Out of warranty Minelab repairs

[cdv1]

First off, I need to say I am NOT trying to make any one person or Kco look bad (although it may look that way in print ), I understand what they are dealing with and I've heard rumblings that things may be changing in the future to alleviate the current bottleneck....hope the rumblings are true.

I sent an out of warranty CTX in for repairs and it was received by Kco on Oct 4 or 5th 2016. The problem was a broken upper shaft and I felt it was a quick fix if the parts were on the shelf. I knew I wouldn't get preference due to the warranty work coming first but, in my mind I thought it would get opened and someone might just say.....we can turn this one around real quick....that didn't happen. It took numerous calls in the past two weeks and months to get it fixed and then it took an additional call to get it shipped. I was told a week ago it was ready to ship but was still sitting there awaiting someone to call me and get payment prior to shipping!

Luckily I was in the position that I wasn't in great need of the detector, but I can say I would have been more of a problem for Kco IF I hadn't had as many backup detectors as I do have.

The shop I worked in always had small side work that could be done in our spare time. Once the big jobs were done, you could pick up one of the smaller (quicker fixes) and get that job done....

The price breakdown Kco sent with the detector showed 1hr labor as I expected and the prices for parts were actually LESS than I expected by quite a bit but again, I'd be willing to bet this work could have been done sooner and I know for a fact it could have been shipped a week earlier IF what I was told was indeed factual.

Kudos to Kco's repair shop for quality work.
Kudos to Treasure Hunter for his help.

There are always ways to improve how things get done with what you have to work with, maybe the same is true at Kco and the repair shop.

Cliff

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

FYI, per techs in the repair center there is only room for 50-60 detectors inside repair center that have been opened up logged in and put in detector repair baskets, so past that point they are left in original shipping boxes and dated when they arrive, then put on shelves in warehouse till there is room to bring them in their repair center so there is no way to know what is sitting in a box with a simple repair unless it is noted on the outside of the box.

 

[Geobound]

Yikes, 5 months to get it fixed?

Hmmmmm, I may have to reconsider a Minelab purchase?

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

Yikes, 5 months to get it fixed?

Hmmmmm, I may have to reconsider a Minelab purchase?

Warranty work goes to the front of the line, but I 100% agree with you. I too am holding off a purchase because of the lack of repair ability.

 

[KirkS]

Yikes, 5 months to get it fixed?

Hmmmmm, I may have to reconsider a Minelab purchase?

This is one reason I went with a Tesoro Sand Shark instead of a used Excal.

 

[PowerDubs]

If ANY company has 50+ customers waiting to get something fixed, that is bad management 100%.

Hire more people. If you have room for storage of units waiting to be worked on, you have space for a guy to work!

This should be basic 101 for any business- much less one that charges as much as Minelab does.


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[Treasure_Hunter]

If ANY company has 50+ customers waiting to get something fixed, that is bad management 100%.

Hire more people. If you have room for storage of units waiting to be worked on, you have space for a guy to work!

This should be basic 101 for any business- much less one that charges as much as Minelab does.


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According to the repair center they were flooded with detectors in Aug and Sept, they basically got 3 times as many detectors for each of those months than they get in a normal month. They are through those and 3/4s through Oct now.

They are not a computer shop, you can't just go out and hire someone local to work on detectors who doesn't metal detect, that was already tried and it didn't work out. Need someone who is good with electronic repair on circuit boards and also knows or understands metal detecting especially on the excaliburs.

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

Agreed TH, and tho I don't like companies that sell snake oil (LRL's), I defend the repair center on this one.
The bottleneck is not so much the influx of detectors but the lack of additional repair centers to service all those many many ML detectors that continue to be sold. I've read ML is about to do something, but they really need to show some results before this fiasco drags on a lot longer. Talk only gets you so far, then you have to show results.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I have been told by Dave who runs the repair center that some things would greatly help speed up the process.

If people would stop sending in everything that came with a detector when they bought it when they send it in for repair, they have to do an inventory of everything a customer sends in to protect their selves and many customers are sending in everything they received when they bought detector, it takes time to log in all the accessories. Example, key pad on Xterra sticking does not require sending in the shaft coil or original box. On Excals don't send in shafts, just headphones controls and coil.

Some customers do not put their name, contact info and description of problem in the box when shipped and the return address was damage in shipment so they do not know who owns detector. They get detectors with no contact numbers to call, no email to write to as well.

They get detectors with no note of what is wrong or why they sent it in, this requires calling the customer if possible. All of this adds to the time it takes to get repairs done.

 

[KirkS]

Some customers do not put their name, contact info and description of problem in the box when shipped and the return address was damage in shipment so they do not know who owns detector. They get detectors with no contact numbers to call, no email to write to as well.

Oh.... those are mine. Really. Yeah, that's the ticket, their mine, all mine! Who do I send my address to?

 

[cdv1]

I have been told by Dave who runs the repair center that some things would greatly help speed up the process.

If people would stop sending in everything that came with a detector when they bought it when they send it in for repair, they have to do an inventory of everything a customer sends in to protect their selves and many customers are sending in everything they received when they bought detector, it takes time to log in all the accessories. Example, key pad on Xterra sticking does not require sending in the shaft coil or original box. On Excals don't send in shafts, just headphones controls and coil.

Only makes sense and costs less to ship that way.....

Again let me stress that I have NO problem with the work the Techs at Kco do, I've always been happy with the quality of work..... I can understand being swamped with work, quite like that rogue wave that hits you out in the water at times.....

Here is to hoping Kco can find another detectorist with an electronics background that wants to work for a living instead of detecting!

Cliff

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

Might be quicker to inventory Incoming by just taking a quick picture or even doing a quick video upon opening the customers' boxes. Storage is virtually nothing in cost and speed would be less than is required for paperwork (which requires filing/etc). Then all you have to do is keep that order together, which I'm sure theyre doing anyway.

But again, I don't see the problem as being with the KC repair folks.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Might be quicker to inventory Incoming by just taking a quick picture or even doing a quick video upon opening the customers' boxes. Storage is virtually nothing in cost and speed would be less than is required for paperwork (which requires filing/etc). Then all you have to do is keep that order together, which I'm sure theyre doing anyway.

But again, I don't see the problem as being with the KC repair folks.

Still requires time, you have to record each item including serial numbers for controls, coils, batteries, and then record accessories, gaskets any damages etc, then label and enter in a data base.

January 20, 2017 A New Beginning!

 

[Geobound]

Perhaps then Minelab needs to be clearer on what gets sent back to them?

I deal with manufacturing and return polices all the time, and there are certainly ways to streamline your process.

Making people wait for 5 months is just not acceptable in my opinion, no matter the excuse.

There are tons of people with electronic experience out there, and I don't buy into "they need to understand metal detecting".

if the hold up is because people are sending in all these extra parts and pieces that aren't required, but it takes a long time to log them all. Then that's where they should hire their staff?

I'm hoping that their electronics tech isn't the same guy that runs the RMA section as well?

With everything I've heard about Minelab they make a fantastic product, and charge for that, so its only logical that they would staff at the same level.

I've also been around long enough to know that "blips" happen, so lets just hope this is a blip and they get back to good customer service?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Whether you buy into it or not it is a fact just electronic experience doesn't work. Barry the tech who passed away was a retired NASA shuttle tech and very good on electronics and it took 2 years to get him trained to point he could do repairs on all models by his self with out needing Dave's help.

January 20, 2017 A New Beginning!

 

[sprailroad]

Does it not make you wonder? Why so Many? are sent in for repair? But then that may be true for all brands, I don't know. I own two minelab's, with NO problems. Good machines.

 

[ChampFerguson/TN]

Still requires time, you have to record each item including serial numbers for controls, coils, batteries, and then record accessories, gaskets any damages etc, then label and enter in a data base.

January 20, 2017 A New Beginning!

No, that's not what I am saying.

- open box on video, filming as you go; perhaps verbally identifying each item.
- set box+contents into a ToDo basket or whatever they use
continue on. MAYBE an extra minute since talking would slow the unboxing down in the slightest amount (but probably not).
NO paperwork. None. No database to enter anything into. No extra time devoted to paperwork.

Do repairs. Play back video to confirm all contents still present (another minute maybe?) and ship to customer.
Done. Save vid in a backup computer drive(DIRT cheap these days)with appropriate file name/date- that's all the documentation you need.

If customer calls and says "you forgot to send back my pinpointer that I had in the box", then you have Video evidence (not just your word) that it was never in the box. And convincing evidence if it ever got to court(which it will never get to since you have VIDEO evidence instead of just someone's say-so).

Quicker and more rear-covering.

Old guy bureaucratic paperwork mentality will die in the future. Smart companies will adapt and thrive because of it.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Does it not make you wonder? Why so Many? are sent in for repair? But then that may be true for all brands, I don't know. I own two minelab's, with NO problems. Good machines.

They are also still repairing the detectors no longer supported by Minelab, still working on detectors 15-20 year old.