Smashingly unhelpful customer service
Some years ago I bought a V-Tuff M-class extractor, drawn by its British origins, health advocacy around the risks of harmful dust exposure and “UK Based Expert Support Team”. I am currently rejigging my workshop and need to reroute and make some changes to my dust extraction setup. I called customer care for parts: the representative couldn’t identify my unit by the name printed on it, gave an incorrect product number, and then asked for photos by email. I sent these, requesting one vacuum-to-hose coupling, one short hose and one hose-to-tool coupling.
I received a reply that “unfortunately this machine is discontinued and we no longer stock parts for it.” Unfortunate indeed, but it’s been some years and of course their product catalogue continues to develop. Still, not the most helpful. I emailed back asking for:
1. The inner and outer diameter of the hose. The couplings are not easily removable and I’d rather not cut the hose if there are other options.
2. Whether they still have couplings that fit that size hose as I did see some hoses on their site that seem to have similar approximate outer diameters. In which case I could buy a set, cut the hose I have, and mount those couplings in my new set-up while making use of the original coupling on the dust extractor side.
3. Whether the hose size and corrugation / thread are proprietary or standard sizing. In case they do no longer stock appropriate couplings, I might be able to find some online elsewhere.
I received the reply: “Unfortunately we don’t stock any components to do with this machine anymore so I wouldn’t be able to provide that information, apologies.”
Now, I did notice the customer care representative emailed from a “sales@“ email address, so maybe she was not part of the advertised UK Based Expert Support Team. It certainly lacked a tad on the support side. I doubt the average customer care representative actually goes into the stock room to take measurements 😂 The specifications for these types of machines are digitally available. If not directly accessible to a customer care representative, then the manufacturing department will have the numbers. Barring a mysterious company-wide simultaneous hard drive apocalypse, even for older machines. It just takes an email.
Workshops are regularly being updated and rejigged, that is often the nature of smaller workshops with varying tasks. In a market with many established dust extraction management system manufacturers, I took a chance on a smaller and newer British competitor that seemed to come in at a good price point. In retrospect, it may not have been a savvy buy at all. At least if I’d bought Festool, Makita, or even local competitor Axminster Tools - whose customer service is always over and above, I would have been able to get exact dimensions even for discontinued machines. And likely even found some enterprising 3D printers on Ebay still producing couplings!
When it’s time to expand my dust extraction setup, I certainly won’t be buying V-TUF.
