Altair Astro

[Spacedout]

Does anyone know if this company are still doing business?

I sent an email on the 1st of July looking for information on their 16" RC Truss and their EQ8 and pier combo and still I have not had a response!  I have called on numerous occasions and always get the answer machine.  I have left messages and another two today.  I appreciate they may be busy but seriously if it's this hard to buy stuff I'd can't imagine the after-sales service!

[MattJenko]

I haven't had any responses to a couple of email about reducers either.

[reddoss]

I just got through to them on the phone.

[brantuk]

Heard from them only two days ago on our local forum. Still very much in business. Hth

[damnut]

Only had good experiences with Altair, especially pre & after sales.

[ronin]

Altair seem to go through patches concerning their response, and I suppose luck comes into it. Not sure how many work there but it is costly, although useful, to have someone in effect just answering phones and replying to emails. FLO used to have the same problem, so it is not just one place.

The "view" is different to someone actually at the place. I used to visit Scope'n'Skies who were notorious for not answering phone and emails, but if you were in the shop their phones never stopped, there was always someone ringing them. Who's call was the one pick up was just about a 1 in 5 chance I guess. If you were in the shope (me) then one person was attending to your questions and requirements and not on the phones.

Also Altair tend to do a lot of shows and such like, they may be at one. Add in that it is July/August maybe one of them has had the audacity to go on holiday. :eek:

Probaly to escape from the phone calls and emails. :grin:

[Earl]

I have yet to find any company that responds to email in good time every time. bit like ringing phones.

But as i fail to do so myslef at times, so be it.

I live on the net, if i could bio link i would i have no excuse. LOL

[damnut]

@Ronin, first thing I did was check to see if Nick had swanned off to another astro show

[kirkster501]

Good people to do business with IMO. I have had no issues at all from AA.

[brantuk]

Ronin pretty much describes their situation very accurately. They're a small outfit and of the two main guys one of them could be on holiday right now - so the shop will be very busy for the remaining one. Sure they have one or two helpers but  also a machine shop to run and several astro camps to attend - so most of the time they're pretty max'ed out.

One way to get their attention though - and for the gear you're talking about - pop over to their website - sign up if you haven't already - and put your scope and mount on your wish list. They'll be all over you like a rash lol

[Scooot]

I haven't had a reply to an email I sent on 25th July. I've bought elsewhere now.

[wxsatuser]

Business must be so good you can ignore customers, not good in the age of the internet.

Wonder how many customers they lose?

[jambouk]

I have bought off them at "trade shows" and have friends who swear by them, but twice I have tried to contact them in the past (email and phone) but no response either time so shopped elsewhere; I even fed back to them about this to help them... but no reply.

There are relatively few astro companies in the UK, and they are swamped with customer inquiries, many of which are are never going to end in a purchase as the person asking the question just wants advice. Alongside all these emails and phone messages are the orders which are coming in off the online ordering systems, which alone may take most of the working day to process, package up, ship out... Plus the margins are pretty small, nothing at all like the 50% other retail sectors may enjoy.

I suspect us users on SGL form much of a screening barrier for the retailers in answering questions, and offering advice. It would be interesting to know of the advice offered for free by SGL, what proportion of custom is directed to the various retailers, and if FLO get a disproportionate amount of custom. Maybe we should be on commission

James

[Scooot]

They should set up an automatic holding reply. Maybe something like this: " Thank you for your enquiry, I sincerely apologise if we fail to reply in a timely manner. We receive thousands of messages on a daily basis and we do occasionally miss some.If this applies to you I do hope you try again."

[Singlin]

I had an issue with them some time ago with unacceptable customer service.

I only had a reaction when I complained on this forum.

I can understand them not being able to answer the telephone but emails must be answered at least.

FLO had this problem in the past, dealt with it and is reaping the rewards.

Go figure Altair.

[wxsatuser]

"What we've got here is failure to communicate"     Captain Cool Hand Luke

[michaelmorris]

I'm afraid I've had similar experiences in the past.  Communications are patchy and orders some time take ages to arrive with no communications.  Shame, because the products I've had from them have been excellent.  Because of their poor comms, I now only use them when there is no alternative.

[Davey-T]

Same here tried emails off and on for a week, no answer, when eventually got through they said my emails had been marked as junk ?

Dave

[r3i]

It is a shame that they are having difficulties with communications.  I visited their shop a few years ago just to have a nosey at a SkyShed Pod as we were in the area.  The chap who was there (can't recall his name) could not have been more helpful and spent a good while showing me the Pod and a number of other goodies including the RC8 which I subsequently bought from them. 

Let's hope they can sort things out because, as others have said, they have some good gear to sell.

[Macavity]

Despite trepidation, received Lightwave ED 66-R by return.

Not quite sure re. RD finder ordered subsequently? Hmmm.

Aside: I suppose my "world record" lies with Orion Optics... 

A Vixen LV arrived *randomly* some SIX months later. lol 

I do have some sympathy though. When "management" sent

out memos, telling scientists how to answer phones "Quickly

and Politely", I felt "da boss man" was really out of touch!

[barkis]

Our company's policy was, if the phone rings, it is highly likely to be a potential customer.

If the phone is ignored, you will probably lose a sale, or a regular customer.

 The person ringing has no Idea what is going on at the business end, all he is aware of, is being ignored,

and I'm sure most of us have felt extreme irritation when it happens to us.

So, we were told to excuse ourselves for a moment, while the phone was answered, the message to the person calling was to be, sorry sir, or madam, but we are extremely busy, and I cannot

deal with your call now, if you leave me your number I will get back to as soon as I possibly can.

It didn't please everyone of course, but they weren't as miffed as they would be ignoring them.

What we had to sure about, was fulfilling the promise to return the call, otherwise, a complaint by a customer not called back, would result in a real dressing down by the Manager.

Not an Ideal solution, but it was kept in place for as long as that Branch was in business, and being a National Company, all Branches did adopt the same policy.

Ron.

[Alkaid]

Its holiday season. They'll probably be back to full strength in September.

[jaspalchadha]

I emailed nick today, usual few hours response

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tim]

I emailed nick today, usual few hours response

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So you are saying they cherry pick from their enquiries?

From an outsiders POV, there does seem to be certain amount of stagnation at AA. Hard to put a finger on, just part of a general appearance of treading water somehow.

[RobertI]

I was told by a retailer of AA products that AA did not want to sell directly to the public longer term, which I can totally understand. I am guessing the demise of Astronomia and IO Astronomy was a blow to that plan. This may or may not be related to the patchy customer service. I hope they go from strength to strength though because their products are top notch.

Rob