Warranty Issues Not Just Cookware

[raebates]

I am usually the one that handles all returns for my customers, just a customer service that I have offered for the last 5 years. I am now thinking I should just have the customers call the PC HO directly and have them deliver the bad news/ask questions directly. How does everyone else handle the returns?

Unless it's an adjustment or a faithful, long-term customer I give them the number and email address and let them know what kind of information the HO will need.

 

[nancycookspc]

WOW-
I really hope PC will keep it together.
I LUV my stuff!

However I have notice a lot of changes in products.
MY SS bowl, got the original set when they 1st came out, ordered another set a few months back- well the new set when I wash in the dishwasher, pushes out the bottom so when its on the counter it rocks. I weighed the 2 bowls. there is a difference in weight.

MY rd stone- I got it 8 yrs ago...its alot thicker than todays.

My martini glasses...the original dots are thicker than the white & pink ones.

Now I am reading posts about the trifle bowl.

WOW....I really want to continue with PC, but damn... I need to be able to stand behind a product.

not liking this.......

and cookware? I am not bringing it anymore ...

 

[Nep2nfly]

Why not cookware?

 

[Intrepid_Chef]

That using non-stick sprays on any non-stick surface will ruin the non-stick surface. Tell that all non-stick cookware shouldn't need any oil...and then how to use it without ruining the warranty.

Say. What? I have never, ever, ever in my life heard of this. As for the knives ... I had a customer get told by H.O. that her warranty on her knife was void b/c she admitted to letting it dry in the strainer. I told her to try the baking soda and if that didn't work I would replace it under my own knife's warranty. She never took me up on it so it must have worked.

 

[chefsteph07]

Say. What? I have never, ever, ever in my life heard of this.

As for the knives ... I had a customer get told by H.O. that her warranty on her knife was void b/c she admitted to letting it dry in the strainer. I told her to try the baking soda and if that didn't work I would replace it under my own knife's warranty. She never took me up on it so it must have worked.

What have you never heard Di? Not to use Pam or nonstick spray on your cookware? The folllowing is taken from the use and care for the 8 in saute executive pan:

Nonstick Sprays and Oil: Do not use nonstick sprays on the cookware as they cause an invisible buildup and impair nonstick coating function. Avoid overheating oils or shortening as they may leave a residue that is difficult to clean and can affect nonstick performance.

 

[ShellBeach]

As for the knives ... I had a customer get told by H.O. that her warranty on her knife was void b/c she admitted to letting it dry in the strainer.

Wow, I let mine dry in the strainer. I actually thought you had to be wrong, that no way would the Use & Care say that. Woops! It does! On the very first line.
(I won't doubt you again!!)What an incredibly fussy restriction. I hand wash my other good knives, but have never worried about hand drying them immediately. Slob that I am, I sometimes lay knives on the counter after using them and don't immediately wash them. Other times, I lay them in the sink where water might splash on them. So this might make them rust? Ridiculous! What other knife on the market rusts if it contacts water? Uhh...none?One of my PC ones did have a small rust spot. It came off with the stainless cleaner. I am more concerned with small nicks they're getting. They are nice knives, but forget recommending them. My 20-yr-old Wusthof knives have never rusted, gotten nicks, or snapped in half like the PC ones.

 

[kam]

Wow, I let mine dry in the strainer. I actually thought you had to be wrong, that no way would the Use & Care say that. Woops! It does! On the very first line.
(I won't doubt you again!!)


What an incredibly fussy restriction. I hand wash my other good knives, but have never worried about hand drying them immediately. Slob that I am, I sometimes lay knives on the counter after using them and don't immediately wash them. Other times, I lay them in the sink where water might splash on them. So this might make them rust? Ridiculous! What other knife on the market rusts if it contacts water? Uhh...none?


One of my PC ones did have a small rust spot. It came off with the stainless cleaner. I am more concerned with small nicks they're getting. They are nice knives, but forget recommending them. My 20-yr-old Wusthof knives have never rusted, gotten nicks, or snapped in half like the PC ones.

WOW. I never knew this either. I always hand wash mine and lay them on the towel next to the sink to dry. I always dry them and put them away before bed - but about 50% of the time, they are already dry. I have never had rust spots on the knives. I would place my PC knives on the same level as Henckels knives (maybe I am wrong?) - but I am now curious on what other forged cuterly makers recommend.

Edit: OK, I went to Williams-Sonoma site and looked at the Wusthof and Henckels. Both say Rinse & dry immediately.
Interesting. I have had Henckels for years before my PC knives and none of those have ever rusted either and I have always let them air dry.

 

[esavvymom]

I wash my knives by hand and put them in the strainer. Many times I don't get back to dry them until the air has done it already and have no rust spots on any of mine.

We sell amazing products but I don't understand why so many right now think ours have to be treated so differently than other brands. I think the problem is that customers think that because we have such a good guarantee that they don't have to take any special care and people got sloppy. SO I've changed what I say at my parties:

I used to say that everything is guaranteed for... (you know the lines we say) but now I have started saying:

"Our products are a high quality and will last you a long time but like everything else they need to be taken care of. If you buy a hand tool you don't leave it out in the rain. Right? Well kitchen tools work best and stay new much longer if we care for them properly too. (holding up a use & care card) Every product we have comes with one of these. Take a second and read it. It will tell you how to care for your tool to keep it for many years. Pampered Chef stands by our products and has a great guarantee as long as you follow the info on these cards. If you do that and have an issue with anything you can call PC or me and we'll help you get it replaced."

I have found that by saying that I am not going on and on about how to care for the stoneware, cookware, knives, etc - separately during the demo. When we do that it makes them think our stuff is too much work to bother with. I had a new customer who said she didn't want our stoneware because it was too high maintenance. OTHER stoneware needs you to soak, pre-heat, etc. OURS just needs to be used, rinsed and scraped. How easy can it become? We tend to worry about the DON'Ts of the stoneware and make it sound hard. Tell them to read the use & care and concentrate on the ease of care and features at the party. Leave the don't do this part for individual conversations to answer their questions.

That's a great idea (and much easier to remember!). Thanks for sharing....and great points about WHY to do it that way. It keeps things positive, allows you to do our job, and also puts a level of responsibility back on the customer where it really does belong. The reason we are in this situation now with PC "cracking down" is grown-adults didn't bother to read the Use & Care/Warranty info, and just did whatever and expected PC to replace it. And PC usually DID. Now they are saying enough is enough. Any other company/customer service or "Brick and mortar" retail store would enforce the Written Guarantee.

 

[kayleigh]

I am also concerned about the small nicks that my knives are getting as well. I follow use and care to the max on both the cookware and knives. I have had an "in-service" with my husband regarding how to and how not to use both. He was the first to actually point out the nicks in the utility knife. I didnt believe him because there was no way in my opinion, but it turns out he was right. I love the knives and do reccomend them but I am hesitant to now with my own issues. I also agree that the stone I bought years ago is much thicker than todays. I love how BethCooks4U shared what she says. I will have to use that at my next shows when explaining the warranties, etc because there is no better way then that, IMO. Pampered Chef has to stand up at some point to this but their quality in their products can not go down either. I agree that too many people took advantage of this and now they have had enough. Cant say that I blame them. The pics of the cookware they sent were just absurd that people even thought they could get it replaced. CRAZY!

 

[murkey]

Perhaps I didn't do a good job of sharing about this. She and I stood at her kitchen sink, took a new knife out, washed it, put it in the vertical silverware area (buy itself) to drip off a bit. It was NO MORE than 2 minutes time. It had already gotten a rust spot! In no more than 2 minutes time? No matter what the p&c says, you should be able to have your knife wet for TWO MINUTES. :grumpy:

The knives are definitely being done differently than before unless this woman's water was way out of whack. Like others here, I occasionally mistreat my knives but RARELY get rust. And then if it did, it would come out with the ss cleaner, bar helper, baking soda or the like.

I took that knife WITH the cleaners and could NOT get the stain to come away! Her complaint was legitimate and the questionable quality was embarrassingly poignant.

I know this could've been a fluke but its not likely. She had ordered 2 steak knife sets, the block set, and the carving set. Every single one, from different sets, did the same thing. :yuck: I was at a loss for words when we were talking. MY pc knives from 2 years ago (or older) DO NOT do that!!

I also just had a hostess return ALL of her professional knives because they rusted she had them for only a week!

She showed me how she washed them and set them in the drainer to drip for a few moments, then went to wipe it down dry. It had rusted! She pulled more out of her block that went in dry but came out with rust. Every single one of her knives had rust.

Now I have had mine for over 2 years. If I mistreat mine they will rust with tiny rust spots but I have always been able to removed them with a good scrub. Her rust completely stained each area it rusted no matter what she used. I tried and could NOT get them to come out.

It's very frustrating. I worry that this is a trend that pc is going in the wrong direction. I really hope not! I love PC! :blushing:

 

[raebates]

High quality carbon-steel knives are vulnerable to rust. Stainless-steel knives are not. It's the nature of the metal. The reason our knives are made of carbon steel is that it allows them to hold a sharp edge better. Quality knives should be dried immediately after rinsing in very hot water.