Excellent customer service from Van's!

[robjohnson]

So often enough it is easy to only post complaints with companies, and we forget that we should also talk about good experiences.

Here is the situation -- I am getting close to being done with our project. I, like many builders, postponed my fiberglass work until the end of the project (probably would do this differently next time around). This past weekend, I started on the wing tips. When I inventoried our kit, 2 years ago mind you, everything checked out. We had both tips - W-715-1L and W-715-1R.

However, when I got to looking at them this weekend, I discovered that our W-715-1L was incorrectly labeled at Van's (it should have been labelled as W-715-1R), so that left me with TWO right wing tips. Not exactly a good thing.

As I said, I ordered the wing kit about 2 years ago, so I wasn't expecting much from Van's, even though it was a mistake on their end. I made the assumption that the parts were correct when we did the inventory, and I assumed that Van's would tell me tough cookies.

So, I prepped the wife that we may be making a $240+ dollar purchase if Van's didn't take care of the issue. I was EXTREMELY pleased when I spoke to Van's this morning -- not only are they sending out a new left wing tip in the next day or two (free of charge with no shipping charges), they are also going to reimburse me for the shipping charges I will incur from sending one of the right-hand wing tips back! Can't ask for anything better than that!

Kudos to Van's for an example of excellent customer service!

[danielhv]

Nothing but kudos from me either!! Very happy customer so far, with alot more ordering in my future. Looking forward to it.

[Geico266]

There is a reason Van's is the best selling kit aircraft in the history of aviation.

[grover]

I'll add to the list- - recent experience with bose and wentworth was excellent. above and beyond what I expected.

[N941WR]

During my build I was continuously amazed at the warehouse people Van's employs. They not only were very accurate in their picking but the way they packed the "stuff" so it didn't get damaged was first rate!

[robjohnson]

Right on, Bill! Definitely tip my hat to the warehouse folks! I didn't have a single item messed up from shipment on all of my kits, and it wasn't the warehouse's fault on my wing tip issue -- just a simple mislabel. They pulled what they thought was the correct part.

It is really amazing how they can pack things so well -- it is like they have stumbled across the secret formula to successfully put 10 gallons of...um, stuff...into a 5 gallon hat

[Rupester]

Good on ya for saying so, Rob! I've had nothing but top response from the Vans folks on all my orders ... not to mention great advice from Builders' Help. I wish all the vendors I deal with were as competent.

Terry

[ArVeeNiner]

I don't like to bite the hand that feeds me but....

First of all, I totally agree with Van's excellent customer service and technical support. You normally don't find service like that out in the real (non-aviation) world. Thanks Vans!

However, I have to say (and I've said it before), I think there exists a huge opportunity for Van's to improve their lessons learned system. I've been an engineer in the Aerospace/Aviation field for 24 years and one thing that I've learned is that there is no such thing as a perfect drawing or procedure. I'm a stickler for details and accuracy and over those years I've penned many many procedures. I've done my best to put out quality, flawless instructions but there is always room for improvement and darn it, the users of my procedures, including myself, still manage to find errors.

We've all experienced the frustration of following the instructions or drawing to a T only to find out somthing didn't fit or maybe we should have done something a differnent way which would have made our lives easier. How many of us have that bottom bolt for attaching the electric fuel pump hit the engine mount? How about those pesky rudder stops? Van's dimensions don't seem to work do they? How about machine countersinking the spar for the tanks (or was it for the leading edges)? Don't do it like Van's says because you might go too deep (actually, I'm thinking that this may have been revved but it was long ago for me to remember well). Then there is the wing skin drawing which shows both the top view and bottom view of the same wing (at least that's what it says) but in actuality, the bottom view is really of the other wing. There are many, many more pitfalls lurking that have bitten me causing rework. Take a quick look on these very VAF pages. I joke with a friend of mine that Van's throws these problems in there just to keep it interesting. When I run into one of these I tell him that I've been "Vanitized" ("Vanned" or "Vandalized" also work).

So, what do we do when we run into one of these pitfalls? We call Van's and experince that great customer service. Wouldn't we all benefit, including Van's, if drawings and instructions were revved more often? We'd have a better build and Van's would have less phone calls. They already have a spot on their web site for such revisions! Most of the items would take very little time to clear up.

I've asked them about creating more revisions to capture the pitfalls we builders find. I was told that the design (in this case, the RV-9) is mature and the feeling was that further revisions were not required.

So here we are, all making the same mistakes because we followed the drawing or instructions. Let me tell you, these lurking problems really slow me down because I'm leary about the Van's instructions. Before I do anything, I search the web for those who have discovered a better, or the correct way.

Just my 2 cents.

Kelly Johnson
Plugging away and wondering what is lurking next.