First Unhappy Customer (that I know of)
Well, it is with great regret that I finally experienced my first unhappy customer at the gun show over the weekend. The unfortunate part of the encounter was that I seriously thought the gentleman was joking, so I had a stupid grin on my face during the encounter. I'm extraordinarily embarrassed about that in retrospect, but he left the table in frustration before I realized he was completely serious.
For context, I've posted many times on here that it is very common for prior Vanguard Belts customers to walk by my table at gun shows and stop and give me a compliment or a thumbs up as they show me the Vanguard Belt they're wearing. I usually get several such satisfied customers on any given gun show weekend, and this last weekend was no exception. I have learned to graciously smile and respond with genuine gratitude not only for their business and trust in trying my product, but for the continued compliments and support. It's been a source of great pride and motivation for me and my business.
This time, I mistook a customer's visit as another happy customer about to pay me a compliment, but I couldn't have been more wrong. The gentleman stopped by to explain that he'd recently bought one of my belts at a prior show -- I believe only one or two shows prior -- and that he absolutely hates the belt. I, thinking he was pulling my leg, asked why with a stupid grin on my face, fully expecting a punch line of some kind. He then proceeded to explain that the belt he purchased, which was an Original Belt with the matte finish, is miserable to thread through the belt loops of all his pants. It binds up on the material and is very difficult to pull through. He told me he's only worn the belt about 3 times because he hates trying to put it on. He had only put it on that day in the hopes of finding me at the gun show to tell me how much he hates the belt.
I immediately recognized what he was getting at. He correctly pointed out that the rubbery, somewhat tacky texture of The Original Belt drags through belt loops with a good amount of resistance. And he's right: The Original Belt's texture does exactly that, and with some fabrics it's far worse than others. The belt CAN be a bit of a hassle to pull through belt loops. I know from my own experience, and that of some customers whom I watch try the Original Belt on right in front of me at shows. Many folks struggle with pulling the belt through their belt loops on the first try. That's because they're expecting the material to easily slip through like their leather belt, but the matte-finished Original Belt does not do that. It'll make you work a bit to pull through some belt loops, again depending on the fabric. Denim blue jeans, for example, do put up a fight with the Original Belt. And certainly, better than 90% of my customer base at gun shows are sporting blue jeans. I see this phenomenon of struggling to pull the belt through the loops all the time.
I then explained to the frustrated customer that there's a workaround for that issue, which I will explain here for the benefit of ALL my customers who own an Original Belt model. After completion of cutting, punching, and assembling my Vanguard Belts (of all models), the final step in my manufacture before coiling up and storing the belt is to treat the belt with a healthy coating of a common all-in-one gun cleaner & lubricant called Ballistol. I have used Ballistol for a number of years to clean and lube my firearms at home, and among the many amazing properties of this wonder chemical is that it can be used to treat and condition leather goods too.
In the early days of my company, I too ran into the issue of the Original Belt being a little too tacky in texture to easily pull through some belt loops and around the waist. I randomly grabbed my can of Ballistol off the nearby shelf and decided to try treating the belt material with it to see if it would make it slick. As it turns out, it does! However, the real trick is not to apply Ballistol and then immediately wipe it off. It seems to work best when you apply it generously to the surface of the belt, and then hang up the belt somewhere and let it dry in open air for at least 20-30 minutes. You want to really let the Ballistol soak in and DRY itself before removing the excess. I usually wipe away the excess with a dry paper towel, but I'm sure a shop rag would work too.
Once treated, dried, and wiped off, you will find that your Original Belt will be more slick to the touch and should more easily slide through most belt loops on your pants. And an added benefit is that Ballistol puts a very lovely sheen on the belt, really improving its appearance.
I explained this to my irritated customer and suggested he try some Ballistol because it should help correct his issue. He claimed to have some at home that he could try, but shortly after telling me that he basically walked off in a bit of a huff and muttered over his shoulder to me, "I hate this belt," as he walked away. My poor response in that moment was to utter, "I'm sorry to hear that...." He was gone before I could even try to make amends or make things right. I wasn't about to chase him down around the gun show, so I accepted defeat and now have to live with knowing there's an unhappy customer out there who will now likely disparage my product (and me) to friends, family, and co-workers. I didn't do a good job of responding because I simply thought he was half-joking with his anger, but I only realized when he was walking away that he was totally serious. I had failed in that moment. That's on me, and I own it.
My other failure was in giving him a belt that was apparently either not treated with Ballistol at all, or if it was, it was insufficiently treated and didn't have enough Ballistol on it to have prevented his struggle in pulling it through his belt loops, thus creating his displeasure.
SO, some lessons learned here on my part are as follows:
1.) Never assume you know what a prior customer is about to tell you regarding his/her Vanguard Belt when they stop by the table at a gun show. It may not be positive feedback. LISTEN, and take their commentary at face value until otherwise indicated. I really screwed up there.
2.) If a customer is really struggling with a belt in belt loops while trying it on at the gun show, then they'll struggle worse at home and resent the purchase. I must either offer to re-treat the belt with Ballistol right then and there at the time of purchase, or suggest the customer buy some Ballistol (the vendor across the aisle from me at the Crown Point shows conveniently happens to sell it).
3.) I need to do a better job of actually treating the belts with Ballistol myself as I make them. There are some shows where when I'm making belts, I rush the process of Ballistol treatment and don't let it dry long enough to really soak into the belt. I must not rush that process. I have noticed that I get far better results with Ballistol when it has time to really dry and evaporate most of its volatile solvent components away. If you rush the treatment, it doesn't work as well.
4.) I may consider offering Ballistol wipes for sale, and perhaps give one away with every belt purchase. I need to see if that's cost-prohibitive for me or not. At the very least, I need to procure a batch of Ballistol single wipes and have them on hand so I can hand them to customers if/as needed to take home. I normally buy Ballistol by the can (they offer various sizes, including aerosol variants). But I know they offer single-use wipes as well. I shall look into getting some and making them available to customers. I might even offer them for sale on the website if Ballistol will allow me to act as a small reseller. I think they have a program for that.
To that unhappy customer, if you happen to be reading all this, I am truly sorry for misinterpreting your frustration and for grinning at you while you were telling me your bad belt experience. I sincerely thought you were half-joking and that you were going to pay me a compliment about the belt besides the aggravating friction issue with your belt loops. I didn't realize -- until you were walking away -- that you were dead serious and that you truly hated the belt. I apologize for my casual, cavalier demeanor because I was truly expecting a punch line or witty comment to follow your frustration. That never came, and I now know that I and my belt product have let you down. For what it's worth, I am more than happy to refund you your money if you wish to return the belt. Feel free to bring it to the next gun show (if you'll be there), and I'll refund you your money on the spot. If you have my contact information, feel free to call or email me and I'll even be willing to come to your front doorstep with a refund in hand if that's what it takes to make this right. Alternatively, I'd be willing to upgrade you to the TC Belt model, which has a semi-gloss surface that is already slick by nature and frankly doesn't even need Ballistol treatment (although I treat those belts with it anyway). Whatever we can come to terms with to make this right, I'll be more than happy to work with you. I am truly sorry for the misunderstanding.
As for all of my other Vanguard Belts customers, if you're struggling with the same friction issue of pulling an Original Belt model through your belt loops, I strongly urge to give Ballistol a try. Or reach out to me and maybe I can send you or bring you some Ballistol wipes to try. I'm willing to work with you to remedy the friction issue. I truly value your business and it is my sworn mission to take good care of my customers.
If you've read this to the end, thank you for your time and attention. And of course, thank you for your interest in Vanguard Belts.
For context, I've posted many times on here that it is very common for prior Vanguard Belts customers to walk by my table at gun shows and stop and give me a compliment or a thumbs up as they show me the Vanguard Belt they're wearing. I usually get several such satisfied customers on any given gun show weekend, and this last weekend was no exception. I have learned to graciously smile and respond with genuine gratitude not only for their business and trust in trying my product, but for the continued compliments and support. It's been a source of great pride and motivation for me and my business.
This time, I mistook a customer's visit as another happy customer about to pay me a compliment, but I couldn't have been more wrong. The gentleman stopped by to explain that he'd recently bought one of my belts at a prior show -- I believe only one or two shows prior -- and that he absolutely hates the belt. I, thinking he was pulling my leg, asked why with a stupid grin on my face, fully expecting a punch line of some kind. He then proceeded to explain that the belt he purchased, which was an Original Belt with the matte finish, is miserable to thread through the belt loops of all his pants. It binds up on the material and is very difficult to pull through. He told me he's only worn the belt about 3 times because he hates trying to put it on. He had only put it on that day in the hopes of finding me at the gun show to tell me how much he hates the belt.
I immediately recognized what he was getting at. He correctly pointed out that the rubbery, somewhat tacky texture of The Original Belt drags through belt loops with a good amount of resistance. And he's right: The Original Belt's texture does exactly that, and with some fabrics it's far worse than others. The belt CAN be a bit of a hassle to pull through belt loops. I know from my own experience, and that of some customers whom I watch try the Original Belt on right in front of me at shows. Many folks struggle with pulling the belt through their belt loops on the first try. That's because they're expecting the material to easily slip through like their leather belt, but the matte-finished Original Belt does not do that. It'll make you work a bit to pull through some belt loops, again depending on the fabric. Denim blue jeans, for example, do put up a fight with the Original Belt. And certainly, better than 90% of my customer base at gun shows are sporting blue jeans. I see this phenomenon of struggling to pull the belt through the loops all the time.
I then explained to the frustrated customer that there's a workaround for that issue, which I will explain here for the benefit of ALL my customers who own an Original Belt model. After completion of cutting, punching, and assembling my Vanguard Belts (of all models), the final step in my manufacture before coiling up and storing the belt is to treat the belt with a healthy coating of a common all-in-one gun cleaner & lubricant called Ballistol. I have used Ballistol for a number of years to clean and lube my firearms at home, and among the many amazing properties of this wonder chemical is that it can be used to treat and condition leather goods too.
In the early days of my company, I too ran into the issue of the Original Belt being a little too tacky in texture to easily pull through some belt loops and around the waist. I randomly grabbed my can of Ballistol off the nearby shelf and decided to try treating the belt material with it to see if it would make it slick. As it turns out, it does! However, the real trick is not to apply Ballistol and then immediately wipe it off. It seems to work best when you apply it generously to the surface of the belt, and then hang up the belt somewhere and let it dry in open air for at least 20-30 minutes. You want to really let the Ballistol soak in and DRY itself before removing the excess. I usually wipe away the excess with a dry paper towel, but I'm sure a shop rag would work too.
Once treated, dried, and wiped off, you will find that your Original Belt will be more slick to the touch and should more easily slide through most belt loops on your pants. And an added benefit is that Ballistol puts a very lovely sheen on the belt, really improving its appearance.
I explained this to my irritated customer and suggested he try some Ballistol because it should help correct his issue. He claimed to have some at home that he could try, but shortly after telling me that he basically walked off in a bit of a huff and muttered over his shoulder to me, "I hate this belt," as he walked away. My poor response in that moment was to utter, "I'm sorry to hear that...." He was gone before I could even try to make amends or make things right. I wasn't about to chase him down around the gun show, so I accepted defeat and now have to live with knowing there's an unhappy customer out there who will now likely disparage my product (and me) to friends, family, and co-workers. I didn't do a good job of responding because I simply thought he was half-joking with his anger, but I only realized when he was walking away that he was totally serious. I had failed in that moment. That's on me, and I own it.
My other failure was in giving him a belt that was apparently either not treated with Ballistol at all, or if it was, it was insufficiently treated and didn't have enough Ballistol on it to have prevented his struggle in pulling it through his belt loops, thus creating his displeasure.
SO, some lessons learned here on my part are as follows:
1.) Never assume you know what a prior customer is about to tell you regarding his/her Vanguard Belt when they stop by the table at a gun show. It may not be positive feedback. LISTEN, and take their commentary at face value until otherwise indicated. I really screwed up there.
2.) If a customer is really struggling with a belt in belt loops while trying it on at the gun show, then they'll struggle worse at home and resent the purchase. I must either offer to re-treat the belt with Ballistol right then and there at the time of purchase, or suggest the customer buy some Ballistol (the vendor across the aisle from me at the Crown Point shows conveniently happens to sell it).
3.) I need to do a better job of actually treating the belts with Ballistol myself as I make them. There are some shows where when I'm making belts, I rush the process of Ballistol treatment and don't let it dry long enough to really soak into the belt. I must not rush that process. I have noticed that I get far better results with Ballistol when it has time to really dry and evaporate most of its volatile solvent components away. If you rush the treatment, it doesn't work as well.
4.) I may consider offering Ballistol wipes for sale, and perhaps give one away with every belt purchase. I need to see if that's cost-prohibitive for me or not. At the very least, I need to procure a batch of Ballistol single wipes and have them on hand so I can hand them to customers if/as needed to take home. I normally buy Ballistol by the can (they offer various sizes, including aerosol variants). But I know they offer single-use wipes as well. I shall look into getting some and making them available to customers. I might even offer them for sale on the website if Ballistol will allow me to act as a small reseller. I think they have a program for that.
To that unhappy customer, if you happen to be reading all this, I am truly sorry for misinterpreting your frustration and for grinning at you while you were telling me your bad belt experience. I sincerely thought you were half-joking and that you were going to pay me a compliment about the belt besides the aggravating friction issue with your belt loops. I didn't realize -- until you were walking away -- that you were dead serious and that you truly hated the belt. I apologize for my casual, cavalier demeanor because I was truly expecting a punch line or witty comment to follow your frustration. That never came, and I now know that I and my belt product have let you down. For what it's worth, I am more than happy to refund you your money if you wish to return the belt. Feel free to bring it to the next gun show (if you'll be there), and I'll refund you your money on the spot. If you have my contact information, feel free to call or email me and I'll even be willing to come to your front doorstep with a refund in hand if that's what it takes to make this right. Alternatively, I'd be willing to upgrade you to the TC Belt model, which has a semi-gloss surface that is already slick by nature and frankly doesn't even need Ballistol treatment (although I treat those belts with it anyway). Whatever we can come to terms with to make this right, I'll be more than happy to work with you. I am truly sorry for the misunderstanding.
As for all of my other Vanguard Belts customers, if you're struggling with the same friction issue of pulling an Original Belt model through your belt loops, I strongly urge to give Ballistol a try. Or reach out to me and maybe I can send you or bring you some Ballistol wipes to try. I'm willing to work with you to remedy the friction issue. I truly value your business and it is my sworn mission to take good care of my customers.
If you've read this to the end, thank you for your time and attention. And of course, thank you for your interest in Vanguard Belts.