Has your dog ever chewed your shoelaces two days before a big race? Or your roof collapsed and destroyed your new kayak? And when that shi…stuff happened, did the company you purchased the product from take care of you? Did they overnight you new laces or send you an upgraded kayak rudder assembly — for free? It may seem crazy but some brands truly take care of their customers. And we believe they should be recognized for their good works. Because the truth is: the brand/customer relationship shouldn’t end once the receipt is printed.
So, we asked our expert audience to share when brands have gone above and beyond to ensure they [the customer] were happy. And since we love all these stories, we’re putting them in alphabetical order — no favoritism here!
 | “Big Agnes customer service is awesome! I cracked a pole & they replaced it free of charge!” – Cynthia Higgins, Mississippi |
 | “Brooks hands down has the best customer service. Two days away from a trail race my dog shredded my shoelaces in both shoes. I could only find cheap laces in town so I had to buy them. I called Brooks to see if I could order some for another race for the following month. They OVERNIGHTED me 4 laces — free of charge. They saved the day.” –Becky Haskins, Idaho |
 | “Last winter the roof on my shop collapsed, landing on one of my kayaks breaking the rudder and punching a hole in it as well. I emailed the company about buying a replacement rudder and some plastic so I could weld the hole closed. The company responded by mailing me an upgraded rudder assembly and a ton of plastic completely free of charge.” –Nathan Stewart, Oregon |
 | “I put a knife through my Osprey Atmos 65 (I don’t even remember what I was doing.) I called them up and explained the situation and they replaced it and got it to me in like a week so I could use it on my trip!” –Colby Eaton, Missouri |
 | “I got OXO baking storage containers for Christmas. When I was cleaning/drying the lids I accidentally broke one of the pop tops. I called to see about warranty/replacement. Told them I got as a gift, and I didn’t have the receipt… They sent out a replacement right away. Not just a top, but an entire new container.” –Jaymie Stocks, Minnesota |
 | “Trew is amazing! My jacket was stolen so I decided to try a different style. I didn’t like the fit so returned it. Their CS reached out to me for feedback and I disclosed I was just going to get the replica of my original one instead. When they found out that my original jacket had been stolen they replaced it for free!” -Erika Van Paul, Wyoming |
 | “I had a pair of Vortex 10×50 binos…Took them with me on my son’s elk hunt. The guide fell in love with them…I gave them to him as part of the tip. Jimmy Hamilton of Vortex found out, messaged me, and sent me a new pair. When I got them, I realized he had also upgraded them to a better line of binos. Solid company” –Shawn McCardell, Maryland |
But sometimes it’s not your fault. In fact, sometimes the brand made a mistake. They messed up your order, the delivery was delayed or the product didn’t hold up like it should have. In those cases, it’s easy for a brand to ignore your calls — or replace the product but charge you a fee. Not these brands:
 | “Black Diamond customer service rocks! Unfortunately the seam on the index finger of a glove was splitting. Sent a photo of the glove and BD replaced the pair no questions asked. And didn’t even ask for the original returned! Now I have a great pair of gloves and a backup pair.” –Dan Abrell, Colorado |
 | “I had two great meals and the controller went out. I spoke to an excellent customer service representative who got me a new controller and it was back up and running within a week. Stuff happens! When you have customer service like I received, you know you are purchasing from a solid company with good employees…hats off to Megan from Camp Chef.” –Bradley Mauldin, New Mexico |
 | “I had a pillow that deflated by the end of the night, and customer service quickly replaced it. In addition to this, USPS lost the pillow and Klymit happily sent me a replacement for the replacement. I will be sure to do business with them in the future.” –Angelo Dodys, Georgia |
 | “After some problems with delivery of my order, I spoke with Betsy from customer service and she bent over backwards to do everything she could to correct the mistake…This is an extremely high quality company, both for customer service and quality of product.” –David Smelker, Ohio |
We were not paid to feature these stories. In fact, these brands likely don’t even know we’re sharing them. We just love when companies give their customers the experience they deserve. So the next time you’re getting ready to make a purchase, be sure to buy from a brand that you know will take care of you. Because, like Bradley says, “Stuff happens!”
