Places with good customer service

**Rob Powell** · Aug-14-2008, 5:41am

These days, it's not always easy to find a place where you get good customer service so I like to recognize the places that I do.

What prompted me to do this was Big City Strings.

I placed an order on Sunday morning, it was confirmed Sunday afternoon, they shipped it on Monday and I got it yesterday. The order was completely correct and I guess because I bought a bunch of Wegen picks, they threw in a Wegen "Pick Pocket" for free.

I know the above might not seem like much but I find it rarer and rarer these days when somebody not only gets it right but adds a little something.

On those lines, I would add that my local music store, Melodee Music always gives me great, friendly service.

Although I haven't done any direct business yet with the following, they were all very responsive to questions I've had recently and in the past.

Doug Edwards of Hill Country Stringworks, Dennis Vance of The Mandolin Store and Tony Pires of Tone-Gard have all been very good.

I know there are more out there, why not post your good experiences?

For the record, I have no financial interest in any of these guys. I just like putting the word out when I've had good experiences.

**herbsandspices** · Aug-14-2008, 11:36am

I cannot say enough good things Steilberg Strings.. Mick's always been a huge help, as have Jim and Andrew. They all go totally out of their way to make sure their customers are happy. And I say this with complete confidence, all while never even meeting them in person! They've always come through with exceptional product, great prices, and above all, awesome service.

Others who I've had great dealings with:
Matthew Goins at Blue Chip Picks
Loren Bailey at The Bailey Strap (now owned by Bill Bailey, who has been just as friendly!)
My favorite local shop, The Different Strummer, located inside The Old Town School of Folk here in Chicago... friendly knowledgeable people!
My favorite guitar & amp fixer-uppers, Third Coast Guitar - Nate & Andon are awesome.

Great idea for a thread!

john

**mandopete** · Aug-14-2008, 4:41pm

I've always had good service from Just Strings. They can be found right here on the home page of the Cafe.

**jim simpson** · Aug-14-2008, 5:06pm

My latest mandolin aquisition came from Mandolin Bros. - they were great to deal with.

**lovethemf5s** · Aug-14-2008, 5:50pm

Fiddler's Green Music Shop. Clay is AOK.

**Mike Snyder** · Aug-14-2008, 6:01pm

Morgan Music in Lebanon Mo., ask for Alvin Deskins. Good selection of bluegrass instruments and a lot more. Nice guys, too.

**Ray(T)** · Aug-15-2008, 11:05am

Great service from TAMCO - Brighton UK - great selection and after-sales service and never heard a bad word about them.

**GRW3** · Aug-15-2008, 10:52pm

Guitar Tex in San Antonio. Good Weber and Eastman dealer. Owner plays acoustic instruments professionally, plays a Weber Yellowstone A model mandolin and has been to the Galloup luithiery school. Is the local Martin repair guy.

Right now he has a very throaty bronze Bitterroot F and a very nice honey/tortoise Yellowstone F. The former is nice and will play in to a nice instrument but it not voiced to my taste. The latter almost triggers the "plays better new than my played in mandolin" benchmark to make me act. It probably sounds better on a non-partisan basis but that's not possible for me.

**mandolirius** · Aug-16-2008, 12:13am

Matthew from Blue Chip and Doug Edwards were both great to deal with.

Just Strings was very fast, more so than I expected because I had a festival to do and didn't think the strings would arrive in time. I picked up a set locally but the J.S. order showed up the Tuesday before...days to spare.

**Mikey G** · Aug-16-2008, 11:28am

Dennis Vance at The Mandolin Store...Top Notch.

**grags** · Aug-16-2008, 2:17pm

The Mando Shop gets my Kudos. #Kyle Dunn is a pleasure to work with and he treats every instrument as if it were his own. #He won't ship an instrument to a customer until it plays to the best of its capabilities. #You'll feel like you are dealing with an old friend.

Grags

PS. #Kyle, Neely is on its way.

**Richard Russell** · Aug-16-2008, 8:14pm

Another vote for Kyle at The Mando Shop! His setup on my mandolin is among the best I've played and his communication was excellent as he assisted me in finding the right mandolin.

**Ivan Kelsall** · Aug-17-2008, 6:29am

I'll have to go with Ray(T) on this one. In the UK,at least for Mandolins,TAMCO is unsurpassable for choice & great service. Another good store for in the UK is 'Frets Old & New'in Liverpool for most other things. "Eagle Music" in Huddersfield,Yorkshire is excellent
also.
In the USA,the stores i've dealt with are 'First Quality' & 'Janet Davis',both great to deal with regards service. Just as a matter of no interest whatever to most of you folk (unless you have a Stelling Banjo)that is. I ordered a new armrest for my Banjo from Geoff Stelling last Monday (11th Aug.),it arrived at my home on Friday last - now that's QUICK service !. I wish some of our UK stores were as quick.I ordered a set of Guitar bridge pins several months ago,by phone. The store assured me that they would be in the post within '7 working days'.This is for items that would fit into a match box with room to spare. Sometimes i wish folk like these would just get a job they like,
Saska

**Frank Russell** · Aug-20-2008, 12:51pm

I've always enjoyed doing business with Greg Boyd and his staff. I've traded and bought many times from Buffalo Bros., and always come away happy. For vendors, Kurt Gisclair's fossilized ivory products never disappoint, and neither does his fast customer service. It's pretty hard to beat any dealings with Bill Bussmann at Old Wave mandolins. Even if you don't buy something from him, his emails and phone conversations are priceless, and I've found him honest to a fault. Frank

**PineTar** · Aug-20-2008, 1:08pm

I've always been pleased with Janet Davis Music. Always quick to ship anything I've purchased online, and Tom has worked on my mandolin and did a first rate job.

**Matt Hutchinson** · Aug-20-2008, 1:56pm

Originally Posted by (Ray(T) @ Aug. 15 2008, 12:05)

Great service from TAMCO - Brighton UK - great selection and after-sales service and never heard a bad word about them.

Yep, I agree totally. I've bough both my mandolins from them and the service is wonderful. I went in recently to try a few mandos out so I could see what I liked and didn't in advance of buying something at a later point. Trevor brought me everything in my price range (and a few clearly above my range just because he thought I'd enjoy trying them out). I ended up falling in love with a Flatiron and bought it a few days later. I had considered buying from the States and shipping home to the UK but I'm glad I didn't. Resources such as this are few and far between so it's important they get the support they deserve.

Matt

**Mike Scott** · Aug-25-2008, 11:14am

Doug Edwards is great to deal with. Barry and Sabine K at Bulldog are likewise great folks. A local shop, A# Music in Renton, WA is a great for guitars. They have you bring it back 30 days after purchase for a check up and string change. I always felt that was really great customer service.

**Jim Broyles** · Aug-25-2008, 12:08pm

Online businesses with which I have dealt in the last five years:

Musician's Friend
Music123
Elderly Instruments
Suncreek Music
FineCases.com
Numerous eBay vendors for strings, cases, instruments, straps and accessories for acoustic and electric guitar, electric bass and mandolin.
I have had zero problems and have full confidence in each and every dealer with whom I have done business.

**Mike Snyder** · Aug-25-2008, 7:52pm

Luthier B. Kneeland at E.M. Shorts Guitars in Wichita Ks.
Experienced in mandolin building and set-up. Nice kid. I hope he keeps building mandos.

**Dave Harbst** · Aug-25-2008, 8:27pm

Steve Miklas at Acoustic Music Works in Pittsburgh, PA:
http://www.acousticmusicworks.com/mandolins.html .

**jeff_75** · Aug-26-2008, 11:09am

Originally Posted by (beergeek @ Aug. 14 2008, 06:41)

On those lines, I would add that my local music store, Melodee Music always gives me great, friendly service.

+1 for Melodee Music. I'm not local to that area anymore, but I bought a Weber there about eight years ago. Great place to do business. Is Rick still there? He was excellent.

I've also always been very pleased with the customer service at Weber and JustStrings.com.

**woodwizard** · Aug-26-2008, 11:55am

The Mandolin Store
Pickin' & Grinin' Knoxville TN
Folk of the Woods NM
oh and I almost forgot
the Gibson Showcase - Nashville

These were all great places to deal with.

**JeffD** · Aug-26-2008, 1:25pm

Elderly Instruments - consistently good service for the 25 plus years I have dealt with them.

**Fliss** · Aug-27-2008, 6:38am

Originally Posted by (saska @ Aug. 17 2008, 07:29)

I'll have to go with Ray(T) on this one. In the UK,at least for Mandolins,TAMCO is unsurpassable for choice & great service. Another good store for in the UK is 'Frets Old & New'in Liverpool for most other things. "Eagle Music" in Huddersfield,Yorkshire is excellent
also.

Another vote for TAMCO - it'd be pretty hard to fault Trevor on anything, and I can't imagine that anywhere else in the UK could even come close to TAMCO for the variety and sheer number of quality mandolins they stock.

Eagle Music is also excellent, I agree - their customer service is so good it's scary, including offering a cup of tea as soon as I walked through the door!

Fliss

**Dave Greenspoon** · Aug-27-2008, 7:00am

I second Harpoon's addition of #Acoustic Music Works to this list of outstanding merchants with exemplary customer service. #Steve not only runs an amazing business (ask Collings who moved the most mandolins for them last year), he's an amazing person and his shop (now greatly expanded from my days in the 'Burgh) is an amazing place. #The store's motto, "Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins, and Good Company" is a modest understatement. #There is something special about the man and the shop that can only be appreciated once experienced. For the record, NFI...but I wish there was!!! #:-)