50 day turn around time

homerunhall · February 7, 2003 8:47AM

As a point of clarification...The estimated 50 day turn-around time is calendar days, not business days. Note that this is for the economy service only. The other lines have guaranted turn-around times, i.e. if it doesn't get done in the specified time, we'll refund the grading fee and grade the coins for free.

That said, we don't like the 50 day turn-around time either. We are not in business to piss people off. We are working on it.

David Hall

Placid · February 7, 2003 8:48AM

Thank you for the clarification.

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 8:48AM

<< we'll refund the grading fee and grade the coins for free. >>

What a great offer!!! Way to go Daddy-o!

TAP444 · February 7, 2003 8:49AM

And what does a grader make??

FC57Coins · February 7, 2003 8:51AM

David:

What's causing the backlog? Is it that you guys are processing that many coins? Should you maybe consider expanding the number of graders that you have? Also, since you give discounts to dealers for bulk submissions, is there any possibility that a grading tier for collectors with only a few coins could be created? When we have a few coins that we'd like to have graded, whether it's for a registry set or for whatever reason, we'd like to get them back in a reasonable time frame (one month is ok) but two months is pretty absurd. And yes, I know you can pay more for upgraded service, but I tell you what, for us lower eschelon collectors, those prices are kinda out of sight!

Frank

lathmach · February 7, 2003 8:55AM

Maybe you should hire more graders.
The pool of possible new hires here on the board is quite great as most believe they know how to grade better than the guys you now have.

Ray

cosmicdebris · February 7, 2003 8:55AM

DH airtites and submissions

RKKay · February 7, 2003 8:58AM

I'm glad to hear it's 50 calendar days, though I was specifically told 50 business days.

gsaguy · February 7, 2003 8:58AM

No need to hire new graders yet.........just work some overtime!!!

GSAGUY

DennisH · February 7, 2003 9:04AM

Results on my invoice #3007569 (economy) were finally posted 2/5/03... 52 calendar days after being submitted. That one I sort of understand, what will all the holidays in there.

But today is calendar day #23 (working day #16) since sumbitting invoice #3030415 (guarantee resubmission)

Does that mean I'm due a refund?

benloe · February 7, 2003 9:05AM

What about reviews? What is the average time for reviews? Invoice # 3085570 ?

dakra · February 7, 2003 9:21AM

Can he use the word "Piss"... I think I like his style

-Dave

Wingsrule · February 7, 2003 9:25AM

If you run the company, you can say 'piss' all you want.

TONEDDOLLARS · February 7, 2003 9:29AM

OVERTIME GSAGUY did you not say you were in buisness once. How can an owner of a company be pushing for overtime. Unless of course those coins graded on premium time pay premium rates.

braddick · February 7, 2003 9:49AM

<< No need to hire new graders yet.........just work some overtime!!!

GSAGUY >>

GSAGUY- Unless your submission is the LAST one seen for the day and the grader just wants to get out of there and beat the traffic!

tradedollarnut · February 7, 2003 9:55AM

OVERTIME GSAGUY did you not say you were in buisness once. How can an owner of a company be pushing for overtime. Unless of course those coins graded on premium time pay premium rates.

Hmmm - would a grader be an exempt position?

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 9:57AM

seems to me that a grader is a laborer, I can't see that as being an exempt position.....

gmarguli · February 7, 2003 9:59AM

Not a laborer. They are salaried professionals. I don't think they get overtime.

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 10:02AM

They are the skilled laborers doing the grading... as opposed to sitting at a desk and not doing physical tasks... but then again, maybe its the people that put the coins in the slab and package for shipping that would fall under the laborer catergory.... I don't know, but maybe HepDaddyHall will hire me????

nwcs · February 7, 2003 10:42AM

I'm sure under the FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act) they would be classified as exempt. I received an education on these things when I got hired where I got hired. They can be asked to do overtime. If the overtime, though, becomes consistent (meaning a regular or semi-regular feature) the employee (exempt or not) must either be given comp time or pay.

Since I sometimes am asked for my references, here is one. Here's one ref to the FLSA. But there are others that include interpretations that say what I said.

Neil

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 10:44AM

They still should hire me... I'll grade all the Frankies.........

nwcs · February 7, 2003 10:50AM

They'd be smart to not hire me. I'd take too much time drooling over the coins.

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 10:52AM

<< They'd be smart to not hire me. I'd take too much time drooling over the coins. >>

Come to think of it, there is noway I can just look at a Frankie for 5-10 seconds!

nwcs · February 7, 2003 10:54AM

Personally, I wonder how graders can do it when they get a super-duper coin. Maybe Mark will read this and make a comment about that temptation to linger on a beautiful coin.

K6AZ · February 7, 2003 11:00AM

<< As a point of clarification...The estimated 50 day turn-around time is calendar days, not business days. Note that this is for the economy service only. >>

According to the submission center page, it says 45 buisness days. I would like to point out that the effective date still shows October 2001. Just this past Monday I sent in 20 coins. This was the first submission I have made since last summer, and I quickly looked
at that page, saw the date, and did not read any further since I assumed with that date the service levels had not changed.

<< That said, we don't like the 50 day turn-around time either. We are not in business to piss people off. We are working on it. >>

I suggest you work on it, and do it quickly. Nine weeks plus is simply not acceptable to me, and I am sure I am not the only one who feels this way. If this situation is not corrected by March when my Collector's Club membership expires, I will switch to NGC who for the
same price guarantees a 21 business day turnaround.

gsaguy · February 7, 2003 11:03AM

Toneddollars.........I always had my crews work overtime until I was sure that the workload was there to stay. New employees cost far more than a bit of OT.

Plus, as TDN and NWCS suggest, those guys would probably be exempt.

See, that's why the drawers were on my side of the desk!

GSAGUY

BAJJERFAN · February 7, 2003 11:04AM

temptation to linger on a beautiful coin or "finger" on a beautiful coin?

gsaguy · February 7, 2003 11:07AM

<<Can he use the word "Piss"... I think I like his style>>

Where's Carol when you need her????

GSAGUY

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 11:11AM

<< Where's Carol when you need her???? >>

Shhhhh, she may ban the term 'Be Bop A Lula!'

oreville · February 7, 2003 11:32AM

I wpould not want my coins graded by a PCGS grader into his 9th / 10th/11th hour of the day unless he is giving me huge gifts of a grade.

Think about that for a second.

From a liability point of view, being somewhat careful in how many hours you let your graders grade coins in a day would be prudent.

I would assume they do their administrative tasks when their eyes begin to tire.

LucyBop · February 7, 2003 11:35AM

Oreville makes an excellent point...

robertpr · February 7, 2003 11:40AM

I *don't* think they should hire me as I couldn't handle that many coins in a day without wearing gloves, my conscience wouldn't allow it.

Pushkin · February 7, 2003 1:35PM

Tootawl · February 7, 2003 1:52PM

50 day turn around??

PCGS just received my order today. I'm hoping I would get them back in time for Baltimore.

sinin1 · February 7, 2003 2:37PM

Ouch, pushkin aren't you a little rough?

gmarguli · February 7, 2003 3:38PM

Where were you people back in the late 80s/early 90s? 50 business days would have been super fast service back then.

I remember forgetting about coins I submitted and it was like a surprise gift when they arrived back 3-4 months later.

DCAMFranklin · February 7, 2003 3:54PM

<< David:

What's causing the backlog? Is it that you guys are processing that many coins? Should you maybe consider expanding the number of graders that you have? Also, since you give discounts to dealers for bulk submissions, is there any possibility that a grading tier for collectors with only a few coins could be created? When we have a few coins that we'd like to have graded, whether it's for a registry set or for whatever reason, we'd like to get them back in a reasonable time frame (one month is ok) but two months is pretty absurd. And yes, I know you can pay more for upgraded service, but I tell you what, for us lower eschelon collectors, those prices are kinda out of sight!

Frank >>

Frank- You are a great guy, though a little naive. Wake up and smell the coffee man! Think about it for a little while and you will begin to get it. Just my opinion.

ms70 · February 7, 2003 3:55PM

Thanks Dave! 50 days is such a reasonable time to severely undergrade my coins. You just can't drive business away fast enough can you? NGC is well under way to becoming the industry choice!

leothelyon · February 7, 2003 4:56PM

That said, we don't like the 50 day turn-around time either. We are not in business to piss people off. We are working on it. David Hall

But they ARE in the business to get more people to use their top tier services. Why offer a guaranteed return time with their lowest service. lol

Leo

MadMonk · February 7, 2003 7:44PM

Oh well. Will have to think about this one a while.

FC57Coins · February 7, 2003 8:12PM

<< Frank- You are a great guy, though a little naive. Wake up and smell the coffee man! Think about it for a little while and you will begin to get it. Just my opinion. >>

DCAM - ever hear of a "straight man"?

Trime · February 7, 2003 10:56PM

David,
Your's must be a really tough business.
You provide a service that apparently takes a few seconds to perform.
You have a backlog of clients waiting months to be served.
You have a balance sheet that isn't doing too much to please your investors ( probably including the guy in the mirror).
You repeatedly advise us that the market is "white hot" : thus turn around must play a role in the reception to the service.
All this must be frustrating to you not to mention some of the perpetual critics on this forum.

Fortunately, I think you are a great guy, providing quality service and I am in no hurry to get my submissions back. Besides after I buy the coins I have no money left to invest in Collecting Consortiums.

tradedollarnut · February 8, 2003 12:23AM

Econ 101:

Your company is losing money, your resources are stretched to the limit (ie: turnaround time is so long that you are losing customers because of it) - what do you do? Raise prices. How long before the economy and modern tiers get a price boost?

zenny · February 8, 2003 12:50AM

<< I wpould not want my coins graded by a PCGS grader into his 9th / 10th/11th hour of the day unless he is giving me huge gifts of a grade.

Think about that for a second.

>>

Okay......

While it would certainly be enriching to my bank account to send a $59 coin to pcgs, have it slabbed in less than 50 days as a proof70dcam and turn around and sell it for $39,100 I don't necessarily see that outcome as the best for numismatics as either a hobby or a business.

Sure, I've bought coins that I was certain were undergraded in a belief that i could realize a profit upon selling once they were graded properly.

Would i play lotto and send pcgs many hundreds of coins in the hopes of being "gifted" and then turn around and try to sell the gifts? Not me, but I guess there are many people who do.

"happy collecting" indeed.

z

p.s. anyone who read this early on i apologize for hitting the finalize button, i had meant to hit preview.

JLW · February 8, 2003 1:06AM

<< Can he use the word "Piss"... I think I like his style

-Dave >>

He's starting to sound like one of us!

Joe

freezer · February 8, 2003 2:06AM

You are absolutely right.As a person that sells coins, 50 days cant work.I need turn-over.I am going to send 100 coins to NTS at a cut rate and fast turn around.I hate to do it but I need to sell.
Did PCGS lay off graders?

MAULUMALL · February 8, 2003 2:14AM

<< You are absolutely right.As a person that sells coins, 50 days cant work.I need turn-over.I am going to send 100 coins to NTS at a cut rate and fast turn around.I hate to do it but I need to sell.
Did PCGS lay off graders? >>

From PCGS to NTS.....
Is this some sort of spam

gsaguy · February 8, 2003 2:23AM

Freezer must own NTC.

GSAGUY

DCAMFranklin · February 8, 2003 2:27AM

<< I want to thank Mr. Hall for taking the time to address the problem of economy service turn around time.

However, I believe that a 50 day turn around, even if it is calender days, is totally unacceptable. I recently spent $179 for the two year Platinum Membership. This was definitely a mistake which will not be repeated. Instead of using PCGS to grade my better coins, they will go to NGC. The eight "free" submissions will be excess lower quality coins that I will sell once they come back (which apparently will not be for some time). Any business that provides such abysmal service will not retain me as a customer - vapid responses from management are not the answer to the problem, definitive action from PCGS is. NGC is now my service of choice, period.

PCGS could solve this problem immediately if it really wanted to - the excuses and explanations presented by both PCGS management and some forum members are simply lame. Act like sheep and you will be treated like sheep. I just wish I could get my $179 back, it was a total waste of money.

I don't enjoy posting this kind of criticism, but I strongly feel PCGS deserves it; 50 days is BS!

Thank you for your attention. >>

Well Pushkin, I don't think I could have said it any better. Companies, in any industry, that treat their customers as if they have no alternative(s) and abuse them to the end of their frustration level, usually find that the customers will refuse to tolerate it and go to the competition. It appears the new PCGS business model does not include the submission business from a good portion of the collector marketplace.

JohnButlerfromLV · February 8, 2003 2:40AM

"Maybe you should hire more graders.
The pool of possible new hires here on the board is quite great as most believe they know how to grade better than the guys you now have.

Ray "
I have no doubt that you will hear something in the near future about staff additions. I am sure the PCGS staff does not want all the collectors sending their coins to NGC.

JohnButlerfromLV · February 8, 2003 2:48AM

<< seems to me that a grader is a laborer, I can't see that as being an exempt position..... >>

Graders are there because they love coins. I am sure they have no problem working extra hours necessary. They probably are already working 6 days a week. I occasionally worked on Saturday when I graded at PCGS. I had no problem working as many extra hours as I could when I was there.
John Butler
Sahara Coins

50 day turn around time

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