What is wrong with Colt?!

[Janq]

So I plan to send my Colt 'Defender' in for review and I went to the Colt commercial site; http://www.coltsmfg.com

Why is their website so cruddy looking?
The product pictures look like they were scanned from a magazine.
Layout of the text wraps oddly.
The colors they use to outline data within their tables are well, hideous.
Who is doing their website, someones kid brother with an old copy of MS FrontPage?

Anyway I skip over to the 'Customer Service' link to find out what the procedure is toward return and the information provided seems to be pretty sparse. I decide to call, as I would do and have done with any other product I'm thinking to return for review or repair.
Upon listening to the automated attendant and hitting '1' I wind up at the Customer Service area which indicates they take calls only between the hours of 10A and 12P then again between 1P and 5P EST. Huh? What?!
Everybody else is open for calls 8A to 5 or 6P EST without dead times inbetween.

Also at their Customer Service area under 'Firearm Repair' I found what has to be the cheesiest major commercial company webpage I've seen since the 90s...


http://www.coltsmfg.com/cmci/repair.asp

What the hell Colt?!
Get with the program and keep up with the times.

The customer service person I spoke with said to just send it in and write a letter describing the problem I indicated and to send it UPS next day air.

A completely odd experience.
I've no idea what their annual sales are but I'll bet my front teeth they would increase if they spent a couple of bucks on better marketing, a website update because I could swear it looks to never change, and hire an extra two or three people to field calls during the 8-10A and during the Noon lunch break.

- Janq

P.S. - Before hitting submit I got curious, when was the products page last updated?!
So in my browser (Firefox) I view the page source and OMG!! look at what I found...

<meta name="GENERATOR" content="Microsoft FrontPage 3.0">
<meta name="ProgId" content="FrontPage.Editor.Document">

<tr>
<td align="right"><font face="Tahoma" size="1" color="#0000000">&#169; 2003 Colt's
Manufacturing Company LLC All Rights Reserved. </font></td>
</tr>

I was just kidding earlier about using FrontPage but holy geez it turns out the site really was published out of MS FrontPage!
As well the products page doe not appear to have been updated since 2003 (?!).
This is just nuts!

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[SIXTO]

This is the exact reason I wont buy a new Colt.

[Cupcake]

Yeah, I just don't get why some reasonably sized company have the crappiest web sites. If it's money then hire a high-school kid!

[Mtbiker]

Simple, Colt doesn't care about civilian sales. If you were .mil or PD then they would be more helpful. HK is the same way.

[Musketeer]

I love my Delta Elite and Python but.....

Colt is a perfect example of American managment at its worst. They went from being THE name in American Handguns to being a joke reserved simply for collectors of designs dating from a century or more ago.

[aus71383]

Mama always said, "Stupid is as stupid does." I had a squad leader who once said, "If the shoe fits, you're a (expletive) idiot!" - Looks like Colt fits pretty well.

Austin

[Harold Fastwaker]

Simple, Colt doesn't care about civilian sales. If you were .mil or PD then they would be more helpful. HK is the same way.

Cant agree with HK. Travis and Jeff are phenomenal with customer service help.

But yes, Colts sight sucks.

[OD*]

Simple, Colt doesn't care about civilian sales.

That is incorrect, Colt Defense (LEO & Military) and Colt's Manufacturing Company LLC (Civilians) are two completely separate companies.

[OD*]

As well the products page doe not appear to have been updated since 2003 (?!).

Ahh, yeah it has? The Special Combat Government was introduced this year.

[Herknav]

Ahh, yeah it has? The Special Combat Government was introduced this year.

Don't forget the New Agent--also new this year.

[OD*]

Don't forget the New Agent--also new this year.

But it isn't on the web site yet, is it?

[DOGOFWAR01]

Colt Customer Service: Outstanding Customer Service and quick turn around just in the last less than 2 weeks.

12 day turn around.
Day 1 - FEDEX sent
Day 2 - FEDEX recd
Day 3 - 10 - Colt Shop (includes two days of SAT & SUN)
= actual 6 days in the shop when the shop was open M-F
Day 11 - Fedex sent
Day 12 - Fedex recd - recd back date was FRI October 5, 2007

This was on a Colt Diamondback Revolver 38 Spec recent purchase - had Colt go through it A to Z, clean-up, any repair - lube - tune-up, test-fire, and fine tune - $50.

Yes, Colt has slid down the hill some but in a different way from some other firearm makers, like some other firearm companies making and/or buying lower quality firearms overseas. Yes, not all overseas firearms are not low quality. Yes, the availability of double action revolvers like the Colt Detective Special, Diamond, Python, and Anaconda is now gone, it would be good to have them back (if you think revolvers still today do not have a place in CWP CCW or whatever they are calling those worthless pieces of paper today contact Clint Smith at Thunder Ranch). The slide down the hill for Citizens with Colt came about mainly because of their CEO, a retired U.S. Marine Corps General.

Yes, Colt has two different web sites. One Civilian and One Peace Officer / Military.

Note: You can buy Colt Peace Officer and Military Firearms through many Firearm Dealers and Wholesalers. Check the internet, Shotgun News, Gun Digest, etc

Note: Colt web site is just fine for me. I see what I need to see. Colt Customer Service was/is outstanding.

Note: I do not use the words "Law Enforcement - Police", but "Peace Officer". If you check the internet easiest source to reference - requirements / standards are still called "Peace Officer Standards Training = P.O.S.T. I am not sure how we Citizens started using the words Law Enforcement instead of Peace Officer.

[Herknav]

But it isn't on the web site yet, is it?

Oops! My fault.

[OD*]

That's OK amigo, I thought maybe they had snuck it on the site.

[vortex50v]

Glock is another one that infamous for never updating its website. Kel-Teck, although not as "major" has a fairly rudimentary site, as well.