Hels
2008-08-11, 3:18pm
I rarely praise vendors... I guess it's the kind of thing where I am a bit spoiled by today's fast shipping and good customer service. The vast majority of glass vendors are fantastic... so fantastic that it's like buying on Ebay or Amazon.com, you really don't expect problems, and you always expect reasonable shipping. Realistically tho, most are small companies, sometimes run by one person, and not corporate behemoths with deep pockets. Yet they do their best. Many of us are quick to complain, but good service is rarely complimented. I'm guilty of that myself, we have come to expect excellent service.
Once in a while, however, a vendor goes so over the top that you just HAVE to say something. So here's my big something.
Background:
Months ago, I bought a M15 concentrator from Brent here on LE. It did take a frustrating month long wait to get, but when I got it, I was happy. This is not to mention the TON of $$ I saved having it, as my 2 month oxygen tank bill when I didn't have one was $700. My pretty accurate estimate was that I paid for the M15 in the following 2 months, even if I had to toss it in the trash at the end of that time. But the M15 has a 3 YEAR warranty.
Through some user error, perhaps defect, I have no clue which, the unit did not produce high quality oxygen at the end of a month. So I called Jack at UO to ask what to do about it. Jack sent me a replacement, which worked like a dream. I was all happy again.
A few months later, I had an opportunity to buy an Integra 10... and thinking I could use both concentrators for a larger torch, I bought it. To test it, I had to unhook the hose from the M15.
Well. Turns out that my husband actually WRENCHED it down into the plastic housing (NOTE: it comes with instructions to HAND TIGHTEN), so removal involved tearing the entire brass fitting off the face of the housing.
This is 75% my fault for not telling him or paying attention when he did it, 25% my husband's fault (for not realizing that you don't wrench tighten into a plastic face), and 0% UO or Jack's fault.
I called Jack to ask him whether it was possible to glue the fitting back in, or would I have to buy a new face, or what else he tore when he ripped it out.
WOW. Jack offered to send me a replacement face, FREE, and not even charge shipping!! I couldnt believe it. You know, if you break something yourself, it's generally not covered by warranty. You don't expect to throw your computer or camera on the floor, shatter it, bring the tiny pieces back to the shop and have them give you a new one free.
Big deal right? Yes, it's a HUGE big deal. The FACE of the M15 includes not only the brass fitting and tubing, but the green controller board inside and a panoply of wires. It's about 1/3-1/2 of the unit itself, and reasonably a proportionate cost for a dummy who breaks it into pieces themselves.
What a warranty, and what a guy! I have NEVER been so thrilled with a vendor! This is waay over and above customer service, and totally unexpected!
Considering that in the last few months, I've been a pain in the side customer not once but 2x already, at no cost to me but lots of cost to him, while this concentrator has saved me so far 3x it's own cost to buy in tanked oxygen, I owe at LEAST a post to thank Jack for his honor and commitment to his product.
Jack, if I knew then what I know now, I would happily have waited 2 months for you to ship me the unit the first time. It is so worth it. I hope you sell many many more of them!
And for the record, the M-15 will fully power a GTT Bobcat (well, actually 95-98% compared to fully open 99% purity tanks from the welding shop).
It will more than fully power anything smaller, including a minor, and maybe a midrange. It will power the lynx I would estimate at 75-80%.
Also for the record, I am currently using my lynx on the Integra 10 (because I just got the M15 face plate today), which I set at 6-7 LPM. Setting it higher seems to change absolutely nothing, so it appears my lynx doesn't need the extra boost.
On the Bobcat, I set my M15 for 6 LPM for maximum oxygen purity, and above that, the Bobcat flame does no changing anyway (the Lynx would however). The Lynx takes far more oxygen (with the triple mix) than most smaller torches.
I hope Jack gets more business, such incredible service deserves some reward. Even if the M15 isn't the greatest unit out there (and I wouldn't agree with that either), the service sure is, and that's all the difference when you buy an expensive piece of equipment....especially if you occasionally do dumb things like we did:P. We think you're just GREAT Jack!!!
Once in a while, however, a vendor goes so over the top that you just HAVE to say something. So here's my big something.
Background:
Months ago, I bought a M15 concentrator from Brent here on LE. It did take a frustrating month long wait to get, but when I got it, I was happy. This is not to mention the TON of $$ I saved having it, as my 2 month oxygen tank bill when I didn't have one was $700. My pretty accurate estimate was that I paid for the M15 in the following 2 months, even if I had to toss it in the trash at the end of that time. But the M15 has a 3 YEAR warranty.
Through some user error, perhaps defect, I have no clue which, the unit did not produce high quality oxygen at the end of a month. So I called Jack at UO to ask what to do about it. Jack sent me a replacement, which worked like a dream. I was all happy again.
A few months later, I had an opportunity to buy an Integra 10... and thinking I could use both concentrators for a larger torch, I bought it. To test it, I had to unhook the hose from the M15.
Well. Turns out that my husband actually WRENCHED it down into the plastic housing (NOTE: it comes with instructions to HAND TIGHTEN), so removal involved tearing the entire brass fitting off the face of the housing.
This is 75% my fault for not telling him or paying attention when he did it, 25% my husband's fault (for not realizing that you don't wrench tighten into a plastic face), and 0% UO or Jack's fault.
I called Jack to ask him whether it was possible to glue the fitting back in, or would I have to buy a new face, or what else he tore when he ripped it out.
WOW. Jack offered to send me a replacement face, FREE, and not even charge shipping!! I couldnt believe it. You know, if you break something yourself, it's generally not covered by warranty. You don't expect to throw your computer or camera on the floor, shatter it, bring the tiny pieces back to the shop and have them give you a new one free.
Big deal right? Yes, it's a HUGE big deal. The FACE of the M15 includes not only the brass fitting and tubing, but the green controller board inside and a panoply of wires. It's about 1/3-1/2 of the unit itself, and reasonably a proportionate cost for a dummy who breaks it into pieces themselves.
What a warranty, and what a guy! I have NEVER been so thrilled with a vendor! This is waay over and above customer service, and totally unexpected!
Considering that in the last few months, I've been a pain in the side customer not once but 2x already, at no cost to me but lots of cost to him, while this concentrator has saved me so far 3x it's own cost to buy in tanked oxygen, I owe at LEAST a post to thank Jack for his honor and commitment to his product.
Jack, if I knew then what I know now, I would happily have waited 2 months for you to ship me the unit the first time. It is so worth it. I hope you sell many many more of them!
And for the record, the M-15 will fully power a GTT Bobcat (well, actually 95-98% compared to fully open 99% purity tanks from the welding shop).
It will more than fully power anything smaller, including a minor, and maybe a midrange. It will power the lynx I would estimate at 75-80%.
Also for the record, I am currently using my lynx on the Integra 10 (because I just got the M15 face plate today), which I set at 6-7 LPM. Setting it higher seems to change absolutely nothing, so it appears my lynx doesn't need the extra boost.
On the Bobcat, I set my M15 for 6 LPM for maximum oxygen purity, and above that, the Bobcat flame does no changing anyway (the Lynx would however). The Lynx takes far more oxygen (with the triple mix) than most smaller torches.
I hope Jack gets more business, such incredible service deserves some reward. Even if the M15 isn't the greatest unit out there (and I wouldn't agree with that either), the service sure is, and that's all the difference when you buy an expensive piece of equipment....especially if you occasionally do dumb things like we did:P. We think you're just GREAT Jack!!!