A Thought to Help Out CGC's QC Problems

[cheetah]

I get annoyed when I get a set of slabs back from CGC that have labeling errors. It means you I have to fill out a form for reholdering and repack the slabs then pay for shipping to CGC.

 

It is doubly annoying when you do this and get the slabs back only to find that they are still incorrectly labeled. CGC will tell you that you not only have to fill in the correct information for the slab on the submission form, you then have to print out the form and write on it that the slabs are erroneously labeled. Additionally, you have to take a sharpie and write directly on the slab that they are erroneously labeled. Only then will CGC guarantee that you will get the correctly labeled slabs back. If you don't do all these things and you get back mislabeled slabs, they will charge you for the reholdering and shipping and you will have to pay for a second round of shipping to send the books back a third time to get them correctly labeled.

 

Call me a rebel, but this seems a bit of an awkward method to fix an error on CGC's part. It seems apparent that the folks doing the reholdering don't really bother to look at the order and will crack out freshly graded books in perfect, brand-new holders just to put them back in another perfect, brand-new holder. These are then given to QC who also doesn't bother to look at the order and ships them merrily along to a customer who complains to their customer service representative who tells you that this happens a lot and you needed to make it even MOAR clear to them that it was their error they were supposed to fix.

 

I admit, I've spoken to a number of folks at CGC who have promised that people like Harshen or their accounting folks would call me back. I'm still waiting for the call-backs or emails. So, in lieu of waiting around to talk to folks unlikely to call me back, I thought I would make a recommendation to CGC that would avoid this problem in the future.

 

Suggestion: Make a new service category for the reholdering of slabs mislabeled by CGC. It could be as easy as putting a check box on the web form denoting a slab has been mislabeled.

 

I may not submit the most books in the world but my orders seem to average a mislabel every 50 books are so. The average is much worse with modern variants where it looks like 1 in 10. CGC should just acknowledge they have a serious problem and make a specific order form for correcting their mistakes instead of putting the onus on the customer to make enough noise to ensure the problem is fixed.

[mysterio]

I've never been clear on why the customer is expected to pay shipping to fix a label error. I'm unaware of any other company that requires the customer to be out of pocket to fix a mistake.

 

Cheetah, you probably already know this, but you can drop off error slabs with CGC at any show they set up at so you don't have to pay to ship them back. Since this is not a reholder situation they accept them (sadly I've dropped off errors at about 2/3 of the shows I've gone to that CGC has too).

[cheetah]

Yeah, I know that. I don't get to make too many shows nowadays. I wish I did.

[Doc Joe]

Great idea.

 

I have also used Matt Nelson for books where the grade was incorrect; he helped fix it.

 

But seriously its kind of outrageous. I have never seen the machine /whatever that does it but I assume a human is near by? One of the reasons Zappos does so well and their customers love them - free returns, and those are not even their error, just customer whim!

 

Now if anyone does not think CGC is already 'doing well' then they are nuts...but true class is going that extra step when you dont have to.

[newshane]

I couldn't agree more with cheetah's idea or the comments posted in this thread. When the company makes an error, the resolution of that error should not in anyway cost the customer.

 

 

[Icculus308win]

Once again Cheetah - fantabulous idea!

 

(And yes their warranty/return policy/customer service ability pertaining to "typos" and QC" needs a little revisiting or updating)

[pubmonkey]

I think this is a great idea. I've had several books mislabeled in the last 6 months and feel very annoyed I have to cover the costs for their mistake, not to mention the added time for them to process and return the fixed slab back to me. The quality control would get much tighter if CGC had to pay for the round trip shipping for mislabels. In the meantime this new method Cheetah is proposing would definitely highlight the correction process necessary to receive the service we have paid for.

[Harveyfanatic]

Why not shoot the customer an image by email or by text that has to be approved by the customer before the book is shipped out? Sounds fairly simple to me. Just my 2 cents.