# Unhappy about the Service and Unprofessionalism



## cliffyang (Sep 20, 2012)

I ordered an Chron as a birthday gift at the end of this July and patiently waited.
Happily received the payment request in August and it stated the watch would be shipped from Sept 10th.
Paid the payment immediately and again patiently waited.

But still not received any information from either STOWA and the custom until yesterday i e-mailed to Luisa asking about the shipment Then i was told the watch will be shipped in this week no later than Friday. :-|:-|:-|:-|:-|

Should it have an earlier notification about the delay shipment, so I can rearrange the birthday plan.
STOWA claims it is a service oriented brand,but this is really UNPROFESSIONAL.
I am still patiently waiting and looking forward to this watch. But THIS has ruined the birthday plan


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## SelmerSuperAction80II (Jun 27, 2012)

You ordered it in July(2.5 months). It does NOT sound like you are "patiently waiting". I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that this is a place to post photos, compliments, and helpful information. It is unfortunate that you may not get the birthday gift on time......... Help me understand how that is Stowa's concern.


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## cliffyang (Sep 20, 2012)

For clarification, what i mean "patiently waiting" is waiting patiently without constantly emailing to ask when is the shipment.
And, yes, I also believe this is also a place for STOWA to know what should be improved. Defiantly will keep u posted Stowa's reply.


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## marzen (Jun 15, 2008)

first of all, welcome to WUS. secondly, Luisa is very nice lady. Entire team is top notch. Look at me, it took nearly two months to get my croc strap and I am still waiting on my two Fliegers patiently, ordered since early June of this year. It will come to you. Relax.


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## Monocrom (Nov 11, 2010)

Expect to get a ton of defensive comments from a very small minority of regulars to the Stowa sub-forum. Much of it will consist of "Be more patient and wait, you'll get it eventually!" Just ignore those guys. (The rest are far more helpful.)

Like other brand-specific sub-forums on WUS, it's not just a place to post pics, compliments, or small bits of helpful information regarding features and such. If there's an issue or a problem, then folks should be able to bring it to the attention of others who enjoy Stowa timepieces. Sometimes those problems lead to frustrations. Just human nature.


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## geek_boy_in (Sep 6, 2011)

SelmerSuperAction80II - First all this is a Forum not an advertisement billboard. So yes criticism is completely valid and should be allowed. 

Cliffyang - But there is something I would like to tell you. You need to understand the difference and not confuse between Customer Service versus supply chain Delay. They did reply to your email didn't they ? Yes probably they should have been more proactive in letting you know that there is a delay, so that a customer's downstream plans if any can be adjusted accordingly. 

I have interacted directly with Stowa couple of times. I would say that compared to other companies Stowa has got a quite good customer service. They answer to your queries in a very personal way and tries to setup the expectation as honestly as possible. If there is a delay they do not lie. They try to explain their position and gives you the exit options or atleast throw in free gifts. 

Also let me tell you; I waited for my 2 Stowas for 7 months or more if am remembering correctly. And guess what it is the delay which makes it so exclusive. I mentioned this before, if Stowa was available so easily on ebay or malls or in 1 weeks notice, I would probably not feel so proud and passionate to own one. 

Good business sense dictates that you limit the supply thereby having the time to focus on quality. That is the reason German and Swiss companies are still surviving the onslaught of China whereas indegenous companies from other continents are drowning. Other companies in the quest of quick money and Greed have short term visions. they churn out products like a vending machine and subsequently somewhere down the line the value of the product goes down. 

Stowa is doing the right thing to make their business sustainable. They are keeping the price down. Limiting the supply in the market and focusing more on Quality. Only genuine interested watch collectors will have the patience and get Stowa. You have to realize that, unlike old days, Watch is a novelty / ornament item now. No one needs it since we have Smart Phones keeping the Time for us. So positioning the brand is very important. 

I got an email recently from Luisa that Jorg is focusing on growth and trying to decrease cycle time. I think it is a very risky move and maybe wrong. It will devalue the brand.


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## canard (Jan 21, 2011)

I understand that this forum is not limited to appreciative comments. Given the fact that most members do own and enjoy Stowa watches, however, I don't think it is too surprising that an entirely negative post about Stowa's "unprofessional' service will raise some hackles. Again, most of us have dealt directly with the company on many occasions and have had positive experiences.

What is the point of the post? To dissuade potential customers from buying a Stowa watch because of their customer service? The complaint, I think, should be addressed directly to Stowa.


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## geek_boy_in (Sep 6, 2011)

Canard - The thread starter is an unhappy customer because his plans have been impacted by the delay of delivery and lack of proactive expectation setup. It is perfectly legitimate for him to complain online, offline, television, newspaper or anywhere else he wants. It is a free world. But the point am trying to make him understand is that he is joining anecdotes to come to an incorrect conclusion.


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## brainless (Jan 3, 2008)

Hi cliffyang,

after having made such a disappointing experience, you should consider to cancel your order.
Tell them, you don't want it any longer and they won't ship the watch.

It would have been better, if you had visited this forum *before* you ordered the watch: Reading about Stowa, their watches' quality, their service department's quality ........and their "torture by delays" could have prepared you.

Stowa watches are only for collectors with time................with time to wait. b-)

My longest wait was about almost two years - but I knew it would pay in the end............and it did:










Volker ;-)

NB: I totally agree with _geek_boy_in_


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## benbarren (Sep 17, 2011)

I am also waiting happily for a couple Stowas. This is how it works. Patience not immediate gratification. Different regions have different dynamic. Deal or no deal. Each to their own. Now hopefully my stowas come in fair time or so


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## kafvyn (Dec 8, 2008)

I waited 10 months for my watch. It is part n parcel of getting a stowa watch. Meanwhile while waiting, I rotate my other watches to cure my itch for a new watch. All I do is change straps on my old watches! YOU WONT REGRET WAITING AND IT IS WORTH THE WAIT! Post your new watch once you get it! Cheers!


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## Fomenko (Feb 27, 2012)

I've ordered my second Stowa like three months ago. Ikarus with metal strap, and I also ordered a black leather strap.
After sending the payment last week, I got an e-mail from Luisa telling me that they assembled my watch with the blue hands, that are supposed to be better than the regular black ones.
She asked me whether they can ship it or I prefer that they change them. 
I chose to wait a little longer and ask her to send me one with the black hands (which I find better for this particular model).
Cannot complain about the customer service, so far (they always include some gift or upgrade something in your order, if there are any delays).
Waiting for your Stowa is part of the experience... you better enjoy the wait, if you chose to buy one!


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## cliffyang (Sep 20, 2012)

Thanks all the feedback and comments. When I placed my order, I DID know waiting is part of the STOWA experience, and I don't mind to wait patiently. But the point is that, just like Fomeko, Stowa did inform the ship delay, right; but I wasn't informed the delay. This post just a reminder of improvement for Stowa.


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## eliz (Apr 5, 2012)

may I speak a word of fairness? Judging from what you posted as follows,

Happily received the payment request in August and it stated the watch would be shipped *from* Sept 10th.

Stowa stated they would ship your order FROM Sep 10th and not ON Sep 10th.
It usually constitutes the meaning that when "FROM" is used, it usually means from then onwards.

IMO, should just be a miscommunication between both. Solve it peacefully and await your gem of a watch to arrive


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## kafvyn (Dec 8, 2008)

This is how much i love Stowa, in spite of some hiccups here n there. Have a Great Day.


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## Jörg Schauer (May 2, 2005)

Dear *cliff yang* ,

i am very sorry that you didn´t get your watch just in time.
I think it was my fault because at the moment we have a few backorders and please be sure that Luisa Bradt and the other staff did a good job.
They remind me always for every urgent watch which should be somewhere for birthday, wedding or so.

I sure forgot or didn´t saw the marking on the order or invoice that this watch is really important and for a birthday, sometimes its like this: "Not to see the wood for the trees."

Pleas let us know if you want to cancel the order or if we can ship the watch today.

If you keep the order i will add a small birthday gift for the delay.

if you cancel this will be ok and we wold like that you come back one day for a STOWA watch.

Best regards

Jörg Schauer

Afain , i am sorry for the delay but it was my fault, not the staffs fault.


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## benbarren (Sep 17, 2011)

Jorg is a legend. Fullstop
Kudos.


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## Yukita (Sep 21, 2012)

I've been reading Stowa subforum for quite sometime, and recently ordered a flieger 
saw this thread and could not help to register and want to share my experience also 

compared to most of stowa'ers; my ordered is quite fast:

27 Aug 2012 Emailed Luisa to order watch
29 Aug 2012 Received official order confirmation
30 Aug 2012 Luisa emailed that my ordered watch will be ready for shipping
30 Aug 2012 Paid thru Paypal
31 Aug 2012 Luisa confirmed the receipt of my payment and was informed shipping from 10 Sept 2012
11 Sept 2012 Emailed Luisa for and Update
12 Sept 2012 Luisa replied will send by end of the week or beginning of next week (FYI Sunday is on 16 Sept 2012)
20 Sept 2012 Emailed Luisa to check if there are any issue or any updates
20 Sept 2012 Luisa reply to check and revert; I thanks her for her prompt reply and update
21 Sept 2012 aka now, I'm still eagerly waiting for it to shipped.

initial when I order flieger without logo and date, the shipment estimated Mid of November.
subsequent a day or two after i received the official confirmation; the shipment for new order is estimated shipment is 1-2 weeks.
after i paid thru paypal, the shipment for new order is "on stock"

I feel happy that i do not need to wait so long now compared to original order.
but i cant help to feel "abit" dissapointed :-( as its still taking longer than expected (especially the status is on stock = ready shipped, no? :roll 

but seriously, Luisa is very patient and promptly reply my email. Kudos for her...
and of course Stowa team :-!; i hope next time i can order Marine Original ...:-d


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## Nolimits (Jun 13, 2010)

As has already been mentioned in this thread, I also don't like how people leap to Stowas defence saying you need to be more patient. Generally people don't mind delays as long as it's expected or you tell them about it, communication is vital and that is where the OP feels let down and is right to do so. So far every time I've ordered a watch from Stowa even if the lead time is a bit longer than expected once I get the payment request it moves quite quickly and this should be the way it is, once they've taken your money Stowa should be proactive in telling you about any delays.

As Jorg has confirmed, and as I've read on here, if you mention needing it for a specific date then Stowa can be very accomadating, which is the kind of flexibility that a smaller company can have and it's the personal touches like this that make me love Stowa (about to get my fourth) but this doesn't make them above criticism. Again as has been mentioned this is not an advertisement place, we should be able to discuss Stowa, plus and minus as well as praise and criticism rationally.


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## SelmerSuperAction80II (Jun 27, 2012)

Thank you Kafvyn.


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## H_J_R_ (May 14, 2012)

I hope TS lets us know what his decision will be.


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## al3xx (Aug 10, 2011)

It is very unfortunate that this incident has caused your plans for the birthday to be altered. I would also be quite unhappy if that happened to me as well. My ordering experience with STOWA has been relatively good, but I also went in with little expectation of when I would receive the watches, which in your situation would definitely be different. It is extremely heart-wrenching when you have paid for the watch and are waiting for it to be shipped. However we must also remember that this is a small watch company with an incredible number of watches always on order. They are always facing supply chain challenges, whether it be in house with their own scheduling or the hold-ups that other suppliers to STOWA have (of which likely the largest is ETA and its constant reduction of movement supply to STOWA). You make a good point that their customer service could be more proactive in notifying of a delay, but I do think they are extremely friendly and extremely professional. They give you a straight-forward answer, instead of handing you off to the next person, who hands you off to the next, etc. which happens in a lot of places and is much more frustrating.

I have ordered a Flieger A COSC, a Flieger B COSC (for my dad), and currently have the Flieger NY LE on order as well. I ordered knowing that I would have to wait so I put it out of my head. I actually did not see the payment request email when it did come, because it was a month ahead of when I was scheduled (and it also went to my junk mail, oops)! To my luck, however, I was emailed very recently thereafter about the Flieger B (which I had put an order down much later) that it could be upgraded from the top-movement to the COSC (one of the last ones available), and that I could bundle the shipment and receive both watches at the same time! I promptly paid and received the watches still earlier than the originally scheduled date. I was actually able to give it to my dad for Christmas, when it was originally scheduled for January 2012.

I now am very eagerly waiting for my Flieger NY LE. This is compounded by the fact that I cannot wear my Flieger A (it is at STOWA, too)! However, nothing beats the experience of having these watches in your hand - I believe I will continue to purchase more STOWA and, when money permits, Schauer watches (I absolutely love the Quarada). They are extremely unique and rare timepieces.


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## Zoot Allures (Oct 23, 2008)

I'd say, sincerely for a laugh, when watchmakers can not make it on time... We have a saying, here in France, "le cordonnier est souvent le plus mal chaussé" could be "the shoemaker goes bare foot"?.

They always do their best for us with their contingencies, I can't imagine how much incoming mails they get and answer daily and can perform an average ETA of 3 month for this kind of quality watch at such a reasonable price.
The crew has grown recently to follow the demand, if not the younger one even the boss himself can forget or miss something, awesome, they are still human. 

I reckon, I'm the kinda of person that has no patience, really. :roll:

Order placed in February or early March, I was advised that there would be a little delay in June, actually the shipping trip of mine would overlap me setting out to holidays (it was really a matter of days, a couple: the watch was on the test bench) or it would be delivered later in July... I couldn't cancel, I needed this Flieger (even if my mobile phone show me how late it is in a snap).

After a mail to the other Luisa (thanks to her), she asked her boss about it who finished it or he told a crew member to (they were days, Jörg looked at every watch before shipping, now it's surely one of the crew members recruited and payed by Jörg, it's the same for me --not really but since I know that Santa Claus doesn't exist, I deal with such things), and hopping FedEx wouldn't mess all the efforts: I at last got my watch to ride away.

The extra strap or the little Swiss Army Knife (whatever) in the box is fine but their dedication to us is *the* real wonder. _What else?©_

Now, they want/have/need to continue growing, let's hope it's for the best (a vague question of critical mass yada-yada). :think:


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## arnz3 (Dec 8, 2011)

I really admire a company that is serious about customer service. With Jorg's above message, it only adds up to it. Good job!


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## Yukita (Sep 21, 2012)

Yukita said:


> I've been reading Stowa subforum for quite sometime, and recently ordered a flieger
> saw this thread and could not help to register and want to share my experience also
> 
> compared to most of stowa'ers; my ordered is quite fast:
> ...


Just to update... up to today 25 Sept 2012, the watch havent shipped yet, nor Luisa update anything since i emailed her on 21 Sept.
Ironically, if you check the Stowa online shop, for the same watch i ordered will be delivered in 1-2 weeks time.... (i ordered 1 month ago paid 3 weeks ago, yet have to receive any fedex no)

I rather they give me a date in future include buffer than empty promises..... frankly speaking I'm dissapointed... 
I will be away for one week next week... shipping addres is my office address.... IF they do deliver next week... i wont be around to receive the watch ....


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## Yukita (Sep 21, 2012)

just to add, im not the only one facing this delay.... another forumer from other forum, also having this delay even after receive news that the watch will shipped in 5 days... 5 days passed and still not shipped.


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## SelmerSuperAction80II (Jun 27, 2012)

Bitte Gott! Stoppen sie den weinen!


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## Yukita (Sep 21, 2012)

SelmerSuperAction80II said:


> Bitte Gott! Stoppen sie den weinen!


Sorry i dont speak German... google translate:
"Please God! They stop the crying!"

I dont see the point of your comment.
The fact that they cannot deliver what they promise without even update to the customer, already shows their service level. Maybe previously service level is good when you guys bought it... but not for my case....

I would appreciate an email update for the delay... is that too much to ask?


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## Renisin (Jan 29, 2011)

I have bought three Stowa watches and have received excellent service! The watches did come a bit later than expected but I rather enjoy the wait! I have on order a Schauer One Hand and will have to wait eight months or more,which I do gladly!!


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## Lammtarra (Mar 8, 2011)

My story 

Ordered on *26/06*
Paid and confirmed on *31/08*
No emails since so I emailed Stowa on *12/09* asking for an update.
Promptly replied  and I was told '*We will ship your watch latest next week.*'
No emails since and no delivery 
Just emailed Stowa again today... waiting for reply.

Take care all.


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## Renisin (Jan 29, 2011)

Please email them again,they are a growing company,having growing pains! Stowa has great people working for them,but even hard working people get in over their heads,so have some patience!

Best Regards,
Ren



Yukita said:


> Sorry i dont speak German... google translate:
> "Please God! They stop the crying!"
> 
> I dont see the point of your comment.
> ...


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## 92degrees (Dec 19, 2011)

As a person who runs a medium-sized company that creates a made-to-order product, one of my many frustrations is customers that wait until a deadline has arrived (or passed) before reaching out. 

Sometimes things get lost in the shuffle. Sometimes my staff or I drop the ball and proper communication does not happen. 

AND, if the delivery deadline matters to you (not always the case) then you the customer are also capable of reaching out. 

I am tracking many hundreds of orders. A customer is concerned with one order. 

Whenever I have cared about the delivery date of an item -- watches, fishing rods, car parts, custom knives, whatever, I have reached out to the company in the weeks leading up to the delivery. 

Sometimes Stowa runs late. Sometimes they are not proactive about reaching out. If it matters to you, drop them a line and keep on top of it. They are excellent about responding to inquiries.


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## Yukita (Sep 21, 2012)

Lammtarra said:


> My story
> 
> Ordered on *26/06*
> Paid and confirmed on *31/08*
> ...


let us patiently waiting... because we cant do anything other than email and wait


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## Yukita (Sep 21, 2012)

Renisin said:


> Please email them again,they are a growing company,having growing pains! Stowa has great people working for them,but even hard working people get in over their heads,so have some patience!
> 
> Best Regards,
> Ren


Yes, will wait patiently  but personally i think they should change this online shop part to reflect the correct delivery date instead of keeping it 1-2weeks. those future customer will be dissapointed if they cannot deliver. no way to do business like that .... oh well, just my personal opinion


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## Jörg Schauer (May 2, 2005)

hello,

like the most of our customers wrote: we are answering normally in one day or even faster.
Of course sometimes the answer could be the next day, but this should be maximum time for a answer.

Whenever somebody gets no answer since 1-2 days, something is wrong with STOWA ;-), maybe a staff member is out of house or ill or something else happen.
I trained my staff members to answer always ASAP.

This is our target and many many mails every day are answered like this.

Of course sometimes we have to check some material matters with supplier to give a correct answer.

Often the supplier chain is not as good like you and we also want.

It needs also a few hours or 1-2 days to get a correct answer.

All in all i think we are working fast and as good as possible, but of course we are real people and we are sometimes not 100% perfect ;-).

Sometimes a watch which is ready for shipping has to be checked again for some quality issues we did not suspect in the first tests.

and so on.....

What i want to say is that we are doing our best and 99,9% of our customers are really satisfied, of course there are always some customers we can´t satisfied 100% in the first step.

We are sorry about that and we do everything which is in our hand to work on this 0,01 %, i promisse.

To Yukida: The Flieger without Logo and date* is in stock*,we have a few watches which has been overproduced or canceled.

If we have the marking: delivery time 1-2 weeks *you can trust that the watches are in stock* for some reasons (cancelation, overproduction and so on) ;-)

But i will check this later if this is the fact, if not a human person maybe made a small mistake in the online shop, this also happen from time to time.
We are working people and when human people work, mistakes happen from time to time ;-)

I will mail later if we have this watches in stock or if it is a small mistake.

Your post sounds like that we have generally a short delivery time to catch maybe some customers.

This is not the fact ;-), we don´t need to play with our customers in this way 

Yesterday we made new delivery times for the most of the watches - now we are in mid to and january 2013 in the reason of the many orders we have.

We are still growing but this is not really a problem because we have our target and this is: quality !

We are growing since many years and it does´t matter how much we grow: The quality of the watches has been always the same.

We are proud of this,* we don´t grow with loosing quality of our products.*

Again, of course the success has its price for some customers: The delivery times grow sometimes a bit to long and also the communication sometimes needs a bit more time and of course sometimes a information gets lost in the world wide web or on our computer.

This is the price we have to pay for the growing of our company.

I am happy that it is "only" the communication and not the quality.

At the end some of our customers needs patience and they nearly loose the decision to buy from us.

Later when they hold the watch in their hands they are happy that they have invest time, money and sometimes nerves to wait for their STOWA.

Thanks to our patience customer which allows us to design and built nice and good quality watches.

Many thanks

Jörg Schauer


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## rd0401 (Aug 30, 2012)

All my emails to Stowa have been responded to within 1-2 days. So far customer service has been excellent, Luisa and Barbara have be great. Currently patiently waiting for my "shipped" email for a MA with top movement................


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## Yukita (Sep 21, 2012)

Hi Jörg,

Thanks for your reply, let me break into 2 parts for easy reply.



Jörg Schauer said:


> To Yukida: The Flieger without Logo and date is in stock,we have a few watches which has been overproduced or canceled.
> 
> If we have the marking: delivery time 1-2 weeks *you can trust that the watches are in stock for some reasons (cancelation, overproduction and so on) *
> 
> ...


I just stated based on my personal experience. I'm speaking on what on my mind.
As i mention before, i paid my watch after received email confirmation that watch is ready to ship on 30 August 2012. 
If it is already in stock as what you said (which i bold above), shouldnt it already shipped? but the fact is after 26 days i paid, its not shipped yet.
I have emailed luisa and 20 Sept 2012 to check with her if there is any issue with the watch; she replied that she would check and get back to me asap, but i have yet to receive any updates for whatever reasons.



Jörg Schauer said:


> Yesterday we made new delivery times for the most of the watches - now we are in mid to and january 2013 in the reason of the many orders we have.
> 
> We are still growing but this is not really a problem because we have our target and this is: quality !
> 
> ...


Yes I agree with you it is "only" communication (because of the delay), not the quality. which is good, but communication is one of the most important aspect in customer service; especially if you are direct selling. Service reflect the brand, dont you agree?

The delivery delay or takes longer not the issue here (at least for me), If there is email to inform buyers who already paid that it will be delayed. I believe customer will accept the delay. Patience is virtue; the longer the wait, the longer you appreciate the result |>. 
The main issue here for me is communication part; Stowa should proactive update the customer; instead of customer doing the chasing by asking every now and then... maybe can improve the website by adding Order Status on the online shop? just a suggestion from me.

Food for thought: 
Imagine when customer *lose patience (and frustrated) and nearly loose the decision to buy from stowa but still accept due to already waiting for sometime and no choice to wait* although later happy with the watch; compared to a customer *happy with the order process and delighted with the watch*. Do you think which is better for customer and for Stowa? Wouldn't it perfect if its the latter?

I can see similar cases here, maybe its isolated, i'm not sure, but the reason I shared in the thread is not to discredit Stowa in any way, apologies if you think so, but i hope for the best that Stowa can improve on communication if there is delay for whatever reason it is.

Forum is place to share experience; we all hope for the best; Cheers....


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## Yukita (Sep 21, 2012)

rd0401 said:


> All my emails to Stowa have been responded to within 1-2 days. So far customer service has been excellent, Luisa and Barbara have be great. Currently patiently waiting for my "shipped" email for a MA with top movement................


Not the case for me.... waiting email reply from 21 Sept; no reply yet, sent again yesterday (25 Sept) and still waiting


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## Jörg Schauer (May 2, 2005)

Hello everybody,

i checked several points of this thread and was talking to my staff to check whats happen with 2-3 customers who didn´t got a answer like always.
(please check your spam as well because we got several mails from customers who told us they did not receive mails but the mails where guided to the spamarchive - this happens from time to time- just one idea)

Normaly we answer at the same day, if not we have this attachment:

Lieber Kunde,


herzlichen Dank für Ihr Nachricht.


Gerne werden wir Ihre Anfrage prüfen und Ihnen morgen antworten.


Vielen Dank für Ihre Geduld.


mit freundlichen Grüßen









Dear Customer,



thank for your mail. 


I will gladly check your request and respond to you tomorrow.


We thank you for your patience.


best regards

So i am sure that the delay in answering we are now discussing are only a few from our daily big amount of mails we answer.

Sorry for this and i am sure we will satiesfied like always 99,9% of our customers.

Our system is good and we have a lot of experience in fast reply.

Again, mistakes happen and we are sorry for this.

But please be sure that we take realy care about you as our customer - since more than 22 years we have worldwide realy good reputation.

Of course "Nobody is perfect", this is what we have learnt but we try to be as good as possible.

Another important point is that my staff often need informations from my side and this was another problem last year - the second floor we have added costs me a lot of time and sometimes i have to tell them that they have to wait 1-2 days more for a answer.

But since we are ready the things going to be "normal" (of course, if you do business you never will reach a "normal time" but thats what we have choosen and happy with;-))

Bye for now

Jörg Schauer







​


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## Yukita (Sep 21, 2012)

Hi Jörg, thanks for your prompt reply, and as of now, i received reply from Luisa also fedex shipping number.

I'm glad Stowa is under a great person as you. Not many company's boss will directly reply customer questions, queries and "complaints" etc.

You are one of the rare one... :-!

Hope all the best for Stowa, when $ permit, i will order either MO or Antea .... thanks. |>



Jörg Schauer said:


> Hello everybody,
> 
> i checked several points of this thread and was talking to my staff to check whats happen with 2-3 customers who didn´t got a answer like always.
> (please check your spam as well because we got several mails from customers who told us they did not receive mails but the mails where guided to the spamarchive - this happens from time to time- just one idea)
> ...


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## njc2o (Jun 28, 2012)

perhaps you'd like to change the thread title, considering your position now?


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## cliffyang (Sep 20, 2012)

Jörg Schauer said:


> Dear *cliff yang* ,
> 
> i am very sorry that you didn´t get your watch just in time.
> I think it was my fault because at the moment we have a few backorders and please be sure that Luisa Bradt and the other staff did a good job.
> ...


Dear Jörg,

It's always heartwarming to receive the feedback from the brand owner.|>|> I have received the watch yesterday and the gift recipient was impressed by the beauty of this work and thankful for the buckle gift. The investment in time is worthy.:-!:-!:-!:-!
But, once again this PO is just meant to provide some suggestions for this brand, (yeap the title is quite harsho|). As some comments said, we don't mind to wait for few more days as long as we're informed. A ERP software can be handy for a growing business.b-)b-)

*One more issue i wanna to ask*. :roll:Since i ordered a croco strap, and stowa is very kind to offer a leather strap as a free gift. But stowa put the leather item into the invoice, which means an additional custom tax was charged. The amount is quite small though, should this free leather strap be duty-free?:-s:-s:-s:-s:-s:-s:-s:-s:-s

Appreciating for the service provided by stowa and your staff, if $$ permits, definitely will order a new watch for myself.


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## Yukita (Sep 21, 2012)

I'm not the thread starter.... 


njc2o said:


> perhaps you'd like to change the thread title, considering your position now?


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## veratas (Jul 18, 2012)

cliffyang said:


> Dear Jörg,
> 
> It's always heartwarming to receive the feedback from the brand owner.|>|> I have received the watch yesterday and the gift recipient was impressed by the beauty of this work and thankful for the buckle gift. The investment in time is worthy.:-!:-!:-!:-!
> But, once again this PO is just meant to provide some suggestions for this brand, (yeap the title is quite harsho|). As some comments said, we don't mind to wait for few more days as long as we're informed. A ERP software can be handy for a growing business.b-)b-)
> ...


This is typical of what a business owner has to put up with.
Jorg has kindly given a free strap as compensation ,which is very noble of him, and you talk about a few cents on tax

I think in future if Jorg or his team is late with a reply, or sending their watch ,he should give all the wingers a free watch and a holiday in Hawaii o|


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## nugget40 (Aug 10, 2011)

Why is it that it is always the people who just joined the forum that are always down talking this brand or that brand.....you find it on every brand sub-forum. When you order a watch from a "microbrand" there is usually a delay in getting the watch and they usually tell you. If you needed it for a deadline, you should have ordered earlier and not cut it so close to your deadline knowing that there could possibly be a delay. Your fault, not Stowas or Jorg's.


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## nothenorm (Nov 17, 2008)

My experience:-

I ordered.... waited patiently..... and recieved my goods.

There was delay surely, but as long as time is on your side and expect the general delay experience from reading the forum, you will be rewarded with a quality and reasonably priced watch.

(Of course I too agree that communication and proactiveness could improved if the above cases really happened - not in spam folder - business is all about feedback, improvement and implementation etc => sustainability!)


I am still and will always love my Ikarus. : )

Cheers


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## Spoonsey (Feb 25, 2010)

7 little words...

Good things come to those who wait.


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## geek_boy_in (Sep 6, 2011)

Its good to hear from the master watch maker himself. Jorg keep up the quality. Don't fall under the pressure of quick delivery. It is the only thing which will keep your company afloat in the next 30 years. Try to give every watch your own touch to make it special and worth having. Please don't commoditize your product. 

recently I bought a Stowa 1938 Chrono model from 2010 from another WUS user... oh boy ... am I glad !!!! what finish .... its my third Stowa watch. The first two I got directly from Stowa. 

Complainers, if you are in a hurry then go for a second hand Stowa. Trust me you would not regret. In fact that will keep the resale value of this marvelous time pieces intact which will empty the inventory from the other enthusiasts who are willing to wait for another new Stowa. 

Am now waiting for my Chorno to get some wrist time .. after that am going to get a custom handmade Blancier  wohoooo. !!!!


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## James_N (Jul 9, 2009)

nugget40 said:


> Why is it that it is always the people who just joined the forum that are always down talking this brand or that brand.....you find it on every brand sub-forum. When you order a watch from a "microbrand" there is usually a delay in getting the watch and they usually tell you. If you needed it for a deadline, you should have ordered earlier and not cut it so close to your deadline knowing that there could possibly be a delay. Your fault, not Stowas or Jorg's.


I wouldn't say anyone was "talking down" the brand. We all know how good Stowa's are (even the opening poster in this thread, else he wouldn't of bought one even as a gift!).

I can understand the frustration in having to wait for something, and not getting quick responses to emails (look at Apple for example, people go mad if they have to wait an extra few hours to get their hands on a new iphone!).

Anyway, I think this thread, overall, is a good thing. If your struggling to get replies to emails, its nice to know you can post on here, and get help and suggestions from the owner of the company. The watches are made to order. Rather than automated replies to emails, its nice to know there is someone on the other end of your email willing to take the time and effort to reply. The amount of emails Stowa get daily must be huge.

The customer service from Stowa is second to none, when glitches and errors occur, Mr Schauer himself, works hard to fix those error's, and even throws in free gifts. Although this thread started off not looking great, look how its turned out in a short space of time! That's what you call caring for your customers! Something a lot of businesses nowadays don't bother about, so long as they have your money.


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## saltypork (Oct 6, 2007)

I don't agree with one of the members who said this forum should be just about us praising Stowa and putting it on a pedestal because it's criticism that makes a brand better, especially with an owner that is always ears to listen. If I were to have given Stowa my hard earned money and they promised a ship date, failed to deliver, and failed to notify me regarding a delay, I would be upset, too. Granted I might not start a thread putting them on blast *horn sounds* Anyways...

*However*, Jorg has resolved the issue in a *professional* manner and the OP is no longer *unhappy*, it is important to let it be known. I suggest that the OP should consider adding to the title of the thread that the problem has been resolved or editing his original post pointing to Jorg's answer to this thread, so that anyone just joining this thread wouldn't get confused in case they are just skimming or did't want to read the whole thread.


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## Renisin (Jan 29, 2011)

Dear Salty Porker,

I reread the thread and no where could I find a member who said,"this forum should be just about us praising Stowa and putting it on a pedestal."

If you are going to quote,get it right! I think what the concern is here,is that the poster over reacted,just like you and your statement!

This forum exists for people who like watches and to share their Stowa experiences,good or bad!! Clearly the overwelming majority have had positive experiences with Stowa!

Now as to the second paragraph,we are in agreement

Best Regards,
Ren



saltypork said:


> I don't agree with one of the members who said this forum should be just about us praising Stowa and putting it on a pedestal because it's criticism that makes a brand better, especially with an owner that is always ears to listen. If I were to have given Stowa my hard earned money and they promised a ship date, failed to deliver, and failed to notify me regarding a delay, I would be upset, too. Granted I might not start a thread putting them on blast *horn sounds* Anyways...
> 
> *However*, Jorg has resolved the issue in a *professional* manner and the OP is no longer *unhappy*, it is important to let it be known. I suggest that the OP should consider adding to the title of the thread that the problem has been resolved or editing his original post pointing to Jorg's answer to this thread, so that anyone just joining this thread wouldn't get confused in case they are just skimming or did't want to read the whole thread.


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## JarrodS (Feb 11, 2010)

Good
Cheap
Fast

Pick two.


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## Renisin (Jan 29, 2011)

I see where you are coming from and I like where your heads at,but none of those options will do! Stowa brings,

1st,Quality
2nd,Quality
3rd,affordable
4th,quality

in a very distant 5th is a very fast delivery(well in the movie its,in a very distant second is a ferrari)! I never did liked the word cheap,less expensive is prefered!

Best Regards
Ren



JarrodS said:


> Good
> Cheap
> Fast
> 
> Pick two.


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## saltypork (Oct 6, 2007)

Sorry I definitely have threads' comments mixed up and to whoever that thought I was referring to as the "one member", I do sincerely apologize. 

I have personally never have any bad experiences from Stowa, I own 4 myself and I know waiting is part of buying from Stowa (Durowe Marine Original). I'm fine with that, especially since they don't ask for payment until ~2 weeks before shipment. It's not like they are holding my money hostage while I wait.

But, I don't think I have overreacted in anyway. Even if I did misquote another poster, I'm only making a general statement regarding a discussion forum. Praises obviously should be given where they are due. However, I'm only encouraging the other side of the equation which is criticism if there were any, given the fact that we have a company owner that listens, as evident by his response to this thread.


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## mikeynd (Dec 11, 2008)

Sounds like a top notch company to me.I just wished i had interest in their style of watches,but i don't.Sorry,not for everybody.Keep up the good work replying to all these post Stowa.


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## 92degrees (Dec 19, 2011)

I chuckle every time I read this thread or many others where people bemoan how long it takes to get a Stowa. I frequently wait YEARS for custom and handmade pocket knives (5-7 not uncommon), a year or more for cane flyrods, year or years for custom bicycles, etc. There aren't too many made-to-order top drawer products that you can get quicker than a few months in my experience. If you need a watch this week there are other options.


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## geek_boy_in (Sep 6, 2011)

JarrodS said:


> Good
> Cheap
> Fast
> 
> Pick two.


Cheap ???? which part of the world or society do you live in where $1000 is considered "cheap" ????

as another poster said Affordable. I would say "priced correctly".


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## JarrodS (Feb 11, 2010)

geek_boy_in said:


> Cheap ???? which part of the world or society do you live in where $1000 is considered "cheap" ????


I live in the part of the world where other brands get $2000+ for products of similar quality, so that you can get instant gratification by walking into a retailer and walking out with your purchase. That overhead costs money so of course you don't get a cheap price. But you won't have to wait...

Also, this good/cheap/fast saying has been around for a long time, so arguing semantics about the word "cheap" doesn't make a lot of sense here.


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## D6AMIA6N (Aug 26, 2011)

Placed an order on September 5th with an expected delivery time of end of November. Realistically I expect the watch before year end, but will be ecstatic if I receive it by Christmas. Either way I am prepared for and expecting a wait. Good things come to those who wait!


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

D6AMIA6N said:


> Good things come to those who wait!


Right you are. Waiting for a new Schauer to be added to my collection.


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## J_Hack (Dec 17, 2008)

I have had no issues with the customer service. They have always answered within a day at most to any questions. It seems to take longer than qouted to get something at times, but still worth it I am sure. Just got notice of shipment of my Schauer Artus bracelet. What Schauer do you have coming in Mike?



stuffler said:


> Right you are. Waiting for a new Schauer to be added to my collection.


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## Apple Corps (Jun 1, 2007)

Let me start by saying that the following comments are NOT a complaint.

Last month I ordered a new Stowa and promptly received the auto email - all is good 

Shortly thereafter I received a nicely written letter (Luftpost) from Luisa (incredible penmanship) confirming my order but stating they could not contact me via email. I emailed her with a forwarded copy of the confirming email to show my email was correct and active. No response - so I sent another email - almost 3 weeks later still no response. My email works worldwide with no problems encountered (COMCAST.net)

I am wondering if there is an email problem on the Stowa end of things?


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## hked (Oct 5, 2009)

I received an email from Luisa yesterday so I don't think there is a problem with their email system.


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## Apple Corps (Jun 1, 2007)

I really am at a loss as to what the issue might be. I also used their "contact" submission form - still no response.


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

Apple Corps said:


> I really am at a loss as to what the issue might be. I also used their "contact" submission form - still no response.


I know most members do and are aware of it - Did you check your spam folder? We had several occasions when Stowa e-mails got diverted to spam folders. Not very often but it did happen.


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## Apple Corps (Jun 1, 2007)

Mike - no luck there - good suggestion though. I also PMd Jorg yesterday - no response from that effort either.

I had forgotten my password so I needed to recover it from this site - everything came through to my email without problems.

It is now going on almost a full month and still no email contact established (other than the auto reply to the original order).

Perhaps I'll get a response to my PM today.


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## Apple Corps (Jun 1, 2007)

Update - received a call from Luisa this morning that they were still not able to email me. Not sure what the underlying problem is but I will probably set up a different email to see if that gets around the issue.

All sounds well with my order, got a response - das ist gut, danke Luisa


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## abingdon (Oct 1, 2008)

Clearly this thread has just about run its course, but I would just re-state a few things that I don't think have to be mutually exclusive:

1. If you want to buy a Stowa, you must be prepared to wait. 

2. The watches are absolutely worth it when you get them.

3. For someone who has grown accustomed to most 21st century online retailing (i.e., enter payment info at order, charged automatically when shipped, 24/7 order tracking and customer service), interacting with Stowa can absolutely be frustrating at times. The language difference between the folks at Stowa and those that don't speak German does not help this, either. 

I think it's okay that we have a dialogue about not just #1 and #2, but #3 as well. I'm not saying Stowa needs to upgrade their ordering and customer service processes to Amazon.com levels - quite the contrary, I think there is a certain pleasant quaintness about ordering a Stowa (I have been through the process three times, myself). But in the several years I have now been a fan of Stowa watches and followed this message board, you can count on the fact that there will be periodic threads like this, and the story is always the same - growing company, email system issues, working on it, cut them some slack, you need to be patient. I think it should be okay to acknowledge this fact, even if you have an affection for the company, like I absolutely do.

Edit: I do wish the OP would come back and share his final decision, because one thing is certain: Jorg is a class act and if something goes wrong, he and his staff are committed to fixing it.


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## clonetrooper (May 6, 2009)

nugget40 said:


> Why is it that it is always the people who just joined the forum that are always down talking this brand or that brand.....you find it on every brand sub-forum. When you order a watch from a "microbrand" there is usually a delay in getting the watch and they usually tell you. If you needed it for a deadline, you should have ordered earlier and not cut it so close to your deadline knowing that there could possibly be a delay. Your fault, not Stowas or Jorg's.


I totally agree. Everybody is entitled to his opinion, but some people take themslef way to serious and you get the impression they are convinced, the the sun revolves around them. I'm a newcomer on this part of the forum, but I'm pleasantly suprised, the nobody ever changed the headline of this thread. You write the same on the Doxa forum, and you'll be lucky when the thread is only deleted, and you are not banned....
The fact that Joerg is actually taking time to address certain things (in great length and detail) here is new to me too...and again, I'm pleasantly surprised. 
If people are have high standards, and ask that everybody, especially a small company, to please the costumer that is fine with me, but they should apply the same high standards to themself, the way they address their issues.
At the end of the day, there is always NBC Shopping or Costco, in case you are unhappy with a brand.


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## Renisin (Jan 29, 2011)

Everyone has the right to voice their opinion and how we respond to that opinion says alot about us as people! You have to understand that they don't know Stowa or Jorg Schauer! They are only concerned with their watch purchase and yes to them the Sun does revolve around them!

I have bought three Stowas and have coming, in the distant future a Schauer Einzeiger! I really like what Stowa and Jorg have to offer,they are great people to deal with and offer great watch values! We are talking about good quality movements,(Swiss)in hand finished cases! Real fire blued hands,sapphire crystals,engraving options etc.

But what I really like best is dealing with the people at Stowa,they are freindly and quick to help! Yes they drop the ball from time to time but that happens,everywhere.

I don't believe Stowa has anything to fear from a thread like this or negative comments as the majority of people here are true believers, as to the Doxa forum I really can't say!



clonetrooper said:


> I totally agree. Everybody is entitled to his opinion, but some people take themslef way to serious and you get the impression they are convinced, the the sun revolves around them. I'm a newcomer on this part of the forum, but I'm pleasantly suprised, the nobody ever changed the headline of this thread. You write the same on the Doxa forum, and you'll be lucky when the thread is only deleted, and you are not banned....
> The fact that Joerg is actually taking time to address certain things (in great length and detail) here is new to me too...and again, I'm pleasantly surprised.
> If people are have high standards, and ask that everybody, especially a small company, to please the costumer that is fine with me, but they should apply the same high standards to themself, the way they address their issues.
> At the end of the day, there is always NBC Shopping or Costco, in case you are unhappy with a brand.


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## saltypork (Oct 6, 2007)

I think the thing I have always loved about the ordering process is that you don't have to pay until your watch is 2 weeks or so from being ready to ship. So I can potentially order a watch even tho I might not have the necessary funds and use the wait time to start saving (granted the exchange rate does fluctuate and sometimes I end up paying more). But it seems that lately, (from others' posts as well as personal experience), the watch is not really ready 2 weeks after the "your watch is ready" email. Although I usually don't mind, even if it takes 3-4 weeks and not the 2 weeks (I usually think of it as 14 business days) as quoted in the email, it does bother me just a tiny bit now that it's crept into the 5th week.


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## Apple Corps (Jun 1, 2007)

An email update for all. Luisa sent me the email headers outlining their emails to me not getting through. I spoke with COMCAST security department and they confirmed large scale blocking of emails from Stowa's web hosting as over 98% of the emails were being reported as spam.

Important - that is NOT SAYING that Stowa's emails are singled out as spam - but that 98% of the emails coming from their web hosting email servers are reported to COMCAST as spam. As a courtesy, I contacted the web hosting service and they stated they were also aware of the problem.

No idea if a fix is in the near future though....


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## GBeZeFromNAPeZe (Mar 10, 2012)

kafvyn said:


> This is how much i love Stowa, in spite of some hiccups here n there. Have a Great Day.


Look at all of them white faces, that's racist!


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## cezlaw (Mar 8, 2009)

I waited over 4 months for mine. Customer service was nothing short of excellent. Well worth the wait.


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## StufflerMike (Mar 23, 2010)

J_Hack said:


> What Schauer do you have coming in Mike?


It`s No 1 of the hw Kulisse Ed.12  Jörg ist just doing the last checks on it.

http://www.basel2012.info/assets/pdf/schauer-handaufzugs-chrono.pdf


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## watchma (Jul 11, 2012)

Nice

But the 3 images in a row , the bezel/top ring in the 1st and 3rd picture look different:think:

I prefer the 1st one slightly with no bevel

Which one will the final watch have ?


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