[pct-l] Customer Service

[Bill Burge]

I would like to echo the AtABoy for Chris at ULA and Joe at ZPacks!

I ordered a replacement waistbelt for my Catalyst and received an acknowledgement at 9PM on a Sunday and another email at 6:30AM the next morning!

I ordered the new BWP rain shell from Joe with special requests and he was not only attentive and engaged, but the product arrived in an amazing timeframe!

I know this can't happen for everyone - so I MUST be special!  ;-)

Bill Burge
Typoed on my iPad

On Mar 13, 2012, at 1:37 PM, Scott Williams <baidarker at gmail.com> wrote:

> In 2010, just north of Ashland I tried on Plain Slice's brand new ULA
> Circuit backpack.  It was so incredibly comfortable and straightened my
> posture up so noticeably, that I called ULA from trail and ordered one on
> the spot.  Chris had it waiting for me a day later at the store at Crater
> Lake.  (send to the store, not the PO, by the way unless you want a long
> hike for nothing) I've hiked with it ever since although I also have a ULA
> CDT I purchased last year at KO when I could get fitted for it properly.  I
> love this little pack too.
> 
> During my re-hike of WA last summer the zipper on the belt pouch of the
> Circuit got tweaked and the main belly band buckle started having a bit of
> trouble staying hooked.  I just called ULA to get a replacement zipper and
> buckle, fully expecting to pay for the new items and just install them
> myself given all the miles I've put on the darn thing.  But I was blown
> away when Chris wouldn't hear of it, and just popped a whole new belt
> assembly in the mail to me at no charge.  In my new size I might add, a
> small as opposed to the medium of my original, and he had the records to
> show what size I had originally ordered, as I couldn't remember.
> 
> That's customer service!  Personal service too, as Chris has known me
> whenever I've called since that first contact from trail.  Great products
> are one reason for going with the smaller ultra light companies, but the
> personal connection you get with the folks at these companies is another.
> 
> If you're new to the ultra light world, there are a number of wonderful
> little homegrown companies out there in the U.S. that make products most of
> which you can't get at REI, my favorite toy store.  ULA is one.  Then
> there's Zpacks, Tarptent, Lightheart, Six Moon Designs, Granite Gear,
> Gossamer Gear and more and more.  Eric the Black has a pretty good list of
> them with web sites at:
> http://blackwoodspress.com/blog/12378/cottage-backpacking-gear-directory/.
> 
> When we all started going UL after Jardine's first PCT Handbook came out,
> (and some were doing it before) we built and sewed most of this stuff
> ourselves.  I have a couple of wonderful Jardine quilts I made years ago
> and still use kayaking on the West Coast, and heck, Diane still makes her
> own shoes!!  Not to say that making it yourself isn't wonderful, but with
> the lightness and quality of the gear coming out of these small, domestic
> businesses, their products are hard to beat.
> 
> I'm seam sealing my new Hexamid tarp tent from Zpacks right now on a rainy
> CA day, and looking over at the wonderful 900 fill down quilt I just
> purchased from Joe Valesko, another great guy to do business with, and the
> owner of Zpacks.
> 
> Anyway there's great stuff out there designed for just what you're starting
> out to do, so explore some of the web sites, or come to KO ready to upgrade
> if you need to, or just to look at the stuff that's out there.  You may
> find yourself ordering something from trail if gear fails or doesn't
> perform how you want it to, and it's nice to have seen it all in action at
> KO.  The sea of tiny tents all set up next to each other where all the thru
> hikers camp is the first place to start.  Hell, I just get excited thinking
> about it.  Must be the seam sealer fumes.  Let me open another
> window...........
> 
> Shroomer
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