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Crutchfield’s online catalog has its origins in the company’s first year of business, when sales were poor in 1974. During the first year, the company didn’t sell very many items. Bill Crutchfield, the owner, mailed out a questionnaire to find out why customers weren’t buying products, asking customers what the company needed to do better. Customers replied that they didn’t know much about car audio, and were scared by the thought of putting one in their vehicle. The questionnaire prompted Bill Crutchfield to start filling the catalog with useful information about car audio. The company built this experience into their corporate DNA, offering superior customer service to its clients. Since 1974, the company has put car audio components into over 12,500 cars.
The Good
- Great customer service
- Lifetime support
- Extensive audio selection
We seriously felt that Crutchfield has one of the best customer service setups in the industry of online electronics stores. Here are some of the features of Crutchfield's superior customer service:
- Free lifetime tech support for your audio products ($99 if your products were purchased somewhere else).
- Free audio installation kits with most car audio products.
- A generous 60-day return policy, however, the items must be returned completely packaged and undamaged.
- An extensive knowledge base that includes installation guides and how to purchase product guides.
We liked that the lifetime support for products was also available if you purchased your product from another company. In our opinion, this is an indication of Crutchfield's dedication to customer service.
We liked finding an online electronics retailer that specialized in one market, specifically audio products. The online product catalog also has a very unique search feature, something that we didn't see in the industry. To search for the car audio that is appropriate for your vehicle, the website catalog prompts the customer to enter their vehicle manufacture year, the car brand, and the car make. The catalog will then present the customer with a complete listing of audio products that is appropriate for their vehicle.
We also liked the array of televisions and other products available through Crutchfield. Crutchfield has three different models of OLED TVs. The prices range from $3,499 to $9,999. We found it difficult to find a wide range of prices for OLEDs from other providers in the industry.
The customer experience with Crutchfield is also reflected by a positive reviews. The customer mistakenly selected the wrong type of wire harness. Crutchfield sent the client a free wire harness, the correct one, and did not ask the customer to return the faulty wire harness.
We also liked the extensive professional audio selection category. Here are some of the item categories that we found with Crutchfield's professional audio product selection:
- PA Speakers
- Audio recording equipment
- A wide array of microphones
- Monitors for recording and public performance
- Computer recording
- Pro Audio Headphones
- Home recording solutions
- Cables and Snakes
- Stands, cases, racks and bags.
The website also included extensive articles and guides for each product category. One article described the benefits of having touchscreen displays as part of a car audio system. One audio talked about car audio factory sound processors and how a new stereo could be easily integrated with a factory sound processor. The article also gave customers options on how to decide whether or not they should keep their factory sound processor or purchase a new one.
The Bad
- More information
- More products for devices
We couldn't really identify any "negative" aspects of Crutchfield's website, but we did have a few suggestions to improve the site's overall functionality and appearance, as well as increase the overall customer experience:
- For classic cars and motorcycles, we would like to see more "vintage" products available. Some of the electronics for classic cars had a digital display, limiting the "vintage" look of the radio display.
- Increase the number of GPS units and resources available for motorcycles, as there are only two GPS types for motorcycles.
- Better define how to package a product if it is going to be returned. The website doesn't give very good information for how to repackage a product and the amount of a restocking fee.
We wish that the catalog contained a bit more information on each individual product and how it might be integrated into an existing audio system. We were somewhat concerned by the factory sound processor article, as it read somewhat like a blurb trying to get the customer to purchase more Crutchfield equipment.
Even though Crutchfield is an audio component provider for cars, we would like to see more products such as smartphones, MP3s, and maybe even tablets that customers could hook up to their new stereo system, whether or not the item is for a home.
The Bottom Line
We appreciated our service experience with Crutchfield immensely. Here are the things that we liked about Crutchfield:
- The great customer service, an idea that is built into the very core of their business operations.
- The free lifetime support for products purchased directly from Crutchfield
- The free installation gear that comes with most car stereo purchases.
We also liked the extensive knowledge base online. While the live chat is not a 24-hour feature, there are a ton of articles that are available to customers 24 hours a day. Also, the knowledge base is free. Some companies, such as Best Buy, require the customer to purchase Geek Support or a service plan to repair or install an item. Also, the free installation gear from Crutchfield is hard to beat.
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User Reviews
On time delivery of product ordered and good deals on specials .
Good prices. Clear indication of availability. Excellent communication regarding delivery, and quick delivery time.
I purchased a 86 “ tv, onkyo receiver. Then a sonos command unit and eero WiFi. Norm is fantastic!!! He helped me decide on the best options without draining the bank. Julia in tech support has the patience of a saint. I’m not a techy person. She walked me through set up. I can’t say enough nice things about Crutchfield!
Fantastic service as always. Product delivered on schedule and a good price. Thank you
My item arrived quickly and in pristine condition. I haven’t hooked it up yet so not sure on functionality. I certainly have high hopes! The price was unbelievably low!
Ordering was easy and delivery was supper fast. These are Christmas gifts so the installation has not occurred.
Easy to work with and great online support!
Real easy and quick. Great experience and will be again.
I have used Crutchfield several times over the years and I am always pleased with their quality products and great selection. Their customer service is top-notch and shipping is always fast. I will continue to use them in the future for all of my audio needs.
Speakers sound really good. Metra connectors are spot on. Installation brackets were so-so.
Awesome company! Great deals for the holidays & with free installation gear it takes the guesswork out of ordering
Excellent products with good sale prices.
The website was really great to get around and easy to order. The product came in just as stated! Thank you!
The customer service is amazing! They sat on the phone with me for 2 hours helping me pick out the right stereo system for my 2004 Jeep TJ. Thx!
This company has great merchandise at a great price. They go above and beyond to make sure the items you purchase are going to fit your vehicle. I will definitely recommend this company to friends and family.
First of all, huge shoutout to Hogan. When I called, I really didn’t know what I wanted. Together we went through the options, he asked me what was most important to me in the system I was looking for, and with his help we nailed it! I couldn’t be happier. The Pioneer FH-S701BS receiver, Infinity speakers, and that Sound Ordnance subwoofer is awesome. Thanks for all your help.
Excellent and courteous service! So happy with my purchase and very fast delivery. I've already recommended Crutchfield to friends and family.
I was Christmas shopping for my younger granddaughter and looking for a good wireless headphones with a special color.I was directed to Crutchfeild site and found the color that she might like,so ordered it and the item was had free shipping and was at my doorstep in 2 days.Received great service and a great price.
A hard to get order filled correctly - with great efficiency. I do not buy often from Crutchfield, but over the past 27 years, I have never been disappointed.
Ordering was simple and arrived 3 days later. Replacing stock front door speakers and they provided additional informational sheets to explain taking door panels apart. Thank you Crutchfield !
Great products with accurate descriptions and fantastic support.
Excellent product (Marantz HD CD-1), shipped speedily. I also appreciated the advice available on the website for CD players and headphones. I will surely do business again with Crutchfield. Thank you.
Best online purchase experience I have ever had. Great deal on speakers and accessories which came quickly and well packaged. Called customer service for a quick technical question and got through quickly and with great info. Will shop here again soon.
easy to navigate website, easily found what I was looking for and got @ 50% off on black Friday. Doesn't get any better!
I am writing to share my awesome experience with Crutchfield. I made a recent purchase of a BT45-TOY bluetooth add on for my 2006 Lexus ES330 sound system. I saw an item on Amazon and Crutchfield. Gordo mentioned that they price matched if item was sold and shipped by Amazon. He did the research on my item and verified it was correct for my car. I had no reason to wait any further and mad the purchase. I haven't installed the unit yet but feel so ready. I even received the installation instructions for my car including the speakers and their info. Thank you Gordo and thank you Crutchfield. You have won me over as a customer and I will share the positive experience with others.
Easiest website to use, with everything that would fit my car along with the install kit. The emailed instructions were easy to follow. My order arrived within two days. I am a repeat customer.
Great pricing. Quick delivery! Quality merchandise.
I ordered 4 kicker speakers for my 2008 Chevy impala. Shipping was fast! All the brackets and oem wiring adapters were included also. Everything fit perfectly. Thanks!!
Crutchfield made my purchase easy as could be! Actually ordered the wrong unit initially, but one call to cust service and the initial order was cancelled and the correct one placed....2 days later I had my new unit, and the prices are more then competitive!!
Awesome products and great technical service by very knowledgeable staff.
I've always had excellent service from Crutchfield. This current order went just the same. They have the product lines I'm interested in and everything was included for my install (mounting brackets, connectors, instructions). With other companies, that would have cost extra. I'm sold on Crutchfield. Great folks!!!
Great customer service, fast shipping and support
Amazing really, excellent service excellent follow through and the product worked as expected.
Fastest shipping on the internet!! GREAT customer service. Knowledgeable helpers.....they know their products and can give you informed help.
They are Quick and Efficient, quality product!
Great customer service and a wide range of products.
It was a very pleasant experience with them. Easy to understand and very easy to install.
I've been buying from Crutchfield for over 30 years. They've never disappointed me; from the expert customer service and help picking out compatible products, to the excellent shipping and delivery process. I tell everyone who asks, "Crutchfield is the L.L. Bean of electronics!"
The ordering and shipping was excellent. I am only displeased with the product as it in no way measured up to what was depicted as.
Great products and very helpful with tech support