Sport Copter----Worst customer service

Tim,

Look at my profile or my signature on my posts....I have a 618 Dominator...have had it for 8 years.

Wanna trade something for your helicopter?? I have a tractor project with a VW motor also.
 
Got a call from Jim today.

We discussed several things that led up to this thread being started. He apologized for at least one of my orders "falling through the cracks" and he assured me that he fixed that crack.

I apologized to him for having to start this thread and I think we can all get along now that I have aired my concerns and they have made some changes that should make orders flow a little better.

Sport Copters are a quality product if anyone has looked closely at how they are put together. The control system and rotorhead is impressive. Suspension is really nice, nosewheel is much better than many...I fly off of my own grass strip and it is no problem at all and I do not have the rough field package.

Mine is not light at 438 lbs. but it climbs almost at well as my 618 Dominator.
 
Mike,

I know you are doing what you need to do to get your situation resolved. But you have done nothing wrong by bringing it public. We the possible future customers need to hear what to expect from a supplier or manufacturer. Funny how they demand an apology claiming they did nothing wrong when you have pretty accurate dates of unfulfilled promises by Sport Copter. That is what they did wrong.... You pay for something up front expecting the product, then don't even get the courtesy of answered calls or returned emails. That is a great example of horrible customer service. I am in business and miss the mark on delivery dates and services promissed from time to time. But I don't think that I am doing my customer a favor by performing a service for them. They did me the favor by choosing me. And when i miss the mark, if I don't correct it, and apologize for it, then why would i poke my lip out if they told my other potential customers? I would hope they would tell them if I did a good job, so you better bet they will tell them if I don't do what I say.
 
I can't believe this! Forgive me for being outraged ... but this is how I make my living ... going after bad companies with poor services.

Mike was doing nothing more than expressing his frustration. He was frustrated. I am sure that if Sport Copter communicated with him as to why they were behind or explained health problems, he may have been more understanding.

But for a Sport Copter representative to demand an apology for a customer expressing his opinion is ridiculous. In fact, it sounded a bit like blackmail.

Basically you were telling him "Apologize or I won't help you!" Are you kidding?

Get out of business. You don't have the aptitude to deal with people. When people are upset, make them feel better. Don't chastise them for expressing opinions -- even if you do not agree with them.

Do you really think you endeared him or anyone else to your company? Do you even care?

It is not a customer's concern as to why a business does not fulfill its obligations. Whatever is happening internally is your problem and concern. You should have mechanisms in place to deal with challenges ... not expect customers to put up with them.

If the challenges are difficult and you anticipate lax services and/or delays in product delivery -- COMMUNICATE.

Consumers are your life blood ... not an inconvenience.

If you think the marketplace will tolerate your intolerance over the long haul ... you're wrong. Companies that think they are superior to customers go out of business -- every time.

This display of power over a customer who is desperate to get parts is despicable. He apologized because he did not have a choice -- not because you earned it.
 
You have it wrong Tom

He has every right to be upset about his parts order. We wronged him and made it right. We apologized for that

He apologized to me because he was accusing me of something I didn't do. I deserved it. He didnt have to apologize to Sportcopter as a company.

I offered him FREE rotors and he thought I was going to ship them immediatly. I hurt my back and was out for awhile, now I'm behind.

I offer no excuses for bad customer service, but I'm only an employee whos trying to help, not hurt. That's why I come here. I wouldnt have said anything otherwise

Jon
 
Jon, I never said I expected the rotors to be shipped immediately. Don't start posting untruths here.

I never knew I was getting rotors till Jim told me today.....remember.....you or anyone else never communicated with me.

All I knew is what you posted in post #22 that said "a huge discount." Been waiting to hear the details.
 
Sorry Mike. I thought that was understood.Basically we swap blades and you pay for shipping.

But now im afraid to say anything anymore. So.....


I mean seriously. I'm sitting here on my own time trying to convince you guys that I'm trying to help a customer who didnt get proper treatment from a department I had nothing to do with? What a joke. On top of it I wanted to do him a favor and replace his old blades for FREE. Am I some kind of ass clown or what?
 
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You have it wrong Tom

He has every right to be upset about his parts order. We wronged him and made it right. We apologized for that

He apologized to me because he was accusing me of something I didn't do. I deserved it. He didnt have to apologize to Sportcopter as a company.

I offered him FREE rotors and he thought I was going to ship them immediatly. I hurt my back and was out for awhile, now I'm behind.

I offer no excuses for bad customer service, but I'm only an employee whos trying to help, not hurt. That's why I come here. I wouldnt have said anything otherwise

Jon

John,

Thanks for the clarification. I obviously misunderstood your relationship with him and the company.

Tom
 
Very well said Vance .
Everyone at Sport Copter is well awere of the fact that I will never be able to afford one of their gyro's . But , they are so nice and friendly to my 12 year old boy and I . Jim takes my boy flying for which I will for ever be grateful and has never excepted a dine for it .
Sport Copter has given me the opportunity to spend some unbelievable father son time with my boy . From Jon to Evan to Jim's wife Kelley to Jim himself I have never seen people so motivated to make a better product .

Mike I'm sorry you are not happy with Sport Copter , but it is just an anomaly from what I have ever seen .
 
I've never had a problem with Sport Copter.....very high quality products and people that are extremely knowledgable about the sport.

Like Jon said......they are a low volume.....high quality shop.....quality takes time.....to keep costs down.....shops are small....orders get filled one at a time.

So....remember.....impatient customers have the issue on their minds constantly.....businesses have many, many other issues on their minds constantly.....and must cover them all as well as they can.

Sport Copter is a company that has done wonders for this sport and continue to bring new innovative ideas to the market. They are not a fly by night company that is here to make a quick buck then go on to the next get rich idea they can find. So.....cut them a little slack.....be patient.....and you will be rewarded with a quality product that will provide lots of hours of safe and fun flying.


Barry (y'all relax now) K
 
Very well said Vance .
Everyone at Sport Copter is well awere of the fact that I will never be able to afford one of their gyro's . But , they are so nice and friendly to my 12 year old boy and I . Jim takes my boy flying for which I will for ever be grateful and has never excepted a dine for it .
Sport Copter has given me the opportunity to spend some unbelievable father son time with my boy . From Jon to Evan to Jim's wife Kelley to Jim himself I have never seen people so motivated to make a better product .

Mike I'm sorry you are not happy with Sport Copter , but it is just an anomaly from what I have ever seen .


They are all afraid of you.
 
I am making one more post on this thread and then i hope it goes away. Like Jon said it serves no purpose to keep bashing the same thing over and over.

Someone said earlier that I want what I want when I want it and someone else said I might be impatient.

That is not true......the issue was being told it would be 3-4 weeks and not getting them for 8, 9, 10 weeks. If it takes 3-4 months....fine....just say that up front and the customer won't keep calling every week checking if it is shipped.

I apologized to Jon since he was out with a back injury and Jim and i talked for a while and worked things out.

No other Sport Copter customers have posted anything similar to my situation so apparently it was just a few of my orders that fell through that crack that Jim said he took care of.

Like I said earlier, Sport Copter makes a quality machine and I am happy to own one.
 
I purchased my WarpDrive 72" prop from Jon and everything that was supposed to ship did and on time. It was well packaged and he gave a forum discount….I am a happy customer….
 
I don't remember all the details, but I do remember my first dealings with sportcopter.

It was 2001, and I had bought my first gyro. It was complete minus blades. I knew nothing about gyros and only knew a few gyro people in my area.... Bud Oneil, Richard Catfish Oxnam, GyroJake, and several other sw florida gyro pilots.

I had bought the gyro in late Febuary, and had intended to get rotors, and get the airframe and engine tuned and tweaked so it would be flight ready by April, for Bensen Days 2001..... this way it could be test flown by a instructor, and I could take lessons and hopefully solo shortly afterwards.

I asked what rotors to buy.... All the local people suggested Dragon Wings.

I had been given a copy of rotorcraft magazine ( I didn't have a computer back in 2001 ) and called RFD to ask about dragon wings. They were closed and wouldn't be back open till just before Bensen Days. ( this was the time frame that Ernie was overseas trying to set up a company in china or taiwan to make Dominators ) Anyways, I not knowing Ernie kept several sets of blades always in stock and ready to ship, was scared I wouldn't get a set of Dragon wings in time to fly my gyro at Bensen Days.

So I looked in rotorcraft magazine at other blade makers adds and this was right when Sportcopter first brought their own blades to market.

I called and spoke to Jim and even though I knew very little about gyros, he had me sold on his blades being the best blades I could buy. His blades were a little more than dragon wings, but since he knew I was in the heart of Dragon wing country and he knew I'd be at Bensen Days, he discounted his blades to match dragon wings price, so a set of his blades would be out here on this side of the country for people to see.

The blades shipped about 2 weeks later than I expected, but I got them well enough in time to have them on the gyro for the fly-in. They were crated and packed extremely well, better than I have ever seen a set of blades packed from any other maker.

So I am a happy sportcopter customer.
 
Mike, As you started the thread, I believe you have the option to delete it,
if you wish. Failing that, I'm sure the modes can do it for you.

Now that the issue is aired and resolved, it might be a good idea to do so.
 
I'm sure Mike isn't the only unhappy customer we've had. But I want to keep the list short.

I'm the blade builder. Everything else I do is for the love of the sport. That includes my participation on this forum.

I'm here to help guys. PLEASE contact me in the future if you have ANY problem with Sport Copter. I'll do everything in my power to make it right.

Jon
 
Doug, I understand what you are saying...BUT........after weeks of waiting on an order to be shipped I would be told, and I quote "we have customer orders to fill"...to which I responded, "I am not a customer?" That pissed me off!!!!!!

Your logic makes no sense saying I am not a technically a customer. I spent approx $7000 with Sport Copter to get the kit flying.

If you go out and buy a used Ford, Chev or whatever and go down to the dealer and order $7,000 worth of parts I think they would be very willing to service you....even though you did not buy the vehicle new.

And yes I thought about what kind of service I will get now when I need something but a guy and only hold back for so long.....I held back for over six months.


My Sport Copter might be for sale....who knows.

I'm with you on this one Mike. You are a paying customer that has one of their products. Now I'm wondering why you were able to get this unfinished gyro. Man I would have started posting on this site a long time ago.:hippie:
 
I don't think the tread should be deleted..... people should know what these companies are like to deal with. No one wants to see a manufactor suffer or close due to lack of sales due to a bad reputation, but at the same time, making the community aware that a company has issues with filling orders and has poor communication with their customers does help people know what their getting into by dealing with that company.

I wish everyone would just be so honest and blunt....
 
I don't think the tread should be deleted..... people should know what these companies are like to deal with. No one wants to see a manufactor suffer or close due to lack of sales due to a bad reputation, but at the same time, making the community aware that a company has issues with filling orders and has poor communication with their customers does help people know what their getting into by dealing with that company.

I wish everyone would just be so honest and blunt....

I agree.

.
 
So, Mike's complaint inspired me to pursue my own complaint with a company I've had dealings with. Although I didn't post it on a forum, I called them and made some noise.

Ever since I bought the supercharger for my car it hasn't worked properly. I called and talked to several people over the course of months at the company and they all denied the problem saying that it's never happened before and there was something wrong with my car. They suggested I get it tuned by a pro shop. Well, I knew it wasnt my car. But I gave up anyway because I didnt have the time or money to waste on that.

Today I called them and finally got someone there who went out of his way to help. Now the guy I talked to is going to fix the problem nearly free of charge. He even admitted that they did in fact have problems with some cars and the mapping of the fuel/air mixture and timing.

I bought the supercharger nearly 3 years ago, but he is still not charging me for the fix.

Good customer service.
 
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