Queen Customer Service

[supratentorial]

What were the fit and finish issues with the knives? Do you have photos?

 

[NewBlades16]

focus upon the discussion of traditional knives...not the purchasing process, prices nor vendors and their websites.

This was the only thing I found when I researched before I posted and tried to stay within guidelines. I am talking about 2 knives specifically and the customer service that goes with it. If there is a moderator that can clarify this, please do. I was very careful about my topic and words as it relates specifically about knives, and not a purchase or specifically about a dealer. I did not see anything about customer service specifically so that is why I thought this was appropriate here. Thanks

 

[NewBlades16]

What were the fit and finish issues with the knives? Do you have photos?

The shield fell off the teardrop Queen City 06 when I took it out of the box. The 69 SM Torched Stag Barlow C blades were a mess in every way. Major patina and mojor blade rub on the frame. I do not mind patina but I want it on my watch on a "New" knife. Pics? Nah. I sent it on the same day I received.

 

[NewBlades16]

The shield fell off the teardrop Queen City 06 when I took it out of the box. The 69 SM Torched Stag Barlow C blades were a mess in every way. Major patina and mojor blade rub on the frame. I do not mind patina but I want it on my watch on a "New" knife. Pics? Nah. I sent it on the same day I received.

This is good. Now we are talking about specific knives.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

That's funny, I talk to Ryan Daniels on a few different sites and we're friends on FB, he's always been straight up with me and easy to talk to. Than again I've never had to return a knife.

 

[NewBlades16]

That's funny, I talk to Ryan Daniels on a few different sites and we're friends on FB, he's always been straight up with me and easy to talk to. Than again I've never had to return a knife.

Awesome. Glad you had better luck than me.

 

[r redden]

This is good. Now we are talking about specific knives.

I'm really glad because IMO there is no place for angry responses on the Porch.

I guess I'm very lucky the few S&M and Queen knives I have are fine no problems at all. I have one more that I used and accidentally left it there.

 

[mrknife]

I'm really glad because IMO there is no place for angry responses on the Porch.

I guess I'm very lucky the few S&M and Queen knives I have are fine no problems at all. I have one more that I used and accidentally left it there.

thatll be the biggun, the pig sticker!

 

[T. Erdelyi]

Like I said I've never had to deal with Ryan as anything other than another knife enthusiast. We talk about knives, old and new and sometimes he'll send me a pic of a new model coming out.

Next time we talk I'll have to broach the subject of CS and see where he stands. I wish you all luck in future dealings with Queen. I'd hate to see another US knife manufacturer go down the tubes because of poor CS and QC. Queen is one of the older and had always been one of the better companies out there.

My last Queen was a 2009 Barlow, I don't recall when the Daniels took the reigns of the company, for some reason 2010/11 comes to mind but I believe it was a few years after my last Queen knife purchase.

 

[Bartleby]

The shield fell off the teardrop Queen City 06 when I took it out of the box. The 69 SM Torched Stag Barlow C blades were a mess in every way. Major patina and mojor blade rub on the frame. I do not mind patina but I want it on my watch on a "New" knife. Pics? Nah. I sent it on the same day I received.

Out of curiosity, were these purchased directly of through a third party? I ask as recently I had Amazon re-ship a returned as defective knife from another maker that they sold to me as new (they inadvertently left the paper work in the box when they did so). In this instance, the knife would have been a danger to use. The patina issue, especially direct from the factory, should not happen unless the knife was handled unprotected at some point. The shield falling off also simply should not have occurred (I personally try to avoid shields if at all possible, having had the same thing happen years back with another maker).

 

[NewBlades16]

Out of curiosity, were these purchased directly of through a third party? I ask as recently I had Amazon re-ship a returned as defective knife from another maker that they sold to me as new (they inadvertently left the paper work in the box when they did so). In this instance, the knife would have been a danger to use. The patina issue, especially direct from the factory, should not happen unless the knife was handled unprotected at some point. The shield falling off also simply should not have occurred (I personally try to avoid shields if at all possible, having had the same thing happen years back with another maker).

Good points. Without deviating from specific knife discussion, I want to stay true to forum requirements. The knives were legit through and through. Thanks for asking.

 

[NewBlades16]

I'm really glad because IMO there is no place for angry responses on the Porch.

I guess I'm very lucky the few S&M and Queen knives I have are fine no problems at all. I have one more that I used and accidentally left it there.

I hear yah. My covered back deck is for friendly knife conversations and show and tell out of the rain, especially with 1095.

 

[Bartleby]

Good points. Without deviating from specific knife discussion, I want to stay true to forum requirements. The knives were legit through and through. Thanks for asking.

Yes, you are right, as a customer service thread, this should get moved to the GBU area. Just trying to figure out what may have happened.

 

[NewBlades16]

Yes, you are right, as a customer service thread, this should get moved to the GBU area. Just trying to figure out what may have happened.

I started this thread and looked at the guidelines before I started did not see where I was deviating from it.

 

[Peregrin]

Let the discussion continue in Feedback. That is a better location for this thread.
NewBlades16 , not necessarily any right or wrong here. No harm, no foul. I'll move it now.

 

[NewBlades16]

Let the discussion continue in Feedback. That is a better location for this thread.
NewBlades16 , not necessarily any right or wrong here. No harm, no foul. I'll move it now.

Thank you. I appreciate your assistance.

 

[NewBlades16]

Ok great. Now we can talk more freely here. The customer service at Queen is the worst! They deserve to get burried by their rival across town, and they will!

 

[Bartleby]

If it went direct from them to you, and even if it didn't for that matter, they should have just re-set the shield and re-set the pivot and finish polished the #69 (if not replacing both and letting the returns go out as refurbished seconds, properly marked). What you are asking doesn't seem unreasonable at all. If a third party had been involved the company should be made aware that the seller may be passing on duds.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

The thing about CS is that even when it's bad they can still come back. All they have to do is be proactive and address any issues or at the very least acknowledge any complaints and deal with them in a timely manner. I had high hopes when the Daniels family took the reigns I thought it would be good for Queen considering the pedigree/family background.

Here's an article about the takeover. Queen inside story I'd like to believe that Ryan Daniels will see this and step up like they said, they need a knife guy in charge. Let's hope this gets better because we all know the alternative, Queen and S&M names get sold to Taylor Brand or one of the other offshore manufacturers who bought up all the old knife names for a song and had them made for pennies overseas.

We lost Schrade and Canal Street Cutlery, Camillus also went belly up, we always say we wished we woulda did something. Well maybe gettin' Queens management on the same page as us. Which is to want a quality knife. I get production issues and equipment can cause issues with F&F but don't blow off the core end user. Don't alienate the one group of people with the power to take them to the next level.

If you ignore the problems, eventually the only solution becomes removing you self from the problem and then you don't care 'cause it ain't your problem anymore. For Ryan to announce that there was a knife guy at the helm now even has me startin' to question their true motives when I hear about customers bein' treated like the OP.

As I mentioned earlier, comin' from a manufacturin' background I understand how entire runs of a knife/pattern can get made outta spec or with major defects. What I don't understand is how once a problem is identified nothin' gets done and worse, the same poorly made product continues bein' made after a problem has been flagged. The knife consumer is not an idiot. There may be folks new to the hobby, (I hesitate usin' that term "hobby" because it's more than that to me) new folks who don't know what makes a quality knife, much less a quality built traditional slip joint where there's so many moving parts dependent on each other to work in unison to provide a safe, quality tool capable of separating softer materials efficiently and with a minimum of maintenance.

They have the equipment they just need a QC process in place, it's so much easier and cheaper to catch a problem before 1,000 pieces go by with the same defect and now they all have to come back and be repaired. Depending on the problem it most likely is cheaper to start fresh and make sure it starts and stays in spec. Periodic inspection of the product will let them know how close to spec they are and make any adjustments to the machinery or process necessary.

When I was workin' in the semiconductor we had QC meetings twice a week and production meetings twice a day. If one of our wet benches was outta spec just 1 cassette of etched wafers could mean millions of $ lost so it was way cheaper to look for and catch any problems even within a single wafer in a cassette of 50. I'd like to think the Daniels family wants Queen/S&M to prosper and go into the next 50 years makin' heirloom quality knives/tools but they have to listen to the consumer, the end user, me, you and everyone who has a choice to buy a Queen/S&M knife or maybe a Case or GEC. If they don't address the F&F issues and they don't deal with the CS attitude and get down to fixin' problems I fear the writing's on the wall and it'll only be a matter of time. Walmart bankrupt Schrade in a year, I doubt it would take long for Queen to be interviewin' auctioneers and dividing up the remaining carcass of the company and it's hard assets.

Ryan!, hear the call my friend, your people are callin' out to you, don't ignore them or they'll certain;y be puttin' money into the pockets of the companies who care and listen.

Sorry for the long rant, I really only meant to express my feelings and those of you who know me know that it never goes well if I get beyond 20 words or more so I'll just quit right here.

For the TL;DR version...

The people of Queen Cutlery, your customer are having issues with F&F and the CS department, if you take care of the issues and address the concerns of your end user you'll have customers waitin' for the knives to come off the bench. You won't be able to keep enough inventory on hand to keep your customers happy .

 

[pertinux]

The thing about CS is that even when it's bad they can still come back. All they have to do is be proactive and address any issues or at the very least acknowledge any complaints and deal with them in a timely manner. I had high hopes when the Daniels family took the reigns I thought it would be good for Queen considering the pedigree/family background.

Here's an article about the takeover. Queen inside story I'd like to believe that Ryan Daniels will see this and step up like they said, they need a knife guy in charge.

First bolded part: Six years down the road now; I wonder when they will start?

Second bolded part: I agree.

~ P.