. My office is in Michigan where all the actual design and prototyping takes place. My son Ian, wife Terri and myself are basically the "design team". I do all the circuit designs and board layouts myself. Terri and Ian assist in assembling and testing. The other team members are Nate, John, Doug and Gustavo. They are at our distribution center in California. Nate single handedly handles all customer service calls/inquiries/parts requests/ etc. He is quite efficient and skilled but.....he can't always be there to personally/immediately answer every call or email. Occasionally he does not have the immediate answer and will consult me before responding. This can take a day or so. John is the guy who makes things happen. When hundreds of products arrive at the California office, John (and his team) physically unpacks, plays, inspects and repackages every single Egnater amp before it ships to the stores. He also takes care of the endless behind the scenes duties that are really too numerous to list. Doug Reynolds, our newest member, comes to us after 13 years as head of the Randall and Eden divisions at US Music Corp in Chicago. He is now head of Egnater US marketing and sales. I have known Doug for as many years and he is already having a very positive impact on getting our marketing and sales in the right direction. Gustavo is our resident "shredder" and leads our network of international distributors in 20 countries. There are other behind the scenes people who work tirelessly to keep things going who prefer to remain anonomous. Understand this is our entire team. Impressed? So f'in what, you say!?!!! Why did it take 3 weeks for your footswitch to arrive??? Are we all incompetent? No, we made a mistake and dropped the ball and I personally apologize for that. We have a challenging road ahead for Egnater and are taking the necessary steps to build and improve our customer service. I will be truthful. If you call us on the phone, more often than not you will not have a real person answer. Nate and John get anywhere from 50 to 100 calls a day and simply cannot be there to personally take every call in real time. Maybe someday but just not right now. I see your comments about not bothering to call or calling many times and never getting anyone on the phone. Nate and John are commited to getting back to every customer in a timely manner. If you are not getting the prompt attention you feel you should, please email them at nate@egnateramps.com or john@egnateramps.com.
Last subject and I'll shut up. What's up with the Modular stuff? We have struggled for many years attempting to meet the demand for the Modular amps. This has been a challenge because of the time/effort it takes to hand build each product. Often people have waited for many months for us to deliver. Many of your experiences with delivery times taking way longer than expected and broken promises have not been pleasant, I know. Again, your loyalty has shown through and not gone unnoticed by me. In hindsight, some of our actions and the way we do things have not been conducive to building customer confidence. I am now changing that. All emails and phone calls concerning the Modular stuff are now coming directly to me. I promise to respond in a timely manner. This does not mean I will be able to always answer the phones in real time or respond instantly to your emails but I will get back to you within a day at the most but usually within a few hours. We are actively working on ways to improve our production to be able to deliver our products in a much more timely manner.
My goal in all this is for Egnater to remain small enough to keep our "small town, personal" feel by doing our best to be there for you. It is difficult to juggle the overwhelming demands and still be home for dinner on time everynight, but we really are trying. I have read every one of your suggestions and complaints. We are discussing many of the possiblities that you have brought to us. One thing that is proving to be quite difficult is finding knowledgable, reliable and experienced service people around the US to help with repair issues. If you have suggestions for service people that you feel can handle the level of complexity in our products, please forward their info to Nate or John.
Again, thank you for your concern and loyalty.

 

[Deleted member 3860]

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[shade]

Great post Bruce... as a new Mod 50 owner (one of Eric's) it's comforting to know you are working towards catching up with the business, been there myself as an employee of a $200M start up that was bought by a big pharma co and hit $1B in sales that first year. Talk about growing pains... the infrastructure took a few years to catch up (it'll be 6 years in Apr).

Thanks for giving us all the skinny.... looking forward to see what you guys come up with next!

Hey, does anyone know if the E2 will be available empty?

 

[jmgman69]

So.. who's in charge of t-shirt sales

I think I speak for almost everyone here when I say, "thank you for the update".
Sounds like things are coming together.

 

[Len Rabinowitz]

We luv ya, Bruce! Just playin' around with my Tourmaster last night- FUN! Looking forward to re-tubing it today.

A thought from Bill Gates:

I read an interview with him a few years ago where he was asked if, looking back on the success of Microsoft, he thought he had made any mistakes. He said that he initially thought that all you needed to do was hire really smart people and you would be all set. The smartest guy on the block should be able to do anything, right?

Wrong, according to Gates. Hire the guy that's good at what you need. If you need someone really good at marketing, hire someone good at marketing- even if he's the guy that got B's at state university, rather than A's at Harvard.

Bruce is the brilliant design guy, so- He should stay on that. Hire someone good at creating a national support network. Maybe even someone outside of the music business.

I wonder if this is connected to Jeff''s leaving?

Egnater needs to grow- No doubt about it. My suggestion is to maintain the quality and forget about the "small town feel" business. You're not a small town anymore.

 

[gtr31]

Thanks for the updates Bruce ,I am sure it is very much appreciated .
and can you please stop posting Gustavo videos as he makes me feel bad about myself and condsidering switching to bass

 

[marvcus]

Thanks for the update Bruce. I think we all appreciate that you responded -- you certainly didn't have to.

My only suggestion/advice is to under-promise and over-deliver. Even if it's going to take you a week to get back to someone, say a week and a half and then get back to them in a week. Then you are perceived as "ahead of schedule."

 

[jasco]

Thanks for the response Bruce - it is much appreciated!! I work for the "fastest growing company in the world" (according to Forbes . . . ) and my experience is that managing that growth is the single biggest issue facing such a company. There is so much opportunity and so many great ideas, but just surviving the workload becomes a daily challenge. Hang in there during the tough times, and don't forget to enjoy the success!

 

[Len Rabinowitz]

Thanks for the update Bruce. I think we all appreciate that you responded -- you certainly didn't have to.

My only suggestion/advice is to under-promise and over-deliver. Even if it's going to take you a week to get back to someone, say a week and a half and then get back to them in a week. Then you are perceived as "ahead of schedule."

Good advice here. I remember reading somewhere that is one of Disneyland's keys to success. They use it in the wait times on their rides- They put up a wait time that is longer than it actually is, so when you get to the ride you are like "Great! It said ten minutes but it only was 5!" and you are left with a great impression of Disneyland.

 

[Jammers5]

Hi Bruce:

I would say 3 weeks to get a replacement footswitch would be an acceptable turn around time. However it's been 4 weeks and still no sign of it.

I appreciate the growing pains you are experiencing, as I am sure it is a challenge. I was involved with a young start up company. My top priority was and still is customer satisfaction at any price. For me it means long hours and following up with customers.

I hope your product does not suffer for this, as I am still of this opinion your amps are top notch, and NOBODY can beat.

It's a damn shame I am not able to use my Rebel 30 this weekend at our show, instead I am using a newly acquired amp that was meant as a practice amp. I miss that footswitch!

Maybe a suggestion; how about you ship the replacement part to the customer and charge their credit card, then reverse the charge when the defective unit is received? I would have been happy to pay the cost of the part temporarily until you received my old one.

Someone posted in here that they see this a bitching on the web about a product, I prefer to call it constructive criticism. I know if someone wasn't happy with my business I would prefer to know about it! As a matter of fact we track all posts on facebook, twitter etc regarding our company to make sure we know what our customers thing we are doing right AND what we are doing wrong. I am sure Bruce thinks this is a valuable exercise as well, as he is always tracking the posts on this forum!

J5

 

[tonesearching]

xxx

 

[kingsryche]

Well I love my "Chinese junk". I've had my Rebel 20 for 15 months with zero issues. Stock tubes and with my new TM 212 cab it sounds better than my Mesa Rectoverb 112 I had a few years ago. I guess I have always preferred more of a Marshall roar than Mesa buzzsaw.

 

[Len Rabinowitz]

I have been beating the crap out of my "junk" Chinese made Tourmaster for about a year and a half- No significant problems here! It is far from junk. I still think it sounds better than the Mesas out there that I tried. Most amps will need some work after 5 years- The Mesa Rectifier that I had certainly did. Heck, I'd be willing to bet that most of us don't keep an amp 5 years. And at that point, a little fixing for either an Egnater or Mesa, and they'll go for years. Fixed up my Mesa, sold it to my friend, and it has been kicing ass for him for the past year and a half.

 

[shade]

Chinese junk....... I had an American made Splawn Quick Rod, passed it on like every other amp. I knew after a week it wasn't gonna cut it. Took home a chinese junk Renegade on a whim from Guitar Center............... after a week I took it back, because I liked it so much I figured the Mod50 would be even better. So far it's the first amp I'm still liking the distortion after a week.

I think I would have been happy with the Renegade and an E2... and yeah, I'll be picking up an E2

 

[sea]

Exactly. That is why I bought a Mesa Boogie. Not going to spend $1000 + on Chinese junk that will break in a few years.

Like americans can't screw up!

Just ask Ford and GM.

It's not WHERE it's made but HOW its made! Quality control is the key.

 

[Len Rabinowitz]

If I recall correctly, you are recently married. I'm 21 years. Believe me, give it a few years- She might like ya better this way!



In all seriousness, this is an issue of well done hiring and training. They have to let go of the "small town" thing. They have to very carefully hire and train some people.

 

[shade]

What they need to do is be patient, hire the right people, and then carefully train them... the worst thing that could happen is go from slow responding to screwing things up.