This is turning into quite a saga. Having contacted Stiga about the blade falling apart they told me to go back to Dandoy where I'd bought it from. I replied saying I wasn't very confident in Dandoy as I'd had a lot of issues after they supplying the wrong rubbers with the blade originally and they had just ignored all my emails and I'd had to get paypal involved. The marketing guy at Stiga simply forwarded my email to Romain Dandoy the MD and told him to sort it out. I did get an email from him asking for photographic evidence which I supplied but then I heard absolutely nothing. More than a week went by without a word so on Monday I emailed Dandoy and the Stiga marketing guy and copied Mats Bandstigen the Stiga CEO in. I just asked would someone please respond to me. Within a few minutes the Stiga CEO replied apologising for the issues and instructing the other two to get it sorted. That was on Monday. By lucnhtime today I had still heard nothing from anybody else (I'd tagged the emails so I knew they'd been read) so I sent an email back to Mats B copying the other two in. Almost instantly I get an email from Romain Dandoy saying he had emailed me this morning. I replied to say I hadn't received it and please would he send it again but once again he's vanished and I've heard no more. Mats B the Stiga CEO did send another very pleasant email saying that now Romain has got back in contact he hoped my issue would be quickly resolved. It's turning into a bit of a farce. I had read reviews before I ordered from Dandoy that said their prices were good but the customer service was awful. I wish I'd listened! Hopefully though Dandoy will pull their finger out and sort it soon. My son has the national schhols tournament coming up in just over a week and he could really do with an intact bat to use there.
says
Spin and more spin.
says
Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
You probably won't get a new blade within a week.
Look in your Junk folder to make sure you did not receive mail from Romain there. Then email all 3 again and say you still have received nothing except the email that said Romain sent you an email.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Look in your Junk folder to make sure you did not receive mail from Romain there. Then email all 3 again and say you still have received nothing except the email that said Romain sent you an email.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Good advice. Thanks. I did it as soon as I received his email and chased it up again last night. I'm pleased to say I got a response this morning asking what spec handle the replacement bat should have and offering me some free socks and a shirt. Now I just hope delivery won't take too long!
I have to say the star in all of this is Mats Bandstigen the Stiga CEO who was incredibly supportive, hands on and helpful for something that for him is a really trivial matter. It massively boosts my confidence in Stiga knowing that it's someone like him in control of the business.
I have to say the star in all of this is Mats Bandstigen the Stiga CEO who was incredibly supportive, hands on and helpful for something that for him is a really trivial matter. It massively boosts my confidence in Stiga knowing that it's someone like him in control of the business.
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
good initative from the ceo. impressive to see him act in such a case and thumbs up for the ceo!
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Nice to hear that things seems to work out, hope you get it in time 
Nice to see that the CEO can really engage in even this "minor" problems to sort things out for us, good customer service.
Nice to see that the CEO can really engage in even this "minor" problems to sort things out for us, good customer service.
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
A much better CEO's measure is whether he/she is able to ensure that the manufacturing process has a virtually zero incidence of quality control issues, especially for expensive "luxury" products (which Carbonados are supposedly are), and therefore the CEO does not need to *ever* be involved in resolving "minor" problems.
Judge for yourself - given the number of posts on this and other major TT forums on Stiga's lack of QC - whether Stiga's management does a good job or not.
Judge for yourself - given the number of posts on this and other major TT forums on Stiga's lack of QC - whether Stiga's management does a good job or not.
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
says
Aged and infirm of purpose
says
Aged and infirm of purpose
Member
Also don't forget that, while CEOs tend to be very good at telling other people to deal with things, they aren't always so hot on following up to ensure their instructions are carried out......
says
Spin and more spin.
says
Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
I actually think the issue with the Infinity has to do with whatever VPS treatment to the middle plies actually is. I don't think the gluing process they are using is working with those plies for some reason.
It is rare that this delamination happens to other Stiga blades but it is very common with the Infinity blade.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
It is rare that this delamination happens to other Stiga blades but it is very common with the Infinity blade.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Sound like you can be right. Stiga should have been able to solved this problem if they have received the same complains from more then one customer. Or maybe they have fixed the problems on the newer ones? Lucky me I have not noticed any of these problems with my blades but I maybe have got mine from a whole other batch?
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Well, i received the Carbonado, and the first impression when i hold it is the handle itself, i wasn't happy, it was not smooth or fined or tuned or whatever you call, felt the wood is not smoothed [or lopped or pruned, i am not good in English], so i was scared the a tiny fragment[or whatever you call it] could go into my fingers skin, i don't know if shouldn't worry about it or try to find something like a leather or whatever to cover it or return it, it was the only blade i saw and touched it with that feeling, so is that normal for Carbonado blade or any Stiga blade?
says
Spin and more spin.
says
Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
The terms you want here are sanded and finished. Stiga leaves their handles on the unsanded and unfinished side of things. They also leave the edges of the wings of the blade fairly sharp. I file the wings so they don't dig into my hand. But just playing with the blade, the handle gets smoother over time and sort of breaks in to the shape of your hand. So over time it starts feeling like it is shaped to your particular hand.
But I like the shape of Stiga's Master and Legend flared handles better than most. The only handle I can think of that I like more than the Stiga handles is the flared handles on the OSP blades.
If you are inpatient for it to break in to your hand, use very fine sandpaper to smooth it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
But I like the shape of Stiga's Master and Legend flared handles better than most. The only handle I can think of that I like more than the Stiga handles is the flared handles on the OSP blades.
If you are inpatient for it to break in to your hand, use very fine sandpaper to smooth it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
I see, thank you very much!
In all cases, i can think of something, even to wear some kind of non slippery glove so it can protect my hand's skin, but if it is as you said then i just use it for a while until it will get to the shape and condition where it is comfortable in my hand, i remember long time in the past while i was playing in the university some student putting kind of rubber or leather not sure around their racket's handles for a reason, could be what i mentioned or could be that the wood isn't smooth or comfortable in their hand or maybe that rubber prevent from slippery wet hands.
To be honest, i bought this Carbonado in ANA handle, and i hope i can find some kind of a sticker or glue or whatever that i can stick my hand on the handle and have the correct holding the racket, because all people commented about my wrong wrong holding the racket, i start with correct holding as they said or as i should use it, once i start playing or training or practicing it is automatically get to wrong holding position, so i hope that ANA handle can solve this or if this wood of Carbonado can be shaped to prevent from wrong holding, or do you know a way? long time and i can't adjust to a correct holding, in fact i play better even with zero control and wrong handle than forcing my hand to stick in correct holding, i must get a way, and Stiga Carbonado with Yasaka Extra are the first blades i ordered with this ANA handle, and Yasaka blade handle is smooth or "sanded/finished" as you said.
says
Spin and more spin.
says
Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
I have changed my grip a bunch of times. When I did it, I had two ways of getting used to the switch. Hitting with a human while trying to change your grip is pretty frustrating.
The first method is, you bounce a ball low on the table and then you loop trying to keep the new grip. And you keep doing this till your body and arm know the position and the new grip. You need a large bucket of balls and you grab a large handful with your left hand and feed them to yourself to loop. Every time you see your hand go to a different grip, you move it back to the one you are trying to change to.
The second method is similar but you do it with a table tennis robot. You use the robot and every time you notice the grip going back to the one you don't want to use you switch it. Once your body feels the right angles for contact it starts becoming easier.
But old habits are hard to change.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The first method is, you bounce a ball low on the table and then you loop trying to keep the new grip. And you keep doing this till your body and arm know the position and the new grip. You need a large bucket of balls and you grab a large handful with your left hand and feed them to yourself to loop. Every time you see your hand go to a different grip, you move it back to the one you are trying to change to.
The second method is similar but you do it with a table tennis robot. You use the robot and every time you notice the grip going back to the one you don't want to use you switch it. Once your body feels the right angles for contact it starts becoming easier.
But old habits are hard to change.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Check out what you wrote that i highlighted in bold and underline, i am scared[or worried] that i can't change that habit easily or quickly or soon enough, because the coach is wasting time on teaching and shouting on me about me holding correctly and then taking money, i can't keep affording him money while he is teaching me for months how to hold the racket correctly, wish i can move to my own house and buy a table tennis table and a robot then i will follow what you said, it is like i must first correct my holding before i start training or having coaching.
says
Spin and more spin.
says
Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Yep. That is hard to change without something like what I described. But if it helps your thinking: I changed grips 4 times two years ago. Each grip change took me an hour on a table alone with a bucket of balls to get used to.
One was a backhand grip and I was using it for both sides so it was similar to ZJK's grip.
The second was a grip where I switched grips for forehand and backhand and was using a FH grip for forehand and a BH grip for backhand.
The third was a grip where I was half way between FH and BH grips so that I wouldn't have to switch grips.
The one I am using now, I got from a Chinese woman coach. It is hard to describe. I am using my index finger and thumb to hold the blade face and I am not really holding the handle. My fingers are around it but really relaxed. What happens is, as I close my wrist and forearm for a backhand the racket just ends up in what amounts to a backhand grip and when I open my wrist and rotate my forearm down for a forehand the racket ends up in what amounts to a forehand grip even though I am not changing the grip.
What is the point of all this? If you do the work and practice alone on a table with a bucket of balls, you can change it. But it is much harder to change while hitting with another person. And when you are working alone you have to be really disciplined about keeping the grip the way you want to change it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
One was a backhand grip and I was using it for both sides so it was similar to ZJK's grip.
The second was a grip where I switched grips for forehand and backhand and was using a FH grip for forehand and a BH grip for backhand.
The third was a grip where I was half way between FH and BH grips so that I wouldn't have to switch grips.
The one I am using now, I got from a Chinese woman coach. It is hard to describe. I am using my index finger and thumb to hold the blade face and I am not really holding the handle. My fingers are around it but really relaxed. What happens is, as I close my wrist and forearm for a backhand the racket just ends up in what amounts to a backhand grip and when I open my wrist and rotate my forearm down for a forehand the racket ends up in what amounts to a forehand grip even though I am not changing the grip.
What is the point of all this? If you do the work and practice alone on a table with a bucket of balls, you can change it. But it is much harder to change while hitting with another person. And when you are working alone you have to be really disciplined about keeping the grip the way you want to change it.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Last edited:
It's a valid point but there's also a high probability that if a CEO is willing to engage with his customers and take ownership of a small problem he's also likely to be engaging with his R&D and manufacturing divisions, taking ownership of the larger problem, finding out what the issue is and working out how to fix it. (If the replacement Infinity falls apart too I might end up eating those words!)
I said in my original post that one oft quoted measure of a company is not whether you ever have a problem but by how they respond if you do have a problem. In my book Stiga has passed with flying colours, Dandoy not quite so much!
says
Spin and more spin.
says
Spin and more spin.
Well-Known Member
Super Moderator
Being honest, if Stiga had passed with "flying colors", they would have sent you a new one by next day delivery when you showed them the photos and the package would have included a return to sender package for you to send the damaged product back to STIGA, not to the retailer. But, they half passed with say, a low passing grade. Like a C or a C+ rather than an A or an A+.
However, Stiga has to already know about this problem with Infinity blades. It has happened to sooooooo many of them.
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Better if you could post photos of those grips so i can have btr idea about what you are talking about, please if you wouldn't mind!
Thanks
Similar threads
