Humminbird wins!!!

[fishwater]

I just read that Linda Colt has left Navico...

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

?

[slurpie]

Whats this mean to us less knowledge able people?

[JohnMickish]

She was the one person that would actually get your product fixed when you had trouble. Now that she is gone, how are you going to get your Lowrance units fixed? This could be a major deal for Lowrance, and the negative feedback on the various sites is tremendous. It seems there where some issues between Linda and her boss that made this all happen. Shame, shame Lowrance.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'm sure someone will fill Mrs. Colts position. The problem for Lowrance at this point, is will they find someone as good as Mr. Colt to fill the job she did. Navico says they are still in talks with Mrs. Colt, so this is not over.

here is a quote from Navico

Quote:

Norman, OK - With the recent information that Linda Colt, Customer Walk in Service Department Employee for Lowrance/Navico, is no longer with the company, there has been a great deal of customer feedback posted on the internet.

Here is the official statement from Louis Chemi, Chief Operating Officer for the Americas, Navico:

“Customer Service is the top priority for Navico and Linda Colt exemplifies what we want to achieve with our customer support. Linda has been a truly valued member of the Customer Service team and we did not wish to see her resign from Navico. We want to assure you that we have heard all of your inputs, and we appreciate all the passion that you have shown in this matter. We are continuing our discussions with Linda. Thanks for your time.”

[PierBridge]

Quote:

Whats this mean to us less knowledge able people?

The Colt deal really only affects a few of the lucky people who had her contact info. She can/could only help so many people the rest of Lowrances troubled customers with defective and ill working units are for the most part still stuck out in the cold.

The Big Picture and the main problem does not change at all and that is Lowrance has the worst customer service of any company in the outdoor sports and electronics field...PERIOD!

[fishwater]

Sounds like Navico is back paddling.. Here's the first post regarding her departure I read. Josh is probably taking some serious flack for messing things up as I type..

Quote:

Wanted to let everyone know that after 21 years, Linda Colt has left Lowrance. She was actually forced out. Linda is my mother and it is in her best interest to quit. A couple of months ago she took some vacation time. She was called by a long time customer who had drove to Lowrance from out of town to get a unit repaired. He was shocked to find that the lobby was closed because mom was off. When mom found out she was mad and took it to her new boss, her new boss did not care and said she thought they should shut down the lobby. Mom was shocked as she had been giving thousands of Lowrance customers service in her lobby for 21 years. She escalated this to her bosses boss. Her bosses boss agreed with mom and disciplined moms new boss.

Ever since that day her new boss has tried in every way to get

mom out. Including 1) writing her up for working on her personal time. She

found out that mom delivered a unit to a customer over the weekend and

wrote her up for it. Truth is that mom worked 21 years without lunch

breaks or 15 minute breaks, she went in at 5 am and left at 4 am yet she

only turned in 40 hours every week. YOU WONT BELIEVE THIS. Last week she

had a doctors appt, while she was out a long time customer came by and

left a personal thank you card with Moms name on it with some guy named

JOSH. Seems JOSH couldnt stand it so he opened the card and found a thank

you card and a $50 gift card. Josh turned this in to Moms boss. The next

day when mom returned to work, the customer called mom to see if she got

her card, she said no that she had no idea what hes talking about, he said

he gave it to Josh. So she asked Josh and found out he gave it to her

boss. NEXT thing you know mom gets called in and written up for accepting

a gift card. Keep in mind, she still to this day has not seen this card,

yet she was written up for it. She was told it is illegal for any employee

to get gifts from customers, she stated that she never received a gift.

Funny thing is the next day, she had to hand deliver a weekends stay at

Big Cedar that was given to another employee. Mom would never tell anyone

about things like this. BOTTOM LINE, the Navico product is nothing near

the quality that Lowrance was and mom takes it personal when she cant help

a customer. She was crying every night and her Dr said she failed a stress

test, her heart cant take it. Keep her in your prayers and GOOD LUCK to NAVICO..

[fishwater]

The Colt deal really only affects a few of the lucky people who had her contact info.

Her contact info is/was frequently posted on the web to assist distraught lowrance consumers; that was probably the root of her downfall. She was costing Navico more and more $$ every day.

[PierBridge]

Not hardly! If you think more than 1 percent of the many frustrated Lowrance owners had her info you are mistaken.

And that's not the point anyway.

Here is some contact info for our FM readers... you can call or E-Mail them and tell them how great they are or tell them you a frustrated owner of one of their products...your call.

Of course in true Lowrance fashion they will not answer/reply via phone or E-Mail.

[email protected] or call 18006284487

[eyebjim]

I'd like to see hummingbird make her a offer.

[JohnMickish]

I had an issue with my X-27 that she helped me thru. A very knowledgable lady who's only fault was making sure the customer was happy and got what they paid for.

[sptitz]

I must be missing somthing, how does Humminbird win?

[harvey lee]

If Linda goes to work there, there CS will be all the better if that is even possible.

Linda's number was all over many forums and I am sure if a person was doing a search for her, they could have found Linda or recieved help. I personally help many with her listing.

Linda helped me numerous times when I was at a stand still with Lowrance.

I sure hope she goes to Humminbird as that is were my purchases wil be.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

So do I understand the whole world of trouble shooting & customer service comes down to this one person?? I find that to be a bit of a stretch for an outfit of that size.

[harvey lee]

Seems if one had an issue with a unit, Linda was the one to contact for CS. She could not get all the issues resolved but helped many users.

Linda was the only staff there that I could get results from. There may be more but she was good.

I have a friend that works for Lowrance and he told me if one has an issue, call Linda.

[reddog]

So do I understand the whole world of trouble shooting & customer service comes down to this one person?? I find that to be a bit of a stretch for an outfit of that size.

Its not so much that was the case, its that many,many Lowrance users stayed loyal to the brand because Linda was the "go to" behind the scenes in customer service.

Mark my word, she will be sorely missed. Not necessarily by Lowrance, but by their customer base.

[Willy]

Lowrance has turned to junk since they sold out to Navico. Linda was one of the only ones that would actually help people in a timely fashion. The quality of their products has gone down significantly over the last 3-4 years. That is why the need for good customer service was so great. Most of the other people there in customer service you will come in contact with, don't help, make you pay a bundle to get fixed, take forver, or not understand you.

The way I feel with as much as you pay for a new unit, they should do all fixes for free. 1500 bucks for a graph? That is outrageous, they need stand behind something that costs that much.

Humminbird is now getting all of my purchases. I just hope I can get something for my Lowrance graphs when I get rid of them.

Funny how a company with as good of a product and name as Lowrance had can go down the tubes so fast. It is a shame.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Linda has spoken.. here is a quote from her.

Quote:

" I am totally overwhelmed with the response and support you all have given me from all over the world. I am very humble and appreciate it so much. I hope to return every phone message I have received. I am home from the hospital and hopefully will be fine. I have been through a lot the past few weeks. I have a meeting scheduled with Navico however I understand no one from corporate will be there, nor have they contacted me I certainly hope things can be worked out. I am truly sorry it happened this way."

This was taken from an article by Tulsa World Sports Extra

[deadeye]

Talk about having someone that actually cares about people. Wow. Its almost hard to fathom that kind of care and respect in the world today.

[MarkAlm]

The people in charge at Navico must be mindless. I have had about 4 different units from Lowrance over about 25 years, some were in a boat that I bought used and others I bought new. I know that electronics change as fast as anything in this world but when you pay 1611.00 for a gps as I did .Then be told 3 years after you bought it when the screen leaks the nitrogen that the unit is obsolete , you have to evaluate if their product is worth buying. I have had business with Ms. Colt and was helped out with exceptionally.

[croixflats]

Garmin wins also as this will ultimately open up the upper Midwestern market for the ultimate company that has great costumer service and

unsurpassed quality and the leader of technology. All Ms.Colt has to do is jump ship and state lines if she wants to work for a company that will appreciate her. Not o far to travel and its closer to the north, Oklahoma to Kansas be better than going to Alabama.

If she wants to be a stand out she will have to work hard.

[Wish-I-Were-Fishn]

She should copy these posts for her resume

[hanson]

Seriously... 10 years on this HSOforum, why is it I've never heard about this lady before?

[JeffB]

Seriously... 10 years on this HSOforum, why is it I've never heard about this lady before?

I've been on the sight for about 1.5 years and have seen her name a few times.

[PierBridge]

Seriously... 10 years on this HSOforum, why is it I've never heard about this lady before?

That's my point for every lucky sole that had her contact info 100's if not more did not and have had the frustration of being on hold for hours on end trying to contact Lowrance to no-avail. E-Mails of course were/are futile.

I just sent this link to Lowrance.