Blue Ridge Overland/Customer Service

[Narbob]

I'll start this rant with acknowledging that Blue Ridge Overland Gear (BROG) is very popular and has quality products. However, I do have an issue with their ordering process and customer service. I've tried to purchase their XL bag three times within the last several months. The first time the website showed 14 in stock and I ordered one on line . After waiting over three weeks and not hearing anything, I contacted them and was told that they were back ordered with no eta so I cancelled the order and my money was refunded. The second time I saw several in stock, called and was told they were back ordered. Recently, after seeing six in stock on the website, I called and spoke with Adam and after explaining my wish to purchase and my previous experience, he checked and told me that one would be ready for shipping the next day. As he was getting my credit card info,he said he'd make sure that it was mine. After not hearing anything for one week, I called and again spoke with Adam. He said that he would look into it and call me in a few minutes,this was repeated a couple times. I then called back the next day after not hearing from him at which time Adam told me that the bag was sent to someone else and they were back ordered two weeks or more. Needless to say, order cancelled and I'm waiting for the refund. I get that it's a small business that's very popular but I'm sure they could better then taking an order and leaving the customer hanging by thinking they'd be getting their item not knowing it could be several weeks out. Lastly, It does make me wonder that if I had a bigger Instagram,YouTube or Facebook following would I have already received an XL bag?

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

Watching this to see if they will reply. Hate to see it, but it happens sometimes with small companies and growing pains with popular products. Trying to use technology but failing to properly provide updates to inventory and the lack of communication. I do think you have been very patient and calm about the situation.

 

[vintageracer]

Hate to see it, but it happens sometimes with small companies and growing pains with popular products.

3 orders and 3 cancellations for the same item which including speaking directly with a customer service person at the business during the last go around stating it would be shipped the next day?

That's not growing pains that indicative of the management and customer service mentality and culture of this business.

 

[dwh]

Not making excuses for them - obviously they dropped the ball here.

But...if you hadn't kept cancelling the order and instead waited on the backorder list, you'd probably have the bag you wanted by now.



Don't trust online "in stock" numbers. It's possible to integrate an online store to where it ties into a central accounting and shipping database; it's also expensive and generally only large companies can afford it. Most online store software requires manually updating the inventory numbers. When some small company hires someone to setup an online store for them, the consultant enables all the bells and whistles to make it seem like great stuff. The customer of course, doesn't realize until later that trying to maintain all those "features" is a tremendous time consuming PITA, snd since they usually can't devote someone to it full-time, it gets added to someone's workload - where it gets "re-prioritized" ten times a day until the updates either get way behind or don't get done at all.

As a retired IT consultant, I blame whoever they hired - it always serves the customer better to give them what they need and no more, and to make sure they understand the ongoing costs and issues if you implement additional functionality.

 

[Narbob]

BROG update; they responded to me on IG with an apology for the mistake made and to make good on the bag. I appreciate their acknowledgement and owning up to it instead of making BS excuses, this shows the true character of the company. That alone shows positive customer service and in turn makes me a life long customer!!!

 

[Hillbilly Heaven]

Glad that it worked out great from you and they stood up for their mistake.

 

[aaen]

I would tend to disagree with your assessment of positive customer service. I would say this was the exact opposite and they only contacted you to save face.

 

[gentimmy]

BROG update; they responded to me on IG with an apology for the mistake made and to make good on the bag. I appreciate their acknowledgement and owning up to it instead of making BS excuses, this shows the true character of the company. That alone shows positive customer service and in turn makes me a life long customer!!!

Sounds like you got a free bag ?

 

[aaen]

I have their cases for the Partner Steel stove and MaxTrax - both seem like good products. Customer service has been less then stellar. Numerous emails were outright ignored & never answered.

From what I hear, they also delete "less than positive" product reviews off their website, so that should tell you the kind of people you're dealing with.

Yup they removed my review on the tacoma attic. Biggest pos I’ve ever used or seen designed. Everything falls out if it snd it was set up right. I threw it out. Granted they refunded me my money after my stellar review


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[Narbob]

Yup they removed my review on the tacoma attic. Biggest pos I’ve ever used or seen designed. Everything falls out if it snd it was set up right. I threw it out. Granted they refunded me my money after my stellar review


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I thought I was the only one having an issue since I’ve seen nothing negative before.

 

[aaen]

Oh i left a horrible review. It was up a grand totals of 6 hrs. Actually think i was the first or second to review. i’m not a fan boy of their gear. A lot if it us way way overpriced.

Same with the iff the grid pants. What a bunch of ********. Was hoping for something good. Lasted all of two months.






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[perterra]

Thanks for the heads up, I was looking around their site. Think I'll take a pass

 

[aaen]

Some of their kit is stellar, like the partner steel stove bag and the recovery bag for the tyre inflator and patch kit. But other then that, everything i have owned from them is starting to fall apart and it is not used heavily, sits in a storage drawer in the back of the truck. Stitching is letting go/etc on their tool roll/bag, never did receive my Hydro flask bag (bought through a retailer, still hunting that down, been over a year now).

It's pretty simple to keep a customer happy, and 99% of it starts with communication, but you get the fan boys/girls jumping on the band wagon defending companies because they are busy/etc, grew to fast, whatever. Still not an excuse, if your that busy you can afford to hire someone to answer the phones, emails, etc. I presume a lot of it is made up BS by the companies and given as an excuse, or they have zero idea on how to run a company/project, probably a combo of both A & B, this is what happens when someone opens a business without a solid business plan. Seems there plan is to cater to the social media train and hope for the best.

The ******** list is long in the overland community (ugh I hate that term) for horrible companies to work/deal with, someday I may start a thread about what grinds my gears with this industry. Granted a lot of very cool gadgets/tools have come out due to the influx of others and 4wd'ing being the cool new thing to do (was previously adv bike riding and that seems to be dying out, well not as hyped as it was) and everyone wanting to cash in on the money train.

 

[68camaro]

Some of their kit is stellar, like the partner steel stove bag and the recovery bag for the tyre inflator and patch kit. But other then that, everything i have owned from them is starting to fall apart and it is not used heavily, sits in a storage drawer in the back of the truck. Stitching is letting go/etc on their tool roll/bag, never did receive my Hydro flask bag (bought through a retailer, still hunting that down, been over a year now).

If you want high quality made-to-last bags check out Adventure Tool Company , https://adventuretoolcompany.com, they post on forum often and are vendor at Overland Expos.

 

[aaen]

Yup already have them on my list to replace the tool roll.