Right on. I have visited their factory (apparently the only one they have) in Northeastern Pennsylvania. They have a window on to the area where people are opening up returns, inspecting them, fixing them, or sending a new one. You could send in your great grandfathers zippo and they will fix or replace it.
They also have a great display of some of the odder ones that have been sent in. They have the pancake sized one that met the bad end of a 15-ton press, the scraps of one that entered a wood chipper, and the punctured-to-hell one that apparently got into a fight with a killer Chihuahua. Playing on a TV overhead was all the times Zippos featured in movies. There are some really cool scenes.
OXO: Their products are better designed and last longer than any competitor. They are the only people who make a garlic press I have ever found to be worth the effort. Ours broke and they replaced it. Then it broke again and they replaced it. The third time they said that they had come up with a better, more expensive mode, so they would just send that. That one last lasted seven or so years of constant use and is going strong.
I still carry a Bic, for handy-fire-creation situations, I just don’t have enough of those situations to justify carrying around a relatively heavy lighter whose fuel will evaporate and require regular refilling, whereas I’ve had the same Bic in my pocket for a year and it still lights.
**Discount Tire: **(for all the reasons already mentioned) Three weeks ago I scheduled a replacement of some pretty expensive boat trailer tires. After jacking it up and tossing the old ones, they discovered they had only 3 of my preferred replacements (they had checked the day before and all 4 were there). No argument, no problem, the manager offered a full set of 4 *even more *expensive (and better) tires at no charge. They know how to run a business.
Cessna: Nothing on earth holds up as well. There’s a reason almost all flight schools use them.
Toyota: Took a chance and bought one in '05. Three cars later, I never even bothered to visit another manufacturer’s lot*… there’s no point imo.
Ruger: 'nuff said already
Yamaha: Our UTV has been driven thru stuff I’m pretty sure they didn’t plan on, and never even slowed down. It’s only limitation appears to be the driver (I occasionally take a look at a stream or bog and chicken out)
I took bottles of Flying Dog beer to an outdoor concert last night (Cello Fury) but forgot a bottle opener. Then I remembered the Bic lighter bottle opening trick. Tragedy averted!
Orvis for fly fishing gear. I’m new to the sport and they seem to have a policy of not overselling you on a bunch of crap you don’t need. They’ve always been really good about returns and their stuff is top notch.
Sierra Trading Post, just really good customer service.
Disney - I know some may disagree - and some may not like the movies - but Disney puts out quality entertainment on a reliable schedule.
And I have never failed to stay at a Disney resort where things weren’t spic and span and the customer service wasn’t great. Just last week I went down to WDW a day early and they gave me a room in another resort - because my resort was full for the night - and they had some helpful young men come and move my stuff from my room to my reserved room the next day while we were away doing other things.
They’re good at separating you from your money, don’t get me wrong, but they deliver top flight service and experience for it. There’s a lot to be said for that.
Discover (credit card). Good customer service, pretty good about being willing to tinker with the details of your account, flexible on things like late charges. Much moreso than any other credit card I’ve had, anyway.
I *would *add my voice to the Apple support, but it occurs to me now how frustrating I find it that iTunes is such a piece of shit.
