Can Bad Customer Service Undermine an Otherwise Great Brand?

I am simply amazed at times how bad customer service can undermine if not destroy the credibility a great brand. Take for instance St. Croix fishing rods. I am an avid fisherman and have enjoyed using their fishing rods for many years. However, I snapped the tip of my St. Croix surf casting rods over a month ago and have had nothing short of a nightmare in terms of customer service trying to get it replaced ever since.

First you must go through a torturous online process of submitting pictures of the rod model number, serial number, and broken part to let them know you have a problem with their product that needs to be fixed. Then about 10 days later they sent me an e-mail telling me I needed to call them to discuss this problem. I tried calling them no less than ten times – and got put on hold every time I call waiting for a customer service rep. When I register for an auto-call back, they did not bother calling me back.

Once when I was on hold (for about 30 minutes) I was forced to listed to the same pre-recorded message from them trying to sell me an ice fishing rod on one of the hottest days of the of the summer. They have obviously not bothered checking this message since last winter. Compared to the customer service I get from their competitors including Orvis and Temple Fork Outfitters, St. Croix is completely failing.

When I finally did get through to them – they told me the rod was out of warranty and that it will cost me $60 to get a replacement part. To add insult to injury they said it will take up to 10 days to get my replacement part.

They really got me upset with the signature on their initial e-mail response at right. It’s like being invited to a holiday party with a highly dysfunctional relative - when you dare not complain about what you know will be an awful time.

It's now been over six weeks since this sorry story began to unfold – and I just got the notice from UPS that my rod tip is on the way. Oh joy. Next time it breaks, that rod is going right in the trash.

Lesson to be learned here – managing your customers’ experience carefully after they buy the product / service can either create a strong brand advocate or angry detractor. Most agree that positive word of mouth is the most powerful marketing tool around. Seems like a simple choice.