I got a letter from Rio yesterday listing my backorders and asking
that if I wanted to cancel any of them I could simply mark the
respective items and fax the page back. I thought that was pretty
innovative. I'm satisfied that Rio is on the road to recovery.
I placed an online order with Rio earlier this week, after trying to
call and getting a message saying it was a 40 minute wait for an
operator. Within 2 hours of placing the order on their website, I
received a call from one of their staff telling me that everything
I’d ordered was either backordered or out of stock indefinitely (what
luck, eh?), and asking if I wanted to make a substitution for any of
the items. I was able to make acceptable adjustments to the order,
and I should be receiving my order shortly. I’m pleased that they are
finally recovering from last summer’s computer fiasco.
We received a similar letter regarding backordered items. We
received the letter only because a neighbor was kind enough to track
us down…Rio had sent the letter to our shipping address rather than
our mailing/billing address. The only catch is that we had already
cancelled those backorders about 2 weeks prior. When we tried
(repeatedly) to fax the letter to the number listed on the letter, it
was a non-working number. Several days after receiving the letter, a
charge appeared on our account from Rio. You guessed it…they
charged us for the backordered items without contacting us. When we
called and spoke to a service rep. (after a 20 minute wait) she
verified that the backorders had been cancelled weeks ago and was at
a loss as to why we received the letter in the first place and why we
were charged for items the system was showing had been cancelled. She
also confirmed that the fax number on the letter was wrong. One of
the items backordered was some sterling jump rings (16 ga.
wire)…backordered for 2 months!
Five weeks ago, we stopped at Rio on our way home from a show. We
were there for nearly 2 hours waiting for our order to be pulled.
When we stopped there in July to pick up some stuff, it was nearly 3
hours before we could get back on the road.
About 3 weeks ago, I needed to order some white 14k dome wire for a
custom job. The wire I needed wasn’t a size they normally stock but
the catalog states they could provide other sizes with a 6" minimum
within 10-14 days. That was cool with me but when I tried to order,
the rep insisted (reapetedly) that in spite of what the catalog said,
it would be a minimum of 6 weeks to fill the order. I called Hoover
and Strong…they had the wire I needed (6" minimum) and shipped it
the following day. While venting some of my frustrations to the rep.,
she told me she had already had several calls that day from people
trying to place orders that Rio couldn’t fill. It also turns out that
Hoover and Strong supplies a lot of Rio’s mill products (wire/sheet,
etc.).
Prior to July and the new computer system, we pretty much dealt
exclusively with Rio. Although their prices are usually higher than
other suppliers, we appreciated the excellent customer service and
support. Carmon and I have dug deep into our well of patience to bear
with Rio while they sort out their problems. However, our business is
growing rapidly and Rio has put us in a bind enough times that we
have had to take our business to other suppliers. We cannot afford to
alienate or frustrate our customers (many of them new) with
unreasonable wait times to ship their orders.
It has been nearly six months since Rio changed their system. I feel
insulted every time I call, wait on hold for 20 minutes or more and
listen to the same empty assurances that they are getting back on
track. The “unprecedented growth” they continue to cite is probably
rapidly being normalized as people like ourselves move business to
other suppliers so that we can keep our own businesses operating.
If Rio is “on the road to recovery” they haven’t put too many miles
behind them.
Happy Holidays to All. Hope the season is good for you and your
families!
Mike Dibble & Carmon Deyo
Black Horse Design
www.black-horse-design
For all of those frustrated by Rio & it’s ongoing problems, try
Stuller. I have been buying from both for years and have always found
Stuller to be extremely efficient and easy to deal with. Their
product mix is not the same but if Stuller has what you want you can
have it the next day. The usual, no connection, just a satisfied
customer.
For all of those frustrated by Rio & it's ongoing problems,
try Stuller. I have been buying from both for years and have always
found Stuller to be extremely efficient and easy to deal with.
I’ve discovered that Shor has a warehouse in Canada for easy
shipping to Canadians. I got a rep right away and received everything
I ordered. They offer technical support and have over 8000 products
on their website: http://www.shorinternational.com.
Joel; a lot of us who order from Rio do so because Stuller will not
sell to “non-professionals”. I suspect the professionals have
already done as you suggest; but what do the rest of us do?
Margaret, I think if you look around, you will find many other
suppliers very willing to take up the Rio slack. Swest, TSI, just to
mention two who have supplied both professional and amateur alike. I
know there are many others as well. You might also want to look
locally. Here in SO Florida we have suppliers close by in Pompano
Beach as well as Miami for example. Also, check the Orchid
archives…I know this problem has been discussed many times.
Cheers from Don at The Charles Belle Studio in SOFL where simple
elegance IS fine jewelry! @coralnut1