GAK - Brilliant Service!!

TTony

I know that you all prefer to read stories of poor service, and uncaring box shifters, but this is the complete opposite!  Here's a story of some ridiculously EXCELLENT SERVICE from the guys at GAK.

I've been looking at the PRS SE Hollowbodys since they were announced last year. 

The factory tour video and the various online reviews all added to the "want".  But the £999 list price seemed to be pretty fixed everywhere. Spotted a couple of 10% off ex-demo offers, but resisted the temptation of those.  I thought price would fall to a street price of maybe £850 in due course, so I'd wait.

Over the weekend, I spotted an SE Hollowbody II on Reverb at a substantial discount, from GAK.  I went for it.  I did wonder whether it was ex-demo, or even s/h, but the listing on Reverb, and on the GAK website, made no mention of either of those, nor any other faults.  So, out with the credit card on Tuesday, and sit back and wait for delivery.


Got an email yesterday to say that it had gone "out of stock".

Hmmmmm.

Assumed that the price was an error and that the order had been cancelled.  Ho-hum.  Disappointed, but there are bigger problems in life, so move on (and I have received 2 guitar sized parcels this week already).

Then I got an unexpected call this morning from Jamie (guitar tech) at GAK.  He explained that he'd got the guitar out before dispatch, checked it over, and found a fault.  They wouldn't send it out like that.  We had a pleasant enough chat  and agreed that he'd check with PRS about getting a replacement, and that I'd wait a week or two for that to be sorted, but if it was any longer then I'd cancel the order.    No dramas.

I admit, I wondered whether the "fault" was just a cover story for a mis-price, but Jamie seemed OK on the call, the fault was understandable and very specific, and - apart from being excellent customer service - there was actually no reason for him to have called if it was just a cover story.

Just had another call from Jamie to say that PRS had advised it'd probably be at least a month to sort out a replacement.  So, no NGD for me.


But, if I was happy to accept a different colour, then he'd get that sorted today, at the same price.


That was not an outcome I expected.  As far as I'm concerned, that's way above & beyond a reasonable response from GAK - it's ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT.

Top man Jamie - thanks again!

johnl

As an ex-Brighton local I read "GAK - Brilliant service!" and was sure you were being sarcastic but there are a couple of really good guys there who will go the extra mile. Glad to hear it worked out. 

Chuffola

That's good to know.

I had excellent service from GuitarGuitar a couple of weeks ago as well. Definitely should call this stuff out when it happens coz we're all quick to shout when things go wrong. 

victorludorum

Maybe Jamie will be furloughed soon with an attitude like that! ;-)

Jokes aside, it's good to hear the good ones as opposed to the barrage of negative sales stories we hear. I've bought a few things from GAK over the years (at the shop) and they've always been good.

mort

Would be interesting to hear what you think about it when you get it as the SE Hollowbody is on my radar......

earwighoney

Good to hear of the positive service from GAK.

I know it's a little churlish to list a negative encounter but my one with them is one of the most comedic ones I've had.

I ordered a Yamaha acoustic  and they delivered it completely fucked the soundboard was in two. I called them up and they said sorry they'll get a replacement out and collect the one I had been sent. In a week or so they picked up that on and sent the replacement another week later.

The replacement came and it was completely a different a model of guitar! I called them and they said it was another mistake and they would collect the one sent in error and I asked when I'd get the guitar I had originally ordered and they said they didn't have any more stock and would have to order more and it could take a month or two. At that point it had been around a month since I placed my initial order and I wasn't best pleased so I asked for a refund and they said 'no refund' but they'd add a few extras to make the purchase worthwhile.

So around 2-3 months from placing the initial order I received my Yamaha acoustic in question in one piece with the extras, a GHS Fast Fret.

10 years on I'm still not entirely sure how the GHS fast fret works.

Sassafras

Never any problems with GAK.
They're sort of my local shop and I used to knock around with Gary Marshall, the owner. He's a decent guy.
Any shop can make mistakes but it's how they deal with them that's important.

TTony

Sassafras said:

Never any problems with GAK.
They're sort of my local shop and I used to knock around with Gary Marshall, the owner. He's a decent guy.
Any shop can make mistakes but it's how they deal with them that's important.

Indeed.

Though, on this occasion, it wasn't even their mistake.    Sounds like something slipped through PRS QC, or (more likely) happened post-QC and GAK have stepped in to make it right for their customer (me!). 

Shows too that GAK aren't just "box shifters".  The guitar was on the bench being checked over before being shipped.  I'm not sure that all mail order companies do that.

Hope that PRS are making it right for GAK ...

JezWynd

johnl said:

As an ex-Brighton local I read "GAK - Brilliant service!" and was sure you were being sarcastic but there are a couple of really good guys there who will go the extra mile. Glad to hear it worked out. 

As another ex-Brightonian, I've always had excellent in-store service from GAK, including discounts that I didn't even have to ask for. I've found the mail order side a bit hit and miss, stuff turns up with dents etc. but to their credit they have an excellent returns service. Having GAK in town was a big plus for Brighton, a huge range of cool guitars and basses to try out.

TeleMaster

Great news!

I always find GAK good to deal with. 

TTony

And another call from Jamie to confirm that the replacement one is all good - he's checked it over and should be dispatched today for delivery tomorrow (fingers crossed, courier permitting, etc!).

Oh, and he put an extra set of strings in too.

I just keep saying "thank you"!!

Fifty9

So the guitar case you recieved the husk in yesterday came from Gak when I bought a Robert Cray strat from them a few years ago...

...except it wasn't actually a Robert Cray strat at all but rather a partscaster with a Robert Cray neck!     . 

TTony

Fifty9 said:

So the guitar case you recieved the husk in yesterday came from Gak when I bought a Robert Cray strat from them a few years ago...

...except it wasn't actually a Robert Cray strat at all but rather a partscaster with a Robert Cray neck!     . 

Well, it's a handy case ...

That sounds like a it'd be a long and painful story @Fifty9 .  


[edit]
(for another day/thread though!)

Cosmicblue

Positive from me - bought a Line 6 G10T wireless transmitter last week, delivered promptly with good communications over shipment and delivery.  The G10T died after a couple of days 'lights are on but no comms with the amp' so has to go back.  Emailed yesterday evening and got a prompt reply with a link the print a pre-paid mailing label - painless. 

johnl

JezWynd said:

johnl said:

As an ex-Brighton local I read "GAK - Brilliant service!" and was sure you were being sarcastic but there are a couple of really good guys there who will go the extra mile. Glad to hear it worked out. 

As another ex-Brightonian, I've always had excellent in-store service from GAK, including discounts that I didn't even have to ask for. I've found the mail order side a bit hit and miss, stuff turns up with dents etc. but to their credit they have an excellent returns service. Having GAK in town was a big plus for Brighton, a huge range of cool guitars and basses to try out.

Oh yeah - the guys in the shop are always great, was more mail order where I've found things more interesting but definitely one of the things I miss most about living in Brighton. 

StruanRobertson

GAK were great with me recently when purchasing a new Gibson SG junior. They selected the best looking example, took plenty of photos, were super quick to respond.

Couldn't fault the service.

Sassafras

I much prefer them to Andertons, although I can't say they're as local to me as GAK.
I think Andertons are more on the "box shifter" spectrum.

Schnozz

Never had a bad experience with GAK

Fifty9

TTony said:

Fifty9 said:

So the guitar case you recieved the husk in yesterday came from Gak when I bought a Robert Cray strat from them a few years ago...

...except it wasn't actually a Robert Cray strat at all but rather a partscaster with a Robert Cray neck!     . 

Well, it's a handy case ...

That sounds like a it'd be a long and painful story @Fifty9 .  


[edit]
(for another day/thread though!)

Haha not that painful really. Just cheeky beggars. These things are easily solved and they solved it once the innocent error was discovered/they were rumbled. “I’d keep it if the price was ‘x’.” And the price was changed to x. Eventually parted it out as interest in it waned. It came in that case tho which of course helped ensure a secure delivery to you. All good!

TTony

Got the delivery schedule update from DPD - should be here at lunchtime!

Lodious

Be interested to hear what you think of it, they look really nice