OVNI Labs

Writing about my negative experience with TC Electronic (that wasn’t the first time, by the way) put a sour taste in my mouth.  So now I want to name brands that have done the right thing; companies or individual artisans who have demonstrated that they know how important it is to earn the respect of their customers.

Hipshot.  They have bent over to help me so often and so promptly that I can’t even believe it.  They will do anything to make the customer satisfied.

Genz Benz.  Their customer service is legendary.  I haven’t bought any of their products yet, but I would and I will with the fullest of confidence in their support.

Diamond (pedals).  Responsive, generous, and helpful.

Mouser.  On the few occasions that they made a mistake in a delivery of components, I called and they sent me the replacement items with no questions, no hesitation, and no hassle.

AMI/TAB Funkenwerk.  I bought one of their items used, and it got damaged in shipping from the previous owner.  I contacted Oliver, and with no hesitation he said “send it in”, and he repaired it at no charge.

Euphonic Audio.  Exact same story as AMI!  Plus the chief engineer was quick to respond to each of my emails.

Musician’s Friend.  I know they are a corporate machine owned by a corporate giant that may not always do the right thing, but I have to give credit where credit is due and say that any time I have had an issue with an order from MF, they have corrected the problem or accepted the return, with no trouble at all.

Aguilar.  I have criticized them many times, yet the owner took my criticisms with good humor, maturity, and a genuine eye to setting things right.  He responded positively when he could have responded negatively, and I deeply respect that.

Source Audio.  A batch of one of their products turned out to have a defect, and rather than waiting for people to complain, Source pro-actively posted a message explaining the situation and making it clear that anyone who received a defective item would be taken care of promptly.

Dave Hall Amps.  I have communicated with Dave several times, by phone and by email; he is always very personable and very responsive to customer questions.

FEA pedals.  Frank is a really good guy, and he stands behind his products 100%.  Very helpful, and offers upgrades whenever he improves a model.

I’m sure I’ll think of more examples as time passes, and I will add them to this list.  Consider this list not only a roster of good people and good work, but also a stern rebuke to the many companies that seem to think their customers are only a nuisance.

Edit: I removed Pigtronix from this list.  Dave used to treat me well, but the last few communications from him have been terse, unfriendly, and unhelpful, for no reason I know of.