Excellent customer service from Kato USA

[Mike C]

 I finally found a Broadway Limited set at the N scale show a couple weekends ago . Unfortunately one of the cars was missing one of the window inserts . I called Kato USA last Tuesday and was able to speak with their repair person Kelly . And by very good fortune he just happened to have a damaged set there with the window molding I needed . He sent it to me at no charge and it arrived today . Thank you Kelly and Kato !!   

[robert3985]

I've had excellent results dealing with Kato USA also.   A couple of years ago, one of my son's GS-4's suddenly wouldn't run, so I sent it in with a  note telling what the symptoms and circumstances were with this engine.  Kato USA returned it a couple of weeks later, fixed...with a new motor, a list of repairs made and ZERO cost!

Excellent!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[peteski]

Kato's customer service is excellent. I have worked with Kelley on numerous times and it was always a pleasure. BTW, he also visits here from time to time.

[mcjaco]

Last time I ordered parts, a couple weeks back, I had an email notice ten minutes later that they were on their way!  Talk about fast turn around!

[nightmare0331]

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com

[Lemosteam]

Enjoy!

Kelley.
www.dufordmodelworks.com

@nightmare0331 Careful, we know where you live now...  Muwahahaha!   

[strummer]

I too would like to add my voice to the Kato Customer Service parade.

A long time ago I called and ordered some N scale parts, and an HO part for an engine I had purchased at a junk shop for 10 bucks. (This SD40 had the most realistic weathering job I had ever seen, since it had obviously been left outside, as the trucks were splattered with mud, etc.) A good cleaning and it ran smooth as silk.

Within 15 minutes I received a call back, telling me that they wanted to double check to make sure I knew I had ordered parts for 2 different scales...

Mark in Oregon

[peteski]

In my job I directly interact with customers and I feel that I should mention that not all Kato's customers are as easy to deal with as the people here who are praising Kelley.  Not everybody is like us and Kelly also has to deal with those customers and keep things on a professional level.

He has lots of horror stories to tell.    Poorly packaged models returned in pieces, customers unhappy, no matter what he does to placate them, etc.  Outside of Kelley's control,, sunshine is not always shining over Kato's US headquarters. 

[bman]

In my job I directly interact with customers and I feel that I should mention that not all Kato's customers are as easy to deal with as the people here who are praising Kelley.  Not everybody is like us and Kelly also has to deal with those customers and keep things on a professional level.

He has lots of horror stories to tell.    Poorly packaged models returned in pieces, customers unhappy, no matter what he does to placate them, etc.  Outside of Kelley's control,, sunshine is not always shining over Kato's US headquarters. 

After a career in transportation management (a few of those years spent overseeing those who probably smashed those models loading them into a trailer) I've developed the attitude of if your easy to give service to, you'll get good service.  I ordered from Kato a while back and received the wrong part.  A quick call, a calm friendly attitude and a small joke to get him to chuckle and we went about our business.  I will never understand those folks (my relatives at that) who get irate at best, or profanity laced tirades that I've endured through no fault of my own, and then somehow think that is going to motivate the person on the other end of the conversation to give it 100% to solve the issue.  We are only human and we all make mistakes.  But it's these situations where those of us who deal with customers on a daily basis have to shine.  They are indeed opportunities to excel and we have to push past the negativity and perform or the customer goes elsewhere and we don't have a job anymore.  But it isn't easy and sometimes it's a no win situation no matter what ya do.  I can imagine some of his stories.  I've got some real winners as well.  We probably all do.

[ncbqguy]

While I was at both JMC / Con-Cor and Kato I always tried to give good customer service because I too am a "train guy" and understand how important they are to us.
However, some callers started with an attitude that no amount of TLC was going to mitigate.
One dealer had purchased a Kato crossing gate set that wasn't working.  At the time we had zero inventory on them and the factory had no plans to rerun them.   I further explained that the refund would have to come from the wholesale distributor as Kato did not take his money; the distributor who did buy it direct would be able to get reimbursed. 
I got a postcard in the mail from the guy (which I should have kept!!) threatening that the was going to send his sons out to break my legs!
But 99.99% of the people I've met through the Hobby have been wonderful people from all over the world and some have become lasting personal friends.
Charlie Vlk

[Missaberoad]

I got a postcard in the mail from the guy (which I should have kept!!) threatening that the was going to send his sons out to break my legs!
Charlie Vlk

Okay I have to ask... Did he really write this on the back of a postcard?  Lol 

[ncbqguy]

Yes, it was on a postcard.....I don't remember any picture on it so it must have been a plain one.....
Charlie Vlk

[Denver Road Doug]

Yes, it was on a postcard.....I don't remember any picture on it so it must have been a plain one.....
Charlie Vlk

Man, that's pretty unbelievable.  (as in...can't believe he would do that, not that I don't believe it happened)

I get pretty passionate about this hobby, to the point that a lot of people think I'm a jerk.   But at the end of the day I still have respect for each and every person I've met in this hobby or in the industry, to the point I'd love to sit down and have a beer or coffee with them and talk trains.  Kinda like the sheep dog and the coyote in the Bugs Bunny cartoons.   Just business as usual after the battle has concluded.

To even fathom being so unhappy about ANYTHING in this hobby that you would theaten violence is just sad.  I'm sorry you had to endure that.