Schiit customer service seems poor


So they offer no speaking humans.  I sent a question and they responded with a request for more info, and then they never responded after being provided info.

are these schiit staff or outsourced tech call centers??
jumia
I've never had a problem with their customer service.

Customer support, I never had to use it.

The customer service was excellent, though.

I suggest looking the question over, and make sure it makes sense.

Short and sweet. Provide a phone number and the best times to call you.
Get your time zones right...

I've gotten pages of CRAP when the question was "how do I turn it off"?

Best to ya..

Regards
I’ve made a few inquiries to them over the years. Only once was their response delayed and took about a week. One time I sent them an email on a Saturday night and received a reply at about 2 a.m. that morning. How’s that for fast?! At no time did I ever get the impression their customer service is outsourced.

It’s true that they only respond to emails, however, probably so they don’t get inundated with questions from tire-kickers and impatient old men.
Size wise, Schiit is about 1-step above a one-person operation.

No, they do not outsource their CS and they don't offer phone support--one of the many ways they keep costs down. This allows them to sell high value, (mostly) American made products for exceptional prices.

Additionally, many on their staff perform multiple duties. I can't imagine there are more than 1-3 dedicated CS people, if that.

Do not expect Schiit to behave like a "normal" company. If you are looking for instant gratification, they may not be for you.

If you want to understand Schiit better, peruse their site or Google, and read, "Schiit Happened: The Story of the World's Most Improbable Start-Up."
Their customer support was pretty responsive for me, the one time I required their assistance.
What was your question and additional response?

Maybe someone here can provide you additional information.

P.S. Speaking humans are an expensive luxury that is not available when you are selling product as inexpensive as Schitt.
This subject seems to generate a post fairly regularly.  Appears someone has an ax to grind.

I’ve never bought anything from Schitt but I had interest in a component, emailed some questions, got a response promptly.

Small, made in the U.S.A. Operation that is keeping costs down, the bang for the buck factor is huge.  Overwhelming positive reviews on their products.  Appears to be the type of company audiophiles clamor for. 
A search will show the same info in response, small, small company, limited employees, email inquiries only.  Many of their products have limited inventory, Schitt produces items based on customer orders / feedback as close to real-time as you can get in manufacturing. 
 One year ago I purchased a $1k pre amp from them for a friend. It was faulty right out of the box. I contacted them by email and was responded to immediately. Had a Fedex return label sent and a couple days later a brand new unit arrived ( which works great). No problem with their service....
I feel like they are having major supplier issues (same as everyone else seems like) and the two interactions I've had with them in the last 60 days regarding my Ragnarok backorder are... less than what I would expect from a company selling to this segment.

I've now asked twice if they have any reasonable expectation to fulfil my order by the new date, or if I need to find a temporary replacement *and keep my order open*, and I really expected more than a one line 'sorry for the delays' in response.

I've gotten quotes for *AUGUST* fulfillment from other mfgrs recently, and I just need to know if I need to find a different Amp before my wife kills me for the sound in our bedroom being broken since shortly after Christmas.


I've now asked twice if they have any reasonable expectation to fulfil my order by the new date, or if I need to find a temporary replacement *and keep my order open*, and I really expected more than a one line 'sorry for the delays' in response.

Wow you got a response back?  I emailed them a few times and it's been nothing but crickets.

I had a problem with a shipment of an upgrade board via Fedex ground.  Sent them an email and within a day had a response.  CS had tracked the problem to a lost package.  A replacement was sent overnight Fedex next day at no charge.  I would say you couldn't find a more responsive company.
 I would say you couldn't find a more responsive company.

I've had an order sitting in Limbo with no actual updates beyond "It's still backordered" for 10+ weeks now. They've fudged the Backorder date on the website twice, and now it's just a nebulous '4-6 week lead time.'

I could (should?) have had a PS Audio or Cambridge unit months ago if they'd been honest that they have no clue when they will be able to fill my order.

They are responsive in that they respond to my emails with the equivalent of 'sorry, kthxbai' but at this point I'm mostly keeping the order to see if it *ever* ships. 
I think the freya can be dangerous.
gain settings out of wack.  If injured u could likely sue.  How can ftc allow this to be sold.
I just had a Magni se with a bad off/on switch repaired and if you can't produce the "Order Number" which is on the original email only you get the run a round. It is not contained in the order history on there site.No one to talk to or where to find it.They have a store and two working/assembly sites... more than 1 or 2 people.Was considering an amp like Vidar but having serious second thoughts.
Stay away.  I found their freya plus risky to use.  Switching inputs from an avr to a dac can injurious to your hearing.  
Freya requires the freya volume control to be turned up vrtually all the way to get sound from avr on passive setting.  Make sure u dial it back before switching input to a dac.  You can blow your brain out if you make a switching mistake,

will be scrapping as dont want family friends to be at risk.

 very very dangerous!!
Thank you, I appreciate your comment, as I have found over time that the deciding factor is customer service and when mistakes are made how well they recover or not!
#jumia's issues have been addressed many times and in many places.

It's pretty clear when he states, "if you make a switching mistake". The onus here is on the user to use the equipment properly, not in a "work-around" situation.
The OP will claim that Schiit advertises the Freya as HT compatible based on two lines at the bottom of one page on their site. There is no mention of HT in the owner's manual and this can happen with any preamp that does not have a true HT pass through.
Website and schiit emails contend product offers a ht pass thru capability
Is the concern that its wrong if they said this? All i am saying is that input switching can be risky with potential to severely hurt you.

volume on freya nneds to be all the way up to allow sound to begin passing through from avr. Switching to the dac input without turning it all the way back is dangerous. They offer no warnings in any of their literature. Why must volume be turned all the way up to use an avr? Poor design.
Soooo Schiit is having inventory issues.  It is frustrating but not their fault. I had an issue with trying to buy a loki + which serms impossible; shame.  They refunded my money promptly (which apparently they never took, which caused some confusion on my end because I thought it was pulled and wasn’t).  They’ve also answered my questions online honestly and promptly.
Don't know what devils wear so I'll leave that to you; and it doesn't take being clever, just a decent memory of emergingsoul's posts on Schitt's communications, order, Freya HT bypass - or not, volume.
Hi, jumia,
Schiit does claim that...
All of our preamps offer true home theater bypass. Just plug in your processor’s front channels to any input, select Passive mode, and turn the volume all the way up. Presto! 1:1 home theater bypass, with only a relay in the signal path.
From: https://www.schiit.com/guides/choosing-amps-preamps

Unfortunately HT bypass isn’t fully understood by everyone so the nuance of their claim is lost. And it would be a good idea if Schiit was more clear about NOT using bypass mode unless you always remember to attenuate the volume before switching inputs. Sort of a buyer beware statement. But Schiit’s claim is correct.

I use a Schiit Freya S preamp in passive mode as an HT input source but I’ve added another preamp in the signal path from the HT setup that outputs just the right signal strength so the volume control on my Freya S is at the same setting as my other source inputs. I don’t have to worry about the HT input anymore.
Tom
@jumia 

You just have to use electronic equipment with a smidge of common sense. You sound like the reason we have the warning about not using the hair dryer in the bath tub.

Oz



Tketchum,
thanks,

what addl preamp have you added to signal path (any sq impact?)? Would love to solve this issue.


I use a Schiit Magni 3 Plus for now. It has up to 12dB of gain so the DVD/Blu-ray player has about the right voltage going into the Freya S. I have the Freya’s volume control set at about 60% attenuated (13:00). With that setup I can adjust the volume of movie soundtracks using the Magni (sits right next to the couch) within it’s prime range of volume control. I may look into a more refined, but still simple preamp in the future but the Magni 3 Plus sounds pretty good as is. I’ll probably just keep using it. I don’t listen to my HT setup for the quality of music, for that I listen to other sources, but a good soundtrack off Blu-ray sounds just about as good as a hi-res file played through my streamer/DAC.
Tom
Mr ketcham,

so device is like a passthru between a bluray (or say an avr) to improve strength of signal reaching the freya? Is 60% a normal volument level? Sounds like this may work for me to correct the freya problem
Using a Magni as a pre-preamp is a way to boost the signal so there's not a dramatic difference in volume settings between source inputs. It might work for you. That's assuming you have your AVR's volume already turned up fairly high and you still need to run your Freya's volume control at max. What AVR are you using?

 

The tricky part is determining how much additional gain you need in order to have the HT input voltage similar to your other sources. The 12dB gain of the Magni may or may not be enough for your situation.


I have a marantz 5014 and a NAD M17 processor and both require freya control to be dialed substantially high for normal listening. 


@facten

These posts read eerily familiar to the posts of emeringsoul on this topic


i agree, this character is a low grade sh&t stirrer... new name same tired lame game
https://forum.audiogon.com/users/jumia,
If you're using both a Marantz 5014 and a NAD M17 into a Schiit Freya + than no one can help you. You seem to be complaining about something that is absurd.
Jason Stoddard posted this yesterday, concerning delays and shipping:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/schiit-happened-the-story-of-the-worlds-most-improbable-start-up.701900/page-5163#post-16378983http://

" Actually, that's not quite what the new acknowledgements said. Here's what they actually are--three checkboxes before you complete your order:"

"( ) I understand the item with the longest backorder sets the ship date for my entire order. Example: if four items are 1-3 days and one is 6-8 weeks, your order ships in 6-8 weeks.
( ) I understand if the shipping date changes on the site after I place my order, that doesn’t apply to me. Example: if the site changes from 5-7 days to 2-4 weeks after you placed your order, you’ll still be shipping in 5-7 days.
( ) I understand that Schiit Audio can no longer change or combine orders, due to the need for warranty traceability. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.

The first one is simply informational--we only ship orders complete, so if you get 4 things with 1-3 day shipping and one with 10-12 weeks, it ships in 10-12 weeks. We just want to make this super clear so people can alter the order so they can get stuff earlier.

The second one is because we get avalanches of emails every time the ship date changes on the site. This doesn't apply to orders already placed. In fact, many of our products are starting to ship sooner than estimates, and speaker amps are getting near 1-3 days, rather than weeks, in many cases. This is just to let everyone know, don't hound us when something goes from 2-4 weeks to 10-12 weeks after you ordered--you get yours in 2-4 weeks, but people ordering now should expect to wait much longer.

The third one is because we get lots of requests to combine or change orders--so if you order a Mani and then you decide you'd rather have a Bifrost, and then change it to a Freya, we used to have to try to manage this through painful manual notes, which made warranty tracing particularly painful. So yes, we'll help you cancel an order so you can place a correct one, but there's no more ad-hoc changes allowed.

Yes, I know, we are terrible people. Yes, awful. And at the same time, I went to buy an awning for our CA house today, and what was the first thing I saw: ALL AWNINGS NOW 4-6 WEEKS DUE TO HIGH DEMAND. We're still waiting for a couch for our Corpus house, ordered in January. We went to get a high-powered computer for Ivana and found that pretty much all options were 3-6 weeks--past the date she was leaving to go home for a while. So we order a refurb, because those are in stock, right? Yes, except they delayed it 2 days, then a week, then another week--this is for a refurb that was, by definition, supposed to be in stock. Want a Camaro now? That's a nope. Plant's shut down. Want a Corvette right now? That's also a nope, plant's shut down. Want plywood right now? Hope you are OK with a second mortgage to pay for it.

I could go on and on about what we're doing to address this, including some of the most fundamental reorganizations ever seen here and at our partners. But these things take time, and even if they are accelerating, we're still having unexpected gotchas at many turns.

The cynical company would simply raise prices on everything 50%, and take a bath in the money shower that ensues, while enjoying the relaxation that less unit sales would provide. But we won't do that. That's not us. Instead, we will throttle demand by giving you realistic--or, these days, even pessimistic--estimates on when things will ship, because when stuff is backordered, it sells much slower.

Hopefully soon we will have much less backorder, or at least much shorter timeframes. We're doing our best, and we're making progress. But guys, seriously, this ain't easy. FUBAR is still the new normal. At least for now."
I ordered an item 4 days ago and I've gotten 2-3 quick responses. Today I had a response within the hour. I've noticed a name with who the response is from, Laura, Amy J. I assumed their CS but haven't visited website to verify.
I've bought 4 different pieces of Schiit gear over the past year at different times. All were shipped and received within the promised window and the few questions I had were answered promptly. I've been very pleased with my purchases.  

I think some have been rather clueless about the problems that have existed and still exist in the parts supply chain. All it takes is one delayed part out of dozens to prevent final assembly of a product. When I buy something, I want all the parts included!  

Now, if they can just speed up production of the new car I ordered two months ago. It's not due in until sometime in August or September, and I'm spending a lot more for it than Schiit charges for any of their stuff.  ;-)
Bought a dumb chair and 4 weeks has turned into 3 mos., and no details about delay.

manuf is done in US.  Seems businesses have limited interest in helping customers.

Need a good chair to listen to music.