Customer service

Discuss Christopher Ward watches
Massman64
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Customer service

Post by Massman64 »

I am concerned that people here, clearly fans of the brand as am I, are not setting appropriate expectations for customer service from the company at this point. This is no longer a small operation, as it is doing sales in the 8 figures a year now. As such, I think it is time they upgrade their customer service to reflect these changes in scale. I frequently see responses here like, don’t bother them with your questions or (legitimate) concerns, it will just bog down things further. I have dealt with many microbrands whom are one man operations with much better customer service than Christopher Ward, whom seems determined to spend all their resources on marketing and little on support.

Thoughts?
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Re: Customer service

Post by exHowfener »

I frequently see responses here like, don’t bother them with your questions or (legitimate) concerns, it will just bog down things further.
That's not been my (albeit relatively limited) experience. Actually, quite the opposite: I frequently see people coming to the forum to pose a question and being advised to contact CW for a definitive answer.

Now if you are referring to comments made during the recent "sale" period, then yes. I would query whether sending repeated email to CW chasing an order speeds up that process or delays it. As I would with any company of any size at their busiest time. It seems odd to me that people wait months for the sale but cannot wait a few days for their new watch/strap or whatever.

I would also add that if you are the only person responsible for delivering a service, it's much easier (if your mind works that way) to remember/know what's been done/going to be done than if you have to check with colleagues. I do know this from personal experience.

That's not to defend CW or be an apologist for the company, but while we always have the right to call out poor service, we have the responsibility to be fair. Have CW grown as a company? Yes, of course they have. Will they ever match Amazon delivery? I doubt it. And that's OK with me.
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Re: Customer service

Post by tsc1606 »

In my experience answering product queries is good, and not a problem.


Their big failure seems to be managing expectations, that could be long and missed dates for pre orders, or sale time. I do and have purchased in sales, until last year without a problem. Then I received the wrong colour watch, with a mismatching warranty card and the wrong strap. I kept the strap, but returned the watch, refund speedy. Problem with a strap in July, which I had to chase only to be told it was unavailable I was offered an alternative and accepted, but how long before someone contacted me to rectify the position, it was over 2 weeks, and the sale had long disappeared !

This year ouch, watch and strap, ordered as sale went live, and still being prepared…🤔 At the weekend I emailed to query if they could fulfil the order, a reply was received (within 48 hrs -Tuesday) which indicated dispatch yesterday. As of tonight it’s still not dispatched.

I do wonder at what point even in the sale you sit and wait ?

Many a company has great products, but lose credibility by failing on the logistics, and managing customer expectations.

I am not sure the message of new models (come and get me…!), and road shows up and down the country is right way to enhance the customer experience when you can’t deliver the goods in a reasonable time frame ( objective, I am UK based 150 miles from the Towers ).

Cest la vie ……
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Re: Customer service

Post by Massman64 »

And I make a delineation between a general inquiry and a question post sale. Once you have taken my money I think you have an obligation to communicate as effectively as possible about the status of said order. 15 days after confirmation of order I should know when to expect it. It could be another two weeks before it ships and I think customers will tolerate it as long as they are being communicated with and expectations are set. Not expecting the product to arrive in 48 hours, but shouldn’t we expect a time frame for delivery to be set in 48 hours or so? Or response to an email after sale in less than a weeks time? I can tell you my business is smaller than Ch Ward but if I don’t reply within hours there will be hell to pay from my customers.
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Re: Customer service

Post by meinberg »

The January sale has always been like this, and always will be due the huge blip in sales. CW could add a banner to the sales page advising that dispatch will be within 30 days, I doubt that would deter many bargain hunters.
I hope people who have paid full price get priority over sales purchases.
In general I have not had any issues with CS, I am still waiting for a sale purchase to be dispatched, but this isn’t my first sale, :D
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Re: Customer service

Post by nycWATCHnerd »

exHowfener wrote: Thu Jan 23, 2025 8:27 pm It seems odd to me that people wait months for the sale but cannot wait a few days for their new watch/strap or whatever.
Such good wisdom.

Too bad it will be lost on some/most/many people when they need it during sale time.
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Re: Customer service

Post by PGR101 »

I’ve previously avoiding wading in on this topic in the sales thread but generally I’ve had a hit a miss experience with customer service and do think it is something CW need to look at. For a brand that now has the status CW has and the price range there is an expectation of good service and poor customer service is a risk for them and worth a review of how they do it. Guess there is a little bit of perspective here that many people may just buy and own one or two 'nice' watches so not really engage much with the brand and will largely have a good experience. This forum is a bit of a microcosm in some ways but it is relevant as people like us will go back to brands as we sell and buy watches or build up collections and so the customer experience does matter.

In short a little bit of good comms goes a long way and a little bid of poor comms can irritate a lot of people and risks damaging the brand. For the sale in my mind the issue is lack of accurate comms and expectations being that orders will be fulfilled as normal when that is not realistic and CW should be clear about that. There is a simple solution: Change the messaging on the website and order emails to something along the lines of 'Sales are extremely busy times for the team and delivery times will be longer than normal but should be fulfilled within XX days. Please be patient with our small team etc.' I don't think there needs to be a running commentary after that but if something isn't going to be delivered within the advised time frame then a further message should be issued. I've seen comments elsewhere on pre-orders (although I'd also note that I recently bought a Marloe on pre-order back in mid-Dec for deliver in 'Jan/Feb' and have had no updates. I think it'd be reasonable for me to chase them towards the end of Feb if I haven't heard anything) and it just seems to be about regular comms saying all is on track or early notice to say it isn't - feels like I've read that the delay email tends to come close to when the watch is due and CW should probably know earlier that there will be delays and start to manage expectations earlier.

I had a poor experience a couple of years ago when an email (plus a follow up) I sent about extra links for a bracelet was not responded to and I had to call. Didn’t get a reason why but got over it pretty quickly. Then 6 months ago I didn’t have all the details for the online form for a service - that in itself assumes the owner has lots of info on the watch and doesn’t allow things like original order reference to be left blank. So the inflexibility of the form annoyed me a tad. After emailing CW asking about how I order a service without all the info I got what was either an automated response or someone who had not read my email properly directing me to fill in the online form. Another email was thus sent re-explaining and then I got a more personalised response and was sent a form I could fill in. After that my only further niggle was that I got an email confirming receipt of the watch and estimated time frame for the service and nothing else until the watch was dispatched (which was in the time frames advised). I was relaxed about it but an email at some point saying yes, we’re servicing it and all is good would have been nice. In the sale I bought two straps, once arrived within days, the other over a week, but I sort of expected that.

These are just niggles though and I did not get annoyed or declare I’d never buy a CW again (I did, more than once). Buying a watch outside of the sale has not been an issue with delivery within the advertised time frames.
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Re: Customer service

Post by akirk »

the points above are valid - but it is not just about the customer service when in contact - there are two fundamental issues before that:
- you can't get hold of anyone on the phone either ref orders or customer service and there is no queue it just cuts you off after a short time - so they need to consider their staffing and technology there
- too much of their underlying tech. doesn't do joined up thinking

so I have an order placed on the 8th where I had confirmation of the order / a delivery of the strap / non-delivery of the watch - but the emails said things like order dispatched etc. If I go to the order system linked on the original dispatch email it effectively shows it as completed with a photo of the strap box on my doorstep - I have to go elsewhere to find it marked as partially dispatched - and even there it doesn't show which bit has been dispatched - or what is happening with the item I am waiting for...

I have then bought some bracelets 9 days later - they are now dispatched - but still no news on the watch

So I am left unable to have any understanding of what is happening / a £600 watch paid for (they took the money!) but no news of when I might get it and later orders arriving before there is any news...

there are a number of areas where more joined up thinking would improve matters.
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Re: Customer service

Post by nycWATCHnerd »

I am not sure what the point of having and publishing a Customer Service number is if nobody actually ever answers.
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Re: Customer service

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

nycWATCHnerd wrote:I am not sure what the point of having and publishing a Customer Service number is if nobody actually ever answers.
I've had it answered when I've called.

If not, there's a voicemail, I've left a message and received a call back.

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Re: Customer service

Post by nycWATCHnerd »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 4:30 pm
nycWATCHnerd wrote:I am not sure what the point of having and publishing a Customer Service number is if nobody actually ever answers.
I've had it answered when I've called.
If not, there's a voicemail, I've left a message and received a call back.
This is one more reason Customer Service seems like amateur hour.
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Re: Customer service

Post by Bahnstormer_vRS »

nycWATCHnerd wrote:
Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 4:30 pm
nycWATCHnerd wrote:I am not sure what the point of having and publishing a Customer Service number is if nobody actually ever answers.
I've had it answered when I've called.
If not, there's a voicemail, I've left a message and received a call back.
This is one more reason Customer Service seems like amateur hour.
Oh. :shock:

Why amateur? What alternative would you suggest?

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Re: Customer service

Post by akirk »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 6:27 pm
nycWATCHnerd wrote:
Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 4:30 pm
I've had it answered when I've called.
If not, there's a voicemail, I've left a message and received a call back.
This is one more reason Customer Service seems like amateur hour.
Oh. :shock:

Why amateur? What alternative would you suggest?

Guy

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It does sadly come across a bit amateurish...
on the one side there is a lot of talk about scaling / turnover / money they are making etc. but some of the underlying fundamentals are not very good... I have still no idea what happened to the watch from the watch and strap order I placed on the 8th - strap has been delivered, there are a number of different order screens some of which say order completed and one which still says partially dispatched - so I am hoping that is the accurate one... I sent a chasing email to customer services (email confirmation saying that they will respond in 2 days) - that was two weeks ago and still nothing... I have tried phoning but you can't get through and then are simply cut off after a short time - no queue - I did at one point speak to someone on switchboard who took the details and said someone will call me back - I have been waiting a week...

so alternative - invest in their customer service?
I have had a long enough relationship with CW to be able to say that the customer service quality is way below where it used to be (Wera come back!) - the usual excuse is that they have grown - great, so grow the customer service as well...
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Re: Customer service

Post by nycWATCHnerd »

Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 6:27 pm What alternative would you suggest?
Most of what @akirk says above and I quoted below from his post (edited).
akirk wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 7:15 pm It does sadly come across a bit amateurish... I sent a chasing email to customer services (email confirmation saying that they will respond in 2 days) - that was two weeks ago and still nothing... I have tried phoning but you can't get through and then are simply cut off after a short time - no queue - I did at one point speak to someone on switchboard who took the details and said someone will call me back - I have been waiting a week...

so alternative - invest in their customer service? I have had a long enough relationship with CW to be able to say that the customer service quality is way below where it used to be (Wera come back!) - the usual excuse is that they have grown - great, so grow the customer service as well...
I have managed IT Service Desks that support tens of thousands of users and we support the same people day after day. My younger brother manages US based Call Centers (insurance, credit cards, etc.) serving millions of customers. You plan to scale up when you know growth is coming or you scale up immediately for unforeseen growth. I do not get the sense CW had done either. The founders experience is in manufacturing and retail sales but after 20 years one would think they would have figured out how to supply Customer Service for an online business.

- More CS staff.
- Better training for current CS staff.
- More communication between all departments because CS should be the first to know about something rather than the last.
- Better CS (and other IT) Systems or at a minimum do a better job implementing and integrating current systems.
- Implement KPIs so you know how CS is performing.
- Implement KPIs for other departments to measure their performance.
- Hire a Sig Sigma, ISO 9001/9002, and/or other consultant to review/update/change/delete processes to make the business more efficient.
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Re: Customer service

Post by meinberg »

nycWATCHnerd wrote: Tue Jan 28, 2025 2:09 am
Bahnstormer_vRS wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 6:27 pm What alternative would you suggest?
Most of what @akirk says above and I quoted below from his post (edited).
akirk wrote: Mon Jan 27, 2025 7:15 pm It does sadly come across a bit amateurish... I sent a chasing email to customer services (email confirmation saying that they will respond in 2 days) - that was two weeks ago and still nothing... I have tried phoning but you can't get through and then are simply cut off after a short time - no queue - I did at one point speak to someone on switchboard who took the details and said someone will call me back - I have been waiting a week...

so alternative - invest in their customer service? I have had a long enough relationship with CW to be able to say that the customer service quality is way below where it used to be (Wera come back!) - the usual excuse is that they have grown - great, so grow the customer service as well...
I have managed IT Service Desks that support tens of thousands of users and we support the same people day after day. My younger brother manages US based Call Centers (insurance, credit cards, etc.) serving millions of customers. You plan to scale up when you know growth is coming or you scale up immediately for unforeseen growth. I do not get the sense CW had done either. The founders experience is in manufacturing and retail sales but after 20 years one would think they would have figured out how to supply Customer Service for an online business.

- More CS staff.
- Better training for current CS staff.
- More communication between all departments because CS should be the first to know about something rather than the last.
- Better CS (and other IT) Systems or at a minimum do a better job implementing and integrating current systems.
- Implement KPIs so you know how CS is performing.
- Implement KPIs for other departments to measure their performance.
- Hire a Sig Sigma, ISO 9001/9002, and/or other consultant to review/update/change/delete processes to make the business more efficient.
All good suggestions and not pretending CS is perfect but what are you prepared to pay for top notch CS? Because it’s going to cost, and that cost is going on the price as sure as the sun is coming up tomorrow.
The annual sale has always caused CS issues, and usually creates a bit of discussion here, and no doubt the staff get hammered as well.

Not saying you’re wrong, but personally I prefer the money to go into the watch.
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