What's Up with the Festool USA Website?

Corwin

Corwin

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Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
2,624
Is it just me, or does Festool's USA website just not do it for you either? Trying to locate tools and accessories can be difficult even when you know what you are looking for -- when you don't, good luck! I thought this was a "work in progress" some time back. Is that still the status, or does someone think this is good enough.  [scared] [blink]

The site must surely be causing a loss of sales.  [sad]
 
I randomly picked something to find on the site. A few clicks and there it was.

What type of problems are you having?

Give me something to find, I'll count the steps and let you know what it took.

Tom

 
It’s not as intuitive as it used to be for me either.  I gave up and just punched “Granat” in the search box instead of trying to find the main page of abrasives.
 
I find it a pain to navigate too.  Getting to the proper accessories for a tool and even finding all the accessories for a tool is a nuisance.  I also find that going back a page doesn't take me back a page. At least not back to what I think it should. Then I have to click through a series again.  And searches don't seem to yield well either.  [2cents]

Maybe it's just me, though.  [blink]

Seth
 
Yes Tom - It's slowly getting better.

But since you asked, here are a few things I could not find -

Where are my registered tools?!  (yes, I know Germany is working on it)

I'd like to polish out a lacquer tabletop with mild scratches.  What pads and products should I use with my RO150?  What speed?  There should be a 'polishing' guide similar to the 'abrasives' guide.

What products come in the Carvex accessory kit?

Find a US Plug-it power cord.

What Festool router bits will fit the MFK-700?

Festool uses two different amperage plug-it power cords.  Which tools use which cord?

The only way I could find some of these products was to search a dealer site for them, find the product number and then search on Festool USA. 

 
neilc said:
... find the product number and then search on Festool USA.
Click to expand...

Tried that and the response was "product not found" had to go to a dealer site to find it.
 
I find their current website horrible. Information is hard to access, lots of products are missing and navigation is a pita.

I was on their old website on a daily basis, I avoid this website as much as I can. I don't know what came over them to choose this format. A website is your first portal and access point for customers, you'd think you'd make it easy for them to find all they want to know ...... but nooooooooo, not in Festool's web philosophy.
 
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. We have plans to improve some of the issues that you’ve addressed in these comments — particularly making it easier to get information about accessories and consumables.

There’s a shortcut for finding products that might help: If you know the product number, go to festoolusa.com/@ followed by the product number.

For example, if the product number is 123456, go to www.festoolusa.com/@123456.

If you’re not finding a page for an active product number, shoot us a message. Thanks.

(Tyler)
 
[size=13pt]This is an international problem, as the Australian, North American, UK and European Festool sites are all a clone of one great design geniuse's 'FU'!
 
Tyler - not to be rude - but to expect consumers to know the product number to find information on your products is the absolute height of hubris.
 
SouthRider said:
Tyler - not to be rude - but to expect consumers to know the product number to find information on your products is the absolute height of hubris.
Click to expand...

Not only that but in many cases you may already have or know a product but are completely oblivious to the range of accessories that fit it. Very rarely do any of the Festool websites list the complete range or provide a link to find them.

My example was the RO150, I wanted to find out what polishing pads and abrasives were available, gave up and called a dealer.

Keeping stuff secret doesn't really help sales.  [sad]
 
Corwin said:
Is it just me, or does Festool's USA website just not do it for you either? Trying to locate tools and accessories can be difficult even when you know what you are looking for -- when you don't, good luck! I thought this was a "work in progress" some time back. Is that still the status, or does someone think this is good enough.  [scared] [blink]

The site must surely be causing a loss of sales.  [sad]
Click to expand...

It seems normal to me. It was always a crap website. Festool has been promising an improved website for years. It will never happen. All of there promotional money goes into the million dollar truck that drive around the country & the big party in September. The best source is a printed catalog or find a vendor that has setup a great website.
 
SRSemenza said:
I find it a pain to navigate too.  Getting to the proper accessories for a tool and even finding all the accessories for a tool is a nuisance.  I also find that going back a page doesn't take me back a page. At least not back to what I think it should. Then I have to click through a series again.  And searches don't seem to yield well either.  [2cents]

Maybe it's just me, though.  [blink]

Seth
Click to expand...

Concur 100%.  I think the search engine needs a ton of work to make it search for commonly used terms, like "holey rail", "LR 32 rail" and the like.  I also think that if one pulls up one specific tool, the website should present every possible accessory available for that specific tool so that those unfamiliar with the line can have a better opportunity to plan their systems before purchase time. 

(Not that anyone would ever consider me to be opinionated...  [big grin] )
 
neilc said:
Yes Tom - It's slowly getting better.

But since you asked, here are a few things I could not find -

Where are my registered tools?!  (yes, I know Germany is working on it)

I'd like to polish out a lacquer tabletop with mild scratches.  What pads and products should I use with my RO150?  What speed?  There should be a 'polishing' guide similar to the 'abrasives' guide.

What products come in the Carvex accessory kit?

Find a US Plug-it power cord.

What Festool router bits will fit the MFK-700?

Festool uses two different amperage plug-it power cords.  Which tools use which cord?

The only way I could find some of these products was to search a dealer site for them, find the product number and then search on Festool USA.
Click to expand...

The first question, I did not know it was not working. I have two tools I need to register--thanks for the reminder. I'll try it later.

I did find the polishing pads for the RO-150 in 3 clicks---from this page I clicked on the Festool USA website in the website banner-clicked on products-clicked on sanding and brushing-clicked on RO-150-scrolled down the page, all of the polishing options are right there.

You are correct about the Carvex kit. Found it but it took awhile.

The bits for the MFK are accessible form the bottom of the MFK home page.

For the cords, I always go to the parts manual, look up as a part, been doing it that way for years on other stuff.

The site could use some improvement, hopefully the improvements come about. Maybe they need to have customers go through the exercise I just did and offer input.

Tom

 
Here's a great example. Last week I was trying to find the part number for the 10mm collet for the 1400 router.

On the Festool USA website, when you search for "10mm collet" you get this.
34 results none of which is a 10mm collet, and the collets that are displayed are all on the 3rd (last) page rather than the first.https://www.festoolusa.com/search-results-page?keyword=10mm collet&category=all

On the Festool International website, when you search for "10mm collet" you get this.
Zero results.https://www.festool.com/Search/Pages/Result.aspx#k=10mm collet

If you plug in the correct part number 494461 into the international web site, you'll get 2 results as you should.https://www.festool.com/Search/Pages/Result.aspx#k=494461

However if you plug the correct part number 494461 into the Festool USA website, you'll get one result. A random list of abrasives.https://www.festoolusa.com/search-results-page?keyword=494461&category=All

That pretty much sums up most of the points that have been brought up.

[member=57769]TylerC[/member] ...FYI.
 
[member=4105]tjbnwi[/member] you can register new tools, you just can’t find your registratered tools.

 
ELEMENTARY..............

Ever since the kidnapping of Shane, things have been in a downward spiral.

Only solution is for Festool to get over themselves and pay the ransom.

Just my BO.
 
I have noted multiple specification mistakes and omissions and, agreed, the navigation is poor.

Try using the dealer locator.  Terrible.  I spent a half hour trying to sift through dealers in NH to find one near my route. Filter is useless and "use two fingers" instruction is more likely to give you the world map again and again.  I started googling "Festool dealers in ____" and got better results.  Had to call them all myself just to find out some weren't even dealers anymore.
 
The site is beyond useless. I avoid it all costs instead relying on straight up web searches.
 
neilc said:
Where are my registered tools?!  (yes, I know Germany is working on it)
Click to expand...

I work as a programmer analyst for the department of national defense for the last 18 years and I can tell you that they are NOT working on any personal registration information. It takes less then two weeks to get a customer portal setup. The database structure is already in place all you need is a security module and a few interface to complement your tools registration. They must have other priorities like..

That reminds me that I forgot to register my CXS drill a few months ago  [eek]

SouthRider said:
Tyler - not to be rude - but to expect consumers to know the product number to find information on your products is the absolute height of hubris.
Click to expand...

Excatly, I called LeeValley a few weeks ago to order a part that they do not stock. They asked me for the Product number, they said without the # they cannot order parts.

Mario
 
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