Has Estes customer service declined since Bill Stine left?

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4regt4

4regt4

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I've seen a couple of comments here about non-response of Estes customer service. I'll add mine.

I had a B4-2 that didn't blow the ejection. Clay cap still in the end. I sent an email to Estes customer service, with photo. And it's been crickets. Nothing. Back roughly a year ago, they were prompt and strived to resolve the matter. I'm wondering if the new management that has taken over since Bill Stine retired is pinching pennies. The new CEO readily admits to no rocket experience at all.

Hmmm.... Hope it's a temporary thing.

Hans.
 
I've noticed a decline, too.

I've had an issue with an order and asked about it. Twice I've used their contact form and no response. Initial contact was about 6 weeks ago, or so. I've tried calling, too. But no one ever answers the phone.
 
I've had no issues. Just to be sure your issues were successfully submitted, did you get an e-mail like this after filling out the form:


estes support.png


Also, you can go back to their website and click on "Service", then "Help Center" and login. From there, if you click on your name in the upper right of the screen, you can view all your support requests and see any response (if present).

estes support2.png
 
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I've had no issues either. I bought some tubes, they came damaged, Estes took care of me in under a week.
 
I had some of the defective 13mm motors replaced a few months ago. The motors got here in less than a week, along with 2 replacement rockets for the ones that were destroyed.
 
wonderboy said:
I've had no issues. Just to be sure your issues were successfully submitted, did you get an e-mail like this after filling out the form:


View attachment 627722


Also, you can go back to their website and click on "Service", then "Help Center" and login. From there, if you click on your name in the upper right of the screen, you can view all your support requests and see any response (if present).

View attachment 627723
Click to expand...
I never got an email, and I wasn't signed in when contacting Estes. Also, have you successfully contacted Estes more recently than September 2023?

When I last contacted Estes successfully, it concerned the 13mm engine recall (last year, I believe), I didn't have to sign in to anything but I still got an email confirmation.

EDIT: I stand corrected. I reached out to Estes in the middle of December of last year about a marketing-related question and I got a response (from a human, presumably) saying that my question would be forwarded to the appropriate individual.

However, my order-related question a few weeks later that December has gone completely ignored, whether through the website's contact form or by telephone.
 
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So, after typing my response, I think maybe we're submitting our complaints to Estes differently. (EDIT: Sorry I forgot to answer your question. No, I've not tried any more recently than September last year)

I'm not sending an e-mail to an Estes account. I'm going to their website, and starting by clicking on the "Service" pulldown at the top, then selecting "Help Center". At the top of this page, there is a link to "Submit a request".

That's the method I've used. I went a step further and made sure to have a login established, which lets me track my submitted issues through their help center.

Try it this way and see if you get support.
estes support3.png
 
mh9162013 said:
I reached out to Estes in the middle of December of last year about a marketing-related question and I got a response (from a human, presumably) saying that my question would be forwarded to the appropriate individual.

However, my order-related question a few weeks later that December has gone completely ignored, whether through the website's contact form or by telephone.
Click to expand...
They handled a motor recall ticket for me in late November, but I've had no response to two other tickets since then, one a general inquiry and one a support ticket.
 
Here's the method I've been using to contact Estes:

1. I go to the main web page (estesrockets.com).
2. I go through the following menus: Service > Contact Us.
3. I fill out the "Send Message" form on the web site.
 
wonderboy said:
I've had no issues. Just to be sure your issues were successfully submitted, did you get an e-mail like this after filling out the form:


View attachment 627722


Also, you can go back to their website and click on "Service", then "Help Center" and login. From there, if you click on your name in the upper right of the screen, you can view all your support requests and see any response (if present).

View attachment 627723
Click to expand...

On their home page, if you scroll all the way to the bottom, there is a link "Contact Us". From there I found a "Send Message" form. Which I filled out. Seems this is different than what is found in "Help Center". I'm going to try [email protected]

Hans.
 
astronwolf said:
Do you mean the Langford family, the owners, operators, and managers, have no rocket experience at all?
Click to expand...
That's not what I said. I said the CEO admitted to no rocket experience. Also Mallory Langford said that she has no rocket background, **unlike** the rest of her family. Watch the NARCON presentation. They both made it very clear. Heidi is the CEO, she was basically unable to figure out Zoom. Bob Sanford made repeated attempts to contact her, only briefly able to get a few little audio snippets. So Mallory did the interview,.

Hans.

Edit: Mistake... Heidi is the Vice President.
 
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Let me tell you the number of ways that Corporate CEOs could not figure out Zoom during Covid.

Edit: mid or lower level Marketing figured it out better than I did at first; then found out what they were doing.

I'm not talking about viewing a presentation, but presenting with multi-screens , cameras and screen shares. And no I was never a CEO.
 
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4regt4 said:
That's not what I said. I said the CEO admitted to no rocket experience. Also Mallory Langford said that she has no rocket background, **unlike** the rest of her family. Watch the NARCON presentation. They both made it very clear. Heidi is the CEO, she was basically unable to figure out Zoom. Bob Sanford made repeated attempts to contact her, only briefly able to get a few little audio snippets. So Mallory did the interview,.

Hans.
Click to expand...

Oops, correction. Heidi is Vice President..... My notes from the NARCON presentation weren't clear on that. When Bob Sanford introduced her, I was scribbling notes and thought he said CEO.

Hans.
 
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Heidi is VPGM, she replaced Bill Stine. That she has no rocket background is concerning to me, but I need to give her some time to learn. It was kind of painful watching her flounder around with Zoom last Saturday and Mallory had to step in and do the presentation in the end.

Mallory Langford is CEO. She admitted to not having any rocketry background "unlike my family" in her vNARCON presentation, as @4regt4 noted. However, she speaks with product knowledge and in person she is both enthusiastic and helpful. We've had interactions with her at a couple of national events in recent years and enjoyed them. For instance, my wife worked with her for some hours at an Alamosa NSL where they were running a fly-it take-it activity and had a good time and got lots of newcomers' rockets prepped and ready to fly together.
 
I contacted Estes just a couple weeks ago regarding an error in some instructions and got a response very quickly. One anecdote is not data though.
 
DigBaddy said:
I contacted Estes just a couple weeks ago regarding an error in some instructions and got a response very quickly. One anecdote is not data though.
Click to expand...

I'm wondering if part of the problem is a website fault. One route through the support links seems to fail. i.e. There is no response. But if I create an account on their zendesk site, the message seems to go through. I at least got an automated response doing this a little while ago. We'll see.

Hans.
 
4regt4 said:
I'm wondering if part of the problem is a website fault. One route through the support links seems to fail. i.e. There is no response. But if I create an account on their zendesk site, the message seems to go through. I at least got an automated response doing this a little while ago. We'll see.

Hans.
Click to expand...

My post implied my lack of issues is an anecdote; not to say there isn't issues happening.
 
4regt4 said:
Yes, oops. I miss read what you said the first time and edited my post. My bad...

Hans.
Click to expand...

No worries. I was too short in my reply as well.

Does seem like one channel with Estes is problematic. Hopefully they figure out why. Hate to see their customer service degrade. It's historically been excellent.

I had not seen the new support link. Will check that out. The last contact I made was initiated through email...but someone must have made it into a formal ticket in their system as it got a ticket number when I received replies.

Always fun working through new service management software 🤪
 
DigBaddy said:
No worries. I was too short in my reply as well.

Does seem like one channel with Estes is problematic. Hopefully they figure out why. Hate to see their customer service degrade. It's historically been excellent.

I had not seen the new support link. Will check that out. The last contact I made was initiated through email...but someone must have made it into a formal ticket in their system as it got a ticket number when I received replies.

Always fun working through new service management software 🤪
Click to expand...

NOT POSITIVE... But I *think * email to [email protected] might generate at least an automated response.

Hans.
 
In mid December I was looking for a replacement part for a Saturn V kit I had just acquired. Took a couple of weeks, and resending the email a couple of times to get a response, but I was able to buy my replacement parts. (A couple of the short tubes that were squished.)

A few days ago I submitted for a couple of E12 CATO's that happened last weekend. Got an automatic acknowledgment, but nothing since. Have to give them more time.

A couple of years ago their response was faster and generous (replacing engines and kits after CATO's). But I'm not panicking yet.

My impression is that the policies may not have changed, and they are trying, but it is taking longer. May have fewer people in that department.

And I prefer to send emails to [email protected], not the contact form.
 
4regt4 said:
Edit: Mistake... Heidi is the Vice President.
Click to expand...

OK. Heidi is not the CEO. And neither women are "rocket people." So what? We know that a "rocket family" is in charge over there and it makes no difference that other "non-rocket" people are on-board to help the company using their "non-rocket" expertise. I'll ignore your attempt at detraction because I don't believe that your concerns about Estes customer service went over the line into being "mean spirited."

I experienced rather strange customer service behavior from Estes about a year ago that seemed to have to do with the software the use to manage service tickets. The experience made me think of Christine. Sigh... what a sweetheart she was.
 

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