Best Repair And Client Service Ever!

[TassoBarbasso]

I was thinking that it would be a nice idea to share the best examples of repair and client service ever received from a nibmeister or a shop. A lot of people express appreciation for pen specialists while talking about something else (eg: "this pen is really cool, wonderful design, excellent work on the nib done by Richard Binder/John Mottishaw/whoever, really good value for money"). But's let's dedicate a whole thread entirely to celebrating the best among our "pen doctors"!

 

Here's mine: I had an Aurora 85th anniversary that my parents bought to me exactly one year ago as a present for my wedding. The pen is gorgeous but the nib has never been able to write properly. First it started to scratch, then to skip, then it had flow issues that forced me to use it with only one ink with very lubricated flow. In one word: a pain. I sent it back to Aurora, which after three months of useless back and forth sent me back the pen more or less in the same conditions. Then I sent it to a famous nibmeister who worked on the pen but couldn't bring noticeable difference to the way it writes. Eventually, completely exasperated by the whole thing, I took advantage of a journey back to my hometown in Northern Italy to bring the pen to the shop where it was originally bought from, Lazzaroni- gioielli per scrivere, in Brescia (not far from Milan).

 

Maurizio, the manager of the shop, kindly offered to work on the pen for free in his laboratory instead of sending it back to Aurora, which we both knew back then would be pretty much pointless. In just half an hour he pulled out all his tools and skills, smoothened the nib to perfection and managed to finally make the ink flow regular, smooth and pleasant. All this while explaining me how he did it and showing me all the interesting stuff he was working on. I was sincerely impressed by the result and I'm now using the pen on a daily basis without all the unpleasant situations I had until a couple of weeks ago Also, I should mention that Maurizio is one of the kindest persons I've ever encountered in the pen business, always manages to make you feel at ease although his knowledge of the pen world is far beyond your own, as opposed to other pen sellers who tend to have a feeling of superiority towards customers. He really knows how to do his job and how to make you spend a nice time chatting about pens. If you are Italian or happen to visit Italy, I strongly suggest to visit his shop in Brescia.

 

(No affiliation, just a very happy customer and so on and so forth)

 

So... what's your experience of impeccable repair and client service?

[NHsueh]

That's really nice of him! I'm glad that you are finally pleased with your pen. It will serve you well for many years to come now.

 

What exactly did he do though?

[rwilsonedn]

One of the most valuable things about fountain pens for me is that they can carry with them memories like the ones you describe. Now the pen isn't just an Aurora that writes really well--it has all those other experiences, feelings, and all that new knowledge intertwined with it. In a way it's more valuable than if it had worked well to begin with.

Thanks for telling the story.

ron

[montegrappaman1]

It's like the Montblanc campaign; "A Story to Tell"

[pensivedoc]

Ed Hamilton at Century Pens in Chicago several hours with me last April, letting me dip and try everything under the sun. I ended up with a Diplomat, which hadn't even been on my radar beforehand. He also was happy to chat about some Parker history with me. It was really a pleasant experience, and as I left I said so, pointing out that I really liked taking the time to be sure I was going to be happy with a purchase.

 

After spending so much time with me already, it surprised me when he said, "Hey, if it turns out you don't like it, send it back. I'll be here."

 

Very nice.

[Buzz_130]

The FP community is a pretty small and close community. Customer service is incredibly important to generate lifelong customers and keep our hobby and passion alive. As Peter Drucker said, the purpose of business is to create a customer.

 

For online, few can compare to the individualized service of Richard Binder. From his nib work, pen advice, and amazing customer service, I've been a proud repeat customer.

 

I would also add the Goulets to my list of incredible owners. Ink, pens, paper, and, most importantly, a passion to deliver the best possible for their customers.

 

I'd also add Fountain Pen Hospital to my list. They are easy to work with and my only return was handled flawlessly. This is never a given when you live overseas.

 

By I will also say that the Itoya store in Ginza, Tokyo is an amazing experience. Floors of fountain pens, ink and paper to test, and no pressure to buy. We've been back several times to buy pens for our kids so they can handle and ho,d each one (and, of course) see the colors.

 

Buzz

[georges zaslavsky]

Mora Stylos and Mottishaw are also excellent. I recommend them.

[TassoBarbasso]

Nice stories everyone!

 

anybody who has other fantastic experiences?

[csacks]

Just to say thanks for such a nice topic

[olivier78860]

The best after-sales service I got was from Visconti.

I bought a Blue Ripple limited edition second hand, it had a B gold nib, which was laying a line far too large for my taste. I contacted Visconti and asked how much it would cost to get an EF nib installed.

 

Mr Del Vecchio handled the case personally, I just had to send the pen. It didn't cost me more.

I had the nib replaced for free, and the pen got sent back to me through a transporter.

It took a bit more than a month and a half, but I was tremendously satisfied that this company was standing so incredibly well behind their products.

 

The worst after-sales service I got was from Montblanc

I had an old pen that needed a new piston knob. It took them two months to send a price offer (~250€ plus s&h), which was 40% more expensive than a NOS pen of the same make, found at penboard.de

 

Otherwise, excellent individuals are indeed Maurizio Aguillar, Francis Goossens, Eric Wilson.

[hoppes no9]

I've got a nice one to share --

 

A while ago I bought a Visconti Rembrandt on eBay. The pen was described as like-new condition, but there was a ring of corrosion where the nib screws into the section -- probably some sort of galvanic action. I tried cleaning it up with steel wool etc., to no avail. The seller offered to refund part of the purchase price, which was fine with me.

 

However, the corrosion bugged me, on what was an otherwise beautiful and flawless pen.

 

So, I called Coles of London, who provides Visconti customer service in the US. Explained the situation to them, they said they'd take care of it. I told them it had been purchased used on eBay so I didn't expect it to be covered under warranty -- at best I was hoping for a new section at a nominal charge.

 

Two weeks later a brand new complete pen showed up at my door, NO CHARGE.

 

Needless to say, I've been a big fan of Visconti ever since, and have purchased several more (new) pens from them.

[hoppes no9]

PS -- I just read the post above mine. Way to go, Visconti!

[Jadie]

May I put in some words for Danitrio and Bryant Greer?

 

I first bought my Danitrio Takumi during a sale at Chatterley Luxuries----lovely pen, lovely nib, etc. etc. The only problem was that it kept leaking ink in the barrel. Long story short, I found a crack in part of the nib housing unit. It didn't happen during the delivery to me, I'm sure (the pen was packed excellently), but perhaps somewhere in the process of moving from the production warehouse to the retailer's hands.

 

(You can see the photos in this thread, when I was trying to figure out the problem:)

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/249766-leaky-danitrio-takumi-mystery/

 

In the process of trying to "fix" my pen, I also ended up damaging the clip. I contacted Bryant, who was still at the Philly pen show at the time. He replied almost immediately and said that he'd address the issue as soon as he got back. I also told him I was perfectly willing to pay for fixing the clip (which was broken at my own hands).

 

Well, to summarize: Bryant forwarded me Danitrio's address, I mailed them the pen with a letter of explanation, and 3 weeks later, I got my pen back (with a new clip, to boot!) in perfect condition.

 

No charge for anything, no questions, just genuine concern and excellent service. So in all, I only paid $2.11 for shipping to Danitrio to fix a crack and get a brand new painted clip (a $50 value).

 

I am thoroughly impressed.

[lahlahlaw]

I bought a new old stock Taccia Imperial Portuguese that turned out to have feed-related flow issues. I contacted Taccia and despite the Portuguese line being out of production they sent me a complete pen free of charge!

Edited September 18, 2013 by lahlahlaw

[Alex2014]

Sorry to say: for me Visconti repair worked wrong. I bought a VG and it was defective. Send it to the seller to repair in Italy. After a month, no pen, no answer. I understood that a repair service could last even 3 months! That's disrespectful.

[Rama33]

I already knew about the care and professionalism of our group of pen sellers and fixers from personal experience or from repeated reference during posts on this forum (Binder, Goulet, Mottishaw, etc.). What I didn't know was the terrible quality control and customer service from a company that only sells what to me are expensive fountain pens. Namely Aurora. From what I can tell, Visconti seems a mixed bag at best. There seems to be more praise towards companies that sell less expensive pens. I've desired an Aurora but after reading the OPS story I can assure you I will never buy one.

 

Thanks OP!

 

Craig

[winterwolfen]

Björn Arebom is a swedish nibmeister and has restored all my fountain pens, awazing work.

 

Greg Minuskin, har retipped my wahl eversharp nib with lightning fast speed, also very good service.

 

/mirjam from sweden

[OakIris]

I am not having a very good week, but for some reason, this thread has restored my faith in humanity. lol There really are a lot of good, caring people in this world, and I am glad to see that our small - but world-wide - fountain pen community includes a bunch of them.

 

I haven't had many pen repair experiences as yet, but I would like to add Tom Heath to the list of 'good 'uns.' I bought a Sheaffer desk pen from him that I was never able to get to fill. For various reasons, I never got around to sending it back to him. Now, more than a year after purchase, he has the pen and will fix it with no questions asked, no charge.

 

Holly

Edited March 27, 2014 by OakIris

[johniem]

Ron Zorn repaired/restored a Scheaffer 500 Dolphin for me just a very few years ago. He did an excellent job and was great to deal with. I later bought my Bexley Elegancia from him. Same outstanding service.

 

It's a bit late for this one, but the late Tom Mullane (Old Griz) repaired my Parker 51 the year before he died. It appeared to need a diaphragm, but he found that a previous repairman had attempted to repair the filler unit and it simply was not functional. He located, acquired and replaced the filler unit. He did a great job. Every time I use the P51, I think of Tom.

[Ron_L]

Being relatively new "again" at fountain pens, I too have had no issue. But, with this list in tow, I can feel much better about searching for some vintage pens that need to be brought back to life. This is such a great thread. thanks!