This step has definitely been missed in a few markets. Either no post mortem about how bridges were burned or it came to the wrong conclusions and allowed history to repeat.
Yes.
Iāve come to the conclusion that things probably havenāt been super dooper at Naim for a while and resources across parts of the business have been scarce or channeled into other areas.
Customer service is one of those things that can be under invested or deprioritised because it doesnāt ābankā immediate income.
You can only trade on a good repution for so long Iām afraid.
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After a certain price threshold of just about anything, the customers buying decision becomes more about service quality than the product they are considering.
You shortlist the product bases on its quality but the buying decision starts to have service as a hygiene factor. I.e. a condition that if not met eliminates it.
In my humble opinion the number one issue at Naim by far is dealer support issues. This is not merely dirty laundry ā¦ it borders on disgraceful. I canāt even imagine how this happened - they went from a fantastic dealer network to a complete mess. I am hopeful that Barco, who have a great rep for service, realize this and fix it straight away.
The new products are amazingly great. But the network must be strong for it to matter.
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Focal Naim NA responded to an E-mail from me within a day or two. Very courteous. They gave me a service ticket number and instructions for my repair. I will be sending them my Qute2 this weekend to get the screen replaced.
Nick
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I greatly prefer direct sales from the manufacturer. No one else to pin the blame on with service issues and the kit is half the price or less. Especially when there is no dem to hear the gear being purchased. Naim gear has always been too expensive in the US because of importer and dealer fees.
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Well, thereās something to be said for a dealer demonstration/listening session before you buy, delivery and home setup and that doesnāt come free. But many (most?) NAIM dealers in the US donāt have demonstration gear any longer (and donāt deliver/set up even if they do) so you are essentially buying sight (and sound) unseen.
That model just doesnāt work at those prices!
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Your comments need some perspectiveā¦
When the Naim U.S. distributor was Audio Plus, one could get a demo unit to try at home. I was able to do that for the NDX2, and Audio Plus even drop-shipped a unit to me at home when my dealer was gone to a trade show, so I wouldnāt have to wait. I bought it! It was not an issue to get it arranged by my dealer. My dealer are a small shop, they canāt afford to carry the line for demo in a low-sales market. I think thatās true for a lot of U.S. Naim dealers, in a market where Naim is not a brand with lots of visibility and reputation (like it has in the UK).
When Focal Naim America (FNA) took over the situation was quite the opposite. I was unable to get a demo of the Superline because FNA insisted my dealer had to buy one for me to demo, with no possibility for them to return it if I didnāt like it (in a market where they were unlikely to sell it). It took an intervention from Naim UK (via Richard Dane, thanks again) to get me a demo Superline. I bought that one too in the end.
People, please stop blaming the U.S. dealers. OK, maybe there are some lazy ones, but from where I sit I see itās a Naim problem that the dealers have to suffer. This is why U.S. Naim dealers are walking away. Very long term dealers too, not the newbies by any regard.
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Back in 1985, Audio Concepts in Dallas offered me a job on the spot after I sat in on a demo of the Quad ESL vs the Isobariks, and convinced the customer to get the Briks.
I could not accept it, because I was a new resident at one of the local hospitals.
Maybe I should haveā¦..
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I agree with this sentiment. Any piece of precision equipment that has mechanical and electrical (or āelectro-mechanicalā) components is susceptible to developing a fault despite leaving the factory in 100% condition. The buyer/owner needs a strategy for post-sale service, and if the manufacturer/distributor/dealer chain are not up to the task, thatās a fine reason to pass on purchasing an otherwise nice piece of electro-mechanical hardware.
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Nick I look forward to hearing how it goes and the total cost. I discovered that the screen on my Qute2 died and I may want a replacement too.
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Hi, @Bart .
I put up with the dead screen for a year or two. Now it is simply a housekeeping matter as I consider which fork in the road to take.
Weekend slid away. Getting my package put together now.
Nick
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Seems entirely doable ā to just rely on the app. Mineās hidden away in a cabinet anyway.
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As far as I know using router cable to connect it, will have most features available via the app ?
When I owned UQ, I found Naim charged more for a service/display replacement than its value s/h.
For day to day use, the app is really all you need, and the remote and front panel controls can still be used āblindā but there are some settings such as network setup and speaker type that can only be accessed via the display.
If I could buy a used Atom for less than or even close to screen replacement, I would for āRoon Readyā alone.
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A few things here.
First off, the title of this post is misleading, I think it should say āAV Options is unresponsiveā, as thatās what the OP is talking about. AV Options is not Naim. And honestly, Iām not sure announcing to the interwebs that a single person operation is unresponsive after two weeks is reasonable or fair.
Second, itās always a bit cringey when I see things written about something said in a conversation and published on the internet to live on with many eyeballs over time. The truth is that Hawthorne facilitates a ton of service to FNA, both for units they offer for sale as well as for customers. I personally have or had I think six different Naim components in this category. Each was promptly done, reasonably priced, and sounds great. So there are different experiences out there.
Third, and certainly subject to argument, but CD players are unusual in that they include mechanical components subject to more wear than electrical components. These mechanical components are also less/non-fungible. Iām only semi-sympathetic to the feeling that they should be repairable over the long haul.
WRT to the screen repair on the UQ2, it is a pretty easy thing to do yourself if you are reasonably handy - I did one myself and it worked great, buying one of the replacements off an internet auction site.
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Well, maybe they shouldnāt be NAIM dealers if they cant support the product with pre- and after-sales service. What you described is, in fact, a direct sales model - manufacturer to end user with a return privilege.
To be clear, the dealer isnāt the problem supporting after-sales service. Focal Naim America is the problem. Until FNA took over my dealer was fantastic for customer support and service, and they arranged to get demo product when I asked. They just didnāt carry everything on the floor.
Itās completely unrealistic to believe that in the NA market, where Naim does not have that much of a presence and doesnāt help dealers promote product, that a small B&M local store can carry the whole or even most of the line to demo, when much of it may well never get sold.
Maybe the real response is that FNA doesnāt deserve to have good dealers when they cause grief to dealers trying to do the right thing.
But no worries, my dealer dropped Naim, and other NA dealers are doing the same. I think my dealer is thinking good riddance to FNA. I donāt speak for them, but I know they were frustrated, and I know they purged the store of remaining stock and are done carrying Naim products. I am one of their customers who had issues, only after FNA took over.
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No. You misunderstood somehow. Naim is not and never has been direct-to-consumer for sales in the U.S. Everything is done through the dealers. Consumers cannot deal with FNA directly for sales and service.
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