I have used Caldwell a few different times for large purchases. The owner was always friendly and I enjoyed his enthusiasm; however, looking back, it became apparent he was only excited to be taking my money while offering false claims of “We are here to help” and “We’ll always go above and beyond.”
I took some chains, from my MS 360, there to be sharpened because of my past pleasant experiences. The mechanic was seemingly cranky about having to be a work. He hurriedly sharpened my chains while I waited. I took them home, a little concerned by the speed and inattentive manner by which he sharpened them, to test them. First chain produced a powder/small chip with a slight right slice. The second chain produced the same powder with a more severe right slice. I took some pictures and called back. The pleasant lady on the phone said I could come back and talk to Phillip. I mentioned it was a 15/20 minute drive and that I wished it was done correctly the first time. She said to go ahead and come back and talk to Phillip. I showed up and brought the saws to the shop where the mechanic and owner (Phillip idk) were telling another customer (on the phone) there was nothing they could do (always a good sign). I showed him the pictures and told him my issues, politely. He was very rude and short. He said I could pay to have them sharpened again. I said “well I’ll just get my money back.” He said there are no refunds and that I could pay again but it wouldn’t be any different. The chains are new (less than 4 sharpening), saw runs great, bar is in good condition, etc... He simply didn’t care about my problem or didn’t even believe I could have one. I even offered him to cut with saw. He said he had been doing this longer than me, that the machine doesn’t mess up, and that I’m the only complaint he’s ever had with it. All he had to do was be polite and show SOME care to my problem and I would be a lot better. Even if it can’t be fixed, tell me why, show me why, or explain to me why this new chain won’t cut a straight line and produce big chips. That’s all I wanted. 40 dollars wasted. If you're reading Caldwell, please fix my problem and treat customers better.
Edit: The owner called me and made things right. I really appreciate his apology and will use Caldwell again to see his improvements. Everyone has a bad day sometimes. I will update my rating upon further use of this business.