Hi,
I’m not the type to write this kind of article; I usually prefer to support small and/or new brands. Since Nnormal is relatively new and still quite small compared to the giants in the industry, I decided to give it a try. And to be honest, despite a few red flags I had already noticed. But, you know, I believe only what I see. Usually, if I don’t like a product, I don’t write a negative article. I directly contact the brand to give them my feedback or, at most, I try to be as constructive as possible by highlighting areas for improvement…
But this time… I’ve had enough. It’s the last straw. It’s time to speak up.
Let’s start with some context. A few months ago, I wanted to change my vest. As usual, I did a bit of research, and I was left with the choice between a Salomon vest, like everyone else and like the one I already had, or trying something new and testing a rising brand. I looked into some reviews on the Nnormal brand from the famous Kilian Jornet, and I already had some reservations. On social media, quite a few people were complaining about the premature wear of their shoes around the heel. And the most surprising thing was the response to these questions/remarks… Zero consideration… “If the shoe wears out so quickly, it’s because you’re using or wearing them incorrectly.” Seriously? Especially coming from a new brand, customer contact and feedback seem essential to me, and this kind of public response gives a not-so-great image of the brand… Anyway… I gave it a shot.
After several months of testing, I finally formed a solid opinion, but I still have a major issue with this vest. Before writing the article to share my feedback, I contacted them to get a response to my issue to be as thorough as possible in the article and to find out if I’m the only one experiencing this issue, if it’s a known problem, and in that case, if improvements are planned for a future version.
The problem is: the flasks don’t stay in place. The elastic that’s supposed to hold them does absolutely nothing and comes off after a few minutes of running. This is something I have never observed, neither myself nor the people around me, with other brands. It’s curious…
So, I sent them a little message on Instagram. The response is often quicker than going through email with customer service. And to avoid publicly calling them out, I sent a private message. The response came very quickly, but it was… how to put it… quite odd.
There is no problem with the vest. If you’re experiencing this issue, it’s because the vest isn’t your size.
… Hmm…
There are only two sizes available, and the vest fits me very well… I took the liberty of responding that this answer seemed a bit strange to me and that I would conduct my own little investigation to see if other users are having the same issue and, in their case, if they also don’t know how to choose the right size for their vest.
So, I sent private messages to people I saw using this vest on Instagram. Out of about 30 people contacted, I received 7 responses… and then… surprise… 6 people told me they also have this problem, and some of them mentioned they never had this issue with other brands… Apparently, no one knows how to choose the size of their vest.
So, we sent another message to Nnormal on Instagram, summarizing the situation. The response was that my problem was forwarded to customer service and that I would receive an email.
The email arrived a few hours later… once again, we explained the issue. And then… hold on tight, the response is simply exceptional (quote slightly modified):
The vest was developed and tested by Kilian Jornet before its launch. The product, therefore, has no design flaws. And if you are not satisfied, you can contact the store where you purchased the vest.
Wow, I am blown away. Kilian Jornet developed this product, so it’s perfect. Our dear Kilian should stop trail running and go work at NASA or Airbus; there would never be any problems again. Apparently, the two services don’t communicate with each other and don’t receive the same instructions. Because here, there’s no issue with sizing. It’s Kilian!”
So, we’re dealing with a real lack of consideration for customers and, above all, a big joke. All brands develop their products and test them before selling them. Yet, a defect can quickly occur, and a design flaw detected by customers happens often, which is why products evolve and improve. But not at Nnormal.
It should also be noted that at no time did I complain, ask for a refund, a promo code, or anything else. My initial question was even rather well-intentioned, to be able to complete my article as thoroughly as possible and to warn potential buyers that this defect was known and that the brand was working on it.
To conclude, and what really shows that we’re dealing with monumental bad faith and disastrous customer service management, is that, after a bit of searching on the internet, it seems a V2 of the vest has just been released. And, strangely enough, the flask tightening system is completely different. Two other elastics have been added to hold them in place. So, don’t tell me that my version doesn’t have a design flaw!
So, Nnormal’s customer service is anything but “normal,” and it’s definitely over for me! I came, I tried, and now I’m out.
