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Old 06-12-2015, 01:56 AM   #1
terryp
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Default Segway headed into a ditch?

I don't think Segway was ever hailed for its customer service, although I recall that it wasn't bad for the first couple of years. There was a time when I was able to discuss early problems with Doug Field himself via email, and I had some other pretty good contacts at the factory. Those were the good old days, and those people are long gone.

During those early years I met several truly great dealers too, in various parts of the US and Canada. Not only were they extremely enthusiastic about the product, but they were super nice guys as well. At least two of the ones I met were basically forced out of business by Segway's demands on them. They had jump through a lot of hoops to keep their franchises, and didn't make much profit on the machines or the accessories. (As an example of crazy policies, dealers have to purchase wheels in lots of three.)

The dealer I purchased both my i2s from is hanging on, but his sales have fallen considerably, and Inc's policies are getting even more bizarre. He tells me that Inc will no longer ship anything directly to the customer; it has to detour through a dealer. They won't even accept a unit for repair unless it's sent via a dealer, which is just another burden on them, and a further delay for the customer on already lengthy repairs.

A previous thread described my replacement of a gearbox. I assumed that the replacement would come directly to me, but it went to the dealer. When he happened to mention to Inc that the customer (me) had installed it, they got very upset with him. Apparently, the dealer is supposed to do the work whether trained or not. I assume that won't ever apply to wheels and such, but I wouldn't count on it.

The last major problem I had with an i2 that required a return to the factory was apparently due to water getting into one of the motors, reportedly via a crack in the center console that I never noticed. When it came back about a month later, I noticed that the gasket around the center console had about a one-inch bulge where they hadn't seated it properly. I didn't think too much of it except that I wondered how they could have been so careless. Recently, I noticed that it had torn, and I worried about water getting in, so I removed the console cover (which I keep glued down with E6000, so hadn't had off for a long time), and remembered the four screws. I removed them, and of course the rubber-covered plastic piece with the LED lenses in it came off easily. I found that the gasket was not part of the rubber covering as I'd thought, but a separate piece that could be easily replaced.

I emailed my dealer to see if he could get me a replacement - I even offered to pay for it, even though the damage wasn't my fault. That's when he found his best contact had jumped ship due to the acquisition, and the tech he talked to said he'd need the serial number for some reason, which I've furnished. Sounds like it's going to be a big deal trying to get that part. They won't send it to me, and possibly not to my dealer either unless he promises that he'll perform, or at least supervise, its replacement, which would mean an 8-hour round trip for a two-bit gasket that takes two minutes to replace.

Sorry for the long rant, but it appears that Segway continues to make life harder for both their dealers and their customers. It's bad enough that the prices have steadily risen. And indications are that the acquisition will only make matters worse.

I don't believe there's a stronger supporter of the Segway than I've been, taking every opportunity to promote it to prospective customers. I still love the machine, and will continue to ride it daily, but I don't think I can in good conscience recommend it anyone anymore.
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Old 06-12-2015, 08:49 PM   #2
JohnG
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Yeah, I never understood the whole dealer network and the way it was setup. The original intention was never to have such a network, and so they didn't plan for it the way it should've been planned for from Day One. Then there were very much competing views internally on how the dealer network should be organized, requirements for it, etc. And those views changes with the regularly rotating heads of sales and marketing at the company.

The company has always been anti self repairs. That hasn't changed, only they're making it even more difficult for you to do your own repairs. (A good analogy is Apple, who is also very anti self repairs -- and even more so with each iteration of their product lines.)

It's a shame. I think the company could benefit a lot from listening more to (all of) its customers.

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