The Sign Industries Worst Customer Service Award Goes to....

[Erik Sine]

........ CYRO / EVONIK / DEGUSSA Plastics Manufacturer.

This has to be the worst company anyone in the sign industry has to ever deal with, whether you are a sign shop or distributor, period! This company will promise and NEVER deliver. They never return phone calls, when you finally track them down they act surprised nothing has been processed when asking about your order or samples, how many times can someone actually act surprised?

I have Distributors telling me they have never even met their local or regional rep. How is that for customer service? This company so badly needs to clean house and fire all marketing to sales staff. If you're a Cyro rep, how do you honesty pick up paycheck without laughing to yourself first?

No wonder why all the distributors are starting to stock more Plaskolite, Chemcast, & Altuglas

Congratulations......

[manuellynch]

........ CYRO / EVONIK / DEGUSSA Plastics Manufacturer.

From First hand experience - I agree - Cyro is tough company to work with

[Erik Sine]

Interestingly enough, shortly after this thread we appear to have a new regional rep. Maybe it has something to do with our newsletters and the fact that they go to over 6,600 contacts all across North America.

Let's see if I can remove this award from their name by them delivering on what they promise.

[Erik Sine]

They may have to keep this award after all even after the firing of reps and replacement with newer faces.

This reminds me of the sign companies who go out for a repair job. Yes, they replaced the broken neon lamp and burned wiring, but they didn't fix the "real" problem that caused the catastrophe in the first place.

I think I just need to replace the use of their products as well that go into my signs that I build. I'm big on character.

Interestingly enough, but not surprising Cyro Evonik fell through on their promise to make good by delivering us sheets for THEIR benefit on demonstrating light differences their product perform in comparison to other manufacturers. Now why should I help YOU out after unreturned phone calls and unanswered emails?

Anyone at Cyro Evonik reading this, and high up above the lowly regional reps & MGMT types, you need to seriously clean house of all reps and regional MGMT. Get rid of the "work from home" reps, their moonlighting and helping to bring your company down with them.

Word is out on the street of plastic suppliers and distributors (whom I have very good relationships with) are now Happily stocking up on Plaskolite and Plexiglas. Some of the Plaskolite products are inferior in some ways, and in some ways not. Plexiglas is probably your biggest competitor in pound for pound quality. Why are you getting beat by your competitors you may wonder? Because your competition answers the phone when a customer calls, and deliver what THEY promise.

Give it a year or two and because of better pricing and better ship dates (The reason why the big distributors are shifting away from you), Cyro Evoniks will be a memory of people wondering why they got past up by their competition.

Oh, and I forgot to add. A lot of your suppliers and distributors STILL haven't even seen their new reps since the old ones got fired after restocking their shelves with samples. You might want to work on that, have your reps practice their people skills in front of a mirror first. One other thing, you may want to send out "Comment On Our Service" cards if you don't believe me. Send me one too!

Look in the mail for your trophy soon

Call me back after you fix yourself!!!

[LiteGirl]

I don't know the details but we have been using more Plaskolite and chemcast. Cheffield for the larger signs. From what I understand it's been some time since we have ordered cyro sheets.

[TecnoluxMan]

This is a comical topic, why do you have it in for them?

[imanut]

This is a comical topic, why do you have it in for them?

While I'm not speaking for Eric ---------- his experience with this company mirrors what happened with me and the previous company that I worked for.

They offer a superb product, without doubt. But when contact is made with a company to purchase, or get samples to sell their product to a client --------- and when agreed upon as to what is to arrive and when -------- and it doesn't show, return calls are NOT made, and when contact is finally made, B.S. excuses that don't go anywhere, and more promises are made --- product will be there next week----and again, no show, no calls, more B.S. excuses ------------and when you not only get this shit from the rep, but from the individuals higher up the food chain --------------- I have to concur about them getting the award. When it costs that company some major signage accounts that loved their product ------- and they don't care????

When Eric was trying to get samples ------- to again, do nothing more than absolutely showcase their great stuff-----and they don't care??????????? Didn't surprise me what transpired.

My .02 on this............

gn

[Erik Sine]

Long story short.

After being put in contact by a major distributor who supplies their products (but, is now heavily stocking one of their competitors) who has supplied me sample sheets for the light comparison with various Plaskolite, Plexiglass and a few others back in January when this event took place everything seemed fine and dandy.

The Cyro rep sounded very interested in supplying me sheets directly and they wanted everyone to see how their products would fare with everyone else. I was promised full or half sheets at a minimum by a Mr. White. Time goes on, I had to follow up on the status of delivery, phone calls were not being returned, emails gone unanswered. I basically would have to use a phone whose caller ID was blocked or unidentifiable for him to pick up the phone, when he did the reply I got back was "you don't have them yet?....." or "there has been a problem with the processing of the order....I'm trying to find out where it got lost"

Now I know that Cyro has a very bad reputation from the beginning. Sign suppliers and Distributors hate having to deal with them and their lack of details, this appears to be nationwide.

So when I first posted this thread it (Cyro reads here) wasn't too long after Mr. White had made appointments with all of his customers out here, many to most who have never met him face to face, but they have with Cryo's competitors. Mr. White frantically showed up with a phenominal amount of sample boxes (practically falling out of his pockets) stocked their shelves with excessive samples (falling out of the bins) and overstayed his visits. Days after, he got let go. I guess too little too late.

I figure good! MAYBE cyro has done good, and maybe we can move forward and get past this. Late June I'm given a new contact person and that person let me know that they have read this thread. That person has a Mr. Barratt give me a call. After a few phone conversations and emails (forwarded emails from Mr. White) everything is assured to me that I will be given a wide variety of samples from what was originally promised.

Keep in mind, this only benefits them and their company and costs me time to give a good comparison to the rest of the electric sign community and possible future customer base for them.

As time went on, more late replies. Finally in August, what shows up at my door via Fedex?? A envelope full of 6"x6" sample chips and an invoice with a rep name of Bill White, their original rep.

I emailed and called Steve Barratt my second contact who was supposed to make good 8 months later on their companies assurances, no reply no returned phone call. The last email I sent out was 8/17/09.

This shows me who Cyro / Evoniks is, as a company. It is no wonder to me why the major distributors and suppliers are going in other paths.

This must be the downside to "work at home" reps.

Anyhow, I gave you the long story instead. But this is my story and how this company is arrogant, rides their name and how they treat their clients and possible future clients.

[Erik Sine]

While I'm not speaking for Eric ---------- his experience with this company mirrors what happened with me and the previous company that I worked for.

They offer a superb product, without doubt. But when contact is made with a company to purchase, or get samples to sell their product to a client --------- and when agreed upon as to what is to arrive and when -------- and it doesn't show, return calls are NOT made, and when contact is finally made, B.S. excuses that don't go anywhere, and more promises are made --- product will be there next week----and again, no show, no calls, more B.S. excuses ------------and when you not only get this shit from the rep, but from the individuals higher up the food chain --------------- I have to concur about them getting the award. When it costs that company some major signage accounts that loved their product ------- and they don't care????

When Eric was trying to get samples ------- to again, do nothing more than absolutely showcase their great stuff-----and they don't care??????????? Didn't surprise me what transpired.

My .02 on this............

gn

I have something that's similar.

I had to do a sample channel letter for a company of whom I planned to use the Sartin Ice when I got their sample sheets in. Well since I never got them, I used the Plexiglas equivalent to it and used that for my sample. Using Plexiglas, who's numbers are just very slightly far off (not noticeable), I will know that I can depend on their sheets being ordered and sent to my supplier on time ready for pick up. Looks like I will get the job and when I do I'll be sure to take some shots showing what Tri-phosphor lamps punching out the white faces looks like compared to the rest of the shopping center white faces.

[TecnoluxMan]

Again I'll say>>>the wealth of information you can find out on this site is uncommon. The sentiments expressed are very similar to what I have heard and experienced myslef at one point or another>>>>>>I find it odd for a company to allow such activity, very unproductive.

[Erik Sine]

I'm hoping someone higher up in their food chain reads this and contacts me, I've made enough attempts to try and make this work.

[imanut]

I'm hoping someone higher up in their food chain reads this and contacts me, I've made enough attempts to try and make this work.

Appeared that one of theirs signed up the other day and looked ------------maybe just didn't read???

gn