# ORKA GOLF CLUBS- terrible customer service



## michalbakowski23 (Sep 10, 2015)

Terrible customer service! I would expect more from the company that wants to mean anything on the market. What they do instead? They discourage people that already bought something from them.

I bought a set of clubs from ORKA Golf with S300 Dynamic Gold Shafts. The stickers on the shafts that I came were S400 so I contacted them, as I wanted other ones. Initially everything was OK as I was asked to send them to their fitting center and promised a refund for the shipment etc- standard.  They checked them and as it turned out someone made a mistake and put wrong labels on them so they sent them back to me. NOW what was wrong about that?

Firstly, everything took around 3 months (they had my clubs for 1 month in their fitting center), which is ridicules.

Secondly, I got an email from the head of sales (or whoever he is) that they spent time on checking my clubs so I wonâ€™t get a refund for the shipment. O:O)

So in their opinion this is normal to spend time (3 months plus I still have to talk to them) and money to get/check the clubs that should be right in the first place?

The funniest thing is that his argument is that the clubs were OK from the beginning so they should not be asked to refund me anything.  So in his opinion I should know that the labels on my clubs were wrong and I should not bother them to check it and because I did it I should pay for it.


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## pokerjoke (Sep 10, 2015)

michalbakowski23 said:



			Terrible customer service! I would expect more from the company that wants to mean anything on the market. What they do instead? They discourage people that already bought something from them.

I bought a set of clubs from ORKA Golf with S300 Dynamic Gold Shafts. The stickers on the shafts that I came were S400 so I contacted them, as I wanted other ones. Initially everything was OK as I was asked to send them to their fitting center and promised a refund for the shipment etc- standard.  They checked them and as it turned out someone made a mistake and put wrong labels on them so they sent them back to me. NOW what was wrong about that?

Firstly, everything took around 3 months (they had my clubs for 1 month in their fitting center), which is ridicules.

Secondly, I got an email from the head of sales (or whoever he is) that they spent time on checking my clubs so I wonâ€™t get a refund for the shipment. O:O)

So in their opinion this is normal to spend time (3 months plus I still have to talk to them) and money to get/check the clubs that should be right in the first place?

The funniest thing is that his argument is that the clubs were OK from the beginning so they should not be asked to refund me anything.  So in his opinion I should know that the labels on my clubs were wrong and I should not bother them to check it and because I did it I should pay for it.
		
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Sound a bit of a nightmare.

Lets hope you don't want to sell them I have a set for sale and cant sell them for love nor money and im giving the things away.


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## Fish (Sep 10, 2015)

That doesn't sound very fair or right, there are a few Orka users on here and some who rate Alex very highly, however, if the wrong stickers were placed on the shafts and not matching what you ordered, then any checking and confirming what they actual were is totally down to them, period!


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## michalbakowski23 (Sep 10, 2015)

Fish said:



			That doesn't sound very fair or right, there are a few Orka users on here and some who rate Alex very highly, however, if the wrong stickers were placed on the shafts and not matching what you ordered, then any checking and confirming what they actual were is totally down to them, period!
		
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Thanks,

That is exactly what I wrote to them!!

But according to him clubs were ok from the beginning and they spent time on checking them, so they won't refund me any costs. So now I paid for my clubs plus for checking after their mistake plus I they kept my clubs for 1 month at their place plus I have to fight with them about the refund. The other thing that I forgot to add that this is my second set that I bought from them in 3 years as someone stole my previous clubs.


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## PhilTheFragger (Sep 10, 2015)

Did you deal with Orka direct or through a local fitter

I got fitted a couple of years ago by Alex Comben, their sales Director, and their customer service was second to none.
there are several forum regulars who will not recognize the problems you have had.

If you havnt  contacted Alex, then I suggest you do

If you PM me your details I can pass them onto him


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## Fish (Sep 10, 2015)

PhilTheFragger said:



*Did you deal with Orka direct or through a local fitter*

I got fitted a couple of years ago by Alex Comben, their sales Director, and their customer service was second to none.
there are several forum regulars who will not recognize the problems you have had.

If you havnt  contacted Alex, then I suggest you do

If you PM me your details I can pass them onto him
		
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Wouldn't they come from Alex anyway? A fitter surely only gets the stats required and then orders them, I'd have assumed form Orka UK?

Either way, if they are not badged up correctly and the only way of knowing and confirming what shafts they are is by sending them back, then all the costs should be met as the shafts were labelled incorrectly.


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## DCB (Sep 10, 2015)

Removed a double post by OP in another thread.


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## michalbakowski23 (Sep 10, 2015)

PhilTheFragger said:



			Did you deal with Orka direct or through a local fitter

I got fitted a couple of years ago by Alex Comben, their sales Director, and their customer service was second to none.
there are several forum regulars who will not recognize the problems you have had.

If you havnt  contacted Alex, then I suggest you do

If you PM me your details I can pass them onto him
		
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Yea he is the one that I have to dealt with and he told me that they won't refund it. I still don't know why as it is quite obvious that they should and he promised it at the beginning.


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## Liverpoolphil (Sep 10, 2015)

michalbakowski23 said:



			Yea he is the one that I have to dealt with and he told me that they won't refund it. I still don't know why as it is quite obvious that they should and he promised it at the beginning.
		
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Maybe it's time to take it to social media - Twitter is a very powerful tool - companies don't like to get negative social media news


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## pokerjoke (Sep 10, 2015)

Liverpoolphil said:



			Maybe it's time to take it to social media - Twitter is a very powerful tool - companies don't like to get negative social media news
		
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I would say that's unfair due to the fact we have only had one side of the story


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## Liverpoolphil (Sep 10, 2015)

pokerjoke said:



			I would say that's unfair due to the fact we have only had one side of the story
		
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If a company isn't giving someone the service they believe they should get then the only thing is to complain - if they complaint isn't responded to satisfactory then social media is a good tool - it also allows the company to respond publically and clear up any issues so that they can also put their side into it. If the company isn't at fault then they have nothing to worry about


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## Robster59 (Sep 10, 2015)

Orka could always be invited to comment on this thread.


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## Stuart_C (Sep 10, 2015)

This isn't the 1st complaint i've heard about ORKA's customer service. 

If, as the OP has stated that he was told he'd be refunded the postage costs then the minimum ORKA should be doing is honouring that. 

It's obvious there's been a mistake on ORKA's part so refunding postage cost  is the bare minimum. I'm sure it's only a few quid anyway.


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## Oxfordcomma (Sep 10, 2015)

Robster59 said:



			Orka could always be invited to comment on this thread.
		
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Looks like they now have had that invite ...  

https://twitter.com/boringwhore/status/642064620690276352


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## michalbakowski23 (Sep 10, 2015)

pokerjoke said:



			I would say that's unfair due to the fact we have only had one side of the story
		
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Yea you are right, I hope that they will comment here as well. I have emails etc so I can always show them.

That is the funniest thing- its only 26pounds, so for the company it should be nothing and yet they act like this.


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## Deleted Member 1156 (Sep 10, 2015)

Fish said:



			Wouldn't they come from Alex anyway? A fitter surely only gets the stats required and then orders them, I'd have assumed form Orka UK?
		
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Orka sell through a network of club builders who measure up then build the clubs. Mine were built by a guy local to me who orders up the component parts. If I'd have had any issues with mine I would have gone back to him, not Orka.


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## louise_a (Sep 10, 2015)

My irons were ordered through a Orka fitting centre but the clubs came already assembled from Orka.


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## ACJ29v11 (Sep 10, 2015)

Evening all, (Alex Orka)

firstly I would like to say it's proved a somewhat useful exercise following this thread. Like any service provider and company our aim is always to do the right thing for all. Any criticism or feedback is always welcome as it only helps us understand and improve.

social media and forums such as this are indeed a very powerful tool, that allow us to interact with you guys our customers and brand fans. Unlike any other brand we don't hide behind issues or complaints but rather try and resolve them fairly and appropriately for all parties concerned. 

99% of the time we get it right when it comes to resolving complaints and luckily over the past 7 years we've had very few. However on the rare occasion we can get it wrong and when we do, unlike other brands we are not afraid to hold our hands up and say so.

Michal, I'm sorry to see you have taken to forums and social media to vent your frustrations. We have tried to do everything right following your purchase through a fitting centre, and for what turned out to be a simple human error by puting incorrect shaft decals on has quckly escalated. 

If you would kindly email me your phone number I will personally call you tomorrow.

in the meantime I wish you all a pleasant evening.
#Orkaites


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## davemc1 (Sep 11, 2015)

Fair play the Al there, I don't reckon many companies would respond in such a way. Its hardly an admission of guilt or wrong doing though is it?

Here's hoping it gets cleared up tomorrow. Hopefully the op can give us a satisfaction (or not) update...


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## Fish (Sep 11, 2015)

davemc1 said:



			Fair play the Al there, I don't reckon many companies would respond in such a way. Its hardly an admission of guilt or wrong doing though is it?

Here's hoping it gets cleared up tomorrow. Hopefully the op can give us a satisfaction (or not) update...
		
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I think it is, Alex clearly states that from a simple human error of placing incorrect labels on the shafts the situation has escalated, it can only escalate if 1 party (the customer) is out of pocket for someone elses error!  

It has also only escalated and the OP feeling the need to go to social media/ forum because he exhausted his initial options and was refused postage refunds, which for any error to his clubs other than his own making, is Orka's responsibility.


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## ACJ29v11 (Sep 11, 2015)

Morning All,

Thank you for sharing your opinions, all interesting and fair. As I mentioned in my previous note, once Michal emails me his contact number I will call him directly and resolve. Doing so by personal call, in my eyes if far better than using an open forum, social media or email. It shows our genuine intent.

This will be my last post on the matter through the forum, thank you once again for sharing your points of view on this issue and I hope that once having spoken directly with Michal, everyone can move on and just go enjoy their golf.

All the best.
Alex.


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## Stuart_C (Sep 11, 2015)

drive4show said:



			Orka sell through a network of club builders who measure up then build the clubs. Mine were built by a guy local to me who orders up the component parts. If I'd have had any issues with mine I would have gone back to him, not Orka.
		
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0ppppp


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## Foxholer (Sep 11, 2015)

Btw. I know it was 'simply a 'wrong decals' issue' but worth noting that S400s are merely S300s that are (slightly) heavier than the max tolerance of S300. Many folk (myself included) prefer these as it actually means that the set is likely to be a better 'match' than normal - as the weight range/tolerance of S400 is considerably less than that of S300. The same applies to S200s at the other end of the scale, though many of these are used for Wedges.


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## Alex1975 (Sep 11, 2015)

I spend a fair bit of time with a customer/friend of Alex`s. I have also spent time with Alex and use the Orka National indoor fitting center regularly. These are good people. An error has been made. I would be surprised if this is not sorted to everyone's satisfaction pretty quickly now.


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## garyinderry (Sep 11, 2015)

This is a problem that simply shouldn't have happened.   the decals are part of the clubs.  


Not sold as described.  Open and shut case.  Okra should have immediately sorted it.


Being without irons for 3 months is unthinkable for most golfers.    if it takes that long I would expect a gap wedge to be thrown in along with a box of chocolates.


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## MendieGK (Sep 11, 2015)

garyinderry said:



			This is a problem that simply shouldn't have happened.   the decals are part of the clubs.  


Not sold as described.  Open and shut case.  Okra should have immediately sorted it.


Being without irons for 3 months is unthinkable for most golfers.    if it takes that long I would expect a gap wedge to be thrown in along with a box of chocolates.
		
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There's a number of incorrect facts being spouted here. 

I'd be interested to see if the OP has or will provide(d) them with his mobile number to discuss.... I already know the answer to that.


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## michalbakowski23 (Sep 11, 2015)

MendieGK said:



			There's a number of incorrect facts being spouted here. 

I'd be interested to see if the OP has or will provide(d) them with his mobile number to discuss.... I already know the answer to that.
		
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Hello,

This cases seems like finally came to an end I will get my refund on Monday.

I would like to address here a few comments:

-I didn't have my clubs for 1 month and the case lasted around 3 months, but I like your idea with the chocolates.

- I am sure that they are nice people, but here we talk about the basics of good customer service (keep your promises to your customers, if you made a mistake figure it out as soon as possible and cover any costs)

- I wrote about it on principle because the money is symbolic in this case. I could understand everything- if they would write to me that they are sorry, but they can't refund the shipping costs although they promised because for example they struggle with their business or anything I would understand that. But instead of that I got a few similar emails that they spent time on checking them and they used man hours and that should be ok. That is why I reacted and wrote here because I had enough of this conversation with them and they seemed to not understand things that everyone understood here on this forum. 

- obviously i did not give them my number, because they had enough time to ask about it before and they only reacted after I wrote my comment here.

Additionally I would like to recommend the club fitter that I chose these clubs with- Bill (http://billabbottgolfpro.com)
. The funniest thing is that he was copied in a few mails that I exchanged with ORKA and he offered me a refund although he had nothing to do with the whole process.


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## Jacko_G (Sep 11, 2015)

Love how the owner/service rep whatever only came out once the thread was made public. 

Glad the complainer got his refund. Sad it took so long.


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## garyinderry (Sep 11, 2015)

Ok.  1 month, leave the gap wedge. I would still expect the chocs. 

Far too long for a simple problem. 

Glad it's sorted.   In business, some people fall through the cracks and it becomes a nightmare. I'm sure most customers are dealt with just fine.


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## davemc1 (Sep 12, 2015)

Surely there has to be more to this story than is posted? 

If its a simple case of human error, then why not send the clubs back asap with a discount voucher for future purchases or some balls or whatever...

also, why no apology? 

In my eyes comes across as bad form, sad to see 


on a lighter note, Michal talked of symbolics. I once saw a duo of said name who's opening line was ' hello I'm sim and he is bol... :rofl:Still makes me chuckle


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## Smiffy (Sep 12, 2015)

Glad to see that this is all sorted.
Hopefully, the OP will now go on to become a valued contributor to the forum and attend one of it's many meets
SIDTS


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## Jacko_G (Sep 12, 2015)

Smiffy said:



			Glad to see that this is all sorted.
Hopefully, the OP will now go on to become a valued contributor to the forum and attend one of it's many meets
SIDTS
		
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It might be sorted but I'm sure he's still got a bad taste in his mouth. Why did it need to come down to venting frustration on a golf forum before Orka decided to panic and offer the refund. 

They were quite clearly in the wrong, failed to build the clubs to the specification. Where is the issue? To say it costs them man hours to check the problem they caused by building incorrectly is absolutely disgusting. Looks like the guy who said they hold their hands up and don't hide is only because they were outed.

I tried a couple of Orka wedges at a wedge fitting with Scott Gourlay, thankfully I went for Cooper due to them feeling and looking superior.


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## Blue in Munich (Sep 12, 2015)

Jacko_G said:



			They were quite clearly in the wrong, failed to build the clubs to the specification.
		
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Er, no the didn't; they built them to the correct specification but put the wrong stickers on them, as per the OP.  Hardly the same thing.


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## Pants (Sep 12, 2015)

Errr.  Aren't the stickers put on the shafts by the manufacturer *before* the fitter gets them??  That way the fitter knows that he has got the right  set of shafts - or not.

Was chatting to a club maker a while ago who made the point that if I had wanted the shafts tuned/pured or whatever you want to call it, then the stickers wouldn't necessarily all be neatly lined up on the shafts.  Maybe sales talk, maybe not.


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## Blue in Munich (Sep 13, 2015)

Pants said:



			Errr.  Aren't the stickers put on the shafts by the manufacturer *before* the fitter gets them??  That way the fitter knows that he has got the right  set of shafts - or not.

Was chatting to a club maker a while ago who made the point that if I had wanted the shafts tuned/pured or whatever you want to call it, then the stickers wouldn't necessarily all be neatly lined up on the shafts.  Maybe sales talk, maybe not.
		
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Err, no they are not.  The actual shaft details in the case of Dynamic Gold S300's & S400's are printed/etched onto the butt section of the shaft so are beneath the grip.  The stickers are then supplied separately and fitted separately.  There is a screen print around the tip end but that has no flex details.  The S300 sticker has, or at least used to have, 2 designations on it, S300 & S300U defining whether the shaft was parallel or taper tip to assist ordering replacements; which end was overlapped determined which designation was displayed.

Graphite shafts are supplied with the graphics all screen printed on, I'd imagine that is what your club maker was referring to, although looking at some newer steel shafts this might apply to them as well.


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