HEGEL - Is it really made in Norway ?

Knghifi,

Please note that I never said the agent's customer service was bad. When I said the dealer went shoulder-to-shoulder with Hegel I was referring to their not standing behind the product. But they were not disrespectful or insulting -- unlike Hegel from their Head Office whose service was abysmal i.e. non-existent. The dealer did what they felt they could based on their point of view which was in agreement with Hegel's. It was up to Hegel to step up to the plate and let the dealer know they would stand behind their product and make good -- which they did not do. Hegel simply walked away -- and the dealer followed.

This thread prompted me to email the TAS editors requesting country of manufacture with reviews. Got a reply the same day agreeing that it would be helpful.

Let's hope it's implemented soon. And I urge all to email the editors as well.

Now for my personal view

I believe quality can be built anywhere. However the manufacture MUST disclose the place of manufacture in order to let the customer decide whether the price is acceptable using their own criteria. I urge others to add criteria other then price to that equation. I list a few below and welcome other suggestion:

Environment
Labor practice
Free speech
Product brand track record for performance repair etc
Design r n d
Use of new technology or circuits

Manley goes so far as to use their US-based manufacturing status as a mantra:

"Built in Chino, not China"

It's used in advertising and printed on their boxes.

Now for my personal view

I believe quality can be built anywhere. However the manufacture MUST disclose the place of manufacture in order to let the customer decide whether the price is acceptable using their own criteria. I urge others to add criteria other then price to that equation. I list a few below and welcome other suggestion:

Environment
Labor practice
Free speech
Product brand track record for performance repair etc
Design r n d
Use of new technology or circuits

My list shopping for AUDIO components:

1. Sound Quality
2. Build Quality + Customer Service
3. Price

"I'm SHOCKED! Now it's Hegel and DEALER have bad customer service. Do you see a pattern ... Hmm!
Knghifi (Threads | Answers | This Thread)"

The pattern I see is too many dealers and manufactures treat their customers like crap. And in this case, Hegel is to blame. As a manufacturer, there's 2 things they must do. 1. They need to have high standards when selecting dealers for their products. 2. They need to support those dealers. In this case, Hegel did neither.

If you look at every successful high end brand, regardless of country of origin, they get those 2 fundamentals right. If a reputable manufacturer can't find a dealer that meets their standards, they don't sell their products in that area. And if a dealer is screwing up, and not meeting the requirements listed in the dealer agreement, they get dropped. I've seen this many times.

If Hegel was doing a better job, this thread probably wouldn't exist.