I wanted do do a quick shout out to Lionel.
Background
First, I ordered their recent Legacy RBMN GP30 #2531 and was blown away by the quality. The sound and other features on this locomotive seemed far superior to anything else I have. However, there was an issue with the front pilot – it was damaged in shipping. A brake hose came off and the plow (might be called something else) was snapped off on one side.
Lionel can only do so much to protect models for shipping as we demand detail which is often so small it can only be delicate.
Service Experience
Initially, I was just going to glue the broken pilot back together and call it a day. But the brake hose was too small and broke in such a way that repair was not a realistic option (at least at my skill level).
About 10 days ago, I reached out to Lionel to see what they could do, and I was disappointed by the response.
In an email, the Lionel Rep. informed me the part was unavailable, and they stated they did not have "an estimated time frame on when parts will become available". Further, the said they could send me one once it became available. Naturally, I was bummed thinking I would never be able to do the repair. Or at the very least, I would have to regularly check-in in order to get the part.
However when I got home today, a brand new pilot was was in my mailbox free of charge. This really impressed me because Lionel followed through with practically no hassle. I didn't have to jump through any hoops. They didn't even require a picture of the broken part.
This may not seem like a lot to some, but I was really happy with the support I received. I think Lionel deserves accolades for this.
