So perhaps this isn't the best avenue to vent...and for what it is worth I haven't called Festool directly yet, I am planning on doing so as my experience wasn't pleasant (I've had better luck at big box stores) and I have spent far to much time/energy/effort on this problem and need to take a breath and cooldown and walk away from it for a minute after this rant. Before I do that, a peek into where I am right now. Yes I’m complaining and its a long email...so wouldn't recommend you waste your time reading on unless you are bored, curious, work for Festool or some combination. Apologies in advance this will probably be unnecessarily long...
I think something can be learned from my experience and a little into how I feel right now...(hopefully something positive will come out of it) so I'm posting and trying not to be emotional about it and definitely looking to find the positive side.
I purchased this saw in March…yah I know it took me a heck of a long time to figure out something was wrong. I’m designing a shop in my garage. By the time I actually started building things with it, about a month had gone by. When I first got it I checked the blade was 90 degrees and that the base was flush because that is all I knew how to do (or thought I needed to do).
I cut wood here and there for random stuff and it looked ok by the eye.
Sometimes if it spanned all the way across the fence and I cut in the middle and it didn’t kick back on me when it pinched…it even cut square…so when I checked with my square the first few times I tried (when I learned how to do that), it was square.
I didn’t use it much even after the shop was getting to the point where I could move around in it again.
When I did start using it, I decided it wasn't convenient as it was setup and so ordered a separate Festool hose and it took over a month and a half to get in…I didn’t want to fiddle with plugging and unplugging my other hose from other devices so I just lost interest and waited for the hose to come in (which I was told would be a week to begin with by the dealer…I don’t order Festool stuff from that dealer anymore as it seems to take nearly 2 months to get anything…that dealer’s name starts with an R and I still buy woodworking consumables from that store ---as it is just the only place to get certain things in town --- so I don’t want any bad blood…)
Two , and only two options were offered to me via Rockler dealer while he was on the phone with Festool rep (assuming the local regional manager---I have his name but won’t spell it out here); those were:
1 - Rockler manager said, we will give you a new fence off 'my machine'...square it up with a square and send you on your way. I could see that he was going out of his way in his mind and appreciated that and let him know that. Manager said he would square the new fence for me...I asked him if he would also check the rest of the machine; the lasers and so forth as I wasn’t confident in the machine at this point...he then called the Festool guy back immediately as he didn't have an answer and let the dealer know I wasn’t confident in the machine. I started feeling uncomfortable at this point…like I’m asking to many questions.
2 - Manager said option two is we will ship the saw back; fix the fence and should have it back to you in two weeks. That is your only other option. Oh and I see where you cut off part of the removable fence (as so many of us have done on a compound miter cut); you will not get a new part for that (I didn't bring it up or ask at any point for a new part..., he did...I said....O.K...maybe I should get a new part for all this damn trouble, thanks for bringing that up...if you can't get me a new part I'll make sure to include that in my questions with Festool as I'm going to call them direct)
I don't know if there was another saw on site though if they were offering me a new fence I can only assume there was---actually I’m pretty darn confident there was. I didn't feel comfortable asking specifically...somehow, by the way I was being talked to, I felt ashamed to ask for a new saw if it was in the store...I'm one of those brainy finance types who usually doesn't argue or seek to persuade people into giving me good customer service at first....rather I usually let the person providing the service control the level and walk away and come back with feedback later (if I get around to it---and usually with the addition of hey, by the way, I’m not going to purchase here anymore---ok maybe a little passive aggressive…but I don’t like to argue when it comes to customer serviceI thought that is why I was buying a Festool, I thought I would receive the best in customer service and the best machine so I wouldn't have to write long emails and finagle with b/s---I want to spend more up front to save time and money dealing with problems...).
Other random stuff.
There was a saw in stock around the corner at another dealer and Rockler manager was also asking if the Festool rep wanted to stop by and look at my saw so I assumed the rep was close.
The regional Festool manager and the Rockler manager had discussion with this question being asked between them "so do you want me to release the whole unit to him? Or just the fence?". I guess the answer was no as all that was offered to me was a new fence not a whole new unit.
I told the manager that I was not confident in the machine and so option 1 wouldn't work for me. He told me ok, your only other option is to send it in and get it checked out.
I said if that was the case then that is what I'll have to do...I'm not having Rockler guys repairing the saw...no hard feelings guys…I’m sure they could have done a good job…I’m just not sure they could have done the best job…are they fully trained to assess and repair a machine? I’m not sure…and I’m not paying this much money and being told by Festool in their manuals to only have it repaired by Festool to take a chance…I need a saw that works good and is safe… I don't have time to deal with another problem that goes unchecked on this saw, I’m going to Festool training in August in Vegas to learn how to better calibrate my tools…an expense I thought worthy---but until then, I need a saw that is working and I just don't trust this one---it was over a 1/4 an inch off...on a part that was machined as one part...obviously it hadn't been through QA, why would I trust the rest of the machine? Why would YOU trust the rest of the machine? My fingers are valuable to me...
If I go to Home Depot today and buy a miter saw...and bring it back and say it was broken when I bought it, they will give me a new saw on the spot; they won’t even check to see if its broken. If they don't have one in stock they will get one to the store by the next day---they trust me that much. I’m customer #10000890780789789673456424524132412341234 to them but they trust me and provide good customer service.
This saw was WAY OFF. And this dealer guy was asking if this was the same saw I bought at Rockler…
I’ve purchased thousands of dollars of tools from them…they know me as customer 2450…one guy has my phone number memorized because he has to put it in his machine everytime I make a purchase…I’ve come there weekends and they’ve seen me in their classes…they know I’m a stand up guy who buys a lot from them…a good customer....I'm not sure that if I had a company, I would treat my WORST company this way. That is mostly a Rockler problem I think...but the Festool guy was on the phone too...
This is my first experience with customer service related to Rockler and Festool on a Festool tool problem. Matter of fact this is my first Festool tool problem. I have over $10k in Festools; I like them---I’ll let you know how much I like their phone customer service…stay tuned if you are still curious…I might come fully unloose and have to be banned if this post doesn’t get me banned already if I'm not happy with the phone service...
I feel like a monkey pounding on this keyboard and getting emotional about a stupid saw...and writing this out there on the net...sorry for those that think its ridiculous, over the top, unwarranted etc etc as it probably is.
I'm sure if I just call Festool customer service and spend a half an hour on the phone with them I'll feel better right?
Christopher
