Comments and Openness on the Web

The web is a fast and changing world and we at Smith’s try very hard to keep up with it as best we can. We love the opportunity to connect with our customers on a more personal level, especially through feedback, questions, and new product ideas. Smith’s blog gets some really great “Ask the Expert” questions and lots of comments are posted on our YouTube videos and Facebook fan page as well.

However, because of the openness of our online policy, we often come across feedback on which we’re not quite sure how to respond. As a rule, we always respond to comments that involve our product being defective or malfunctioning. In those instances, we make sure the customer knows that we warrant our products against defective materials or workmanship and will replace them at no cost. All they have to do is contact Smith’s at 800-221-4156 or via the website.

As for negative comments that our product “messed up my knife” or “I hate it, it doesn’t work,” we would really like to provide an informative and helpful response, but it is difficult to do so when we don’t know if the sharpener was being used properly or if it was even the right sharpener for that style of blade. As you may know, there are lots of factors that impact the use of sharpening products, e.g. type of sharpener, type of knife, hardness of the steel blade, double-bevel or single bevel, sharpening experience, sharpening knowledge, proper use, definition of “sharp”, user’s expectations, etc. Therefore, please help us correct any problems with our products by providing as much detailed feedback you can regarding any or all of these factors. The end result will, in turn, prove beneficial to you as well.

In addition to educating consumers about our products and knife sharpening in general, one of our primary purposes of posting our photos, videos, etc. on the internet and maintaining our blog is to gain feedback that will help us improve our products. We strive to be perfect, but, like everyone else, we rarely achieve that. This is why it is so important for you to provide us with as much constructive feedback you can.

Our goal is to consistently provide the best sharpening products on the market to our customers. Providing outstanding customer service is also of the utmost importance to us. We welcome all feedback and will try to respond to every question that comes our way. But please help us help you, by providing feedback we can learn from.

Dan Glidden
CEO, Smith’s