AdventureBilt Hats Waiting List Concern

[abicky]

Hello,
I wonder if anyone out there can put my mind to rest.

I ordered an AdventureBilt Hat from Steve Delk about 14 months ago. The last comunication from him regarding my order was March 2008 and I havnt heard any reply to any emails sent to him since then.

I know that he has a very long waiting list (over a year) but is it usual to have no communication at all from him. Steve has a very good reputation and Im sure its just a slight communication breakdown, but its a lot of money to transfer accros and not here anything about for a year.

Thanks in advance,

Alastair Bickerstaff
UK

 

[scotrace]

Not unusual, from my understanding. You'll get your hat, and it'll be worth the wait.

 

[Erik]

What Scotrace said.

Erik, November 2007 AB orderer.

 

[Dewhurst]

As much as I hate to say this, I'm going to say it anyway: it will be worth the wait. The wait is truly ridiculous, but it will pay off in the end. (Argh, the pain I went through to actually say that!)

In the bespoke world, you just have to get used to being in the dark a lot. That is the price of bragging about the product later on.

You will also find that many people take on too much work, and get way behind. I don't know if Adventurebilt is one of these, but their wait times have become legendary.

 

[Lucas A]

Hello there.

I'm new here, and have also not ordered from Adventurebilt.

However I'd like so say that I did contact him about a potential purchase one or two months back.
He replied to me in a few days, then I contacted him again for a quick size question which he replied to.
I then contacted him again for some questions concerning duty tax, and he's never replied to that.

So basically what I'm saying is that you're not the only one who he's not replied to, but you're a customer unlike me.

Actually I'm currently looking to buy my first hat, and was going to go with Adventurebilt because it seems like the quality is there, but the lack of communication and waiting time is holding me back.

 

[kaosharper1]

There are other fine custom hatters who communicate regularly and have a much shorter waiting time. It depends on what's important to you.

I've had 2 Art Fawcett hats made in the time you guys have been waiting (even at xmas it took 3 months, 6 weeks the second time), and Art always replies to questions. Other hatters here give similar service. If you want an Adverturebilt, you just have to put up with it, but there are other options.

 

[bendingoak]

Hello,
I wonder if anyone out there can put my mind to rest.

I ordered an AdventureBilt Hat from Steve Delk about 14 months ago. The last comunication from him regarding my order was March 2008 and I havnt heard any reply to any emails sent to him since then.

I know that he has a very long waiting list (over a year) but is it usual to have no communication at all from him. Steve has a very good reputation and Im sure its just a slight communication breakdown, but its a lot of money to transfer accros and not here anything about for a year.

Thanks in advance,

Alastair Bickerstaff
UK

It's happens some times for him not to get e-mails. he gets hundreds of e-mails daily asking "how much longer" after just a couple of months When his wait times are very clearly been known to be around a 1 to 1 1/2 year wait.

Steve has never not delivered a top notch quality hat. he does seem to send out a e-mail when the hats on it's way. I would send him another e-mail and put something that will catch his eye in the subject box.

Just an FYI, his hats are well worth the wait. His work is the cream of the crop.

 

[PADDY]

Don't forget Marc in Germany.

Marc is the other half of the company and is based in Europe. Both Marc & Steve produced the hats for the last Indy movie. Check the Adventurebilt website.

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I wouldn't worry about the lack of communication from Steve Delk. These days, he seems to be in a "vital communications only" mode. Last time he talked to me, back in September or October, he said he was getting over 200 e-mails a day. No, that's not a typing mistake. With that volume, he only has time for the highest priority replies, and he admits that he could miss important messages in the fray.

Based on recent delivery times, abicky, you have 2-4 months left on your wait. If you have an important issue that must be discussed before he does the hat, be clear about the issue in your subject lines and keep banging away.
If it's not that vital, just relax and wait. As long as you paid the man, you'll get the hat.

 

[johnnycanuck]

I waited over a year for my Adventurebilt. It is a lovely hat that fits fantastic. That being said I do not wear it much, in fact it has never left the house. Every time I go to put it on, I keep thinking "what if something happens to it". If it needs reblocked how long will that wait be?
I have two hats from Art http://www.vintagesilhouettes.com/ if I ever need work done, I know it will only be a few weeks and I can get hold of him to find out what's going on with it. Not only that, Art can make you just about any style of hat you want in any colour.
Johnny

 

[Tommer45]

My Adventurebilt order took 15 months, and my Uncle's order is going on about 16 months. Great hat. I'm not an experienced fedora guy so I can't tell you it's worth the wait (because I have nothing to compare it to), but it is certainly a quality made product. As for the long wait, my last two custom knife orders took 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 years, so 15 months was a walk in the park (I'm sure a few of you can guess the knife maker).

Tommer

 

[Neil]

Ummmm. . . .

I'm gonna have to go ahead and say no on this one.
The bespoke world is not an endless wait without communication, or at least it shouldn't be.
There is competition out there. Penman Hats makes a pretty good product, I am told, and responds to queries. Ditto Art Fawcett. That I can attest to personally. Graham Thompson, too.
I think if someone is charging $400 on up for a piece of shaped felt and a ribbon, they really need to amp up the customer service. At least where I'm concerned.
But I guess if the guy can afford in this economy to take a year and a half and ignore people, the market is voting for him, and more power to him. He's just never going to see my $400.
This, of course, is from someone who is willing to cough up Optimo's asking price of $550. But that really does come with customer service.

 

[bendingoak]

I'm sorry but steve is a one man handmade custom hat maker. He doesn't have others helping him and doesn't sew anything but by his own two hands ( no sewing machine ever touches his hats. Who last year worked 16 hour days 7 days a week and has made a amount of hats that not two hat makers could do together. He's not lazy just is in very, very high demand. He is hit with 200 e-mails a day and spend a hour each day trying to answer the important ones but like stated already many slip by. What he should have done and should do is raise his prices to what they should be and are worth. I have seen many offerings at a bit more in price than Steve's and they don't stand close in his work.

Just my 2 pennies

 

[suitedcboy]

I am not waiting but I do think there is a way to resolve this that does not take a lot of effort or time. Give anyone ordering a hat an order number, a simple sequential number. State what order # is last completed. Purge the completed hats owner names and send update to ALL in address file every two weeks (or three weeks or...)

" Hat orders XXX thru xxx were completed since last update. Thank you for your patience and patronage"

Lets customers know you are working and gives them a countdown for their hat order.

 

[bendingoak]

It would work if you work straight down the list but since some sizes are more common than others you would be less productive and would be spending more time keeping people up to date about being a month closer than making hats.

It's very easy to come up suggestions when you are on the other side of the table. Not that I'm saying it's a bad suggestion , it just that you don't see the other side.

 

[Neil]

So. . . . bendingoak

Was it wrong for me to compare your hats to Adventurebilt's? Was I mistaken in asserting that yours are just as good, and the lineup is nowhere near as long?
If so, I stand corrected.

 

[Dewhurst]

It would work if you work straight down the list but since some sizes are more common than others you would be less productive and would be spending more time keeping people up to date about being a month closer than making hats.

It's very easy to come up suggestions when you are on the other side of the table. Not that I'm saying it's a bad suggestion , it just that you don't see the other side.

There are many automated mailing systems he could easily and conveniently employ. BUT (don't miss this but), if you are correct about the way he does his work, then the mailing list would be less useful from an time point of view, but just as useful from a customer confidence point of view.

He should learn to control his e-mail, at least. He is in a business, after all. Reciprocating understanding is probably the best route. Your point, from a bespoke perspective, is valid, but customers want to feel like they are being taken care of. And, if they are not, they are not, and no amount of pleading for understanding will change that.

 

[bendingoak]

No one is pleading for anything. It's easy to come up with idea's when you are on the other side. thats what I'm saying. At this point everyone knows that when placing an order with him he has a 1 - 1 1/2 year wait before he even works on a hat. Why would you e-mail him a couple of months asking , any updates? thats just making it harder on him to answer true questions and problems.

I'll use myself as an example. I get someone asking me how long is my waiting list. I say around 3 months. They say thats fine and place their order. 1 month goes by and then I get an e-mail asking any progress or updates. I say no none at all because it will take me 2 1/2 months before I even think about making your hat. another month goes by and I get the same guy asking " any progress?"

There are other hand made products that take as long or longer. Do they have this problem?????

 

[bendingoak]

question for you. How long to set up one contact for the auto mailer?

 

[Not-Bogart13]

I think there are a couple of other issues with Steve that we need to keep in mind.

First, the demand for his hats shot up very quickly, at a time when there was NO real competition for that level of Indy hat. What started as a personal project exploded into a business. By the time Oak came along, and indeed several other hatters finally coming close to what AB offered, Steve had already involved with the latest Indy film. Then; order surge - price hike - order slow down.

Then you have his intensions to semi-retire in a few years. Why should he take a loss updating his business and extend already long wait-times, when he could just plow on toward the light at the end of the tunnel?

I don't like a vendor who doesn't communicate. But from experience, I can tell you that when it actually is important, Steve is there. He's aware of his shortcomings, but in all fairness - customer (i.e. US) can be a pain in the petooty!