Why?
Ian aren’t you half way around the world and totally uninvolved in any of this business?
Barry.
Why?
Ian aren’t you half way around the world and totally uninvolved in any of this business?
Barry.
If we knew what the hell we were doing, we wouldn't call it research would we.
4313B and Giskard are the same person
2ch: WiiM Pro; Topping E30 II DAC; Oppo, Acurus RL-11, Acurus A200, JBL Dynamics Project - Offline: L212-TwinStack, VonSchweikert VR-4
7: TIVO, Oppo BDP103D, B&K, 2pr UREI 809A, TF600, JBL B460
I regret to inform all viewing this thread of another complaint relating to long over due time frames and loss of contact with Upland Loudspeaker Repairs involving an LHS member in Europe. The value of the drivers is apparently significant.
For those curious. Most of those involved have come to me for advice on how to resolve the issue. I was instrumental in Ken becoming involved in the forums over 15 years ago, l have met Ken and have had a number of communications with Ken over the past five years but not recently.
What’s happened to people caught up in this situation is concerning. It concerns me that l have referred a number of new customers to Ken over the above period.
My advice is not to use this loudspeaker repair service until such time as an “acceptable grade of service” can be verified and is being maintained.
If you have a repair with Upland which is now old consider the following:
STOP sending in drivers for repair
Putting the loudspeaker on EBay. Someone will buy it.
Buying a functional driver from EBay or another forum member.
As a collective group those with outstanding repairs may consider action with the support of a repossession Agent. Under local laws this maybe perfectly legitimate action.
It’s alleged by all those who have complained that Ken offers to do the job in a few weeks. At the moment the normal values of a legitimate business for customer success don’t exist.
-Work isn’t completed in a reasonable time frame.
-Communication with customers is not being maintained or is non existent.
I'm very sorry to hear that. I hope the situation is rectified soon.
". . . as you have no doubt noticed, no one told the 4345 that it can't work correctly so it does anyway."—Greg Timbers
Maybe somebody more locally could drop by the store, Most small business owners, that I know, that have survived this poo storm are drowning in their success and struggling to meet expectations? I know driving around the LA area is not an insignificant ask, but all of this is so totally out of character for a "forum friend" that has contributed so much to this community? We owe him the benefit of doubt??
Mark
Well, as someone else pointed out earlier in this thread, he is still maintaining an active eBay store:
https://www.ebay.com/usr/edgewound0z15
There are new feedbacks that are less than a month old, so these aren't simply abandoned listings that are set to auto-renew. He is still selling stuff. He hasn't simply disappeared. Nothing wrong with a wellness check of course, but it really does sound like he is just ghosting people (ignoring people who he doesn't have a convenient response for) at this point.
I would suggest there is a real problem when you are invoiced to pay US$2,300 upfront for delivery in three weeks and for six months he hasn’t responded to emails for a delivery status.
It’s simply unacceptable. He’s living off those funds and hasn’t delivered on the promise.
A legitimate business doesn’t do that to its customers. Non on the planet that l am aware of.
I don’t think popping by and getting a response that everything is okay changes the situation at all.
The only person who can change this situation is Ken. It’s a mindset. If your not fully committed your wasting everyone’s time and money. The lesson to be learned here is you can’t do it on your own and you can’t sweep it under the rug.
On Facebook he posts daily but doesn’t respect emails from customers waiting on their orders. This is the last thing older folks in this hobby need. It’s their passion and they are being screwed over by a lousy operator who is making them take the piss. I’ve been receiving complaints since before covid 19 including supply issues of my own. It’s not a new problem at all.
My intent here is to make un suspecting people aware of the risks and to provide alternatives. He’s made himself the problem. No one else.
Putting it in sharper perspective. If the customer doesn’t win no one wins.
I will also point out l have listened to Ken and offered detailed feedback and made recommendations towards change that will make his operation more effective and efficient.
There’s lots of things he could be doing including calling for volunteers to support him. Allowing more focus on getting things actually done. I also discussed a review of work that is accepted once received and different workflows to avoid clogging up of a single pipeline.
A volunteer who is retired or semi retired could prepare an inventory of WIP
Reclassify priorities and work schedules
Prepare a customer contact and call list
Quarantine of jobs that are for reasons outside his control and respond to customers for action
Goods inwards and outwards shipping
Invoicing of work completed
This could be a few hours a week for a volunteer once an agreed operating rhythm is established. In other words get everything up to date.
I’m not the bad cop here at all. Far from it. I would like to send more jobs to Ken. This was discussed when we met but that’s gone out the window until this situation can be resolved.
It’s up to Ken to take the initiative if he really wants to succeed. The mindset has got to change. The customer is Not the problem.
It should never ever get to the stage of public venting.
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