Jotul poor service and parts

Paul L said:

Somewhere that part sits in a warehouse. It is a legitimate complaint that between the manufacturer and the dealer there was no help offered in expediting the shipping for a customer that was willing to pay for it.

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Warm631 said:

A very unsympathetic receptionist informed me that she could not help me despite having the parts at her location.

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I have to agree with Paul. The supply logistics may be anywhere from simple to complicated, but in any case the wrong response is to leave the customer hanging, especially where there was a great opportunity to shine here, in response to what was basically a no-heat call.

Some years ago - my car breaks down out of town. I call GM. They give me the location of the closest dealer. I get a tow to their location. That guy does not stock the part, has to order one, and it's close to closing time. The normal protocol is they order the part and I gotta wait it out overnight, and into the next day when the part arrives (hopefully) and they do the repair, etc. Instead, a mechanic offers to pull one from another car, bolt it in, replace that one with the new part later - and they get me on my way. I gladly pay the rate for the mechanic to work the extra half hour or so. None of this is their usual dealer protocol or a requirement on their part. I don't know about or care about the paper trail or logistics in the background. Great service and I'm just a very happy customer.

The receptionist is sitting on the part at their warehouse. The customer is sitting on the phone with his credit card in hand willing to pick up all costs. There are dealers that I assume would want to sell parts. Perhaps they could have had that part in a box and on its way direct to the customer, and the rest just paperwork. Not the usual protocol or a requirement, but they would have had a very happy customer.

Just my 2c but I think maybe they blew an opportunity...?

Customer service has gone to the dogs. These people need to take a lesson in CRM. It's been an active buzz word going around business and professional forums on the internet and stands for "Customer Relations Management". That's the part of management principles some companies have forgotten. Now I can remember going into one of those old wooden, giant size hardware stores of the past that were cluttered from ceiling to floor. When you asked the gent at the counter for something, he walked down a long aisle, reached behind something displayed on the shelf and pulled out the exact thing you were looking for. Having maybe forgotten the price he might have said, "Will $4.00 do." You gave him the money, went home and were back in action in less than 5 minutes. That's customer service!

webby3650 said:

.... If people would just be a little more prepared and do a quick inspection before the season starts, 7 days wouldn't be a big deal to wait.

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This is a million miles from the attitude taken by companies that offer good customer service.

Okay some options to put a temporary repair on your stove to keep it running until the part turns up. Automotive exhaust cement can but used to fill the crack and that may last a week. But to sure that up even further find some automotive exhaust wrap and glue a strip of that over the crack, the adhesive to find is what is used to glue Kaowool to steel. Of course you need to wirebrush the area clean first.

Refractory cement can be bought at any stove shop or hardware store, HD, Lowes, Ace, etc.

Nothing needs to be done with it, the cast iron is just a cover for the firebrick. It just sits there.
Waiting on the part is the only thing that needs to be done here.

webby3650 said:

Nothing needs to be done with it, the cast iron is just a cover for the firebrick. It just sits there.
Waiting on the part is the only thing that needs to be done here.

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So, would you burn in it before waiting for the part to arrive? Are you saying it is safe because of the firebrick and that heat and possibly smoke might not escape the crack? Is that wise advice? Well for me, I would take some kind of temporary remedial action to "re-assure" that safety isn't compromised. Maybe cement would be good or maybe not. Do you know for sure? I think the manufacturer would recommend shutting down until parts arrive to repair the problem.

[quote=".... It was a great stove but my next one will not be a Jotul. Poor parts supply and worse customer service.[/quote]
so, it looks like a new stove is in the future. no need to be concerned about the warranty then. i'd put another log on the fire.

topoftheriver said:

So, would you burn in it before waiting for the part to arrive? Are you saying it is safe because of the firebrick and that heat and possibly smoke might not escape the crack? Is that wise advice? Well for me, I would take some kind of temporary remedial action to "re-assure" that safety isn't compromised. Maybe cement would be good or maybe not. Do you know for sure? I think the manufacturer would recommend shutting down until parts arrive to repair the problem.

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Yes I do know for sure. I service Jotul stoves all the time. I've had my hands on every part of that stove. It is simply a decorative cover for the firebrick. It might have boosted firebox temps to achieve higher EPA numbers during the testing. Don't know about that for sure.

Warm631 said:

Many company's stand behind their products, Jotul hides behind a dealer.

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I dont see why you are offended by Jotul, they sell to your dealer that you bought the stove from. It is your dealer's job to deal with parts, maintenance, or malfunctions. Jotul is not a small company like Woodstock, etc. It sounds like you have more of an issue with your local dealers. Also, my brother has a Castine, never has dirty glass unless he burns for weeks straight without a clean. Maybe as someone mentioned, this has to do with the crack.

I think I have a cracked firebrick in the back of my summit. i'll replace it in the spring.....or next fall. my little jotul is going on its 4th season. I wouldn't trade it for another....its a great little stove. sorry to hear about your experience with corporate jotul but I too think that 7-10 days isn't bad to wait for a part that is not in stock. I also think that 7 years of uninterrupted service without a problem is a pretty good testament to quality and workmanship but I understand your frustration.

BrotherBart said:

Jotul's customer is the dealer. Like 99.9% of stove manufacturers.

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Yes. And the dealer told the customer that Jotul does not work with him in these situations.

Wow, customer service is one thing, but expectations of perfection is quite another! Many years ago when we dealt with European companies (importing), the folks there - both customers and companies - would shake their heads at the expectations of our US Customers. We had a 20 year warranty on the boilers here - they had a two year warranty on the same units in Europe....

When I asked them about that, they said "Of course the European customer expects things to wear out and break and they expect to spend money and time in the future on repairs". It made sense, but Americans have gotten the idea of something else.

As others have said, Jotul and 99% plus of stove companies use dealers. Hiring a staff and setting up a system for direct sales of parts would be an endeavor in itself and add to the price of every stove. That's their decision to make.

But 7 years of hard use?? Heck, many stove companies have claimed they would stop carrying parts after 10.

I understand customer services and also know about LL Bean and the "forever satisfaction" type of stuff some companies offer. However, what is true of mail order boots is not true of home heating devices. I recently spent $600 replacing the fan on my 8 year old furnace. It took at least 3 weeks. I also just had a vacuum cleaner - the most popular brand - go bad. It was under warranty and I know which part was bad but they would not send it. I had to spend $40 for postage both ways (1/3 the cost of the appliance) for them to fix it.

In neither case did I feel it important that I avoid those brands in the future or rant about how bad they were. Rather I understand that things happen after awhile.

When I asked them about that, they said "Of course the European customer expects things to wear out and break and they expect to spend money and time in the future on repairs". It made sense, but Americans have gotten the idea of something else.

Well, I guess we all should just go to Europe!

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Great. Poor service is excused because everyone else does the same thing.

I was able to retire at 54 because during 27 years owning a business I insisted on offering customer service in the trucking industry that no one else did, so I'm admittedly biased on this issue.

This the first time I can remember jotul customer service ever being ragged on. Or the quality of parts for that matter! It's hardly a common complaint! It's an isolated event and others shouldn't think poorly of jotul by because one persons bad experience. It's a wear part that is worn out! 7 days isn't bad!

Warm631 said:

Im simply sharing the negative experience I had trying to resolve an issue with the stove. 7-10 days from my local dealer and he said dont hold your breath on that.

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How this turned into "7 days" shows the bias toward the manufacturer/dealer of some here. This is the exact quote from the OP.

All in all, Jotul is a darn great stove. Most of today's stoves are good; it all depends on the individual's preference. Service can be compromised by any company. They're human and people slip up now and then. It doesn't make the stove bad. If your stove keeps you warm, just be happy about it.

Ok, gonna close this one down.

The info is there. We've gone over a lot of this before, also.
If one is going to have a stove as their only source of heat - and doesn't want to fiddle or fix, certain steel stoves might be the answer.....assuming they are built simply.
Also, if the same...and the end user wants to go with a decorative cast unit, etc. - they should check upon purchase as to who services the stove after the warranty expires and what time frame parts would be available in (and, whether they might be available at all after 10 years, etc.).