Stampede Disappointed with tech support

[tuxrox]

I had more fun building my UDS than using it.

That is about how I feel about the first one I built, I sold that to a neighbor, and built another, then we put our heads together and improved the next couple we built. My current smoker has a weber kettle dome lid, with a firerope gasket, 3 racks and some hooks, a custom firebasket that hangs from some eyebolts and nice vents, it stays quite stable for 6-7 hours once I get it going.

the problem is of course its 10 years old and starting to rust out despite yearly cleaning and painting, so now it is starting to be less air tight, and I really don't want to build another.
and of course the work, I was actually debating on buying a stick burning offset or a big green egg and then my brother got his pit boss and well, I don't know, I figure I can keep my weber kettle, see if anyone wants a rusty UDS on craigslist, and maybe a few years from now buy a stick burner for the days when I feel like doing it.

 

[C. Keeper]

That is about how I feel about the first one I built, I sold that to a neighbor, and built another, then we put our heads together and improved the next couple we built. My current smoker has a weber kettle dome lid, with a firerope gasket, 3 racks and some hooks, a custom firebasket that hangs from some eyebolts and nice vents, it stays quite stable for 6-7 hours once I get it going.

the problem is of course its 10 years old and starting to rust out despite yearly cleaning and painting, so now it is starting to be less air tight, and I really don't want to build another.
and of course the work, I was actually debating on buying a stick burning offset or a big green egg and then my brother got his pit boss and well, I don't know, I figure I can keep my weber kettle, see if anyone wants a rusty UDS on craigslist, and maybe a few years from now buy a stick burner for the days when I feel like doing it.

The person who purchased mine was using it for competition. I hope it went well.
I still have my Weber 22 kettle.

 

[Simarti28]

A little late to the conversation, but did you check your spam folder?

 

[Tamany]

I was thinking of buying a pellet smoker last week, and like you had some pre-sale questions..
I called recteq around 9am last friday the 27th, after one ring they picked up and I talked to Evan for about an hour and we compared the woodwind 24, a cheaper pitboss I could have picked up at lowes on friday and the Recteq-590, at the end of that call I was still on the fence, but he answered all my questions.

I then went to lowes and looked at the pitboss, and wasn't happy with the thin metal in the ash cleanout, the show floor model had some clear airgaps, so I decided I would rather not have the ash cleanout or that model and then was deciding between the woodwind and the 590, but I was till a bit hesitant about the rear grill and the shipping time.. so around 2pm I went home and called rec-teq again. This time I talked to Mark after 2 rings, and we talked about warranty and what would happen if I modified the grill, talked through scenarios where I broke things, and in all cases he said it would be covered.

at this point I was now very much leaning the 590, just needed to convince the wife.. so I called camp-chef and spent 20 minutes on hold, then talked to someone unable to really answer any questions.

then i bought the 590.. hope its worth the wait. **I live across the country from georgia so its going to be a week and a half or so....

Point is, the phone number is great, try using it.

I've had great experience with their support. I have chatted on FB and they are super fast in their response time (considering it was a weekend), and I've called and spoke with people as you have, pre-purchase, and they have been very helpful. Love the support team!!!

 

[Hamp]

Have sent 2 pre-purchase questions to RecTeq support, 1 is about smoke level in the 590. The other was about 590 vent ports to keep rain out of grill while cooking. They answered neither question after 4 days. Is this typical?

Every time I have emailed them with a question I have gotten a response in a few hours. Must be a reason for the delay.

 

[OceanSailor]

I sent an email on a weekend a couple of weeks ago because the temperature control knob was not working correctly. First thing Monday morning I received an email that was just a copy of an invoice sending me a new controller at no cost. At the end of the day I received a reply to my email apologizing for the problem and explaining the solution. I received the new controller the same week. Before I bought my Bull last year they responded to email questions promptly.

With Covid, summer vacations and difficulty finding employees I have found many companies customer service has declined but have not experienced it with Recreq.

 

[Jefflov]

I had one the meat probes go out and sent them an email . They sent me two for free.

 

[danlecl]

Wow, my prepurchase wuestions to Grilla Grills are snswered in less than an hour.

I guess you will purchase one.

 

[KennyC]

Just playing devil's advocate for a second and I know this was not mentioned by the OP and absolutely no offence is intended. Not everyone, and that includes me, can pick up the phone and call. Instead they rely on email due to hearing impairments. All of my communication with Rec Tec has been via email and they have responded within a few hours.

 

[pungo]

I have had excellent responses via phone calls to Recteq. "Snail mail" is called snail mail for a reason.

Just so you know, the OP used "email", not "snail mail"

• snail mail = using the postal service
• email = electronic mail

But I agree, a phone call gets the quickest results with RT.

 

[BethV]

Not only is RecTeq support the best I've ever experienced, this Forum is a wealth of knowledgeable people who have extensive, hands on experience with everything from helping those people interested in purchasing from RecTeq to assembly and every aspect of smoking.

Ask you're questions here and many wonderful people will be there to help you out very quickly.

 

[Bjhenry]

Have sent 2 pre-purchase questions to RecTeq support, 1 is about smoke level in the 590. The other was about 590 vent ports to keep rain out of grill while cooking. They answered neither question after 4 days. Is this typical?

I bought a grill a week ago and have had tech support call me back pretty quick twice. Once was after hours and they stayed on the phone until I got my grill connected to Wi-Fi.

 

[Rick110]

Have sent 2 pre-purchase questions to RecTeq support, 1 is about smoke level in the 590. The other was about 590 vent ports to keep rain out of grill while cooking. They answered neither question after 4 days. Is this typical?

I just received my 590, assembled and did my first cook. The vents are now 4 slotted vents that are shaped so that we shouldn’t have any water issues and definitely no pests.

 

[pungo]

Ask you're questions here and many wonderful people will be there to help you out very quickly.

What do you want to know exactly? We can help!

Looks like L*dick has left the building, maybe they purchased another brand since there was an email problem with RT?

 

[C. Keeper]

Looks like L*dick has left the building, maybe they purchased another brand since there was an email problem with RT?

Say it ain't so!

 

[tuxrox]

Say it ain't so!

It's probably true, me on the other hand, I live in Portland and they estimated 12-15 days for me to get my grill. Well Thursday morning I got notice that my 590 was in Portland after only 6 days, I sent an email then remembered this thread and thought hmm, I wonder....

I got a call about 3 hours later they were surprised it got there so fast, I talked with someone at recteq *Adam I think was the name and he talked to shipping and they worked hard to try to get it so I could pick up my grill instead of waiting till Tuesday **who wants to wait through a 3 day weekend with their grill like right next door**???

after they exhausted all options and could not get ahold of the last mile delivery service to schedule a pickup I got a call admitting defeat and apologizing, but like dude, you tried don't apologize! I had 3 employees trying to make my weekend better, so great customer service.

Then after I had given up hope of smoking this weekend on a brand new 590, I got a call at 4pm from the last mile service and they said they would deliver Tuesday, I called them right back, and begged to pick it up now, and then drove an hour through rush hour traffic to get to them, everything barely fit in my car, and I got back around 7pm, assembled the grill and oh no... THEY FORGOT THE FRONT SHELF????

But hey, its 9pm in Georgia, they wouldn't answer the phone would they? this should wait right??..
Nope, someone answered the phone, they said they would get one shipped out, asked how the build was going, offered advice and walked me through the startup process... and of course I was eating smoked chicken at midnight last night.

First thing this morning I got a call from Adam and they were celebrating the fact I got my grill 7 days after ordering, on the other side of the country...

so I for one am quite pleased with recteq support at the moment.

OP missed out I think.

 

[mooncusser2k]

Email is also snail mail to some folks.

Only if you use teh interwebs.

 

[C. Keeper]

Only if you use teh interwebs.

I prefer carrier pigeon. 🕊

 

[mooncusser2k]

I prefer carrier pigeon. 🕊

What about sneakernet?

 

[IPlayWithMeat]

Pony Express, or nothing for me.