Helihobby.com has the worst customer service.

[FemaleFlyer]

Hey guys Nikki at helihobby here... I would love to clear up any unresolved issues I can so If there is something I can help you with please let me know.

[Rototerrier]

I have to agree. I submitted a couple support tickets thru their support system and none of them were ever responded too. A part was on back order forever, they finally sent me the wrong part a month later...said their stock guy messed up repeatedly on several people. Then they were having computer issues and my item never got shipped. I finally got a refund and told them I would try again in about a year after they straightened out their issues. It's only been a couple months...looks like they still have some kinks.

They are difinitely not on their A game. I would strongly suggest ReadyHeli. Very reasonable, very fast shipping, very professional. They will actually call you if there is a problem.

HeliDirect, as long as you aren't ordering an HDX, is very fast at shipping and usually get it right. Their quality control on HDX (Sonixs) parts is really bad...other than that, they are good.

AMain is really professional as well. Used their little online chat thing to work out a shipping issue (my fault) this morning. Their online chat thing is really cool. They are very responsive. Shipping rates are a little high, but that's it.

I spent over a grand this week and 3 in the last 2 months and not a dime went to HeliHobby. Sorry HH. We heli folks spend ALOT of money...seems odd that so many vendors have so many issues.

[HeliSmith]

I actually never had a problem but from my research I see some of you feel the communication could be improved. I have ordered from them several times and never had any problems personally. If you have had problems please let Nikki help you work them out.

I am also here to help if you have any problems you can contact me also I check my PM on a regular basis. If you want me to call them I will do that also on your behalf. Most of you guys know I am on this forum a lot. :roll:

Rototerrier: 3K in last 2 months? I wish I had your budget. I probably do that in a year. sheesh

[wiltonh3]

I don't understand why companies set up these elaborate support ticket systems then don't read or respond to them. I did the same with amainhobbies and got an answer within 24hrs. Helihobby needs to step up to the plate or get out of the business. If everyone with a problem would post a thread, they would have to shut down or shape up. I don't wish anyone harm, but we are all talking about serious money in this hobby and there are plenty of companies to choose from. I will make my next choice more carefully.

As far as the post suggesting another form of contact, that is not the point. They set up as an online dealer, promissing great customer support, and I should be able to expect online communication. That is what being an online business is all about.

[wiltonh3]

I finally got an answer to one ticket. The kit that was supposedly already packed this past Friday (according to the order management system) is out of stock. They are saying they will get them this coming Friday. I hope I am not getting ripped. All they would have to do is be proactive, take the time to email me right away and tell me what is happening. It is the "fog" the makes people crazy.

Unhappy for now!:(

[wannaflyguy]

I've been ordering from HH since 2005 and have never had one problem. All of my orders have been correct, and I always receive my shipment within 3 days from CA to PA.

I bought my 450se V2 and Tx from them. 2hrs after placing my order, I changed my mind on the TX that I initially ordered so I called them and asked them to not send me the 7202 but instead send me a DX7. I also changed and added a couple of other things. The girl I spoke with on the phone said she would track the order down and make the change but that it might not ship out that day as a result. I called back 2 hrs later to find out if it had shipped (spoke to the same girl) and she said she would aboslutely ensure that it shipped and that the order was correct.

Late that night on the order status section of their website, it was all updated and I recieved my order on time and in perfect condition. But before I received it, I decided to send back a JR500t for a 401... I had no problem getting an RMA # and a shipping label. Got my refund on the 500t within days.

To top it all off... three weeks after having received my order I noticed that the price of the 450se V2 had gone down by $85. So I submitted a support ticket concerning this... and within hours I received a credit for the same amount.

HH is OK in my book. They have been good to me and they almost always have the parts I need. I'll keep shopping from them.

[wiltonh3]

I hope you are correct. All I want is an honest place to buy stuff. I don't even try to haggle over every penny. I just want a serious commitment to customer service and timely communication of problems/delays. Email takes only a moment to send out.

Glad to hear some good feedback and am holding my breath.

Thanks

[HeliSmith]

wiltonh3,

I will follow up tomorrow to see that you do get an email with detailed correspondence. I am sorry to hear the ordering system made this error if that is what happened. I am sure this will be looked into and an immediate response will be given.

Please note that officially the shop is not open until 10:30am California time but I will make certain to contact them precisely when they open.

I should also mention I do not work in the HeliHobby warehouse I am only a field rep but I will follow up on this.

[FemaleFlyer]

wiltonh3 , I see you've got the Logo 500 3D on order, they are still comming in tomorrow as promised ( I just talked to Mikado). This heli is VERY popular right now, so I'm sorry for the couple day wait on it. I see when you sent in a ticket that a response was posted in less than 24 hours giving you the status of your order, so if there is anything else I can help with please give me a call. 818-348-HELI as we strive to show what great customer service Helihobby truly has.

Wannaflyguy - Thank you for taking the time to post a positive experience with Helihobby, we hope to continue to give you excellent service.

If anyone here has any problem or is unhappy with the service they have received please feel free to ask for the manager, or shoot me an email and I will ensure you get nothing but the best experience out of this hobby.

Nikki - Helihobby.com Customer Service Manager

[wiltonh3]

Nikki,

First of all thanks to you and Mike. I did receive a call from you today and I feel like I will get what is promised.

I will not review my issues, but feel the desire to share a few suggestions for improvement. We all just want a good, dependable place to buy our gear.

1. Try to keep the website accurate as far as in stock or not. If you say you have it, do your best to make sure you do. Yes it is a pain, but so is expecting quick shipment, having to cancel an order, finding it somewhere else. Respect our time as customers. Any sales you might lose by being up front about outages will be more than compensated for by long term relationships.

2. If you find that there has been a problem, that maybe stock was inaccurate, or some other issue, call me first. Most people, including myself, just want to know what's going on and are often very patient and understanding. When someone calls me before I have to call them, I actually often feel even better about the company then before the problem occured. Each problem is an opportunity to excel in customer service. My biggest customer today is the result of a big mistake on our part, which we responded to in such an overwhelming manner, he will use no other suppiers.

3. At least once a week, (once a day if possible), have a novice friend or associate use your website and see how they are treated. See if they get responses to questions. See if the navigation is clear. See if your emails are getting through. Do all the features work as well behind the scenes as they appear to on the face? Don't assume things are working correctly, test, test, test. (I must commend you on one of the best looking, best operating front ends around. It looks so professional it makes the expectations very high.)

I am going to give you guys the benefit of the doubt. I interact with customers everyday in planing, design, production, and I understand delays and problems. I am not asking for perfection, just a commitment to reaching for it.

Wilton

I now official relinquish the soapbox !

[FemaleFlyer]

Wilton,
1. The website stock is in real time update, so if you actually place an order it will immidiately take the item out of stock, but if by some fluke chance you and another customer both have the item in cart simultaneously then its somethign we cant avoid. But we do regular inventory's here and updates constantly.
2. I fully agree we should have called you to let you know, it would be a couple of days, we originally expected the Logo's in over a week ago, but a shipment was delayed from Germany to the distributor and in turn delayed to us and you.
***This is why Helihobby paid OVERNIGHT shipping on this shipment, to get it here faster and turn it around to you faster, because we want to keep you as a valued customer and show you that we care.
3. Helihobby's full - time webmaster runs frequent tests on the site, updates, browser compatibility, trouble shooting, places orders himself, and uses our ticket system, but suggestions are always welcome, hence the "site problems" section of the ticket system in case you do happen to notice any issues.

We hope to continue to do business with you, and thank you for your patience, understanding, and assistance in bettering Helihobby.

Thank you,
Nikki - Helihobby.com

[wiltonh3]

Nikki,
Again, thanks for the response.
I just placed another small order and feel confident that it will go well.

Since it is clear to me that some issues may be going undetected by your QC efforts, let me explain my experience.

1. As we have discussed, the item showed as being in stock when it was not. Your explaination about simultanious orders is always possible, but your web site is showing them in stock as I write this, and has all week, even though you are admittedly out of stock.

2. I clearly chose to have my order cancelled and the money refunded if it was indeed out of stock. I made that choice on the order page and assumed it would be honored or at least contact would be made to see if in fact that was what I wanted to do.

3. The order manager shows a notation that about 5 hours after my order was placed at 5:50AM, it was assembled and packed by Luice at 10:38AM. That was last Friday. You can understand my surprise when later I was informed, only after my inquiry, that it was out of stock. I wondered what in fact Luice had packed so carefully at 10:38. (Those notations are still in my account history if you would like to check)

4. I never recieved an email indicating that my support ticket had been answered when I inquired about the order. I checked my email regularly and was expecting the email notice as promised on the support ticket page. I had already sent a question last Thursday, (Ticket #8454),the 28th, about possible blades to go with the Mikado. I finally closed that ticket out yesterday deciding to go elsewhere for them. That ticket remained unanswered till I closed it out.

I am ready to let this drop and as I said have placed another order on your word. I am thankfull for your efforts to rush in the shipment of 500's and look forward to receiving it. I do however think that the reality on this side of the glass is somewhat different than you and your staff might imagine.

Wilton

[Rototerrier]

OMG, that blows. I feel your pain.

[HeliSmith]

Wilton,

Great feedback very detailed and I am sure this will help figure out what went wrong. Clearly something isn't working precisely right and I am confident it will be addressed quickly. I am relieved to hear you understand and it is appreciated that you took your time to detail the issue so clearly.

When I heard what Nikki did to expedite your order I myself was in awe as it was very expensive to overnight that package to them. You will definitely have a fresh new heli I bet you can still smell the factory on it! :D

I am glad to have been able to help but when I called customer service was already aware of the issue. By the time I spoke with Nikki she had already done what it took to get you the heli in a timely manner. So I didn't do much. I encourage you to call HeliHobby they are great there, they answer the phone right away and are extremely pleasant to deal with.

Again I offer to anyone to send me a PM with any problem you have and I will follow up in your behalf. Please don't think it is a bother in anyway as I enjoy helping.

Thanks,

Mike

[wiltonh3]

To Fellow Unhappy Shoppers,

I found out today that Nikki (the customer service manager for Helihobby) had followed through on her promise to get my order straightened out. The problem order and a new order I placed just last night both shipped today. I realize that Nikki went to the extremes to make this happen and it is greatly appreciated. Tonight, my service request for a tracking number was handled with a phone call to me by customer support to make sure I had the number tonight. Again I appreciate the effort.

There are clearly some communication issues occuring, but I believe that she and the team are committed to making customer service a priority. Time will tell, but if your having problems, give her a call or PM her and give her a chance. She can't fix problems if we don't let her know directly that they are occuring. I am willing to continue dealing with them and trusting that although not perfect, they are striving to get it right. It is in all of our best interests to have as many top notch outlets as possible to keep the parts and prices flowing. If they are working to stay at the top of the heap, I will gladly help in that process.

I am not blindly cheerleading based on this recent activity, just saying call and give them a chance. We will all know shortly if the commitment stays fresh and strong. I am sure that those that have expressed unhappiness with the service will spend the same amount of effort and "ink" to hail improvements. We owe it to them and our fellow forum dwellers.

Wilton

[matt blaisdell]

i don't know why you have had so much trouble, but i always have the best luck with them. if you have so much trouble you might want to talk with Nickie there. she is is awesome. i also order from Grandrc and there costumer service sucks, but there shipping is the best.best of luck on you issue

[FemaleFlyer]

Thanx matt ^ Nice to see you on the forums!

[Terrible_Savage]

damm some folk have it tough.

I order a lot from helihobby and the only shlep I had was one damper rubber was a little inperfect and too wide.
but is was a alighn part not some cheap @$@% like I got from helidirect who sent me two tiny pieces of a rubber hose bagged as a upgrade damper rubber.

and that girl gives some sage advice too, where she could have sold a more expensive set of carbon fibre blades advised me to stick with wood till I get better.

besides, she sounds hot, so thats it, helihobby is the sheit and all who say otherwise will be dragged into the street and shot.

I'm a foreigner can you tell?
;)

[HeliSmith]

Nikki is cool for sure and she sure isn't ugly.