[Sandman2050]

I just bought my SR5 core rulebook from FLGS about a month ago. The pages are now detaching from the spine. The book is falling a part. My FLGS says they can do nothing about it but to contact Catalyst Labs. Will Catalyst Labs do anything about this?

[adzling]

Let's hope so!
Their customer service track record is abysmal however.

[AJCarrington]

@Sandman2050 - please drop a note to CGL directly. If you run into any problems, drop me a note and I'll see if there is anything I can do.

[Sandman2050]

I sent an email to randall@catalystgamelabs.com but have not received a response. If you could help with this I would greatly appreciate it.

[AJCarrington]

Will do. If you could drop me a PM with your email address (that you sent the email with), I'll follow up.

[Mr. Eastwood]

I am so used to this from literally every rpg hardcover, from WoTC's D&D to FFG's Dark Heresy, that I regularly use old Elmers glue down the spine when is separates. Years of heavy hardback and heavy use means you learn to keep up with that particular problem early.

[AJCarrington]

Back in the day, I went so far as to remove all the pages from the binding, insert into sheet protectors and them into a binder. Worked great except that the resulting tome weight a ton. These days, use my iPad so much that my hard copies tend to simply gather dust on the shelf.

[PeterSmith]

I sent an email to randall@catalystgamelabs.com but have not received a response. If you could help with this I would greatly appreciate it.

Keep this in mind: Randall is in the final run-up to GenCon (two weeks out) and is in the process of moving his family. Patience is not a suggestion, it's a requirement.

[Sandman2050]

Also keep in mind that I have been contacting Catalyst Labs about this since May of this year. They have had plenty of time to respond. WotC responded within 24 hours to a friend of mine when he had PHB issues identical to mine. I believe customer retention is a requirement not a recommendation for a successful business. Posting here was my last option. I'm not a fan of fanboi trolls.
The admin here did respond rather quick and I hope this SNAFU can be corrected. Thanks again  AJCarrington.

[AJCarrington]

I think that you should be getting (or have been) contacted from CGL on this...I know that it's been passed along. Could you drop me a PM to update?

[Gardensnake]

Also keep in mind that I have been contacting Catalyst Labs about this since May of this year. They have had plenty of time to respond. WotC responded within 24 hours to a friend of mine when he had PHB issues identical to mine. I believe customer retention is a requirement not a recommendation for a successful business. Posting here was my last option. I'm not a fan of fanboi trolls.
The admin here did respond rather quick and I hope this SNAFU can be corrected. Thanks again  AJCarrington.

I'm pretty sure PeterSmith wasn't trolling you Sandman2050. Your OP seemed to imply this was a recent occurrence not something that happened back in May. I understand your frustration. Catalyst is unfortunately known for a lack of promptness in addressing issues. I hope you get this resolved to your satisfaction.

William

[Backgammon]

. I believe customer retention is a requirement not a recommendation for a successful business.

The thing is, people think CGL/Battlecorps is like Amazon. I mean, God bless Amazon for all they do, but they have set people's expectations to a certain level. The RPG industry is not so much as business as a professional amateur endeavour. Like, there isn't a marketing department with guys in suits going "we need to improve customer retention through better service". It's like 4 guys working too many hours for next to nothing spending all their waking moments on books. And none of them are business majors. I know in 2015 it's too late to unset people expectations from Amazon, but yeah. It's not cause they actively hate you. They just can't do any better. If I had bought a book and it was falling apart and had been trying to reach someone for 8 months I'd be pretty upset too. But... There just isn't anywhere else to go from here. Keep banging away on a pot till someone does something. It is what it is.

[adzling]

I think there's a huge gulf between Amazon and no response in 8 months.

The latter does not involve large marketing departments, large budgets or big company style resources.
It involves basic practices and some care for your customers.
My 15 person company handles returns on a daily basis, we manufacture hard products that require tooling and R&D budgets and such. We pay for return shipping when we screw something up. It's just the right thing to do.

Catalyst doesn't get a pass because they are small, 8 months is not acceptable in any circumstance.

Thats just crappy and is a hallmark of Catalyst's poor service and process.

[Finn]

I understand your pain Omae. It took me Six Months and Jason Hardy kicking in a door just to get a book delivered.

[Reaver]

Just a note:

WOTC is owned by Hasbro a multi BILLION dollar company ($4.09 billion in 2013)

And employs 10,000 people.


Catalyst has what? 8 full time employees?

Big difference in both manpower, system organization (hasbro has 60+ years in operation), and resources.


Could Catalyst do better? I would say yes. Are they trying to do better? Again I would say yes.

But change doesn't happen over night.

FWIW: I have had to deal with Randal and battleshop before too. And while I didn't get instant resolution to my issue, it was dealt with.

(Which IS more then I can say for Amazon! Still waiting on either a $1200 refund, or my merchandise after 18 MONTHS. Now it's my lawyer's responsibility)