Nikon - lousy products, worse customer service

[RutnNStrutn]

This week I had my 2nd set of 10x42 Nikon Monarch 5 binoculars fail. I had to finish my hunt using my binoculars as a monocular. These failed in the exact same way as the last ones - the right eye relief cup came off the binocular. My hunting partner told me had the exact same thing happened to his 10x42 Nikon Monarch 5 binocs. Obviously Nikon has a design flaw, yet they keep selling this defective product, and their customer service stinks. 
The first time it happened it was less than a month before turkey season. They assured me the repairs would be done and the binocs would be returned to me before turkey season. That didn't happen, and multiple irate phone calls later, I convinced them to overnight me a brand new pair.
Fast forward less than a year later, and I have another pair of broken Nikon binocs. This time customer service wants me to go through the exact same hassle. Mail them the bad binocs and wait for repair. I explained to them that I already had to finish the last hunt without binoculars, and am fixing to go back to my club to hunt the rut. They don't care, and refuse to make any decision on my binocs until they have them in hand.
Dealing with Nikon's customer service was a giant headache last time, and so far it has been this time too. Those binocs will be the LAST Nikon product I will ever buy, regardless of what the product is. So I'm going to have to buy a new set of binoculars of a different brand prior to returning to my club. Once my Nikons are repaired or replaced, they will be relegated to back up duty. I will never trust Nikon products to be my primary hunting products again, and I recommend to you that you don't trust Nikon or buy their products either.
It seems that the bigger a company gets, the worse their customer service gets, because they could give a damn about losing an individual customer. I went through the same hassles with Cuddeback, and now don't own any Cuddeback cams and will never buy any of their products again.

[GobbleNut]

Interesting story,...and sorry to hear about your problems with Nikon.  However, my experience with them has been just the opposite.  I have had a Nikon spotting scope (Prostaff 5 model) for several years now.  I have put it through some pretty rough treatment out here in the west and have managed to break or damage it on three occasions. 

Using the service department contact on the internet, I have sent the scope to them three times.  The first time they sent me a new replacement scope free of charge, and the second two times, they repaired the eyepiece (or perhaps replaced it),..also free of charge.  I have been more than happy with the service I have received,...and I have yet to talk to anybody,...just followed the instructions on the internet and all has gone smoothly and without incident. 

Go figure....

[RutnNStrutn]

Perhaps I should have just used the Internet instead of calling customer service.
All I know is I've had to deal with them twice now, and their service has been substandard each time.
I also know that multiple binoculars of the same make and model have the exact same design flaw, which Nikon has yet to correct.
Glad you had good service, unfortunately, I have not. Customer service is a big part of customer satisfaction in my mind. Therefore I will never buy a Nikon product again.

[Sir-diealot]

Most of my scopes and my binocs are Nikon, never had a problem with anything but the spotting scope. They told me they would replace it as soon as I send it back to them, I have just not sent it to them yet.

[Bowguy]

Ok so hear this one. I had a pair of Nikon rangefinders. 3 days after warrantee they broke. A big company like Nikon should be not worried bout 3 days but they were.
I'm gonna get aggravated but here we go. Months later I send them in for repair on my dime. Weeks later they don't have em but the tracking says delivered to so n so at this time so they have em. A week later they inform me they've got em. They're broken and can't be fixed they wanna send me another 1000 yard pair for a reduced price but I'm only using them bowhunting so I ask if they could substitute something more what I need for a lower price. A week later they're at my door. The old ones. They never got back to me and since I didn't send a check they renegged.
Ok so now I get back on the phone w Nikon, I've gotta explain all the garbage and I'm told to hold for someone who could help me. Gotta explain it to her. Long story short send em back.
Ok so another few weeks and they again can't find em. They actually said I never sent them. Tracking said dif.
They send me another email offering the same 1000 yard pair. I ask again for something comparable. Again they don't respond and ship back the old ones.
I'm furious. I call them and explain the whole nonsense again to numerous people who are supposed to "help".
Bear in mind I keep having to reship ay my expense.
I'm finally told they'll give me a cheaper pair but being it's Friday the girl who can needs to be involved isn't here. Just call back Monday. So I do. They have zero idea what I'm talking about and the girl I spoke to Friday now isn't there.
I wait a few days, they charge me and I wait and wait. I call explain myself again, they can't find paid bill. They finally find it and send them out. 9 months later they broke again. All the same nonsense. They say I didn't ship, had to re explain myself multiple times to multiple people. I was told to call and speak to so n so tomo. Tomo she's not in. This bs went on years before it was finally resolved. I'd NEVER and I wish I could make NEVER 3 feet tall on this computer recommend anything Nikon. You'd have to be totally stupid now you know how they treat you

[Tail Feathers]

Kind of makes me glad I don't own a Nikon.
I sort of wound up a Bushnell guy, with a Leupold scope on my rifle.

I bought a small set of Bushnell binocs, two or three Bushy red dots and have been pleased with the performance of all of them.  I probably will get rid of the TRS 25 red dot, but that's due to glare off the lens, not the workings.

I haven't need it in all my 15 years of Bushnell ownership, but their warranty is forever and reportedly solid.

[Greg Massey]

Glad i have Vortex ... great binocs for the money and customer service is outstanding ...

[jryser]

Vortex are really nice.  One bad customer service ruins 14 good ones, according to some "expert research" out there. Regardless I have been fortunate with Nikon at least with a rangefinder and one set of 'nocs. I did all of my stuff online and spoke with nobody, which may have helped. 

Regardless I had a pair of Nikon Monarch X for years.  Got those because the pair I had fell from my treestand and broke. They replaced em no questions asked. Same with the rangefinder.

That being said I finally hit the "buy once cry once" binocs and bought what will hopefully be my final pair.  And they are not Nikon.


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[bman940]

I hate to read anything negative about Nikon CS because they really do take it seriously and they know that good CS makes all the difference in customer retention. I do some freelance work with Nikon but do not work directly for them. I will pass this thread along to some guys I know who can hopefully use this as a learning tool for taking care of Nikon's customers. In the future, if there is anything I can do to help any of you guys out with Nikon CS please feel free to drop me a note.
Bart

[Bowguy]

I hate to read anything negative about Nikon CS because they really do take it seriously and they know that good CS makes all the difference in customer retention. I do some freelance work with Nikon but do not work directly for them. I will pass this thread along to some guys I know who can hopefully use this as a learning tool for taking care of Nikon's customers. In the future, if there is anything I can do to help any of you guys out with Nikon CS please feel free to drop me a note.
Bart

Tell them to call me if they have the guts. They are incompetent and uncaring about customers that's a fact

[Bowguy]

I hate to read anything negative about Nikon CS because they really do take it seriously and they know that good CS makes all the difference in customer retention. I do some freelance work with Nikon but do not work directly for them. I will pass this thread along to some guys I know who can hopefully use this as a learning tool for taking care of Nikon's customers. In the future, if there is anything I can do to help any of you guys out with Nikon CS please feel free to drop me a note.
Bart

BART w all seriousness, welcome as I can see you're new. If people who actually work for Nikon and are in charge of the CS can't help or do their job how do you possibly think anything you say could help?. I'll say it's nice you wanna help both the customers and Nikon but hard earned money gets spent elsewhere if you ask me. Nothing can be said different.

[RutnNStrutn]

Glad i have Vortex ... great binocs for the money and customer service is outstanding ...

That's what my hunting partner who had the exact same failure in the exact same binoculars did. He bought Vortex Diamonbacks, and loves them.

[RutnNStrutn]

I hate to read anything negative about Nikon CS because they really do take it seriously and they know that good CS makes all the difference in customer retention. I do some freelance work with Nikon but do not work directly for them. I will pass this thread along to some guys I know who can hopefully use this as a learning tool for taking care of Nikon's customers. In the future, if there is anything I can do to help any of you guys out with Nikon CS please feel free to drop me a note.
Bart

Tell them to call me if they have the guts. They are incompetent and uncaring about customers that's a fact

Yep, bad customer service, and failure to stand up for your product definitely will make you lose customers.

[bman940]

I agree 100%. That is why I posted. I don't work directly for Nikon but I sure do know a lot of folks who do and I passed this thread along to them so that hopefully this never happens again. I was in the same situation 25 years ago with a big optic's company who left me high and dry. That was it for them. I know there are no words that will fix what happened to you but if I can help to keep it from happening to someone else that would be great. Honestly, I just wanted you to know I'm not just passing this by but passing it along in hopes it makes a difference. Thanks!

[Bowguy]

I agree 100%. That is why I posted. I don't work directly for Nikon but I sure do know a lot of folks who do and I passed this thread along to them so that hopefully this never happens again. I was in the same situation 25 years ago with a big optic's company who left me high and dry. That was it for them. I know there are no words that will fix what happened to you but if I can help to keep it from happening to someone else that would be great. Honestly, I just wanted you to know I'm not just passing this by but passing it along in hopes it makes a difference. Thanks!

If "IT" ever happens again? Seems IT keeps happening again. Think about something. If it was your company and people had a really bad experience wouldn't you be concerned? Enough you'd prob contact the person, maybe try n reassure them, at least hear them out like you have a darn? Maybe not if you were late for golf, a fancy dinner or vacation some sucker paid for. After all if they're dumb enough to deal w this they're dumb enough to forget? Seems logical.
Just so you know after all the emails, calls that were prob recorded "for training purposes", etc you think they don't know how bad they are?
Let me ask you another thing if we were someone "real important" like some celebrity hunter hot shot would things have been handled differently? Why would I give money to a company that looks at me as second class? Just an FYI if they did treat their celebrity "talent" in the same way as me they'd not be in business very long.
There's no wiggle room here