Dear Ifishers, From John Posey, at Lamiglas

[Jennie@ifish]

Dear IFishers,


Recently there was a post entitled "Lamiglas called me a liar", which I felt deserved a response.


As the National Sales Manager for Lamiglas, I can assure you that when allegations such as this arise they receive my immediate attention. We've worked hard for over fifty years to provide anglers with the finest quality rods available. Our reputation is of equal importance.


I do not work behind the counter, but let me introduce those that do. John Grey and Josh Cooper are our customer service representatives. John has been with Lamiglas for almost 14 years, and understands how rods are made and broken. His vast knowledge, while sometimes a bit overwhelming for some, is very informative and usually accurate! Josh worked for Fisherman¹s Marine at Delta Park before I managed to convince him to come to work at Lamiglas. Josh has heard all the stories about broken rods from both the retail end and now at Lamiglas. Both are good fishermen with a great understanding of how all of you fish and why rods break.


As a manufacturer we know how rods break. The people at GLoomis, St. Croix, All-Star or any of the major American made rod companies also know how rods break. We break thousands of rods intentionally to test their resiliency and strength. We slam them in car doors, step on them, bust them over our knees, whip them into trees and boat gunwales, and our favorite, grab the tip and see if it can actually touch the reel seat. We've abused our rods more than any of you ever will.


Do rods occasionally break due to manufacturer defects? Yes. All reputable rod manufacturers admit that. Rods are finely tuned and highly delicate tools. But, the majority of breaks are caused by incidental damage. A rod simply does not break after a year of use and dozens of fish unless it was damaged somehow. That is a fact.


Even so, we feel that we go the extra mile in giving the angler the benefit of the doubt. As the majority of ifishers have posted, we replaced rods for customers knowing full well the breakage was not our fault.


Lamiglas' offers a "Limited Lifetime Warranty." It states, "Lamiglas rods are warranted against defects in material and workmanship for the lifetime of the original purchaser." (We do offer some rods with a one year
warranty.) I challenge anyone to name another industry where such a warranty exists. Ford, IBM, Ping, you name it; they'd all be broke and out of business. This extremely liberal warranty program can be astronomically expensive for our company when abused. You can do the math. We offer it because we have the ultimate confidence in our products and want to reward our customers for their patronage. We will continue to offer this warranty until we can no longer afford to do so.


We wouldn't be the company we are today without the support of anglers like yourselves. We'll continue to take care of you, and ask that in return, you continue to take care of your rods.


As for Sean Hall, aka Steelhead Hound, I regret not having the opportunity to have spoken with you personally at our factory. I apologize if you were not treated with the respect you deserve. You have my word it will never happen again.


Good fishing to you all,


John Posey
National Sales Manager, Lamiglas Inc.
Box 1000
Woodland, WA 98674
jposey@lamiglas.com

[HammondSeaRanger]

:grin:

If only all companies would take this approach to a concern or gripe !!!

:cheers:

[Icatchfish]

The only pole that I will own is Lamiglas. I have never had a problem with their poles or there customer service...next time your down at the river you look who is serious about catching fish and they will using Lamiglas

[Boatdog]

Mr. Posey,

You and Lamiglas have my support, and I have your rods. :cheers:
I will take care of them as best I can. I have personally experienced excellent service for a damaged guide repair at your factory.
I appreciate your response.
graemlins/applause.gif graemlins/applause.gif graemlins/applause.gif graemlins/applause.gif

[Kentucky Hog Hunter]

John,

I am a customer service manager for the 2nd leading semiconductor supplier in the world and your 1 year warranty policy is a stand up policy that serves your company well.

I have been in similiar situations where I have had to stand up in front of my customers and speak to the reliability of our products.

I respect you coming here and standing up for your company.

By the way...You make a great product and I am sure that this email and many to follow will make you a more respected supplier of the best backed products in the fishing industry.

P.S. - Your Kenai Killer & Kenai King models are the most awesome bobber rods I have used.

[FISH HAWK]

graemlins/applause.gif Thanks!! :smile:

[Sturgeon 42]

Stand Up Company I applause you...... :grin: :grin: :grin: graemlins/applause.gif graemlins/applause.gif graemlins/applause.gif

[troybuz]

I had a ferrel brake in my 1978 7' 6" Lamiglass Graphite Fly Rod. I called and asked what my options were. :shrug:
Lamiglass was great. Although they do not still make the blank, they offered for me to either mail the rod up, or come up and see what we could put together to make it work. graemlins/applause.gif
Over the phone, they treated me perfectly. My rod is still broke...thats my fault.
I hung up the phone very satisfied with Lamiglass.
:cheers:
Troy

[Beaver1]

I broke a lamiglass steelhead rod about a year ago. It was on the second cast (ever) drift fishing and it just broke....no snag, no rock, nothing but the weight of the lead in the water. I was worried, because obivously I didn't have a great story of how the rod "failed". I drove to lamiglass and after a short conversation, they gave me a replacement top piece. Enough said. graemlins/applause.gif

[NoLimit]

The only 2 piece Lamiglas rod I ever broke was on a killer hook set on a tree stump. I went to Lamiglas and purchased a replacement upper rod half. That was a fair shake for both of us.

[1eyed]

I could only afford one rod many years ago so I saved up and bought a kenai killer. :grin: On the second fish I ever caught it snapped. :depressed: Now maybe it was my fault, it was the first time I had ever caught a salmon out of a boat, it took off under the boat and you know what happened next. I went back to the factory, frantic of course, it was the first week in October and I could not afford to buy another rod and the season was just now heating up.

They did not have any top pieces at the time so they just replaced my whole rod and gave me a new one. :cheers: I was a happy camper and could continue fishing for the rest of the fall.

I now have my own boat and well it needed outfitted. I now have 9 lamiglass rods :grin: and have not had anymore problems at all. These rods are the best.

Thank You Lamiglass

[STRIKE ZONE]

I own 16 lamiglas rod's for a reason.There great rod's with a decent price.There customer service has been top notch for as long as I can remember.I will continue to support them until I've been treated unfair.I will admit I own 4 loomis rod's but haven't had to go through there customer service yet.Hopefully never.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

[Blue Tip Spinner]

P.S. - Your Kenai Killer & Kenai King models are the most awesome bobber rods I have used. [/QB]<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">i agree with KHH... i have both of those rods and use them on a regular basis along with several other rods made by lamiglas. i have used your rods since i was a kid and will always use them in the future. i appreciate your respond to what was said here on ifish. taking your time to respond was very gracious with the busy schedule you must have. your response was appreciated.

[Predator Dawg]

I have numerous Lamiglas rods including one I sent in to be fixed this week. It broke up on the Kenai in AK this past summer and was my fault. I had no problem letting them know their product did what it was suppose to and that it was the operator that messed up. I have had nothing but excellent experiences with Lamiglas and can't recommend them enough.

[Mojo]

Customer service, value,and quality are why I choose Lamiglas. There are many fine rod companies out there, but what swayed me was value, quality and the many stories of the service Lamiglas provides. I'm sticking with them...

[Wannabe]

John,
This is awesome how you stand up for your product and people. Your rods and company are absolutly great. Keep up the good work.
Tight Lines
&lt;)))&gt;&lt;

[husker]

I own several lami rods and haven't ever had a problem with there customer service. Nice way to stand up here!! :cheers: graemlins/applause.gif graemlins/applause.gif graemlins/applause.gif

[sparkleboy]

Wow, I am impressed. I don't own a Lamiglas rod, but if I was ever considering buying a salmon rod, I know where I'd look first.

[Killertraylor]

I'm not sure there are many businesses with warranties like Lamiglas offers on some of their rods, but Leupold comes to mind as a NW company with much better customer service.

I've had mixed results going to Lamiglas for repairs. I don't mind paying for a repair if it's my fault, but in the 4 trips I've been there with broken rods, John Grey has berated me twice and told me that the rod didn't break the way I told him it did. The other two times I plainly admitted that I stepped on the rod and I paid a nominal fee ($40) for a new rod. Is this good service? I say yes and no - it was good service on the rods that I admitted to breaking but I didn't feel too hot about Lamiglas as a company when John accused me of stepping on the two rods that broke within a month on hooksets on sturgeon. Those rods definitely had defects (broke within the first 10 fish) and he berated me for having some anchovy scales on the rod from my bait - said it weakened the graphite?

Thank you, Mr. Posey, and if you have a chance, please mention my post to Mr. Grey. I've read posts from several other ifishers over the years that have had experiences similar to mine and I think he could be a little more polite when he disagrees with you.

[Born to Fish]

I have several Lami's - excellent products that have provided me much enjoyment over the years. Appreciate your sharing your thoughts with our group. graemlins/applause.gif

[TH]

I have said for years , that Lamiglas offers some fo if not the best custom service in the industry!
We have had nothing but great service from Lamiglas on the blan end of the indstry!
Thanks John and Lamiglas!

[Straydog]

Well said John.

You have confirmed what I have said before, great product, great people and great company.

A real class act. graemlins/applause.gif

[KingFisher85]

I have 11 or 12 of there rods and will continue to spend my money there on fishing rods!

[fish_on]

Originally posted by Jennie@ifish:

Lamiglas' offers a "Limited Lifetime Warranty." It states, "Lamiglas rods are warranted against defects in material and workmanship for the lifetime of the original purchaser." (We do offer some rods with a one year
warranty.) I challenge anyone to name another industry where such a warranty exists.<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helvetica">Home Depot-Ridgid tools
Sears-Craftsman tools
Snapon,Mac,S&K,Matco-tools
GAF Materials-5 roofing shingle products
GM Goodwrench-lifetime brakes

[Catching Nemo]

Well said!!!

I currently only have 1 Lamiglas in the arsenal but after reading the above post that will change.

[steelhead22]

After this whole thing I will never by anything but Lamiglas again. Thanks John.

[SandyRiverRon]

I have owned Lamiglass rods for close to 30 years, never had one break...quality product and from the sounds of things quality people representing.....nice post John.

[Ironhead]

John I would like to say a few things about Lamiglass and maybe an insight to a few possible things. First I have built a cosiderable amout of rods many of them Lamiglas. The problem that I had for a while was the ferrel transition on the tip section.The solution that was stated that the area was sanded too much causing a thin area. A few tips were broke appearing as a dry pocket. All breaks were in the first few trips after that rods lasted many years. I am curious as some problems are caused at the factory or at the retail level? Maybe they were dropped or mishandeled by a customer or clerk. If that happened I could see a customer buying a rod fishing with it and breaking it with no apperant abuse by him.

[jokester]

This is the exact reason why I use Lami's. They stand behind their warranty and guarantee their product!! Thanks John! graemlins/applause.gif

-jokester

[King Kong]

graemlins/applause.gif

[Hell-B]

nice reply :smile:

[IFISH4U]

Thanks for the reply, you have alot of my buisness as well, but I have a question my wife took her rod in, she broke it on a summer run on the Cowlitz, she was really bummed and felt really bad, she took the rod back and got a new on, the one she had was outdated so, they gave her the nearest comparable model. I thought that was cool, no hassle. I looked at the rod and if you stare straight down it, at the top it signifigantly curves to the right, about the top two feet, is this going to be a problem, it the Rogue River model, 6 to 10lb, spinning model, i havent had a problem with it yet. Thanks for your reply that makes a difference.

[skrimmy]

graemlins/applause.gif graemlins/applause.gif graemlins/applause.gif
Just reinforces my reasons for having bought several Lamiglas rods this year, GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE.

[drhall99]

As I've said before, they've always treated me great. They have earned my loyalty as a customer repeatedly.

D.

[garyk]

Every couple years we have to bring in what's left of a Lami for some rehab. Breakage has always been operator-error, not defect. And we've always been very pleased with the prompt courteous service. Thanks for being a great local company!

[Twitchs_Tackle]

I to am a firm believer in both the quality of Lamiglas products as well as the people they have working for them. My best "success story" is with one of the rods mentioned by Mr. Posey that only carries the one year warranty. I bought it as a cheaper 'loaner' rod that I allow my friends and family to use while they fish with me if they don't have an adequate rod. Needless to say, that rod has been abused more than any other I have ever owned. ABUSED, haenously, by people with little or no knowledge of how to play a fish. If I had a dollar for every time it SHOULD have broke, I'd have a nice sled by now, but, again, Lamiglas proves its quality to me. They ONLY thing that has happened to that rod is a little of the epoxy on a couple guides is separating from the blank, but the guides are still tight. As for all my other Lami's, I have never run into a difficulty in finding answers to any of the questions I have asked, nor have I been treated in any disrespectful way. From what I have seen, it is evident they know what drives the success of their business and that is the success of their customers, and they value the support we give them by using their products. Bravo...

:cheers:

[fishhog1]

To big John Grey: I love Lamiglas and I love you man! The fishhog:)

[wootersen]

Wow!!!

What a class act...

Thanks for the reply, from a proud owner of 7 lamiglas rods :grin:

[cosmo]

Thanks for sticking it out as one of the very few family owned, American rod companies left.

[Jennie@ifish]

I am so proud to have Lamiglas here to support us as ifish!

John, you and Lamiglas are one class act!
graemlins/applause.gif graemlins/applause.gif graemlins/applause.gif
Jen

[rags]

John,
This is exactly why I buy Lami's. I lost count of how many I own. When I have a problem you guys have always been great. Josh is an asset to your company. Hey, I even won the picture contest and a great rod this year. You will always see my on the water with my Lamiglas hat on!

[Seefood Man]

Mr Posey, I've been fighting with my mortgage company for the past eight months over a issue and keep getting the run around. Customer service is a dying art. Sir..you bring the art back into view. Well Done Mr. Posey

[Stew]

Very impressive John graemlins/applause.gif I have two Lamiglas rods and both have served me well.
In 1980 I built a Lami drift rod from the kit that Lamiglas was selling at the time. It was the best rod I've ever built and I have passed it on to my son who hopefully will pass it on to his.
It has landed many steelhead since 1980 and I wish I had another one just like it.

[Pilar]

I own several Lamiglass rods and love them. Thanks John for putting words to the service so many of us have experienced from your company over the years.

The Kenai Killer is one of the best all around rods for this part of the country ever made, my $0.02.

Customer service = customer loyalty

[lucky duck]

Thank you John,

I broke a Lamiglass rod one time and don't remember who I dealt with but the service was excellant. :smile:

Chris

[twoboy110]

"fish_on" was kind enough to list all those other lifetime warranty folks - but how many of those can you bobber fish with?? :rolleyes:

[ 11-13-2003, 01:31 PM: Message edited by: TWOBOY11O ]

[t-fisher]

I believe that one of the reasons why the folks manning the counter at Lami want to know how the rod was damaged is so they can give some good advice on how to prevent similar misshaps in the future. There questioning is not intended to be an inquisition but rather informative. Atleast that has been my experience. Great service. :smile:

[Bill_Batson]

This is why Lamiglas has been around for so many years. They have an excellent product and an excellent staff. I own a few lamiglas rods and have always enjoyed there performance. Dick, John, Todd and the whole staff keep up the great work. It's nice to see the family owned and operated American companies doing well. Lets keep it that way.
Bill Batson
CEO
Rainshadow/Forecast - Batson Enterprises

[Dave Vedder]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jennie@ifish:
[QB] Dear IFishers,


We break thousands of rods intentionally to test their resiliency and strength. We slam them in car doors, step on them, bust them over our knees, whip them into trees and boat gunwales, and our favorite, grab the tip and see if it can actually touch the reel seat. We've abused our rods more than any of you ever will.


John: Ever since Clint and I started testing your rods for you we have done our best to abuse them so you don't have to. Take a break and come fishing with us. We will show you we are master rod abusers.

P.S. Chums are coming on strong. Come on up!

[Adofish]

John,

One more thanks for the response. You and Lamiglas are a credit to quality products and service. I own several of your rods and have never had a problem. Keep up the good work!

[Old MAn River]

graemlins/applause.gif It's great to see that somebody
cares about the consumer and actually wants
to make things right. graemlins/applause.gif I am sold on
Lamiglas Rods :cheers: :dance: :dance:

[FASTWATER]

Dear Mr. Posey I started to read this thread and got all up tight thinking about how people all like to moan and blame someone for their problems!! Lamiglas no problem my oldest most abused fish killing machine is one of your 1000 series 1310 rods it is so old and abused I started feeling sorry for it and went out and bought a new 1310 last year, well now having a new lami sitting their waiting for the torture test I continue to overabuse the old one would someone tell me how to put this rod out of its misery so I could start not feeling so guilty???

[FishSniffer]

My first Lamiglas came to me almost free. I subscribed to a tabloid &lt;which isn't plugged here&gt; which I subscribed to for many years. Why? Not only the good information for the geographical region I lived in but also the free Lamiglas rod I received EVERY time I renewed my subscription.

That first rod made a lasting impression and as a devout trout fisherman I added a Shimano Stradic to it making it complete. One day my buddy accidentally set the cooler down on the top foot of the rod. He knew I loved that rod, he'd fished it and he'd always wanted a Lami but the budget his wife imposed didn't allow for it. Anyway, he looked up at me and said "I'll take care of it".

Making a long story short he contacted Lamiglas. He asked about a repair as he didn't think he could afford to replace it and they politely told him they don't do those kinds of repairs which is completely understandable. After all, it would ruin the action (1 pc rod) and it would always be much weaker around the break point. Their solution was to replace the rod.

Remembering that this was a promotional rod through the &lt;tabloid&gt; they offered to replace it for cost and shipping which fit well within his budget. Nothing will ever be like that first Lami but since then I've purchased several (4) as well as getting my freebies every time I renewed my subscription. When I introduce someone to fishing they also get introduced to Lamiglas (and Shimano).

BTW: My buddy got rid of that budget (and the wife) and he now owns several Lamiglas rods! If you're going to fish don't use crappy gear. Use what you feel is the best you can afford and then spend a little more and take care of your gear. Quality is #1. Customer service follows right behind. That's why I buy Lamiglas Rods. In fact, I'm saving up for a new salmon/steelhead rod. A bobber rod if anyone has any suggestions. And a bobber/jig mentor. Any Elmer's out there?

I think the bottom line is that occasionally everyone has a bad day. Even the folks at Lamiglas. So a 99/1% ratio of good customer service is, in my eyes, acceptable. It's unfortunate Steelhead Hound and a few others got the 1%.

Greg
Team Lamiglas wannabe

[ 11-14-2003, 06:00 PM: Message edited by: Pete ]

[jimmy jig]

Very Nice!!

Great rods, great reply...

[Plum Crazy]

Thanks for the reply and info. :shocked: :shocked: :shocked:
New rod too be purchased at Christmas.
Now gonna be a Lami.
Fire :cheers: