renfrowridge

Richards gun stocksThey make a good replacment stock but do not expect them to tell you the truth when you call. I order a stock from them back in august and was told 4 to 5 weeks I called on week 5 to check on it and was told it would be 7 to 10 days it would ship. I called today and was told 7 to 10 days it would ship it must be there standard answer when you call 7 to 10 days. If you have3 or4 months you can wait it is a good place to order but do not expect to get it when they tell you it will not happen. I throught I would have lots of time to finish it and get it checker before open day of season. If I had know about all of this I would have order from somone else.

A unhappy customer

bigbulls

Maybe you got an idiot or maybe something happened or maybe they just lied to you. I don't know.

I do know that their average production ranges from three to seven weeks depending on what you order and it takes longer for non standard actions.

Then add a week for shipping.

So you are within the window that they advertise.

renfrowridge

I order it for a Mauser action it is one of the more propual models and the web site states 3 to 5 week del. It was order aug 10

gorse

Not to defend Richard's (or any other stockmaker...as this seems to be common).... but, unfortunately, the way it works is that they "batch" orders. They will not make your stock until they have a bunch of orders for the same stock....as, given their production process....it would be disruptive for them to set up to do only one stock. They apparently do dozens (or even hundreds), at a time. So, it would seem logical that, if they must "batch" orders like this, that they would keep a number of completed stocks of each model and inletting, in inventory....to maintain a "flow", for purposes of customer service (getting people their orders in a timely fashion). Ah, but then there would be the problem of warehousing most or all of their different models....in literally hundreds of "combinations" of inlettings. This could easily turn into warehousing thousands of individual pieces. Obviously, Richards does not do this. Perhaps they do not have the resources or capital for this sort of operation.

So, how to solve the problem ? Of course, they should NOT lie to customers who inquire about their orders....there is NO excuse for that. I wonder, however, if it is really a case of lying....or if their estimates of lead time are simply predicated on a projection of how long it will take to accumulate the necessary number of orders, before beginning a "production run". I would imagine that, if this were the case, the projections (guesstimates) would be wrong, much of the time. That sort of system, based on market flow, is VERY unreliable...and subject to fluctuations in the marketplace (which occur ALL the time).

So....we are back to the beginning. How can they get customers their orders in a timely fashion ? The ONLY possible solutions would be to either A) warehouse any/ all of the commonly ordered stock styles, in most/all of the most popular inlettings.....or B) have a "quick run" department...that can do small quantities, in order to keep up the production flow of the most popular models/ inlettings. Either way, or a combination of both...... this would be quite expensive. I do not know...but Richard's as a company may not be in a financial position to do this. Also, there is a fine line, in a production sense, between keeping the customer satisfied (timely order delivery)...and maintaining demand (in order to keep downtime to a minimum).

So, how does this help the customer (such as renfrowridge)...with his frustration ? It DOESN'T....and I am sorry for that. Again, I am not making any excuses for Richard's....or anyone. It is a given that commercial concerns should NOT mislead customers.....if they expect to continue to HAVE customers. All of this I have written only as an objective assessment of the difficulties involved in such industrial operations, as an engineer with much experience with such matters. I wish that there was a simple solution. Unfortunately, this is a universal problem in the field of manufacturing.

I'm sorry for your frustrations, renfrowridge. I hope that your problem will be resolved soon. I sympathise (for whatever that is worth).

renfrowridge

Gorse I have no problem waiting it is not that big of deal but when someone tell me something I take there word on it, dont tell me something they know is not going to happen or they think will happen It would have been better if they had told me 12 weeks and sent it early. It is just one of my pet peves tell me the truth or dont tell me at all

gorse

renfrowridge,
I could not agree more. They should NEVER make committments to customers that they cannot honor. As you say, "tell me the truth, or don't tell me at all". Well put. This is an example of BAD customer service, on their part....no other way to phrase it.

Perhaps they will (eventually) suffer for their misinformation, with reduced sales. With many specialty items, a category into which gunstocks certainly fit, there are not that many companies manufacturing this kind of a product. I'll bet that this has something to do with the (apparent) fact that Richard's has not suffered wholesale "customer flight" to other stockmakers. It is unfortunate.

Again, I hope that your problem will be resolved, soon.

renfrowridge

Gorse ? do you work for Richards gun stocks If you do how about a little help no big deal I was just wondering?? and thank you for you reply

gorse

No, I don't work for Richard's...or any other gunstock company. Sorry.