Club Obi Wan

I've been in contact wit Gemma over at Wested Leather bombarding her with questions. I just want to say that her customer service skills are stellar. She took every question I had & replied with prompt answers. Made things crystal clear.

So, when my tax returns show up shortly I will definitely will be ordering their Raiders in the Authentic (seal) Brown, with one minor addition of the press studs on the storm flap. I have a black version of this jacket that I got off of e-bay a few years back & it is still serving me well, but it is time for a brown one.

Customer service is everything to me when purchasing anything. Clothing, cars or a meal. When they take the time to field ones questions and have an answer or just be Johnny on the spot, it makes a huge difference in my decision making. If they have lightning fast shipping like Todd's or WPG, or an acceptable return/replacement policy, it again makes a huge difference. One can have an average product, but if the customer service is top notch, I'll recommend them on high. It is the "A Number One" thing I look for when shopping either on-line or in your average shop or store. And thus far only a small percentage has ever disappointed & they were usually resturants.

So, in short, I highly recommend Wested Leather & Gemma in their customer service department to those newbies out there in COW-land, because the old hands here already know that Wested has a good solid product & a great staff that is extremely helpful.

Cheers!

Dan

I second that! The service (in my case) has been fantastic!

well to be honest..I do not doubt your experiences but before we have a lot of possible negative feedback, perhaps my experience can shed a little light.

When I ordered my jacket in November of last year, I called it in and got Gemma. She gave me the impression of someone who was on the other line to her Girlfriend and couldn't wait for me to get off the phone so she could continue her gossiping. I felt rushed and unsatisfied. I had doubts about whether I had been understood or even listened to. So I emailed and complained. I wasn't rude but to the point.
I received an apology from her and was told that she could hardly hear what I was saying. After that, she answered Via email all of my questions. All of my requests were made, including sudden changes two weeks in. She really came through.

I'm sure the phone conversation was partially my fault as I'm sure in all my excitement, I came across a bit vague. I cannot fault the girl for not expressing equal excitement over yet another Indy jacket order.

My point here is that the difficulty that others have experienced is just as well founded. Wested does not mean to give bad service ( in my opinion) Its just from a North American perspective, the don't always come across that your business means anything to them.

All in all though, I did have a positive experience. I can just see both sides is all.

Drifter

I have been into the "barn" and had great service. A lot of people have to remember that this is a wholesale businesss.. Peter himself fitted me with a jacket and I really cannot complain about attention at all..


Yup as I deal with alot of Americans in my job, they want it now, not when its ready.. (not trying to be rude) its just an american thing and somehting I see alot of in London, most American tourist forget they are out of the country and expect everything to be as they had it in the US. THis is evident as well with the English overseas... they expect all day english breakfeast to be serverd everywhere they go... not such a bad thing some times..

How can I contact this Gemma? Does she have a e-mail or something...?

IndigoJuliet wrote:
Yup as I deal with alot of Americans in my job, they want it now, not when its ready.. (not trying to be rude) its just an american thing and somehting I see alot of in London, most American tourist forget they are out of the country and expect everything to be as they had it in the US. THis is evident as well with the English overseas... they expect all day english breakfeast to be serverd everywhere they go... not such a bad thing some times..

Just to stick my head in the door, IJ, don't paint all us 'Americans' with the same brush. The folks you deal with are those who can afford to travel abroad and show the infamous 'Ugly American' side of our nation. That's not how we are, but I can understand why you'd think that considering what you've experienced first hand.

Customer service should be the same whether you're sitting in Wested's parlor, or on the far side of the globe. You want to be treated as a customer, not just another number....and you want to know the person you're talking to cares enough about you to take the time to get the specifics of your order down correctly. We're spending big bucks on these items, and we want to know that what we're getting is going to be right the FIRST time. In your case, you CAN walk into the Wested 'barn' and have Peter himself put a coat on your back. We, on the other hand, are thousands of miles away and hours apart in even phone calls trying to get the same experience that you take for granted.

Also bear in mind that when we call, the majority of us are calling at the crack of dawn (or middle of the night) just to catch Wested personnel in the shop. They're thinking about going home when we're still thinking about that very cup of coffee and trying to be coherent. They're thinking about supper and just wanting this darn 'Yank' to get on with it and get off the phone and them out the door! Lot's gets lost in the translation.

Oh, and customer service, in my book, is the complete follow through of the order. It's great to have good phone discussion and the like, but the deal is actually sealed when the package arrives and the item is exactly what was discussed. It's even more of an example of true customer service if it ISN'T right for some reason, and they are even quicker to make the problem right.

Once you have your jacket in hand, be sure to come back and update this thread. We'd like to hear about the entire experience.

Gemma is the one who answers almost all the Wested email, so if you send an email to the wested@wested.com address, it's her you'll probably get.


Regards! Michaelson

So a question to our non-American friends: Is Simon Cowell actually a nice guy who's misunderstood by the overly sensitive Americans? Just curious.

Customer service is a "culture." There are alot of American businesses that do not have hospitality intergrated into their business culture. They come across as rude even though they don't mean it. Being in the restaurant business I understand that but alot of folks do not. I think the fact that makes us different than other countries (at least in the restaurant biz) is that our restaurants are corporate-run with fiscal responsibilities to shareholders requiring us to ingrain hospitality into our business, and that requirement is brought on by the fact that there is practically a Chili's, Applebees, Friday's, Bennigans, etc etc etc in every town.

M
The door turns both ways, I have Australians that I shudder at when I see how they behave. New Yorkers who I deal with on a daily basis are very demanding. When I was int he states I udnerstood what alot of people were saying about service in different countries. It was quite different.
I am not painting a Picture of Ugly Americans, as I aluded to the British are just as guilty and no doubt my countrymen are too, however Americans are known to be more demanding of service, and the English version of that has really dropped in the last 8 years i have been here...
I did not mean to offend...

I have the situation with the gloves I just bought, 2 emails no reply, however on the phone I get a very courteous response and the problem solved free of charge and I come out with 1 more pair of gloves than I ordered. GO gloves are US based.

Michealson I have travelled to the count now is approx 35 countries I think, and each "flavour" has thier own particular good points and bad points and points you remember... I also work with about 5 different countries daily and in our team alone we cover 7 different nationalites..

Do u want an ugly and worse Customer service??!!! Than come to Germany. We have the worst Customer service in the world I've ever seen.. Exception is the people in and around Cologne, I think they have quit a good Customer service... sorry follow countrymen, it's the truth.

But, back to topic... I've heard so much about Wested CS, they don't replay your mails, forget your Order, or don't do as u requested etc... I didn't get my Jacket yet, but I can say I'm very pleased with their CS Gemma is very Kind Person, she had replayed to all my mails. There is nothing bad I could say about her/them.

IndigoJuliet wrote:M
The door turns both ways, I have Australians that I sudden at when I see how they behave. New Yorkers who I deal with on a daily basis are very demanding. When I was int he states I udnerstood what alot of people were saying about service in different countries. It was quite different.
I am not painting a Picture of Ugly Americans, as I aluded to the British are just as guilty and no doubt my countrymen are too, however Americans are known to be more demanding of service, and the English version of that has really dropped in the last 8 years i have been here...
I did not mean to offend...

I have the situation with the gloves I just bought, 2 emails no reply, however on the phone I get a very courteous response and the problem solved free of charge and I come out with 1 more pair of gloves than I ordered. GO gloves are US based.

Michealson I have travelled to the count now is approx 35 countries I think, and each "flavour" has thier own particular good points and bad points and points you remember... I also work with about 5 different countries daily and in our team alone we cover 7 different nationalites..

Your points are well taken, and understood. What is not usually understood is the size of our country when compared to others. In some parts of our country, to use your example, a New Yorker is as foreign to us as someone from overseas, and the New Yorker will say the same thing about someone from Tennessee.

Regards! Michaelson

Lot's gets lost in the translation.

Was it George Bernard Shaw who once said: "England and America are two countries divided by a common language"? ...so true!

No further comment from me regarding the customer service. I've said all I have to say on this topic.

and the New Yorker will say the same thing about someone from Tennessee.

Ya well, I think pretty much anyone will say that about someone from Tennessee!!
...kidding of course!!!

Good customer service is something that all folks should receive regardless of country of origin. I have had a couple of vendors on this side of the pond that don't even respond to phone calls & e-mails. Makes you wonder how they even do business. There are also some out there, that when you put your order in there isn't a confirmation, but wow, their shipping is lightning fast. So, when you get the full package of personal responses, answers to your questions & quick shipping you have to sing their praises. Thus far the personal service has been great, & I have heard many great things about receiving Wested jackets in a timely manner.
I will post pictures once I receive my jacket for sure. I'm guessing that a shipment from the U.K. to the left coast of the U.S. will be in the 2.5 to 3 week range from time of order. I can live with that, and if it comes even sooner that is just icing on the cake.
Now, I know that there are plenty of the "Obnoxious Americans" out there and they make a vendors life pure misery. But, there are others in the world that fall into that catagory as well. Super picky, very demanding & want everything yesterday. Fortunately many here, myself included, don't fall into that catagory. Yes, we love to get updates in our orders if something changes, that is just natural, but we don't go off the deep end if it doesn't all go according to plan.
Again, I just wanted to show my thanks and appreciation to Gemma & Peter for having good customer service. That their efforts & craft are greatly appreciated and we understand that roadblocks sometimes pop up and divert the project. Sothank you to Wested Leather for treating me well and having the patience to field my barrage of questions.

Cheers!

Dan

JulianK wrote:Ya well, I think pretty much anyone will say that about someone from Tennessee!!
...kidding of course!!!

HIGH regards! Michaelson

As an exclusively Wested Leather customer for the past 10 years, I can only add my agreement to their excellent service. I ordered my fourth jacket last week, and Gemma processed my order with prompt efficiency. She even encouraged me to contact her should I have any further input regarding my jacket. And I have a very good feeling that this one will be perfect. Remember that these people are in no way obligated to us. Wested chose to extend their services to our little community because they appreciate our business, and they care enough to deliver a quality product. They could shutter us tomorrow and resume working exclusively for the movie industry. I doubt that it will happen, but it is something to consider.

Good customer service begins with politeness. In our culture of instant gratification, it is increasingly easy to lose touch with our humanity via the screen of electronic communication that we take for granted. With the uncertainty and time involved in buying expensive Indy gear (sight unseen) from halfway across the globe, we are naturally anxious to have things our way. That anxiety can manifest itself as rudeness if we let impatience get the better of us. But the golden rule still applies: Do unto others. People appreciate being asked, rather than ordered to do something. Yes, they get paid for their services, but it makes all the difference when the customer shows them respect in the first place. Granted, some people are indifferent about it, but most, I think you will find, are not.

The most important thing that I ever learned was the importance of writing a proper letter, along with the grammar and etiquette involved. Those grade school lessons, which I can still remember clearly today, have paid off in spades for me. You would not believe how smoothly an international transaction can be if you proceed with patience and kindness. Case in point, my order to Herbert Johnson back in 1999. I typed Mr. Swales a very nice letter detailing my desire to own an authentic Indiana Jones fedora like those he crafted for the films, and I received a very nice hat in return. Ditto to my first three Wested jackets. Ask and ye shall receive. Besides, it couldn't hurt to try! )

Well said - I often find that people are more likely to post complaints than compliments, so it is great to give thanks and voice appreciation where and when it is due as well.

Well, I did it! I ordered the Raiders in Authentic (Seal) Brown Goatskin. I had also asked for the press studs to be added to the storm flap because I rather like what I have on my TOD jacket. I can't wait to see it. I should conceivably have it in about two weeks unless they ran out of my size and have to make one, but I don't foresee that. Gemma was a great help in the decision process.
I will post pics once I get it.

Cheers!

Dan

but sometimes are overwhelmed. standard sizes may not have issues, but special orders may be a little harder.

viewtopic.php?t=20911

http://www.thefedoralounge.com/showthre ... who+wested

Michaelson wrote:Just to stick my head in the door, IJ, don't paint all us 'Americans' with the same brush.

You Americans are all the same - always overdressing for the wrong occasions.

What would I do without Gemma, customer service would go down the tubes in may hands as those who wait for my replies know.
She is a great asset and I admit it all fell apart when she was on vacation the other week
For the benift of those who ring it is Gemma with a G as in general rather than Gamma Ray.
As for Simon Cowell as my father would say
' He is innebriated by his own preposity'
Cheers
Peter

Satipo wrote:

Michaelson wrote:Just to stick my head in the door, IJ, don't paint all us 'Americans' with the same brush.

You Americans are all the same - always overdressing for the wrong occasions.

TOUCHE!!

HIGH regards! Michaelson

Well I guess the customer service skills will be tested, I got a custom jacket from Wested and received a few items on my specs. They missed about 90% of my specs. I am not sure what happened all I know is that I am probably getting a new jacket cause they were pretty far off on a number of things. So I guess I will see what happens. I know they are busy so I am more than patient enough on waiting a month or more for a jacket. I am already waiting a good long while for a hat.

IndianaChris

So what was missing that you asked for?
Was it listed as an option?
Did you pay extra?
Put it on the table and lets revue the order!

I have already sent the jacket with written letter and my specifications of what was wrong or not provided on the jacket. I guess the occuring problem I keep having is not getting any black sliders for this jacket and my last one. There were many problems including pockets, wrong zipper, no leather facing on the inside pocket, no x box stitching on the side straps, collar did not meet halfway on stormflap, snaps on pockets were not aluminum, etc. I am not going to list my specifications and my order up here when your going to be getting them with my returned jacket anyway. You will probably be getting it sometime next week. I am more than happy to pay extra and I did pay the extra 20 pounds for a custom jacket from you Peter.

IndianaChris

You Americans are all the same - always overdressing for the wrong occasions.

...said the idiot who was wearing a business suit and leather trench coat in the desert. :junior: -M

Hopefully all works out well for you IC, I'm sure Peter will do right by you.

Thanks for your input Peter. I fully understand lack of communication or simple misunderstandings can occasionally lead to not so stellar happenings. It's just the way of the world, and it happens to everyone just about every day. I know it happens to me regularly. It's how we deal with those little hiccups on both sides of the situation that decides whether it turns out right in the end.
Again I'm willing to bet that this will be resolved nicely and we will have IC showing off his new jacket with the rest of his gear.



Cheers!

Dan

Thanks Daniel Jones, I am sure Peter will get my order right. Mistakes do happen and they have been really busy lately and will all the jacket orders. I just was shocked on how many it was. It just happens sometime and yep it is the way of the world. Mistakes happen, but I do hope things turn out right in the end just like you said.

I guess I could show a picture of myself with my full gear. I don't have a hat yet or whip, as some things are still on order. I just hope whatever they have to do to get my jacket right, whether it is making a new one will be done right.

IndianaChris

They have very good customer service - UNTIL you ask questions about the jacket from The Living Daylights and then they pretend you never asked it. I've asked about that literally five or six times and they ignore me completely.

I don't know why....

IndyFrench wrote:They have very good customer service - UNTIL you ask questions about the jacket from The Living Daylights and then they pretend you never asked it. I've asked about that literally five or six times and they ignore me completely.

I don't know why....

I suppose they would rather appear deaf than simply say "I don't know".

Living Daylight?
Gemma forwarded that to me and I replied that I still do it.
Unfortunatelt your website kept rejecting my reply.
No blame but this happened probably because it was from me and not Gemma and I was junked mailed?
Cheers
Peter

Wested has been great to deal with IMHO. My first jacket order was handled excellently and I am looking forward to placing another as soon as my US Wings refund hits.

-Nebraska

Thanks Peter - I'll try e-mailing you through a different account.

This is all very encouraging, as I ordered a Wested a few weeks ago, and Gemma has been very helpful. Good to know it's not too good to be true, and I'm happy to join this well-respected forum!

So, it appears some folks are having a time of it getting e-mail responses. This may be a spam filter problem, or it could also be a simple matter of not enough hours in the day to answer all questions and make the products that we all covet. I fully understand that we all would like to get some sort of response but we also have to show a modicum of patience as well. Whatever the case I'm sure the proper attention will be paid.
At least it isn't like AEF Supply that never responds to e-mails & never answers their phone, along with not having their voicemail set up. Supposedly they make some great reenacting gear but if you can't get a hold of him in any way shape or form, how can one find out if their order is done? That there is poor customer service & a perfect example of what not to deal with.
So, as far as Wested is concerned, I think that they are doing a bang up job with the amount of demand that we put upon Peter, & I personally think Gemma has done a stellar job fielding questions that I have thrown at her.

Cheers!

Dan

Hi,

Anyone knows why Wested doesn't reply to e-mails? I've sent them a few e-mails to get the confirmation of my custom Raiders jacket order, but have not heard from them yet. I e-mailed both- Gemma and Peter. cheers,
Dunross

I don't know for sure. I've received replies to all of my e-mails without fail. I take into account the tome zone difference, and wait a day. Usually there is a response by the next morning. Again, try checking your spam filter & see if that improves the situation. Beyond that I'm unsure why you wouldn't receive a response. Just a thought.

Cheers!

Dan

Well, happy days!! I just got my second confirmation letting me know that my order was "COMPLETE". I just posed a couple of questions which I should get a response some time tomorrow morning from Gemma.
Waht was the usual shipping time that most of you have experienced? Is usually about one week more or less?

Cheers!

Dan

My Wested experience is limited (one jacket, one pair of pants and one shirt)
but all positive.

All of my orders have been correct and all of my e-mails have been answered in a reasonably prompt timeframe.

I would be equally disappointed had I experienced some of the problems I've read about, but I thought I'd share my experience.

Tron

Well Tron that's good to hear. I can't wait for my jacket to show up now, I sure do hope it looks fantastic.

Cheers!

Dan

Well, Gemma has been very prompt & friendly with the responses. She said my jacket had shipped out Wednesday & I should see it Monday. That & the press studs I asked for were applied per my request. Huzzah!!

Cheers!

Dan

well i agree! so far ive had nothing short of stellar customer service (i just ordered my 1st wested yesterday)! Like DJ, I too assaulted Gemma with tons of questions and she was very patient and kind! also like DJ I think customer service is HUGE (perhaps just as important as the product)!! so im hoping this level of quality and service will carry over to the actual product itself!

Thanks for reading,

JOA

Got the jacket today! Just like Gemma said.
And, on top of that it is everything that I wanted. It has the antiqued brass zipper & square adjustment sliders & they added the press studs in the storm flap like I had asked. It fits like a typical 46R. It has high armholes, which is a plus. Of course the sleeves are a tad long, but that's ok for my orangutan arms. With time the sleeves will wrinkle & bunch up a bit to be a perfect fit. The shoulder pads are no big thing either. That material will break down in time anyway leaving a very natural shoulder. The pockets are fairly large & are comparable to my TOD which can hold my HP 33S calculator with case no problem. They're just as deep, the only difference I could see is maybe being about 1/4" narrower. Other than that nice big TOD pockets. All of this from an off the peg jacket.
It is a much lighter jacket than my black TOD, which leads me to believe that maybe the TOD jacket is horsehide instead of goat. The TOD Jacket is almost twice the weight of my new jacket but it is just as flexible.
Did Wested ever offer a thicker heavier variety of the goatskin?
All in all a fantastic jacket, super customer service and a happy customer.
I will post some pictures soon once I get a few taken & uploaded. This is all I had time for this evening.
Peter, if you read this, tell Gemma I said Thanks a Million!!

Cheers!

Dan

I just wanted to echo the sentiments of DanielJones. I received my jacket today which shipped the same day as his. Wested kindly answered all my questions by email and emailed me when the jacket was completed and shipping. I received excellent service for my first time ordering with them.

Just wanted to add my vote of confidence in Wested. Pic and appreciation in the 'New Member and New Wested' thread. I ordered an 'off the rack' and it came swiftly and I'm very pleased. Gemma was quick to reply with any questions I had.
Interestingly my jacket doesn't seem to have any shoulder pads - Do they only come in the 80s cut?

All best wishes
Alex

my standard and my 80's cut have the shoulder pads.but I removed them on my 80's cut

best
Holt

Holt, are the shoulder pads pieces of foam? Strange that mine didn't have them. I guess there's bound to be variations...

Alex

DanielJones wrote: Did Wested ever offer a thicker heavier variety of the goatskin?
All in all a fantastic jacket, super customer service and a happy customer.
I will post some pictures soon once I get a few taken & uploaded. This is all I had time for this evening.
Peter, if you read this, tell Gemma I said Thanks a Million!!

Cheers!

Dan

Yes, the previous goatskin that Wested offered was much thicker and heavier. The new one is "almost" as thin as lamb.

Thank KT! So I suppose the black TOD I have is goat then, & a bomb proof goat at that. I just need to replace the liner in it since the satin liner is coming apart at the bottom. I'd like to put a cotton liner in it. Hopefully they have a black cotton liner.

Cheers!

Dan

As promised some pics of my new Wested goat. I'm super happy with it!



http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b278/ ... 0_1039.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b278/ ... 0_1038.jpg

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b278/ ... 0_1037.jpg

As you can see the Moleskine notebook is already showing through the pocket. It's a very supple jacket but I think it will be one tough customer over the years. We're looking at rain this weekend so this should be a good test for it.

Cheers!

Dan

congratulations!! great jacket.

what size is that?....could you measure the sleeves for me?from shoulder seam to cuff


again great jacket from a fellow goat owner

Holt

Thanks! It is a size 46R. The shoulder seam to cuff is 26". Fairly long and the cuff does hit me mid hand, but for my orangutan arms it seems to fit fairly well.

Cheers!

Dan