Letter to Paul Reed Smith

Letter to Paul Reed Smith

This page is all about customer experience from PRS Paul Reed Smith Guitars in good old USA

I had the pleasure of meeting Paul Reed Smith back at the Dallas Guitar Show in April 2010. But I had met him on a number of occasions before this particular meeting and always found him reasonably friendly when I did talk to him.

But that was then - and this is now.

I needed to get a few definitive answers from the PRS company about the Dragon III which I bought at the Dallas Show, so I gave them a call on their customer telephone line.

Basically, I bought the Dragon III which is on this website (the one on the right here) directly from an ex-employee of PRS, one Bruce Wismer, who later worked for other large multinational companies.

Paul is a tad taller than me... but being tall does not have to make it so that he does not speak to customers.

There was no paperwork with the Dragon III because back in 1994 (when it was made) the company, Bruce told me, did not issue certificates with employee bought guitars...

But Bruce did say, contact Jack Higginbottom and he will solve the problem for you. Bruce continued, when I was there, they could just write another certificate out for you and I'm sure Jack or Paul will help.

I called customer support - what happened next?

Basically I got blown off the phone by the customer 'support' employee, who said 'Mr Jack Higginbottom takes NO calls from customers' and basically proceeded to throw me off the phone. I had a similar email from them too!

With a response as bad as this I was amazed. You mean to tell me that PRS will not help it's customers? Whats more - I can't speak with any management? But I thought PRS was a caring company and was bothered about it's customers and their support?

With all this hoohah going on I decided to write DIRECTLY to Paul Reed Smith himself. Paul appeared to be friendly like I said above every time I met him, so my letter would probably not go on the deaf ears of a company that does not want to speak with it's customers - and a good one at that...

What has been the response?

Paul Reed Smith - thinking whether to call? Probably not...

Well, I'll tell you all - did he help? He wants to help? Right?

ABSOLUTELY WRONG... I NEVER EVEN GOT A REPLY FROM PRS.

Download the letter I sent to Paul Reed Smith personally and confidentially directly to him:  HERE - it's a PDF.

Now where I come from that is really not the way to treat a customer of over 17 years. is it?

So no one cannot be in any doubt about the letter I wrote - you can download above an exact copy of it (less my address) right here on this page and see for yourself if Paul Smith and PRS should have ignored this letter or not.

I think he should have at least replied... that would have only been courteous... right?

Bbut maybe with the recession and everything, neither Paul Reed Smith or Jack Higginbottom could be bothered....  after all, I'm a customer after the sale, so to speak...  who cares?

And at worst it could have cost them a stamp and a compliments slip!

You make up your own mind... I already have.

Tony Mckenzie