Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

Previously, there was a thread started on the " Rocket Ultimate Steel" broadhead

http://forum.hunting.net/asppg/tm.as...mode=1&smode=1

However, I wanted to start a new thread that would pertain specifically to the " Rocket Aerohead Co." and why, as far as I am concerned, " Rocket Aerohead" can take a long walk on a short pier.[:@]

As " Macdaddy" stated (in other thread) about the problem he discovered with the broadhead stem being too short to properly engage the threads of his inserts; so did I.

If I did not use the blade-locking washer/spacer, I could get the threaded stem of the ferrule to engage securely. However, the face of my insert would begin to stress the back of the blades as I tightened the broadhead. If I used the locking washer, the threaded stem would only engage about two threads of my insert.

Three days ago I emailed the dealer I bought the heads from and asked if he knew of the problem; had " Rocket" sent notices to the dealers advising of the problem. I am still awaiting a reply. [:@]

Early this AM, I called " Rocket." The guy I first talked to sounded very indifferent to my problem. After talking to him for a few minutes, I realized…..and I believe he did too, that he did not know which was the hole in the ground and which was the other one. [:@] Eventually he advised me that another person (name withheld by me) would know more about my problem, but that the person was not presently available. The person I was talking with told me he would have the other person call me in one hour.

Five and one half hours later I had not yet been called. [:@] Therefore, I called and asked for the so-called expert by name. The person who answered the telephone sounded like he was disgusted with life. He turned out to be the person I needed to talk with. I explained my problem and asked him if " Rocket" had discontinued making the " Ultimate Steel" broadhead. There was a moment of silence, to the extent that I thought he had not heard me. Finally, in a very boring tone, he answered that the " Ultimate Steel" had not been discontinued.

I asked if he was aware of the problem with the broadhead ferrule stem not being long enough to satisfactorily screw into the insert unless the washer was not used. He mumbled something about …" …..Gold….mumble-mumble…" [:@] I assumed he was referring to particular insert used on carbon shafts. I told him that I was using Easton Aluminum XX75' s and XX78' s" The person said something to the affect of…he was mumbling, " I don' t know about that…mumble-mumble…...we never messed with aluminum." [:@] [:@]

I then asked him if " Rocket" had sent notices about the problem to dealers. He said No, they wouldn' t know anything about that…." [:@]

In short time, I found that I had to keep talking, and sometimes repeating myself, just to assure myself that he was still on the line. Getting a voluntary response from the person was not to be had. Finally, I decided to play his game, I went silent and waited for him to say something. Finally, he started talking and said he would look around the factory and see if he could come up with some washers that would improvise. He told me to call him back at 10:00 AM tomorrow. [:@]

When I got off the telephone, I was not pleased. I felt like I an uninvited guest at a wedding. The person I talked to sound very uninterested and possibly aggravated that I had the audacity to call the " King." [X(]

If I had thought the person would hear me and would respond before sundown, I would have like to have said/asked.

1. Why didn’t you call me as I was told you would do?
2. What the hell do you mean, you (Rocket) never " …messed with aluminum." !!!?
3. If " Rocket" knows/knew there was a problem with the length of the threaded stem, why hasn’t " Rocket" disseminated a notice to dealers and people who have purchased the " Ultimate Steel" heads?
4. Keep your washers scavenged from the tray for discarded parts, I have a tackle box full of broadhead ferrule spacers/washers!

Being that " Rocket" is apparently aware of problems concerning the length of the threaded stem on the ferrule, and has not notified dealers, the rep I talked to should have struggled to find his voice and the appropriate words, and offered me another product for replacement or a reimbursement of my expenditure.

Some companies spend thousands of dollars for advertisement and promotions, but can ruin their reputation with a $2.00 telephone and a 4-minute mumble. I had never purchased any " Rocket" products before purchasing the " Ultimate Steels." I never will again, and I will definitely pass the word about " Rocket' s" customer service. [:@]

Has " Rocket" not heard of the I-N-T-E-R-N-E-T F-O-R-U-M-S??

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

I haven' t figured out why their " new" broadheads, released over a year ago, still aren' t on their web site. There site was down for months, then when it finally came back up, it was the same one from years ago!
Glad I use Muzzys!!
Charlie

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

I have never had a problem with rocket' s customer service.The little I had to deal with them was very helpful and was taken care of without problem.


I have seen your post and you are very hard to deal with, atleast what I have seen here on this forum.Maybe the problem is a combination of your attitude and the person' s on the other end.


Not saying the product shouldn' t be suitable for all shafts.It should and they should resolve it.


Just making an observation.

Good luck and hope they take care of it.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

Thanks for the heads up c903!

I base my decisions on who I do business with based on stories like yours! Rocket wont be getting any of my money.

Heres an example of how to treat customers or people in general (potential customers). The other day I called long distance to chat with the owners of Diamond Archery about the Widowmaker3. I ended up talking to the gentleman for a good half hour about archery technology and numerous other non-archery related stuff. When the conversation ended , I had wished he was in front of me so I could shake his hand. I said to myself I would be more than happy to do business with Diamond Archery any time![:-]

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

I don' t know the hole story so I won' t comment on your situation. I will say Rocket needs to fix a couple or problems with the " ultimate" steel broadheads. I can also tell you that if you had a similer problem with a Muzzy, Magnus or Rocky Mtn head you would have been taken care of in a prompt and polite manor. These three companies go above and beyond the call of duty, and they honestly care about the company.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

I have to agree...I emailed Rocket once about putting Pathfinder tips on Miniblasters and they weren' t any help at all.....Poor customer service but they make decent product.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

Sounds about like my experience with HP' s technical " Support" when my computer was acting up........bad enough I couldn' t understand a word the person was saying, but I had to do the same prompting after verything I said. After 20 minutes I was wishing I had the power to reach into the phone![:@]
Needless to say I am now NOT typing on an HP computer.

That' s dissapointing to hear about Rocket, but I guess I' m not surprised. The first year I started shooting Miniblasters in 97' I had a blade break........I actually think that it broke on a rock a few inces below the surface of the dirt after my shot had passed thru a deer. Anyway Rocket advertises that they will replace any head that breaks a blade.........So I wrote them an e-mail about the situation offering to send back the head for a new one etc.
I never got a reply..........tried one more time maybe 2 weeks later. Same deal no reply so I forgot about it. Nothing really worth a phone call.
Must have been a month later I get a package from Rocket: 2 new packs of Miniblasters (6 heads in all)
I was kind of torn........happy to have the new heads which was well in excess of their " guarantee" , but puzzled why no communication?

Yeah and their website has ALWAYS been dissapointing.[:' (]

If the stars aligned properly and somehow ,someway Muzzy would build a good mechanical head I think they' d put a serious strain on Rocket' s pocketbook. Excellent company with excellent customer service.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

TFox

You are out in left field on this one. The call involved a simple question. The response was void and total indifference. I was not going to use unnecessary air time to tell the guy he was a poor example of how to represent a large company that survives by having new and repeat customers.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

Well when I dealt with them.I emailed them,informed them of my problem.I got a response back the next day that new ones were in the mail.I had them 1 week later.


That is pretty good customer service and the problem that I had with the original ones wasn' t a problem with the newer ones.


I have just seen the way you comment to most of the post on here and they are usually very argumentative.If this isn' t the case with your phone call to Rocket, then I apologise.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

Matt,they may have replied but you didn' t know it. When I emailed them I thought the same thing but got to looking at my emails and there was one I didn' t want to open. I was not familiar with the name. I went ahead and did and the email was from Rocket but the email didn' t have Rocket attached to it. It was an individuals name.


Maybe you just deleted it because you didn' t know the name.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

TFOX:

Thanks. I thought it was just me who saw an argumentative nature that deviated from constructive criticism and informative dialogue. I got to the point where I just didn' t want to answer questions because of the seemingly never-ending barrage.:D

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

Sounds more than a little argumentative to me......to assume that the company would quit making a style of BH because you had a problem isn' t the best way to start the conversation......Call me crazy, but I bet he was a bit insulted:D......

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

The Positive

There is no doubt that when it comes to mechanical heads Rocket is one of the tops in the industry. I think they could improve their hinge pins but that is another story for another day. I have taken deer with a number of their heads and they have performed flawlessly with no failures. For those generating enough energy in their rig I have found that the Hammerhead 3L completely penetrated big bodied bucks and delivered unprecedented wound channels with blood trails a blind man could follow. Most of the animals fell within eyesight.

The Negative

When they came out with the ' Ultimate Steel' head I gave them a try. To my dismay I found that the blades could be easily lost even in my foam target. I gave them a call thinking that they might want to look into the situation. I tried to approach the subject in a cordial manner with the person I was talking to.
It seems I was the only one who had the problem with the blades coming off, at least that is how he made me feel. I was instructed to mail in the evidence and they would take a look at it and send me some new heads. I wrote down the information he gave me and sent in the blades and ferrule with a note describing how the failure occurred. For what it' s worth, that was about a year ago and I have never heard anything back.

In their defense, I' m sure they get a lot of calls from people that are less than knowledgeable telling them how they can improve their products and I know that can get old. Nevertheless good business sense tells you that will happen to any company so you listen intently, answer questions truthfully, and tactfully try to satisfy the customer if possible.

Good products don' t necessarily equate good service. Each person will have to deem what they consider acceptable and go from there.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

I got very aggrevated at Rocket over the Steelheads.
The pack I bought has the same problem with the threads for the inserts being too short. I actually had a head come off in flight, although I was never sure if it was in the air or after it hit the ground , but no head and an arrow & insert in tact.
Also I found the Steelheads to be noisy and had 3 out of 3 deer spook/duck whatever when I shot at them with the Steelheads. I tested the Steelheads as well as several other heads by shooting them past several friends and having them listen. None of them knew what head I was going to shoot and everyone agreed the the Steelheads were by far the most noisy. I decided to contact Rocket to offer some constructive criticism. I feel the Steelheads are noisy because of where the o-ring is located in relation to the ferrule. A lot of designs have the o-ring snug against the ferrule , while the steelhead has fairly large gaps in between the o-ring and ferrule , which I think causes the unwanted noise.

After explaining this in a letter to Rocket I heard nothing for about a month. Then one day I recieved a package containing a Rocket video and a note basically saying sh!t happens...get over it !! They didn' t acknowlege any problem with the threads or any possible noise problems associated with the o-ring location.

Now having said that , I did try some Rocket Hammerheads this year and I did like them . But I was apprehensive about trying any more Rockets , mainly due to the letter I received from them.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

Antler Eater,
I think that BH companys are like proud parents.......they love the positives and ignore the negatives.....I had two, what I would call, catastrophic failures to the tip of the Rocky Mountain Snyper last year. I contacted the company via phone and e-mail (very cordial and non-confrontational, I might add ;) ) and actually talked to Bruce Barrie (owner).....While he was very friendly, he wanted nothing to do with my criticism of the Snyper (which I believe has the best deployment system for a mech. on the market..and I told him that). I offered to send the 2 heads in question to him and he declined to even look at them (I still can' t figure that one out). I simply think that they don' t want to hear it.....

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

When I purchased the Ultimate Steele heads and they didn' t work I took them back to my Locally Owned, Overpriced, Overserviced, Underpaid, Bow Shop.;)

They took them back, no questions asked, tried them in all sorts of inserts, and then made a note and put it on the display for customers to see. They informed me that they will be calling the rep for Rocket on this. They gave me a 75gr to test out and see if it works for me. It does fit just fine, althought I don' t think that I will be using it. too light and little.

I don' t really care how rocket treats them, they must treat them well because they carry a lot of Rocket BHs. The retailer has much more pull than I do. They speak with bigger $$s.

So if you purchased yours thought the net or some chain store that is not willing to help you that' s the price you pay for saving some $$. I guess on the critical items I will just pay the extra $$ and get them from some cool guys that take care of me with great service. (I' m not saying there are no good shops on the net. There are quite a few. I have heard good things about pinwheel on this msg brd and I' m sure there are others. I also suggest Cabelas they have never questioned one returned item from me and are always helpfull)

Good shooting.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

i think i' ll stick with my thunderheads![:-]

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

TFox

Here and out there, are totally different worlds.

CG

The heads were purchased from a dealer that was phasing out the product. That was the first hint that the product might be discontinued. The heads were purchased at half the original cost. That was the second hint. My local pro bud said that he was not positive that " Rocket" supplied the " US" anymore. That was the third hint. Go to " Rocket' s" crap website and find " Ultimate Steel" in their listed product line. That was the fourth and BIG hint.

The question was asked because I was trying to determine if the dealer knew the " US" had been discontinued because of problems, and had the dealer been advised by " Rocket." Had the dealer been aware, it would be the dealer who would be responsible for reimbursement for knowingly selling me a faulty product that had been discontinued.

Len

You always have the choice to " pack it if you can' t hack it!" :)
.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

" Pack it if you can' t hack it" Ya your a pain in the butt sometimes, but I do agree with you when it comes to Rocket. I have had some crazy responces from them when I was nothing but polite.

I deal allot with archery manufactures and it pretty much comes down to this. " You can' t tell an engineer his baby is ugly and if you tell him his baby is ugly and retarded, your in trouble."

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

CG,

I couldn' t agree with you more. Now that you mention it I do recall your experience with the Snypers. If you remember I also said I bent the tip over on one in like fashion. It is certainly one of the weaknesses in that particular design albeit they are a good mechanical. By the way mine was bent on a whitetail doe not an elk, so it can happen even on smaller animals when the circumstances are right.

AlaskanLarge,

Very true, very true....It also reminds me of the line my professor used to say when someone was being stubborn or bullheaded but couldn' t see it. Let me set up the scenario... It is a lovely sunny day, conditions are just right for the marching band to execute a perfect performance as they play down the main street of town. Right on cue they come down the road. The gyrations, the rythm, and the musical notes coming from the young performers are perfect---except for one person. This poor kid can' t get his steps in time with his marching comrades, he is totally lost. Just as there is a break in the music, a proud mothers voice rises above the din as she declares to those around her..." Oh look, everyone is out of step EXCEPT my Johnny!" :D

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

I really thought an edited version of my post would be better understood! Shame on me for thinking positively.[:o]

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

Antler

Your professor' s analogy is right on cue……if teamwork is necessary to accomplish one goal. However, in here (forum), your professor' s story does not apply. This forum is an individualized activity. You sing your song in your key, others may sing in their own key. ;)

Johnny always takes his ball and goes home crying when others don' t play according to his rules. ;)

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

c903,

Perhaps you interpreted my post as a dig at you. That wasn' t my intent. My point was more along the lines of illustrating how Rocket is in denial concerning their problem with the Ultimate Steel head.

Shoot, if I was singing no one else would bother to sing in their key because they would all be running for the next county. I couldn' t carry a tune in a bucket. ;)

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

While I have had my own " discussions" with C903, I have to agree with him on this one, at least as far as the product itself is concerned.;)

I had a pack of 100 gr. Steelheads, and the threads did tighten for a few turns, at least. I put locktite on them to make sure they did not come loose.

I have never tried the Ultimate Steel, but I think the problem may be related to trying to make a 100 gr. broadhead out of steel that is actually only 100 grains in weight. They seem to be trying to make them " smaller" and lighter anywhere then can. If you make the ferrule as small and short as possible, you can save weight. You should make sure that they will work on all inserts though.;)

As far as the phone conversation, how do we really know. I consider myself pretty darn polite on the phone (and in person) . and I recently had a problem with my water softener. After calling their " help line" . I came away with the decision never to buy one of their products again. It sometimes boggles the mind how companies decide on the people they choose to handle customer service. At other times, is seems like the people couldn' t be any nicer to deal with. Ya never know.;)

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

I also agree that Rocket needs some Marketing 101 and that they are a ' pita' to deal with at times. There are things about their design that I hate and love. They sometimes seem to be oblivious that customer satisfaction can rule or ruin a company. How an ' individual' is approached on the phone, however, can make all the difference in the world.;)

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

I have never had to deal with rocket, but it boggles my mind how a company can have an excellent product like the steelhead 125, and a such a poor product in the " ultimate steel" . I am not really a big fan of there marketing and adds, but that' s just a personal thing.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

I was steadfast polite. You do not seek and hope for assistance and decent customer service by opening your inquiry with a sword.

Even if I had, I do not believe any derogatory comments would have registered with either person I talked to. Their indifference was that obvious. In fact, I firmly believe that it would be a waste of time sending the company an email regarding poor customer service.

However, sending email is out of the question, as far as I could determine, it appears the company does not want to hear from their customers in any form; their website does not appear to have a " Contact" or " Feedback" link.

Len: You need to realize and accept that not everyone always agrees with you either. You need to stop showing your hurt feelings when you are challenged. This is not a popularity contest. ;)

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

C903,

I must say that in principle I agree with your sentiments on this company, but by God you do seem to have one heck of an argumentative attitude. Your acerbic posting demeanor and Precambrian style detract from the point that you are trying to make.

While I sometimes disagree with you on technical issues, there should be no disagreement that gentlemanly discussions are the objective on the board. Oh, and yes I know that as you told Len, “I always have the choice to " pack it if you can' t hack it!" ”

Remember this amigo, “You are not here for a long time, you are here for a good time!”

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

[nubbb

I suppose now you want me to email you my telephone number so your friend whom is an expert in " Debate Decorum" can call me. ;)

Put your thesaurus away! Plain language capacitates comprehension by the masses.

RE: Rocket Aerohead Co. sucks!
 

How does a simple thread about poor customer service turn into a dictionary slingin...I' m smarter than you... pi$$in contest?[:' (]

Put your weenies back in your pants gentlemen , hunting season will be here before we know it!;)