Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

[Tiftaaft]

I just wanted to take a moment to recognize the extremely difficult position that dealers have been put in with the announcement and subsequent staged and allocated release of the Equinox.  Having been a dealer and manufacturer's rep in a past life (though not in the metal detector field), I very much understand the unenviable position Minelab dealers have been in.  

Who would have thought in September, dealers included, that when the Equinox was announced there needed to be a strategy on WHICH preorder list get on.  Maybe it was my naiveté that helped me assume that any preorder list would ensure I received my E800 when it was released, along with everyone else on the various lists across the country.  The reality is, I should have researched and called around and found a small dealer with the Minelab rep status, with the shortest preorder list possible.... as it turned out, I jumped on the preorder list with my "go to" dealer (and many other's "go to" dealer) the day after the Equinox was announced, and I was #11.  My dealer's first shipment was 2 units.  Through therapy and self medication, I am learning to live with that decision ;)

Here is where I offer my shout out.  My dealer, and I am sure all dealers, have been fielding questions for the past 5 months about what they know, when the units would be released, and why haven't the customers received theirs yet.  I am certain that dealers are dealing with hundreds, and potentially thousands of emails and phone calls.  I can't speak for all the dealers... but giving the difficult position of middle man between Minelabs allocated distribution waves, and hungry detectorists... my dealer has been nothing but professional and quick to answer any reasonable question I posed.  Being in customer service, especially when there are delays in delivering the product, is one of the toughest and most underappreciated jobs in the world.  So.....

Dealers... I appreciate you.  :)

Tim (Future Equinox E800 owner - date TBD)

[Steve Herschbach]

Tim... I appreciate random acts of kindness. That was nice. I assure everyone, most dealers are even more frustrated than their customers right now.

[Norm S]

Tiftaaft I agree with you 100%. The detectors are trickling in all over the world. Everyday I see a few more posts about someone receiving notice their detector is being shipped. I thought last week when the 1st few arrived there would be 100's saying they got theirs and maybe 100's of people did get them and just didn't post it online. 

Knowing Minelab had a delay of about 6 weeks which I am sure caught them off guard I believe they did everything they could to meet the end of January release date. I don't think they were prepared for it but met the release date anyway figuring we will start shipping detectors even though we don't have enough stock built to meet the demand. 

I don't believe there has been any funny business I think the delay they had caught them off guard and still tried to meet the release date to avoid bad press. 

The dealers have been overwhelmingly cordial in replying to customers that didn't get their detectors and wondering when they will get them.. When some of the bigger dealers say they got less than 10 it makes you wonder why a small dealer got two.. It seems as though customers that have received their detectors are spread pretty even throughout the USA. 

initial availability will be limited in all regions due to the very high pre-release demand. Dealers will soon be notified regarding local allocations and shipments. Please contact your local dealer for specific availability information. We will be doing our best to get detectors to all customers across February to fulfil pre-orders as quickly as possible.

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[BeachHunter]

Very nice post Tim. Thanks!

[flakmagnet]

I agree with the posts above; That was a much-needed comment.

Just think of all the hard feelings and confusion that would have been mitigated if Minelab had simply put out a post clarifying why deliveries are delayed. I am sure we all would have understood. This is a smart customer base.There's nothing worse than not keeping customers (and dealers), in the loop. It is hard to fathom why they continue to not be able to change that aspect of their marketing.

[Nuke em]

6 hours ago, Steve Herschbach said:

Tim... I appreciate random acts of kindness. That was nice. I assure everyone, most dealers are even more frustrated than their customers right now.

I know one of them here.

Anyway i dont care when mine gets here anymore , my Explorer keeps finding all the same .

[Jonathan Porter]

I'm a dealer and at no stage have Minelab told me I would have stock in January. As frustrating as it is fielding constant questions about Equinox I look at each and every inquiry as a contact point with my regular customer base but also an opportunity to make contact with potential new customers. It is better to have the phones and emails running hot than be sitting in a quiet shop during the off season (obviously things would be different the other side of the equator except for those dealers further north who are snow bound).

I'm not trying to defend Minelab just state the facts,  at no stage have Minelab told me I would have stock before this past week. I too am seeing people across the globe un-boxing and enjoying their new toys while my customers are asking "when's mine arriving", knowing that I will only have a limited supply from the first batch when they finally do arrive. At the end of the day it is what it is and all I can do is be patient, to my mind how I deal with customer inquiries at this stage is just good investment in any future dealings I have with them.

BTW We are still waiting on stock.

JP

[bado1]

Well said, Tim. My dealer, who is my good friend and hunting partner, said the same thing that JP said...Minelab made no promise of delivery prior to January ( I was called a troll on another forum for stating that, though). He ( my dealer) was a bit disappointed at the meager number he received on his first shipment.

It is what it is and I will swing a couple of other great Minelab units until an Equinox with my name on it arrives. Soon,  I hope!

 

Dean

[relicmeister]

Minelab top rep expects all preorders to be filled by end of march, so anyone who has been waiting 3 months or more really should have theirs by early to mid march, and some before end of February as the second wave of detectors will soon be at the distribution centers. I bet there's a huge amount of preorders placed since the announcement in late December. 

[Gerry in Idaho]

I feel the pain and then some.  I was informed that my customers come 1st.  So in return I do not even have one in my own shop to show anyone.  It is kind of frustrating since I do have a class coming up next month and am sure there could be a couple in the class wanting to know more.  But I will not have one to learn before hand.  At least my customers will be getting them.