My take on the National...
HartlandMan
Posts: 166 ✭
I enjoyed most aspects of it, meeting some of the people from here, attending the luncheon, getting to know what a great helpful and kind guy RobE is...
However, I was disappointed on some of the "customer service" aspects of things. TracerCode, who organized the signings, needs to rework their system, for quite a few people didn't get what they paid for. I had signings set up for Reggie and Mike Schmidt. My Reggie ticket said he was to be there Sunday from 1 - 3, he was there Friday, so I never got him. Mike Schmidt was there Sunday, but they never brought him to the photo shoot area, so I ended up standing there for an hour and a half for nothing. The Rocky Colavito photo was never signed after it was taken as it was supposed to be, and more than anything else, it was the attitude of the people running the photo op more than anything else. One guy had a real smart mouth...I paid quite a bit of money for these tickets...I don't like having my day ruined by someone who doesn't care about customer relations, let alone have someone give me a bunch of lip...
Speaking of service, I was also disappointed on some treatment I received at the PSA table. Weeks ago, I called PSA and asked if they would help me get my McGwire gamer authenticated at the show...they told me "sure", just bring it in. So I did. I approached Joe O. and told him about it, he said he was going to get the guy who does that, but then I guess he got sidetracked because I stood there for 15 minutes while he spoke to about 6 other people, forgetting about me completely. I then went to one of the ladies that worked there, who told me that I needed to take it to this guy at table # whatever and that he would do it. I set off in the direction they pointed and spent the next 20 minutes searching for this individual. I finally went back to PSA and asked again, and was told they were mistaken, that I really needed to go over to the OTHER table and find him, so off I went again to no avail.
Now, I'll put a little bit of effort into helping a company do their job, but I'm not going to spend hours figuring out that which they should have readily available...so after another hour or so of looking for this person, I gave up and took it to SCD Authentic (Dave Bushing) and let him do it. All I needed to do there was hand them the bat and pay. Simple simple simple....
I realize they were busy there, but to stand there trying to get someone's attention gets a little annoying after awhile. (Perhaps they could let someone man a customer info station, where maybe they could hand out little tickets like on a bakery line next time!)
I have quite a bit of money to spend, but I'm not going to spend big money unless I get big service. If they don't want my money, just treat me like a nobody and that's what will happen...
I was entertaining the thought of submitting a rather large bulk order to PSA, but now I'm not going to, just because of this lack of personal attention. I've been on these boards for years, I've promoted PSA to everyone I've ever met, and have hundreds of PSA graded cards, yet I felt as if they couldn't care less about me...
I did get to interact with some heavy hitters and I came away from the National with some opportunities I didn't have before I went, so it wasn't a complete washout...it was just a tad bit underwhelming, that's all...
PSA may be so large now that it doesn't matter about the small players, but they really should. I've got a big mouth and I talk with people all across the country every single day...they don't need negative comments like this, I'm sure, but hey...I'm no joke..I have one of the largest personal baseball collections of anyone I know...why wouldn't they want to schmooze me???
I showered before I went!!!
However, I was disappointed on some of the "customer service" aspects of things. TracerCode, who organized the signings, needs to rework their system, for quite a few people didn't get what they paid for. I had signings set up for Reggie and Mike Schmidt. My Reggie ticket said he was to be there Sunday from 1 - 3, he was there Friday, so I never got him. Mike Schmidt was there Sunday, but they never brought him to the photo shoot area, so I ended up standing there for an hour and a half for nothing. The Rocky Colavito photo was never signed after it was taken as it was supposed to be, and more than anything else, it was the attitude of the people running the photo op more than anything else. One guy had a real smart mouth...I paid quite a bit of money for these tickets...I don't like having my day ruined by someone who doesn't care about customer relations, let alone have someone give me a bunch of lip...
Speaking of service, I was also disappointed on some treatment I received at the PSA table. Weeks ago, I called PSA and asked if they would help me get my McGwire gamer authenticated at the show...they told me "sure", just bring it in. So I did. I approached Joe O. and told him about it, he said he was going to get the guy who does that, but then I guess he got sidetracked because I stood there for 15 minutes while he spoke to about 6 other people, forgetting about me completely. I then went to one of the ladies that worked there, who told me that I needed to take it to this guy at table # whatever and that he would do it. I set off in the direction they pointed and spent the next 20 minutes searching for this individual. I finally went back to PSA and asked again, and was told they were mistaken, that I really needed to go over to the OTHER table and find him, so off I went again to no avail.
Now, I'll put a little bit of effort into helping a company do their job, but I'm not going to spend hours figuring out that which they should have readily available...so after another hour or so of looking for this person, I gave up and took it to SCD Authentic (Dave Bushing) and let him do it. All I needed to do there was hand them the bat and pay. Simple simple simple....
I realize they were busy there, but to stand there trying to get someone's attention gets a little annoying after awhile. (Perhaps they could let someone man a customer info station, where maybe they could hand out little tickets like on a bakery line next time!)
I have quite a bit of money to spend, but I'm not going to spend big money unless I get big service. If they don't want my money, just treat me like a nobody and that's what will happen...
I was entertaining the thought of submitting a rather large bulk order to PSA, but now I'm not going to, just because of this lack of personal attention. I've been on these boards for years, I've promoted PSA to everyone I've ever met, and have hundreds of PSA graded cards, yet I felt as if they couldn't care less about me...
I did get to interact with some heavy hitters and I came away from the National with some opportunities I didn't have before I went, so it wasn't a complete washout...it was just a tad bit underwhelming, that's all...
PSA may be so large now that it doesn't matter about the small players, but they really should. I've got a big mouth and I talk with people all across the country every single day...they don't need negative comments like this, I'm sure, but hey...I'm no joke..I have one of the largest personal baseball collections of anyone I know...why wouldn't they want to schmooze me???
I showered before I went!!!
0
Comments
The pic is of Zoe, the wilder of the 2...
<< <i> Is that just a pic or do you have those things running around your house? >>
Do you have a guy that dances in your living room?
Talk about a freakin thread hijacking - sorry.
But make no mistake...these are wild animals, and are akin to having a crazed 3 year old running around the house! We kept them in diapers while they were with us, but removed them when they were in their area. They love to see things crash to the floor, so you can't have knick-knacks or wall hangings...
But lemme tell ya...they are also joys which cannot be measured...there is NO FEELING in the WORLD like a little monkey hug!
If that person has a good experience they will tell an average of 3 other people.
If that person has a bad experience they will tell an average of 9 other people.
In our relatively small hobby especially the niche of grading cards and memoribilia, companies would be well advised to treat every costumer like royalty.
That being said, the show was probably crazy, and stuff is just bound to happen. Dont let it get to you too much.
Groucho Marx
It's like that with grading. If a deep pocketed submitter or collector tries to get good service and attention with one grading company--and DOESN'T, one of the other services will be there to take over.
In grading/authentication, it's not ALL about how cheap you are or whether you can get +/- two percent going with one grading company or another--it's about treating EVERYONE as if they are valued--especially the ones with deep pockets looking to spend big.
Nothing against you, HartlandMan, but imagine if Marshall Fogel got the same mistreatment that you did. Heads would roll for sure at PSA, while one of the other companies would be lauding their latest catch.
EDIT: typo corrections
But apparently, on the heirarchy of high rollers, perhaps PSA doesn't feel that HartlandMan is high enough on that list to warrant exemplary treatment--which would be news to me and perhaps everyone here. But that does seem to be what happened. I've seen the pictures of HartlandMan's collection, and if that doesn't qualify one as a high roller in the hobby then I'd say the rest of us are plankton in the eyes of the grading companies.
Joe Orlando might not have a clue as to who I am or what I do. That's okay. (I'm sorta shy to begin with...
It was a National. There were 20 - 30 people at the kiosk at any given moment. Busy busy, wacky wacky.
That being said, I'm also really looking at this from the perspective of someone newly interested in the company, and if this was my first exposure, I would have been surely miffed. Because I DO understand the complexities and because I DO understand that there were people there with equally big money items, I understand that one could be accidentally pushed aside.
The flyintheointment here is because I have one leg, and I walked the National biting my lip with just about every step. The walking back and forth all over this hangar we were in was a waste of time and footsteps for me. (So that's probably what I'm really bugged about, and that ain't all their fault...most peeps would have skeedaddled all over creation with a smile on their face because everywhere you looked there were terrific sights to see...they wouldn't have minded so much...)
I didn't do this to post bash PSA...I love PSA, and these message boards where I learn so much. I disagreed with Marshall when he insinuated that these boards should be used for solely positive comments. I won't abide by that because I find that things get fixed when they're pointed out, not when they are avoided. I speak my mind freely, and always shall.
I'm in business myself. I try to treat every single person I deal with in a forthright eyeball to eyeball encounter when possible with my undivided attention.
But I'm a small company. PSA is a hobby giant.
(edit: typos typos)
Joe-
It was a pleasure to finally meet you at the National. As I told you..my wife wants a monkey too....even after I told her about your monkey attack story.
Take Care and see you soon,
John B
Tell your wife it's a rough task, another full time job, and she'll be better off watching them on Animal Planet. They're fun to look at, but a true handful.
Sometime in August we'll get you up here, okay??
Sounds good my man !!
<< <i>Joe Orlando might not have a clue as to who I am or what I do >>
I think the take home message here is that is shouldn't matter whether this is your first submission of one card or your 100th submission of 10,000 cards, in business they ALL count. The money isn't any greener and there should never be the appearance to the contrary. Schmooz away on the bigshots, but don't shove it in the face of the little guy - life should not be that way. As it goes for organization, PSA has been going to the national for over a decade - this is a great chance to shine - bring out the army of customer service people and have a complete game plan. Then, perhaps, Hartlandman would have been bragging on them big time!
Just my take on this - for me this is not about PSA as such, it's about top notch customer care. I think HartlandMan deserved better treatment.
Mike
<< <i>Joe Orlando might not have a clue as to who I am or what I do. That's okay. (I'm sorta shy to begin with...) He was involved with someone at the time I approached him, I do believe... >>
That's ok- If you play a little hard-to-get right back at him, he may ask you to go steady one day.
i am not defending the company but just wanted to throw my 2 cents in and let you know my experience.
by the way i love all the posts about the national. i live in the chicago area and i look forward to meeting my psa board heroes next year!!!!!
<< <i>i look forward to meeting my psa board heroes next year!!!!! >>
Cardguy
Nice post and provides balance, but I still think Hartman got pimped on this one. All your heroes will be there with bells on!
Stone