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prkaye

Well Known Member
The only interaction I've had with Vans Aircraft so far was in ordering my preview plans. I had emailed them after a week when they hadn't arrived to ask for a tracking number. No response. Then they arrived at my billing address. When they made the shipping labels they had reversed the billing and shipping addresses (the confirmation email they sent me had them right, but the plans were shipped to my billing address instead). When I wrote to mention this error to them, I got no response. No apology or anything.

Is this what I should expect in dealing with Vans, or have I just experienced an anomoly? I would like to think if I'm going to spend thousands of dollars on an aircraft from them, they would be better at responding.

How have other people's experiences been?
 
Phil,

I have had nothing but excellent customer service in dealing with them for 1 1/2 years. They have always been polite with me on the phone even when I called to get a bad part they ship me replaced. I have nothing but good things to say about everyone I have ever dealt with at Van's.
 
Ditto

I have had nothing but excellent customer service in dealing with them for 1 1/2 years. They have always been polite with me on the phone even when I called to get a bad part they ship me replaced. I have nothing but good things to say about everyone I have ever dealt with at Van's.
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I couldn't have said it better.
 
william weesner said:
IMHO vans is not a make you feel all warm and fuzzy company....
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Second this. They are a pretty good company, but they sure don't use Disney customer service model! I've been buying from them since about '96. Have always been pretty good, but not bubbling with sweetness. They don't have to - they have the RV's and the customers want them.
 
Hate to admit it but I've been dealing with Vans since late 99, in that time I've had no trouble with Vans customer service, orders, or technical help. I try not to bother them with small stuff. There are plenty of other sources for general info, like this site, So Cal RV List, Matronics, and all the other builder sites. They have helped relatives & friends get gift certificates for me, answered my tech questions, and the one time an order was taking longer than I expected they tracked it down and satisfactorily responded.

Now if I could just get this thing finished.
 
Having built two RVs, I have had numerous chances to deal with them. Occasionally, they have screw ups, but they have always corrected them with out a problem. Their technical support has been good, either over the phone, or via email, which is a lot more than I can say for other companies I have dealt with. At least VAN's provides a great product.
As they grow, they get more impersonal. VAN's is not the same small company they were in the mid 90s, but don't you all agree that their product is much better and they have many more choices!
There are lots of forums, clubs and vendors that supply parts, tools and training, so you really don't need VAN's to do that. At least not any more than they already do.
In comparison to other companies that I deal with, VAN's rates high on the scale for quality and responsiveness, not to mention their ability to not only stay in business, but to grow when other kit providers have failed.
It's all relative!
 
Dealing with Vans

Is this what I should expect in dealing with Vans, or have I just experienced an anomoly? I would like to think if I'm going to spend thousands of dollars on an aircraft from them, they would be better at responding. How have other people's experiences been?
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After twenty-five years in a volatile industry, and with nearly 5000 aircraft in the air and several thousand more under construction, often by builders who have never built anything nearly as complex as an aircraft, it seems Vans's customer service must be at least satisfactory.

Mark your experience off as a glitch and turn your attention to more productive things like prepping your shop. :)
 
I wouldn't sweat it. Do your homework before calling, everyone has a "bad day" occasionally, be cheerful and understanding yourself, and realize they SHIP 500 packages a day! - That's an amazing feat! :)
 
I have always gotten good responce and they have always been helpful and courteous. Like any good company, they make mistakes. They always correct them. Be patient. They are a World Class organization.

Roberta
 
When I ordered my fuse kit, I noted on the invoice that I had been charged for it twice. So I called up Barb at Van's and politely informed her that I was not building a twin fuselage version of a 6A. We had a good laugh about it and she promply corrected it.

As others have said, Van's is human, despite beliefs to the contrary, and can/will make mistakes from time to time. When taken in the big picture, they do pretty darn well, all things considered.


Regards,
 
They Have the RVs

Low Pass said:
... They don't have to - they have the RV's and the customers want them.
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Yeah, that was the impression I got and I'm not even a customer yet!

For quite a while I've been wanting to get started on an RV-8A. The weather looked good for a flight to Aurora so I called the day before to make sure the -8A would be available. Sure enough, when the receptionist handed me off to the available demo pilot, he mentioned it was gone somewhere but the RV-7A would be even better for my purposes. Or he suggested maybe I should be looking at the RV-9A. It deteriorated from there -- i.e. a minor dissertation on why one doesn't need an attitude indicator in a VFR airplane.

The demo pilot was not an ogre and the tour of the factory production area was OK but I didn't come away with the RV grin much less an urge to write a check before flying home. It's just that there are a number of things that could have been done better so the customer experience matches the level of the product.

They still have my RV and I still want it :)

--
Joe
Long-EZ 821RP
Lewiston, ID
 
always accurate,courteous and reliable

I have bought a lot of stuff from Van's and (knock on wood) never had any problems. I started off using primarily the phone to interact but have learned the best way to order or get technical assistance is over the computer. Their site is comprehensive and their technical advice is prompt. Their techs have always been patient and never seemed to hurry me; but don't be suprised if you receive a different answer to technical questions depending on who you ask.
 
Not sure what extra level of service you expect. Guess you could always buy half the plane for 4 times the price at your local Cessna dealer. Wonder how much extra customer service that would buy ;)
 
I bought my 9A kit partially assembled from another builder. The kit had been purchased from Van's over a year before I got it. 6 mos. later I was installing the flap actuator weldment. I discovered it was bent. I returned it to Van's,paid the freight and expected to be billed for a new one-3 weeks later a new flap actuator weldment showed up on my doorstep-no charge. Van's would have been fully justified in charging me and I would have accepted it. I was pleasantly surprised at the outcome. All my dealings with Van's have been good so far. Greg RV9A N4603X (res) (EFI) O-320-H2AD
 
william weesner said:
this is a good point but the money isnt the question . i can buy a 5 dollar part from summit racing get it in three days with free shipping. and if i have a problem with it i can call anytime not just 2-4 pm.
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No one is forcing you to buy your hardware from Vans.

Yes, you have to buy replacement parts from them. But it costs money to run a 24 hour order desk, and provide free shipping. That money would come from increases in prices. TANSTAAFL.

I'll take the low prices, and the restricted hours on the order desk, thank you very much.
 
Never had a problem with them.
That said, they are not in business to convince you to buy their product. It sells on its own.
One thing which is almost as certain as the sun comes up is that they will stay in business , unlike many a kit plane co that goes belly up on you half way through your project.
Been there, done that.
 
No Frills Should Be Expected

Yes the experience you had does reflect the real customer service to be expected from Vans. The layers of overhead and cost required to maintain the kind of zero error, customer stroking, immediate response to all your wishes, service you and I would like to have would not allow Van's to provide the outstanding customer value that they do.

Van's is a very honest company with an oustanding offering of products. When you call to deal with them you are dealing with the local people that work for Van with individual responsibility and in my experience they do their very best to do the job right. I have had problems like you describe but never was there any reluctance to correct them. They are several days slower than companies that are big suppliers whose only business is to maintain inventory, pull, pack and ship orders. If I need hardware that is not Van's unique I order elsewhere because I usually need it NOW! When I order from Van's I have a different level of expectation on delivery and accuracy but I always get what I need eventually and the quality of what I get is always good. I usually allow a week on Van's orders and if I haven't received anything I call them and talk to a person to get the status and fix the problem if there is one. Van's is a good resource for hard to find parts for your RV and once you make an attitude adjustment to their style of operation, thay are very pleasant to do business with.

Bob Axsom
 
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Bob Axsom said:
Yes the experience you had does reflect the real customer service to be expected from Vans. The layers of overhead an cost required to maintain the kind of zero error, customer stroking, immediate response to all your wishes, service you and I would like to have would not allow Van's to provide the outstanding customer value that they do.
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IMO, it could not have been said any better!

I've been dealing with Van's for ten years, and have no complaints about their service. Most parts have always arrived within the week. Van's business is building airplane kits with reasonable prices; and not keeping employees on the shelf, to fill a bunch of orders in the same afternoon. It might take one more day... :D

If I need nuts & bolts, I go with Wicks, Aircraft Spruce, and others, as that's their specialty.

L.Adamson
 
That was a great post, Bob. I agree with the mindset.

If I need #8 screws, etc I have a local place near Love Field. It took me almost 6 years to get Flash in the air, so I guess I never understood that 'must have overnight' attitude. Different latitudes and all that.... <g>.

b,d
 
Van's customer service

I find Van's to be one of the best suppliers for international orders. They process the orders quickly, and will ship USPS up to $100. Very few places are comfortable with USPS internationally. My only complaint is the $100 limit. In my 15+ years of having packages shipped from the US to Switzerland, I haven't lost a single package with USPS. I've had one that got accidentally routed through Swaziland, but it did finally get here. :)

Van's is very cool about shipping to different addresses, aggregating orders, and doing other custom stuff. I really like dealing with them, and hope they keep up the good work!
 
One trick I learned about Van's shipping. If you call in an order before about 11am pacific time and use some kind of expedited shipping such as next day, 2 day or 3 day, they will get it out the same day. If you request ground shiipping, it could be a couple of days before they ship it. Internet ordes seem to have a built in 2 day lag, so don't do that if you need something quick. I usually order on Mondays and request FedEx 3day shipping and I'll have the stuff in NY on Thursday for weekend building.
 
I guess I'm on the "No problems here" bus. From the first Preview Plans order up to the current "replacement parts" order I haven't had any problems. If you check out their shipping policy it clearly states how it works.

"Web Orders are downloaded every business day Monday thru Friday at 1PM Pacific Time .

The following business day we start processing and packing orders.
We try to get orders packaged, and shipped out within 3 business days after receiving the order.

Shipping within 3 business days after receiving your order is our goal, but it is not a guarantee."

Knowing this, I try to get anything I need ordered by 1PM Wednesday so they might get it out by Friday afternoon. So far it has worked but I haven't really noticed 'cause I just go on to the next thing I need to do and when the part comes in, I get back to whatever I needed the part for. Having said this, UPS had my Pro-Seal for over 2 weeks but that wasn't Van's fault.

As far as Tech Support, I have only asked them a couple of questions via email and they answered very quickly. It's a very nice kit so I haven't had many questions. ALL of the other questions I have had have been answered here. Thanks guys! :)
 
thanks!

Thanks a lot for all your respones, guys.

From what I've seen here, i think I just need to change my expectations (an "attitude adjustment") over the little things. I'm usually very fussy about customer service, but with Vans I'm going to try to focus on the product, and not let myself be bothered unless something major goes wrong.

At the end of the day, as many of you have suggested, it's really about building a good airplane, not about the customer service experience.
 
All of my experiences have been just fine, all four kits shipped as planned or before the estimated time. I have only made a few phone calls but all were dealt with just fine, even an email I sent came back with a chuckle and response appropriate to my dumb :p email in the first place.

I expect screwups to happen, it's part of everyday life. So far Van and his staff have done just fine, especially when you consider that it's such a small group doing a pretty big job.

Try to cancel your AOL subscription for a reality check on customer service. ;)
 
Van's has been excellent in all my dealings with them over the past 3 years, starting with picking up an empennage kit at the factory late on a Friday - last minute decision - they went out of their way to get everything packed up so I could take it home in our Lance. Since then they've gone way beyond half-way numerous times in meeting my needs. I think their product and support are outstanding. They do like nose wheels and VFR airplanes but hey, that's just their own opinion. I'm so glad Van's exists and I have an opportunity to build one of their outstanding airplanes. Bill
 
customer service rating...

I had an order recently that arrived with a purple/pinkish paper inside: the kind of color that says: "you may want to read this real soon". I didn't read the invoice-funny color paper for weeks... Then finaly read the invoice and the paper said "Credit Card did not process- this order is is sent for your convience" Holy **** batman! Get that check to Vans in the mail!

Now I have only been working on this project for 8 months, but my rating for Van's as a whole is: Very good- Great

But I have never seen customer service do something like that- That is outstanding!

Brad
RV6A QB- Firewall forward
C-182 - Family SUV
 
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