October 15, 2021

Saddle Update

I know I said I wouldn't have a post today, but I now have a resolution to my saddle problems so I wanted to share! 

Beautiful but wrong

The saddle fitter and I were finally able to connect yesterday, which had proved challenging between her kid's major health issues and my new job.

I had gone into that call intending to tell her I could live without serge panels, but she wouldn't hear of it. She completely owned the mistake as her own, explaining that she hadn't followed her usual process when doing my surprise last minute one-off saddle fitting in June, which led to her making a mistake in not writing absolutely everything down.

She said her reputation matters too much to her, and these saddles are too expensive, for it not to be exactly perfect. And she said the serge would matter to Connor, and long-term, it matters to her too, since she's the one that has to flock it and it's much easier to flock serge panels than leather.

This but make it fuzzy

So that requires a complete rebuild! They can't modify this one, they have to make a ground-up new saddle. Mind, blown. And they aren't charging me a thing, beyond, you know, the still-can't-say-it-out-loud original purchase price, lol.

She said she can sell my current saddle no problem (her dime, her effort) if I send it back to her now, so she can sell it in as new of a state as possible, and she asked if I was okay keeping the black loaner (which I still have) while they re-make mine. I laughed and said that Connor is going to CGP's for full training through the end of the year on Monday, and the black one would fit CGP much better anyway, so I think we'll all be happier with that loaner for now.

That made HER laugh, since she's good friends with CGP. "It's all about her, isn't it!" she laughed.

Because it has to get completely remade, I'm taking the opportunity to make a few modifications. I've asked for it to come back with a teeny tiny thigh block - she's actually probably going to use a jump block. I also asked to cut the number of rhinestones down to one, and make it purple. Three feels like a lot with how much I have going on on the cantle, now that I've seen it in person:

No croc though. This bad boy has enough visual interest as it is.

 

She's of course doing the serge and moving the billet, and then I'm also having her shorten the flap. 14" was doable and it's in the ballpark of what I like, but if I'm having it re-made anyway, we're going shorter. I'm not sure why this surprised me, but CGP is 110% on board with that, and said the 14" is as long as she'd go, but she'd have preferred shorter for me. I asked for them to shorten it another inch to an inch and a half, although I could probably go 2" and still be fine.

Long story short, human mistakes were made, and I'm glad I didn't get out the pitchforks, because my gut feeling that they'd make it right was absolutely correct. Being nice and understanding and taking a deep breath before freaking out definitely was the right move here.

And now, we wait! Again!

18 comments:

  1. Wow, excellent customer service!!! We're all human and make mistakes; that is amazing that they're going to make it even better than the original plan.

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  2. Argh for having to wait again, but that customer service is top notch.

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    1. I mean, if I do have to wait, what better time than when I'm only riding like five times over the next ten weeks? Could be worse!

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  3. Yay! What an awesome human to have on your team.

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    1. No kidding. For what is definitely not the first time, I get the strong impression that I bought the best fitter as much as or maybe even more so than I bought the saddle.

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  4. Amazing customer service! What is the new (estimated) timeline?

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    1. I don't know, don't care, and didn't ask. I know that sounds weird, but I'm riding a single digit number of times between now and January, and I assume they'll want to move this one along quickly having already done it once, so it doesn't matter enough to me to ask.

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  5. In many ways this is the PERFECT outcome – even the original mess-up! Because you got the fancy custom saddle AND THEN GET TO TWEAK IT TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER!

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  6. Bummer you have to wait again, but I'm so glad they're making it completely right for you! Things happen. I'm giggling a little because your new dressage saddle flap will be the same length as my jump saddle.

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    1. Hahaha, I know. I thought 14" was going to be short enough, especially since the fitter gave me a raised eyebrow over it, and then it gets here and it's like almost too long for realsies, lol.

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  7. That's great that they are fixing all of it, and then some!

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  8. Yay sounds like a really great resolution!

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  9. Wow. That is absolutely amazing! I am just blown away by that level of customer service.

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  10. I am so happy that this was resolved. Your saddle fitter is awesome.

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  11. The customer service has put them 100% on the map for when I *gulp* have to eventually shell out for a new jump saddle. I'm dreading the day, but know it's looming out there as the jumps get bigger and Arch turns into more athlete, less potato.

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