Serious how many emails would they have prevented from just listing the lead time as 6-8 weeks? Even if they somehow got most out within 5 weeks, that would seem like a bonus to most if us. But so, so many people seem to be getting past that 5 week mark that we get anxious. And most first timers are quick to be vocal about it.
The term we used to use, back when I worked in the hospitality industry, was: 'Under promise, and over deliver'.
If you know your lead time is 5 weeks.. you tell the customers 7-8 weeks, that way YOU, set the expectation.. and then make yourself look stellar if you deliver what you've promised, before that deadline is met.
Now then, the rest is a bit long winded.. feel free to tune out, or go to the TLDR section, at the end
Right now, Ultrasabers is potentially the victim of their own success.. and it's clearly being shown, based on how they're handling damage control.
A prime example... if you can't keep up, or meet your own orders right NOW.. don't run a sale that's going to get you thousands of more orders. (Especially if you can't guarantee if/when they will be filled)
Doing stuff like that, falls tremendously close to actions that start getting compliance investigators looking at you. (I speak from personal experience)
Ultrasabers could REALLY use a good PR Manager, right now. There's a lot of things that could be done to make things a bit more tolerable to those that have already given their money (many of which, may actually be experiencing financial issues, now, with the Covid fallout, themselves), and while many of us are just quietly exercising patience, I fully understand why some people are upset.
I have to admit, even I'm starting to get a bit twitchy.
I specifically didn't order a custom saber, because I wanted to see the quality for myself, in person. Custom products take a while, and I purchased 3 mystery boxes in early May, simply due to the fact that I understood that supply issues might be impacting the custom orders. So.. the simplest way to order would be 3 mystery boxes, with emitter plugs.. just to throw some extra money US's way. (I have multiple 3D printers.. printing an emitter cover is trivial)
However, I now suspect that mystery boxes are produced, much in the way Frankensabers are. Extra/leftover parts, that are used to quickly assemble a product that can be sold. It's a great way to reduce waste, if you can find a way to reuse parts/products that are returned or unused. It also keeps production costs down, since you can make deals with parts suppliers to supply you with X amount of parts, every Y amount of time.... (eg: 'If you're willing to accept 300 aluminum rods, every 2 weeks, we'll make the cost at $5 per rod.. otherwise, it'll be $8 per rod)
By finding a way to keep that inventory constantly moving, you don't have to have as much storage costs, and you can keep that cost, overall, down.. even if you're not making as much, per part shipment as you could/would if every part was sold at max value.
Now, I SUSPECT (based on what I know of logistics and business) that Ultrasabers is experiencing a shortage of crucial components, that are necessary to most orders. Based on that, it's most cost effective for them to use their parts for the products that are going to give them the most return for the parts... which is likely why we're seeing some customers get their orders placed and shipped in a matter of days, vs those that have been on 'processing' for weeks/months. It would also explain why some customers are getting responses from customer support, more than others.
If the above is correct, and I suspect SOME of it is, then I understand the business behind the decisions that US are making. It keeps them operational, and keeps their employees.. employed.
However, IF this is what Ultrasabers is doing (and, again, I suspect some of it IS).. then those users that ordered non cost effective items (such as 3 mystery boxes, like I've ordered) will be considered 'lowest priority', and, as such, will be processed dead last. (The company is making less money on those products, per saber, than the others)
Now.. here's the BIG problem with that... Customer loyalty.
You see a lot of users, here, that are defending US to the death... because they're repeat customers. A customer, who has had constant stellar experiences with a company, is more likely to put up with the occasional delay, than one person who has just started doing business with that same company, and immediately has issues. That is a potentially lost customer, that won't be back. In some cases, a company doesn't care.. because a one off customer, isn't really a loss, anyway. (the term that the hospitality industry used, was 'transient customers')
Unfortunately, however, there WILL be repeat customers in that mix, too.. that would have gotten their first order, and are so amazed with the result, they buy more... OR, even more importantly, they start to become a vocal word of mouth advertising for a company/product. That can actually become an immeasurable loss of revenue.
So.. that's where PR comes in.. a PR manager will produce simple updates, and methods of making potentially unhappy customers calm... AND, they have the ability to take a calm/patient customer, and make them a brand fanatic.
Heck, even explaining things in a logical manner (as many of us have done), in an OFFICIAL capacity, can calm down a number of disgruntled customers, who are just looking for explanations.
The PR aspect is what US is missing, right now, unfortunately... which is somewhat weird, because Emory is apparently a Social Media fan, and likes documenting things regarding his company... think of all of the unveiling videos and such, that he's done in the past.. you'd think he'd take an opportunity like this, to get some face time with the customers and help diffuse any tensions that customers may have. *Shrug*
TL;DR - UltraSabers needs to communicate with their customers better, even if it's to explain (in detail) whats going on with orders that have been 'processing' for more than the usual amount of time.
~ Casp
