mr.smith.pdx

This may not even be the right place for this, but I need to share it with the world.


Last year I was trying to find out if I could get new cones for an FSA wheel set I had. The wheelset has no identifying characteristics. I had to try twice through my LBS to get new spokes because nobody knew what to order.

I still need to find out if there is a replacement cone available. The seal is built into the cone, my seal is ripped and the cone is pitted. The website, in my opinion is completely useless.

The following is the text of an e-mail I sent to the "Customer Service" people at FSA via their website.

I am not sure what you paid for it, but has anyone told you that your web site is the least user friendly site in the world?
It's all about flash, and not about info. Thanks to computer technology, we can store thousands of pages of information on a flash drive small enough to fit on your key chain.
Your website is ALL MARKETING. "Look, we have a flashy website!" It's like Hollywood here, if it isn't new, young and hip, it sucks. No Meryl Streeps here, no Morgan Freeman. It's all Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan and maybe some Justin Bieber.
I am arguing that because of our ability to store information, we should. Here are some suggestions:
a) Go to site like Specialized , or Chris King,. If someone is looking for information on a part THEY ALREADY OWN they can find it.
b) Model your site after theirs. Provide support. HELP people fix or tweak the their FSA components, don't leave them to the misinformed, the half informed masses in forums everywhere.
c) Act like you give a crap. Have a phone number somewhere, that a real person, a real person with some intelligence about your products. Not JUST the NEW, FLASHY, products. But those other products that you used to make and still have your name on them.

I originally came to this site last year because I wanted to overhaul the hubs on my 'cross wheels. I don't even remember how I got them. I don't know the model number. It doesn't even say it on the wheels what the model number is...ANYWHERE.

This concept, that your marketing department/website isn't understanding is that good customer SUPPORT will ENCOURAGE people to buy your components again by providing them with a positive experience.. Good service CUSTOMER service, builds loyalty. Would you go back to the coffee shop if the people who ran it ignored you, spat in your coffee and gave you the wrong change? If you asked what the the roast or region the coffee was from and they responded with an interpretive dance that made no sense? Your current website is electronic interpretive dance. As it stands now, I will never purposely buy a piece of FSA equipment because I have established that if I have any sort of issue in the future, or perhaps I might want to actually service or maintain that part, I am completely, utterly ALONE.

No one wants to be alone anymore.

This situation may suit you guys fine because most of us buy a bike and if it has Gossamer cranks, that's fine, the wheels turn when we pedal it...right?
Your tech support is SO nonexistent, I won't even consider a bike if it comes with your parts on it.

I promise, I am NOT alone.

You have all of the information. Your engineers designed it all. They KNOW how it works. Your factory in China probably has all these parts stacked up in boxes somewhere.

I am asking you to share. Good customer service beats out flashy EVERY TIME.

And besides, if your goal is to be flashy and cutting edge, why does the website feel exactly the same as it did over a year ago? Now it's not new AND it sucks.

Thank you for providing me a place to air my discontent.

cccorlew

This should be printed in very large type and hung on walls of companies across our great land.
i feel your pain.

Goes along with this:
https://xkcd.com/773/

NathanC

Calm down.

mrvile

Hmm, I was unaware that FSA made wheels.

Psimet2001 

Poor customer service rep.

I don't necessarily disagree but your presentation pretty much assures that no good will come of it.

bfree

It doesn't seem that bad, which look like yours?

https://wheels.fullspeedahead.com/dow...vice_RD88C.pdf
https://wheels.fullspeedahead.com/dow...80_200_220.pdf
https://wheels.fullspeedahead.com/dow...vice_RD460.pdf
https://wheels.fullspeedahead.com/dow...88_600_800.pdf

Now, I didn't try to get them on the phone, but even Specializes site doesn't seem to have information on every in-house component they have ever sold on any bike.

Markj61

Next time, cut it in half, be more direct, and lose the CAPS, rhetorical questions, and long-windedness.
Then you'll stand a better chance of them (and BF-ers) actually reading the whole thing.

hao

What I got out of your rant:

FSA wheels->Bieber->LOTS OF CAPITALIZATION->Coffee->Interpretive dance.

I did get a chuckle out of this:

wiscoerik

When a company sells something at a lower price than their competitors, there is a reason. They have to sacrifice things. You can't expect their customer service to compete with "name brands" such as Specialized and Chris King, who charge an arm and a leg for a lot of what they sell.

DScott

Surely that little bit of smug self-stimulation is worth the price of a hub cone?

Look how cool you get to think you are!

I'd say you got your money's worth fom FSA .

Quel

Wow. Sit down, have a bourbon and a xanax, and relax.

Nachoman

What was the desired result from your e-mail to FSA?

kleinboogie

I need a cliff notes version of the OP.

DScott

^^^

[tantrum]

"Wahhhh."

[/tantrum]

lpolliard

Whomsoever wrote this rant does not understand the concept of a rant. By putting the words in caps you are influencing the participants to select some other rant. No one wants to admit to reading and supporting such meaningless stuff. Lets call it 'crap'. My LBS stocks excellent FSA crap. I don't know if its new or a thousand years old like the OP. What I do know is that it works just fine. I have never had a problem with FSA.

If you are going to write a rant, write it in a fashion that the information you collect means something and doesn't simply support your own position.


Spelling and punctuation was changed to protect the educated

umd

This made my head hurt

Unagidon

Feel your pain, but as others have said, you won't get any positive response. If I were in your shoes, I would draft a nice letter/e-mail to someone senior in the company, explain your situation, and see if there's anyway to get it resolved, but in a much more positive tone.

Good luck and hope you get your matter fixed!

slowandsteady

All I know is that he called us Whatever that means.

jwible

Yeah, looks like all the wheel tech you could want is found here --> https://wheels.fullspeedahead.com/fly...tech&taxid=174

Not sure what the issue is.

And if it was really that hard to figure out then why not take a pic of the wheel, email it to FSA and include a note like "Hey guys, can you help me ID this wheel? I need to order some parts to rebuild it and can't figure out what type it is."

jwible

Paris Hilton and Justin Beiber designed the FSA website but Morgan Freeman and Meryl Streep designed Kris King's. The OP is in a metaphysical state where he is alone and not alone at the same time caused by a schizophrenic episode brought about by the flash on the FSA website.

And he apparently missed the link to service for the wheels.

Bob Dopolina 

No one at the factory wants to talk to you. They don't want to talk to the shop that may or may not have sold you the wheels. They don't want to talk to your friends or any posse you can whip up on a forum somewhere. They want to talk to their customers.

Believe it or not, you are not their customer.

Their customers are the distributors in each market.

It is your local distributor you need to talk with. Since I believe you are in the US you need to contact whoever takes care of FSA products in the US. They are the ones who are supposed to help you. I also suggest you take a different approach with them.

That is the deal many manufacturers make with their distributors. It is the distributor's responsibility to market and manage the product in their country. This includes service, marketing, sales, sponsorship and everything else. FSA is first and foremost a factory. They actually make stuff. They are not a brand like Specialized who makes squat and has a business model that means that they basically control distribution everywhere.

It is highly likely that no-one ever read your rant and no-one will respond. It is also highly likely that if someone did read your email they have no fricken idea who Morgan Beaver or Mercy Street are and what the hell they have to do with your wheels and why can't you just go back to the dealer in Paris where you bought them.

Delete.

That is what your email generated.

lpolliard

^^^^^
AaaaHHHH HAA HAA

AMFJ

lol

Hask12

"craps" not a very nice word.

Bob Dopolina 

Seriously?

Who do you think sells more product? FSA or Chris King?

FSA is a name brand in more countries around that world than Chris King.

It took me 30 seconds to get here. Notice the spoke lengths link at the top?

It ain't rocket surgery.

I was wrong about their website, though. It seems like they are going consumer direct. I didn't see distributor info in the 2 minutes I was on the site.