Flatlander

Customer Service

Wed, January 18, 2012

I want to preface this story by saying no company involved has paid or endorsed my judgment in any way, shape or form other than the facts in article.

I have had several pair of binoculars over the years but most were worth what I paid, by that I mean they were not clear, and didn’t last long before falling apart.  It doesn’t take a math major to figure out over a few decades that $35 binoculars bought and discarded every few years is not a good investment.  It also doesn’t take an economist to figure out a young man paying on a house, cars, and daycare bills can’t afford high end optics either.

A compromise is sometimes the answer but rarely when quality glass is concerned in rifle scopes and binoculars.  I decided about seven or eight years ago that I would save up a little over time and get some good binoculars for scouting and hunting deer.  I couldn’t afford a pair for long range scouting and a pair for bowhunting, one pair had to do it all. I decided on a pair of Nikon Action10-22 X 50 with a zoom feature to allow for work in the timber and on the open prairie. They were amazingly clear and fit the bill perfectly.

I used these Binoculars for years and they truly are a tool I hate to be without, it has helped me to fill some of my buck tags by deciding on great shooter bucks, but more importantly its help me to pass on deer that I really didn’t want to shoot.  They have been a flawless tool until a week prior to gun season this fall, then they came apart; something inside had come apart and a black ring showed up when I ran the zoom ring and every power setting was blurry.

I figured it was a lost cause since I am not the best on saving receipts and registering products.  I sent an email off to Nikon service department but didn’t hold much hope, within and hour I received an email saying I would be contacted about the problem. Another hour went by and I was contacted by customer service and found out there is a 25 year warranty on their binoculars. I was told I had to have the original receipt, game over I thought.

I remembered getting the Nikon’s from Cabela’s, maybe they would have record of it? I emailed Cabela’s and got an answer within an hour and they told me to give them as much information as possible.  An hour later I was told I would have a photo copy of the receipt within 48 hours; three hours later I had the receipt and was shipping it off with the binoculars to Nikon. Cabela’s was able to produce the original sales record from 8 years ago in the matter of hours on very limited information; Impressive.

After the initial inspection Nikon opted to replace rather than repair, I paid $22.50 for handling and processing fees to Nikon.  I was thrilled to see a company stand behind their product, it did take a month after approval and a phone call and a few emails to prompt them to send them out but I eventually got my binoculars replaced.  Along with my new binoculars there was a $10 gift card for my inconvenience and a thank you for sticking with Nikon. Needless to say I will be shopping for a small compact set of binoculars and you can guess what brand they’ll be.

To Nikon and Cabela’s, thank you for great customer service and standing behind what you do, it’s rare to find that this day and age.  I never hesitate to share when a company does a good job……..and I definitely don’t hesitate when they don’t.  Customer satisfaction is still the number one way to advertise.

Until next time, be safe and God Bless,
Matt Cheever

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