The CBCS Difference490
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nadabig private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I believe I was very clear on how I submitted my books and there is no mystery here. The only mystery to me is why some people here can't accept my experience was what it was. It seems to be a running theme on these boards though. CGC does everything wrong and CBCS does everything right. Well, I'm sorry. I live in the real world outside of these message boards and my experience says otherwise. I can only imagine that it's the same scenario on the CGC forums. I personally don't give a rat's behind about what other posters here think or feel. I want to see CBCS take advantage of what is obviously a great deal of room for improvement. I am providing them open and honest feedback to help them grow as a company. Because as it sits today, as my 2nd promised completion date has come to pass and my books are still in the vault, I will not be a returning customer. It is not out of spite or emotion. It is simply the truth that in the course of my first transaction with them two dates of a stated completion time have come to pass. |
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| Post 26 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
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Jeremy_K private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Did customer service say they were in the vault? My order went from quality control to in my hands in what seemed like no time at all; I was very on edge while my favorite books were not stored by me, however once i got them back I was very happy with how they were shipped and encased. Which makes me at ease with my current order. Try to relax Nadabig and once you see your comics you may feel differently. | ||
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 Collector
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The_Curmudgeon private msg quote post Address this user | |
| As a custom fabricator and machinist, I know that estimated completion times are just that, estimates. Therefore, I don't mind that my books are delayed, so long as I know the work is done right. Sometimes there are unforeseen circumstances which delay the completion of a project. Better that my books are delayed due to the concern of putting out a quality product, than damaged due to a lack of said concern. I did much research before submitting my books and was well aware of the problems CBCS was having with there process. I was also aware of the great time, effort, and resources they were putting into solving the issues. The fact that CBCS was so concerned about making sure their customers were getting the best protection possible for their cherished treasures, even though it meant weeks of delays, is reason enough to give them my business. It's more about quality than "how fast can I get it back." Quality is what makes the difference!! But then I'm not a dealer, I'm just a lowly collector, to be looked on with disdain if I don't agree with what a purveyor of substandard work thinks is great. @nadabig I don't think anyone is trying to discount your experience, it's just not the same as their own. CGC did many things right in the past, but now they're screwing up and don't even seem to be concerned about it. Instead of saying "sorry for screwing up guys, we'll stop and get this fixed ASAP," they're actively seeking to distract from the real issues and blaming their own message board members and their competition for all the bad press about it. |
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 Collector
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MR_SigS private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by nadabig So you think the graders and machine operators are working slower than they are able to? |
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Collector
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nadabig private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I simply do not know. I'd have to see their operation. My statement was that it does not always necessarily mean adding personnel. That is always the most difficult and most expensive way to tackle a problem. Mistakes are made when big sweeping changes are implemented to increase efficiency. There may be processes that fall under "that's the way we've always done it" that are sometimes the culprit. Flow of the workplace, structural obstacles, work area geography, redundancy and unnecessary actions...this is where I have had my best luck in increasing production/efficiency in my experience. Are graders taking part in the customer service process? That is where I would look first. If anyone with a hand in grading is spending time on this forum, answering emails or taking phone calls regarding customer service..this would be a point of focus. I wouldn't look to increase the people corresponding in regards to customer service, I would look to how I can reduce the number of calls. |
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 Collector
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roarzola private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by nadabig If you are not returning, where will you go might I ask? CGC with the current issue with their holder, PGX with too numerous reasons to mention, or just hold on to your submissions until CGC resolves their holder issue (if they every do). I choose not to hold my submissions but rather compromise, which is something sometimes you have to do to get what you want in life, especially if you are married. I choose to use CBCS even if they have inaccurate TAT rather then use CGC new holder. Once the holder is resolved, I can then pick and choose which the one I want to use which benefits me. Sitting on my submissions doesn't help me any at all. If you choose to not submit and wait for CGC, I probably could have 3 other submissions done and returned by CBC by that time. Why wait, at least get something done while waiting for CGC. I think it might help if CBC offered some kind of discount if they didn't meet the TAT. Maybe 5% off the next submission. Like when you got a late pizza, you would get a discount. |
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Collector
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MR_SigS private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @nadabig I'm not sure if it's been asked or if you mentioned it, but what time of the year did you submit the books you got back in time from CGC? | ||
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Collector
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The_Curmudgeon private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by roarzola They give you discount coupons to use with your next submission, good for one year after issue date. |
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Collector
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nadabig private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by roarzola My thinking at the present is that I am soured on grading altogether. |
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 Collector
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Sqeggs private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by nadabig Apology accepted. Carry on!  |
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| Post 35 • IP flag post | ||
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Collector
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nadabig private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by MR_SigS I actually tried to go back and get my transaction details but I cannot. I had sent in a batch of Francavilla variant Wytches #1s and then right after they came back I sent in a batch of Outcast #1s (which I so wish now that I didn't flip right away). Those were actually late fall early winter 2014. I sent some others probably early 2015. Nothing since as I don't really flip like I used to. My books in this batch at CBCS now are all personal..well not all as I just purchased a CBCS 9.8 of one of them because I just really want a 9.8 for my TWD run and doing so took some of the edge off the delays I'm experiencing. |
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Collector
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roarzola private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by nadabig Understandable. After my first bad experience with CGC, I didn't submit again for over a year. I actually just figured it would be easier to buy slabbed books. But then, I kept looking at my collection and there were certain books that I felt I really wanted to preserve, which I could not find already slabbed anywhere, and looking at the slabbed books I purchased and how good they looked, I decided to try again. CGC still had a huge turnaround time and CBC was cheaper and didn't include an admission price, helped me to decide to give CBC a try. Maybe because of the bad first experience, I am a lot more patient with TAT. It would be nice to get the books back when they are dated they would, but I just try to keep myself busy and not think about it. |
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 Collector
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Stelbert_Stylton private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by nadabig If you go to the CGC website you can put in the serial numbers and see the day each slab was graded. |
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 COLLECTOR
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I really don't understand why someone would choose not to use CBCS anymore simply because of the time delays when the alternative is a company that has decided to continue slabbing books into a holder that is actually causing damage to them. I would rather have a company take time doing it the right way than be fast doing it wrong with a faulty case. | ||
| Post 39 • IP flag post | ||
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Collector
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nadabig private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Stelbert_Stylton Thank you... Certification #: 0244546001 Title: Wytches Issue: 1 Issue Date: 10/14 Issue Year: 2014 Publisher: Image Comics Grade: 9.8 Total Graded At: 62 Page Quality: WHITE Grade Date: 10/30/2014 Variant: 4th World Edition Category: Modern Art Comments: Scott Snyder story Jock art Francesco Francavilla cover Key Comments: 4th World Comics & Toys exclusive. Grader Notes: None Available |
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Collector
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nadabig private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by DarthLego I know it's difficult to understand. It usually is when you form a response that doesn't quite correspond to what was actually posted. I stated the feedback I would have to give at this moment if asked based on what my experience was. My course of action, which is where you seem to be confused, was to just not worry about grading books. Never at any point did I ever post that I would cease to be a customer of CBCS AND take my business to CGC. I hope this clarifies. |
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Collector
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nadabig private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by nadabig And since I save every email...  |
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| Post 42 • IP flag post | ||
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Collector
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nadabig private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I hope that helps clarify. My books were back to me in about 3 weeks. Lucky, secret, magic...doesn't matter. My experience with both services are what they are. Can't change it. |
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| Post 43 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
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VintageComics private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by nadabig What is happening is unprecedented. Normal rules don't apply, no matter how much it sucks. It would be like getting angry at Coca Cola because they don't produce enough pop because Pepsi lost a factory to a terrorist attack. Unexpected market circumstances always take time to adjust to. Believe me, I'm known as one of CGC's largest cheerleaders but I still think that your expectations are unfair towards CBCS under the circumstances. Running a business entails many factors. The only constant in any business is that time is limited, so businesses find ways to work around that and it takes time to adjust any business with finite resources to sudden market expecations. |
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| Post 44 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
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Rafel private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Since CBCS seems to be taking (has taken) the market away from CGC, what are they doing about expanding? Are they moving to a bigger space and hiring more graders? What is happening on their end? All I seem to be reading is that everybody is upset with the time delays. Isn't it time we heard from CBCS. What gives CBCS? Talk to us. | ||
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 Collector
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TimBildhauser private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @nadabig Late fall to early winter of 2014 is when we stopped slabbing books for several weeks due to a problem with our inner wells. If I remember correctly, our current turnaround on modern books is (roughly) 40 business days. We're working on getting it back down to the 30 day projected time frame. No one in the grading room is taking part in any forum activity during regular business hours. If you see one of us here on the forum it will be during our off time, not during office hours. We have other moderators in place to handle the forum while the office is open. |
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| Post 46 • IP flag post | ||
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Collector
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nadabig private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by TimBildhauser What in the world does what CBCS did in fall of 2014 have anything to with my experience with CGC at that time? And I responded to another poster about how I would not look to add personnel to fix your issues and stated a question that I would ask if in the position to review your process as I had done for multiple departments when I worked for USAA. So no need to get defensive about work habits. I chose to bring my business to CBCS with an indicated 30 business day turnaround with no indicated delay. Since that time it has gone to a 3-5 business day delay. Then 6-8. Now as indicated here, likely growing to an 8-10 business day delay. How does any of that indicate that issues are being resolved? I consistently read condescending remarks about how I should expect delays. Why does no one here realize that in the actual business world when a work is not fulfilled as promised that business is likely to not be utilized again? I didn't set a deadline. I didn't speculate what a turnaround should be. CBCS quite literally stated what it was to earn my business. Can I give some leeway. Of course. Is two weeks an acceptable time to miss an agreed upon turnaround time? No, not by any stretch of the imagination. And to top that off, knowing they can't handle the workload they have they offer a discount only to a competitor's customers to resolve the other company's deficiencies while not even communicating with their customer base regarding their own. I have offered nothing but advice and honest feedback and all I receive is incoherent nonsense and apologist gibberish from people that want to be the cool kids on an internet forum that should in no way be a means of communication from the business to the customer. |
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| Post 47 • IP flag post | ||
 Collector
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DannyBoy private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Rafel I think it's a bit early for CBCS to be planning major expansion. The new CGC case fiasco only started a couple months ago. I don't understand why anyone is complaining about TATs. I'm sure CBCS is swamped with new business. And I would much rather they take their time and do things right, rather than rush something out the door without proper QC. We should be grateful that CBCS exists as an option. And it seems to me that CBCS has been openly communicating with us extremely well. No complaints there. |
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| Post 48 • IP flag post | ||
 CBCS
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Michael private msg quote post Address this user | |
| We want our TAT's to be up to date. We also want our grading to be accurate and consistent. We are falling behind with modern grading. We are up to date with all other tiers. Our main grader and president, Steve Borock, had back surgery and is out right now. Great timing, Steve. We are looking for a new grader. We have been for a long time. Steve is very strict when we hire a grader. He tests them and evaluates their potential. When we do hire a new grader, it takes months before Steve is comfortable with them. Then, they start to help lower our TAT's. We are also looking at ways to speed up encapsulation with new machines for sealing. The offer to take in new CGC holders has not slowed us down. It has more to do with the multiple conventions we have attended over the last two weeks. The offer to take in new CGC holders was not meant to offend our current submitters. We do care about protecting comics. My original post in this thread was about that fact. I hope that answers your questions. We do what we think is best for our comic collecting community but we are not perfect. One thing we will not do is knowingly put comics at risk. I feel bad for that Action #1 that was slabbed by CGC a couple of days ago. I would never have put a book like that in that case. We will continue to do our best. We will listen to our customers and improve when we can. I appreciate all the feedback, good and bad. We are the new company. We have not had a monopoly for 15 years. Our corporate culture is not smug or arrogant. We will continue to try to make our company something you are proud to support. |
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| Post 49 • IP flag post | ||
 I live in RI and Rhode Islanders eat chili with beans.
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esaravo private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Michael - Thank you for taking the time to respond to our questions. I think that getting the old e-mail notification system back up running will make a lot of us feel better about the status of our books. I also would like to see a status indicator on our Dashboard that tells us what business day our books are on. Not knowing what days are convention days or days lost to weather problems keeps everyone of us in the dark on when we think we should get our books back. I have an order in right now (16-171B6C6) that I know from my tracking number was received by CBCS on April 27th. It was for 12 Consumer/Expanded books, so I think those are supposed to be "on-time" for 30 days. My dashboard status and invoice status have not changed. I would hope to get those books back within the next few days. I do think that CBCS has been doing a good job at grading and responding to concerns from its customers. I also think that CBCS really cares about the preservation of comics (and hopefully soon, magazines). I would like more information about my orders so that I do not have to ask for that information myself. I consider you guys to still be the newbies, so I am sure you will improve over time. Just don't make promises that you cannot keep, even if you have sincere intentions. |
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Collector
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Stelbert_Stylton private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Rafel You need to read more/different threads, CBCS has been talking to us since this board started. |
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Collector
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Stelbert_Stylton private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by nadabig I must have missed it, on what tier did you send your books in? |
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Collector
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Rafel private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by DannyBoy |
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Collector
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Stelbert_Stylton private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by nadabig  |
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| Post 54 • IP flag post | ||
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Collector
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Rafel private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I agree with you. Still, it would be nice to hear from CBCS from time to time to let people know what is going on in their world. Maybe a "suggestion box" or a monthly statement on how things are going. We put a lot of faith in them just by sending our books through the mail if we don't see them at a convention we can get to. So, some day I would like to take a tour of just how they do things. | ||
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