Well Done ICOM

Bilge Rat · 06 January 2004, 21:17

Once again ICOM have come through as true stars, a week before Christmas my handheld suddenly developed a case of underwateritus (as Phil D will testify) after drying the battery and case out the thing just hissed at me, so i dropped it down to ICOM at herne bay, they had no problem saying they'd see if it was fixable.
This morning a brand new shinny ICM21 was delivered, seems they had just replaced the complete set.

When i thought about handhelds everyone said "get an icom as there customer service is excellent" well i did and yes there customer service is excellent, so well done ICOM !!!

Phil Davies · 06 January 2004, 22:02

And so say all of us, Rich! My Icom M-3 handheld also got a soaking on the same cruise as Mr Bilge Rat's and ceased to function completely. I posted it to Icom on a Friday afternoon with a covering letter explaining that I was travelling to Wales on the following Wednesday and would be grateful if they could fix and return it by Tuesday pm, although I didn't hold out any hope at all of getting it back in time due to the xmas post chaos etc.

Amazingly, I got a phone call from Icom on the Monday saying they had fixed the radio and, due to the urgency, would be returning it to me by express courier. The radio duly arrived on Tuesday morning complete with brand new battery pack. Remarkable customer service by any standards and Icom has certainly secured my business when I eventually buy a fixed VHF for the Rib.

Nigel · 06 January 2004, 22:44

I'll 'third' that...I am on my third M21 from Icom since they were launched - both previous ones died after very little use either on the RIB or my 'Victory Class' dayboat. Gold Star to the Icom Team for Customer Service each time (Interested to hear other people have had problems with the M21, though...) and my fixed IC-M59Euro is excellent.

Nigel

"There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."

Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, 1908.

Richard B · 06 January 2004, 23:08

So in summary - excellent service but a really appalingly unreliable bit of kit!

Bilge Rat · 07 January 2004, 08:05

Probably have to agree with Richard B seems icom are first class on the customer service side and also looks like from the amount of problems and previous posts about the radios that they've not quite got it right, my fixed radio works fine and has not yet let me down and it seems only the handhelds seem to develop faults, mine in this case was clearly not water tight and when questioned ICOM stated that the set was rated to 1 metre depth for 30 minutes.

leave you to draw your own conclusions with this one.

Richard

Jelly · 07 January 2004, 09:07

Gents
Having used Icom hand helds for niegh on 15 years I can say that I have had great service from them and the two organisations that I have looked after their radios for them have only had problems when the units have been misshadled or dropped.

IMHO the M15 was a very good unit its only down points were it wasn't PC programable, didn't float (how many do?) and it was possible to break the battery pack and hence the waterproof seal if dropped on edge on concrete.

The M1euro is not bad, but the cheaper units of all the manufacurers leave me with a feeling that they were designed as spares / back ups to the main set as aposed to being the worlds best bomb proof hand held

I supose you get what you pay for is the answer.
Jelly

Bilge Rat · 07 January 2004, 09:48

Also wanted to add as an after thought that the actual product testing leaves a lot to be deisred too..... first time out i had my brand new handheld clipped to my life jacket by the silly clip supplied by icom only to find the radio flapping about on a fold of material on my jacket at 30 knots, seems the two part clip had released itself and the radio fallen from the clip on the life jacket, if it had not been for the fact i was wearing a jacket i'd probably have lost the set over the side or it might have ended up on the deck some place. then second time out being clever i decided to use the silly piece of string that Icom refer to as a carry strap to secure the radio to my person only to have this snap as i climbed out of the boat onto the beach, again quick intervention saved the radio from Davey Jones locker.
I dont consider i was being neglegent or abusing the kit in any way on both these occasions, is it to much to expect something thats sold as immersion proof and robust to be upto the job and the accessories supplied capable of doing the job they were designed for, maybe you do get what you pay for in the end but just how much do whould one consider spending on a back up radio thats hopefully never going to be used in anger.

Again i have nothing but praise for there customer service level, if only other companies could take note, but does replacing the defective product quickly and without fuss make them a good manufacturer or not ?

Richard

Jelly · 07 January 2004, 11:24

Richard
Fair point on the belt clips, mines been saved by the peice of string a few times
James

Richard B · 07 January 2004, 11:29

Quote:

Originally posted by Bilge Rat
does replacing the defective product quickly and without fuss make them a good manufacturer or not ?

Richard

Not. It makes them an extremely customer focussed organisation, jolly nice people to deal with, and re-sellers of US designed far-east manufactured mediocre product.

Out of interest, where is their stuff manufactured these days? My M59 was made in Japan. Have they shifted production to China?

Bilge Rat · 07 January 2004, 11:40

Richard

All indications leed me to believe they are manufactured in Japan, certainly the company is very focused toward Japan as there small show room in Herne Bay looks like a Japenese resturant with samuri swords and outfits hanging all around the place, they certainly have a varied array of kit past and present on display.

yes agreed nice people to do business with !!

Richard

Alan · 07 January 2004, 12:18

Interesting isnt it, as Richard says the making of an organisation in its customers eyes is the way it deals with them often not the quality of the product or service it sells. ICOM product may well be mediocre but the company seem to have cracked the customer service side dont they?!

Also, don't neccessarily be sniffy about product manufactured in China these days. I can tell you that there are some electronics manufacturing facilities in China that are truly world class. And then theres some that definately are not! You also would probably be surprised at just how much of what you buy these days is manufactured in China/Malaysia/Taiwan than Japan. There is a definate migration to lower labour cost operations - the next wave probably being into the Phillipines and India.

Phil Davies · 07 January 2004, 12:29

Quote:

Originally posted by Alan

Also, don't neccessarily be sniffy about product manufactured in China these days.

Well spotted, Alan. Certainly in the industry I work in, namely heavy earthmoving machinery, many of the world's major manufacturers eg. JCB, Caterpillar, Komatsu etc. have opened production facilities in China and you can rest assured they have in place identical quality control measures to those in their European and US locations. Today's customers are simply too savvy to put up with inferior dross from anywhere, whether they're buying a £500,000 dump truck or a £175 VHF!

Bilge Rat · 07 January 2004, 13:26

Phils right and i couldn't care less where its made as long as it does the job its supposed to and is reliable, for all i care it could have been made by Elvis on the moon !!!

think though we are kind of diversifying with this thread, the original comment was regarding ICOMs customer service which we all seem to agree is excelent, the fact we have to send our radios back every other week to be fixed/replaced is another issue altogether, maybe instead of just sending another radio out or fixing the original Icom should invest in getting the handheld end of the market nailed.....phil you know in your line of business that making the product work means less time and money spent fixing and replacing it longterm !

Richard B · 07 January 2004, 14:22

Quote:

Originally posted by Bilge Rat
the fact we have to send our radios back every other week to be fixed/replaced is another issue altogether

Well, it might be now, but after the warranty has expired, what then?

Frank · 07 January 2004, 15:29

Continuing the Icom (UK) Praise, they have always been brilliant in the past and as to out of warranty repairs they are also still second to none, the parts department is very efficeint and helpful if you want to fix your kit yourself, I have had nightmares in the past with other manufacturers. The repair Department is very helpful too lets hope they stay that way.
Also all the kit I have says made in Japan if that's of any interest to anyone, as I understand it it is all made in and designed in Japan not the US as stated earlier. Icom is an abreviation of Inoue Communications named after Mr Inoue the founder of the company in Japan in the 1960's I think

Richard B · 07 January 2004, 15:39

Frank,

Welcome aboard. As you've just registered and gone straight in with praise for Icom you must certainly believe in them!!

I'm playing devil's advocate with this as it's often a good way of flushing out the issues. I've just one bit of Icom kit which is of very good quality (although of 1997-ish vintage) and I'm actually loathe to replace with anything that might be inferior in any way.

Marine electronics seems to be very well supported by a number of the established manufacturers who offer excellent customer support. Long may it continue!

Alan · 07 January 2004, 16:09

Quote:

Originally posted by Richard B
Frank,

I've just one bit of Icom kit which is of very good quality (although of 1997-ish vintage) and I'm actually loathe to replace with anything that might be inferior in any way.

I suspect the longevity of your bit of ICOM kit (a M59 for them thats interested) is as much to do with the Neptune waterproof case as the VHF itself! The difficulty I and now you face is you want to upgrade to DSC but then you lose you nice waterproof case! And BTW Neptune waterproof cases cost almost as much if not more than the VHF's radios they protect.

Richard B · 07 January 2004, 16:12

Absolutely right. I had a quote... and I'm still recovering!

quinquarimarine · 07 January 2004, 18:38

We have a couple of dozen Icom handsets in addition to 403 and 503s fitted on our own vessels plus we normally spec Icom on all vessels we build.

I have liked the sets, ease of fitting and prices but was always a little cautious about the IP7 waterproof claims.

Recently one of our staff dropped a h/h icom in the drink to about 7m depth. I wrote it off but a week later after some effort he returned the set to me. Alas I was a little negative, thanked him for his efforts and chucked in the corner of the workshop. Nagging curiosity got the better of me and I went back to it turned it on and it was dead - as expected. However it was only dead as the battery was flat. Radio now back in service and 100%. Thus 1m at 30minutes - try 7m for a week !!

There is one rule though to apply with ICOMS. They must be washed down with freshwater on a regular basis plus a spray of silicon lubricant. Otherwise the salt will ingress the seals making them U/S. This recomended by ICOM and worthwhile.

Cheers

John

Phil Davies · 07 January 2004, 23:36

Anyway, despite the company's commendable after-sales service, my Icom now resides in an Aquamate vhf pack and that's where it's going to stay!