Got my replacement Boos board.

[Smoker_Boy]

snip...
A month from now you'll have forgotten all about this.

No, he will not forget about this, because we will bump up this thread at least once a week.

[Mosca]

Ha!

[jayjordan]

Mosca I hate that you went through this, but I am grateful that Boardsmith was linked during this thread. I had looked at their website a while back and wanted to order from a local to me small business, but forgot to bookmark it.
As far as the CEO “making it right,” he’s probably the one who signed off on cost cutting measures that included quality control inspections.

[Mosca]

FYI, that sucker shipped yesterday. So it got some high priority treatment. It’s arriving Saturday, but I’ll be at the Turkey Tailgate Bootcamp, so I won’t see it until evening.

We all know emotions can run hot and cold. If this board is fine, and I expect it will be, then I’ll be fine, too. I’m not sending out any thank-yous until I see it, of course, but if I do, they will be real.

I have a lot of thoughts about this whole affair. It’s been reported as accurately as I can report it, from my perspective. I don’t think the CEO of Boos needs any instruction from me, so I won’t give him any advice; it’s probably more likely that he knows exactly where the failures were. Any CEO who would respond the way he did would be enraged that the second board even made it into production. And should be enraged at the way the initial warranty claim was handled; that is what frosted me the most in this whole affair. The damn board costs $100 retail; what’s production cost? $30? Their big money is in end grain countertops and custom kitchens, not $100 maple boards. “Just give the customer the pickle.” Watch the first 1:30 of this. Jessica Vanel has great hospitality related videos:

Because that’s exactly what happened. I had to fight for it, so it didn’t count. I’m made whole, but I don’t feel like I established a good business relationship, one that I’d feel good about continuing. They should have just given me the pickle.

[Smoker_Boy]

Test bump...

[BBQPhil]

While not as bad as this, Apple (and other consumer hardware companies) will often replace a defective iPhone with what they term a refurbished like-new product. It's not defective - there's no hole in the middle of the screen (!) - but you don't get a brand new pristine product even thought you might have paid for one a couple of weeks earlier.
.

[tamidw]

This is something I don’t agree with. If I just purchased something brand new and it’s defective, then my replacement should be brand new and not a refurbished that is of unknown use/quality.

[Alan Brice]

Yes, I do not want somebody's returned item.

[Mosca]

Zombie up!

(Zombie joke: Q: Where is the safest place to go during a zombie attack? A: Costco. They can’t get in without a membership card, and those ladies are really strict about it.)

The new board is what I expected: blemish free. I oiled it and set it aside. I’m going to oil it a few more times over the next few weeks before I actually start using it.

That’s the end of this saga.

[WI Bubba]

I'm glad they got you a good one this time around. And I really do hope that this is the end of the saga.

[Alan Brice]

It looks gorgeous! So glad they made it right.

[fzxdoc]

Enjoy both the end of the saga and the new board.

Kathryn

[BBQandLove]

I have stopped at their factory outlet numerous times. Many of the boards available for half price in the Seconds Room look better than that. In fact, I can’t recall ever seeing that type of blemish, but I am probably forgetting.

I think you handled it well. Accountability without emotional immaturity. I have found this is the most effective way to get results. You did well.

I am disappointed in them for the initial errors. Without cutting them any slack, I will say that it is hard to build a culture of ownership. If this CEO is as new to the company as it seems, it is possible that he inherited these problems. if so, good luck to him in getting it sorted out. it is also possible that these problems are inherent to the culture and he is just putting a bandaid onto the problem. I think time will tell.

Thank you for the reporting.

[Mosca]

Yeah, I did a lot of editing to get to the gist of the matter. I do feel bad for the front line worker; she’s told to limit claims, and might even get paid on some sort of rate; and then as soon as the claim goes up the ladder, she is made to look like the fool.

On the other hand, I didn’t feel like a valued customer. I felt like an inconvenience, and the board with the huge blemish felt like an insult. Vindicated? Sure. Made whole? Yes. Satisfied? Eh. Happy? Nope. It was a pain in the ass.