DiggingDogFarm
New member
Big Fish said:
There are reasons why other manufacturers have legions of customer service personnel!!!!
I wish you the best of luck!
There are reasons why other manufacturers have legions of customer service personnel!!!!
I wish you the best of luck!
DivotMaker
New member
Martin's dead-on, as usual! The owner of the company, dealing with EVERY customer service issue personally, is more than just "one guy with a cell phone." Most of us have never had to call for customer service, as the units perform great. If a large customer service staff is your decision point, I hope you'll be happy with whatever you choose. I wish you the best of luck, but you may be basing your decision on a factor that isn't really a factor at all. But, I understand your concern. As the company grows, Steve may delegate the important aspect of customer service to someone else, but I hope not. That's what sets this company apart, at least in my mind!
Best of luck, and I hope we meet again!
Best of luck, and I hope we meet again!
mnsmoker
New member
I did countless hours of research over several months before I purchased my #2 even talked to steve a couple of times on the phone. I've been very happy with this unit, almost went with the Bradley, know several people who own them, the #2 blows it out away, have never looked back or desired something different. As far as performance the mods i did are just my ocd like nature to mod everything I buy performed fine without them. The forum is a great addition to the product any questions are answered sometimes with in minutes, could'nt imagine going somewhere else. All things considered bang for the buck for surpasses any of the other products on the market!!!
NDKoze
Moderator
From what I can tell your "perceived" customer support issue is the only downside of getting a Smokin-It.
Everyone is different, but the overwhelming number of Pros significantly outweigh the one "perceived" Con in my eye.
If you want a smoker where Customer Support is important, get a MasterBuilt or a Bradley. Customer Support simply is rarely needed with the Smokin-It smokers and if it is you get the main guy instead of a customer support person from who knows where with little control to do anything about many of the problems that you report.
Then as mentioned before, replacement parts should you fall out of their 2 year (verses the 3 year on the SI) are significantly cheaper with a SI verses the other brands.
In the end, you have to do what is right for you. But if not having a dedicated Customer Support team is the only reason for not choosing the Smokin-It smoker, I would recommend that you look at the big picture and truly try to compare all of the pros and con/s before making your purchase.
Just my 2 cents (maybe worth 1
)
Everyone is different, but the overwhelming number of Pros significantly outweigh the one "perceived" Con in my eye.
If you want a smoker where Customer Support is important, get a MasterBuilt or a Bradley. Customer Support simply is rarely needed with the Smokin-It smokers and if it is you get the main guy instead of a customer support person from who knows where with little control to do anything about many of the problems that you report.
Then as mentioned before, replacement parts should you fall out of their 2 year (verses the 3 year on the SI) are significantly cheaper with a SI verses the other brands.
In the end, you have to do what is right for you. But if not having a dedicated Customer Support team is the only reason for not choosing the Smokin-It smoker, I would recommend that you look at the big picture and truly try to compare all of the pros and con/s before making your purchase.
Just my 2 cents (maybe worth 1
)
Ernie,
The 'guy' answering the cell phone is the owner, Steve. I have talked to him many, many times over the past 3 years, oftentimes when he was on the road, once when he was on vacation. And when he did not answer, he called back in one day, or in a couple of hours. His business is more of a mom&pop business, with a small staff, and that helps hold down costs which is to the benefit of the customer. Customer service is generally for service after the sale for the customer, but can be accessed prior to a sale to answer any questions prior to a sale not covered on the web site. Between his site, and the forum, there isn't anything missing on the SI line of smokers, unless one is looking for flashy videos and eye candy. And those can be found on youtube.
Good luck with which ever company you go with.
Dave
The 'guy' answering the cell phone is the owner, Steve. I have talked to him many, many times over the past 3 years, oftentimes when he was on the road, once when he was on vacation. And when he did not answer, he called back in one day, or in a couple of hours. His business is more of a mom&pop business, with a small staff, and that helps hold down costs which is to the benefit of the customer. Customer service is generally for service after the sale for the customer, but can be accessed prior to a sale to answer any questions prior to a sale not covered on the web site. Between his site, and the forum, there isn't anything missing on the SI line of smokers, unless one is looking for flashy videos and eye candy. And those can be found on youtube.
Good luck with which ever company you go with.
Dave
B
Big Fish
Guest
Youz guyz convinced me, I pulled the trigger on the SI #3 
NDKoze
Moderator
You won't be disappointed Ernie.
I have a stock #3 and may add an Auber PID with permanently installed Pit Probe someday. But that would only be for the added functionality of the programming and the ability to go higher than 250 degrees.
I have smoked some of the best Q with my stock #3 that I have ever smoked or for that matter tasted.
So, while the add-on stuff is cool, it is totally not necessary.
Luckily these units ship super quick. So your wait should not be that long.
I have a stock #3 and may add an Auber PID with permanently installed Pit Probe someday. But that would only be for the added functionality of the programming and the ability to go higher than 250 degrees.
I have smoked some of the best Q with my stock #3 that I have ever smoked or for that matter tasted.
So, while the add-on stuff is cool, it is totally not necessary.
Luckily these units ship super quick. So your wait should not be that long.
Smokster
New member
Ernie, welcome back to the club. We can honestly say that you will not be disappointed. I too had my hesitations, but I kept coming back to the SI #3. Being from Toronto, the shipping costs were too high once it crosses the border, since I have family in Ohio, I decided to take a trip to visit family and pick up my #3.
After speaking to Steve numerous times before my purchase, Steve was honest and never tried to pressure me for the sale and was very accommodating when I picked up my smokers (I ordered and picked up 2 units). Steve did mention that he backs these up for 3 years and that he was confident in doing so because it is very rare for something to fail on these units.
Needless to say, I am extremely happy with my stock #3, never had any issues at all and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these units to anyone. I get compliments all the time, not just for the appearance of the smoker, but also for the output these things produce. When I have my garage door open, some guys even slow down and even stop to ask me about it. I love this unit and have never looked back with absolutely no regrets.
You made the right decision, good luck, enjoy and we are all looking forward to having you on our forum.
After speaking to Steve numerous times before my purchase, Steve was honest and never tried to pressure me for the sale and was very accommodating when I picked up my smokers (I ordered and picked up 2 units). Steve did mention that he backs these up for 3 years and that he was confident in doing so because it is very rare for something to fail on these units.
Needless to say, I am extremely happy with my stock #3, never had any issues at all and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend these units to anyone. I get compliments all the time, not just for the appearance of the smoker, but also for the output these things produce. When I have my garage door open, some guys even slow down and even stop to ask me about it. I love this unit and have never looked back with absolutely no regrets.
You made the right decision, good luck, enjoy and we are all looking forward to having you on our forum.
DivotMaker
New member
A big Congratulations is in order, Ernie! As you can probably tell, the general consensus is that you'll be extremely happy with your purchase! We're all very confident in recommending these units, because we live it! Glad to have you with us!
B
Big Fish
Guest
Will do. and again, thanks for all your help. I am working on one of these to control my temps. I am going to retrofit to fit the SI #3. 8)
B
Big Fish
Guest
Lol, the waiting is killing me. He shipped it out right away too!
Smokster
New member
Big Fish said:Lol, the waiting is killing me. He shipped it out right away too!
Hey Ernie,
That's the customer service we mentioned. We understand the anticipation and excitement of waiting for your smoker, but be careful of what you wish for because I have to warn you in advance of how this is going to temporarily change your life.
You will be so excited and attached to your new smoker that your wife will be jealous for spend more time with your smoker than her. If that happens, don't you worry because she will understand once she tastes some of that Q that these units produce.
B
Big Fish
Guest
I tell ya, that shipping is a killer. $149....and I know it's a lot of weight. I can get a lot of meat for $149. I hate FedEx too. They throw schtuff around with no respect to what is inside. Anyhow, it says it will be here tomorrow, but not getting my hopes up. FedEx is not the most reliable either. Last time my last dealings were with Fedex and had ordered 2 generators during Sandy - I had no electric for 2 weeks. They came up with so many excuses, I had to go pick it up and one was severely damaged. And the kicker is, when I got to the FedEx depot (not in the best of areas - high crime) my girlfriend calls me, when I was loading on the pickup truck - all happy, saying the electric has been turned on in my house.
DivotMaker
New member
Just so you know, Ernie, Steve does not mark up shipping (like some do). It is auto-calculated by FedEx on weight and destination. You will find these are packaged very well, and that's really not bad for a 135 lb oversized package. I've received 2, and both were in perfect condition.
B
Big Fish
Guest
I wasn't insinuating that at all. One carton is 128 LBS. I'm just thinking out loud again.
DivotMaker
New member
I know, Ernie - didn't take it that way. Just wanted to throw that out there since the question does come up every now and then.
Smokster
New member
Shipping to Canada is approximatemy $300 per unit and that does not include any duty charges and additional taxes. That is why it was worth the 6 hour drive from Toronto to Ohio to pick up 2 SI #3's. I saved myself the shipping, taxes and duty charges and visited family at the same time. Well worth the drive, at least it was worth it for me with all factors considering.
