-
December 2023 by Budd Glassberg
I ordered a new Ponte Vecchio Export from 1st Line Equipment and 3 days later it arrived. It was well packed for shipping and after a couple of minutes to assemble, I filled the boiler with water, turned it on and waited 10 minutes for it to warm up. The shots appeared to flow too fast. I emailed Jim Piccinich, 1st Line's Business Partner who called me right away and explained what I was doing wrong. Problem solved. Jim is just the kind of owner who goes that extra step make sure his customers are satisfied. I highly recommend 1st-Line and their outstanding products.
-
December 2023 by Matt Lisowski
I bought my Lelit Elizabeth machine from 1st-Line Equipment originally via their website. It arrived in perfect order and I have ordered a wide range of other products from their website. Shipping is always prompt, on-time, and their prices are reasonable, so I always try to buy my coffee products through them.Recently, my machine after ~5 years had a minor issue (which is not unreasonable/unexpected with machines like this.) I drove up to their facility in NJ from Philly and they were able to fix the machine for me without issue. The communication was exceptional throughout and I even received an immediate response when I had a follow up question after-hours - further showcasing the exceptional customer service exhibited by this company.Would highly recommend for any coffee-related purchases - but especially for higher-end espresso machines (particularly if you're in the region as it is a great comfort to know I have resources for repair services as such support can be difficult to find for premium espresso machines without needing to ship which can be costly and cause even more issues during transit.)
-
December 2023 by eobie
Bought my machine in person a couple years ago from Jim. Nice guy in person. Since then the display went bad on the Lelit Victoria I purchased. Upon researching I found out that the LCC (display) also contains the firmware that would fix some annoyances.. mainly count up timer instead of down, actual temperature instead of set temp, etc.Called up there to ask what the software version of the LCC they are selling. Upon finding out that my unit is out of warranty I was told the technicians do not get on the phone when it's out of warranty. I told them I want to BUY the part can a sales guy help me then. Was told that a technician would have to open the package and they could not answer this for me. I think this is kind of funny considering they are the US distributer for Lelit. They know exactly what they are selling, but want to coax you into paying for service instead of just giving you the info you need.So Jim.... I live 30 minutes from your place. I will not be patronizing your establishment anymore. I will not be paying you for information, nor will I fix this Lelit. I will be purchasing a new machine from one of your competitors... one that's not nearly as petty.I was told to go online to find the answer I need. Instead of doing that, I used the time to write you a bad review. Merry Christmas.Edit: I did let the CSR know my information. She asked me for my name which I gave her. I also informed her that the unit was not in (full) warranty. If she had bothered to show any semblance of caring perhaps she could have looked either way. Not like that even matters. For a company that allows NO RETURNS on parts and makes you waive your rights even when it deals with receiving "other than ordered", I would think you'd at least know what you are selling.....I'm still waiting on the answer. The Q&A section is bogus... someone else asked how to set the LCC to count up in 2020. You responded that you sold the 100 units you got and had no way to verify. You never updated the post.... the guy still doesn't have an answer. 2020!!! Three years ago!!!I DID NOT ASK YOU TO DIAGNOSE MY MACHINE, I ASKED WHAT VERSION OF THE PART YOU WERE SELLING. You supposedly record all calls... listen to it.EDIT PART 2... just to be clear the software on my machine is 1.13. You are telling me the units you have, are older than the ones that came on my machine several years ago, despite getting new ones and selling them all. I think you'd be NOT so surprised that would be very unlikely... even more so since you are the us importer/distributer. You also keep harping on warranty. I don't care about the warranty. I wanted a SIMPLE response as to which version of software was on the unit you were selling. I did not want you to fix it, I did not want a free replacement part, I SIMPLY WANTED TO KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO BUY.
-
December 2023 by Harry Kopolovich
Great customer service. Jim is knowledgeable and friendly. Would only buy coffee machines and accessories from him. Highly recommend
-
October 2023 by M A
I agree with whoever said customer service stinks. I had bought a Lelit Bianca from this source and over time the machine started to loose steam.First I was told you only get to talk to someone on the phone if you’re still in warranty, then I got a vague video on what could be the issue with confusing and semi-rude email answers. When I needed parts, they went radio silent!In contrast, Chris’ coffee diagnosed my machine very quickly and pointed me to exactly what part I needed. Then they ordered the part over email and sent the invoice!Save yourself the headache and buy your machine from someone who will be there for you post-purchase. That someone is NOT 1st Line!
-
August 2023 by Jim Friedlander
Fantastic support! My 4 year old Lelit Bianca broke. I emailed Jim and he patiently walked me through (I'm pretty non mechanical) diagnosing the problem and sent me the correct part and now my Bianca is humming along again. Excellent service! It's why I only buy from 1st-line.
-
July 2023 by abby serd
What great personal service.! I Love my Lelit Mara. Jim shares his wealth of knowledge of all things espresso! The selection of equipment is great! Excellent selection of filters and other accessories! I do miss "fatto bene"!
-
June 2023 by Franziska Mack
I recently visited 1st Line Equipment with my partner to look at a few machines in their sidewalk-sale where we had the pleasure of meeting Jim.Jim's passion for his work was evident in his thorough explanations and genuine interest in helping us make the right choice. Despite having the opportunity to make a sale, Jim prioritized our needs. When we mentioned our upcoming move to a different country, he advised against purchasing a machine due to the potential damage from electrical frequency differences.I highly recommend Jim for his exceptional customer service, professionalism, and honesty. His dedication to his craft sets him apart, and I greatly appreciate his genuine care for customers.
-
June 2023 by Abhi Shah
Great service — communicated over email for a few days prior to help identify the issue, was able to set up an appointment and drop off my Lelit espresso for maintenance. Complete professionals, would recommend for anyone local!
-
May 2023 by Scott Saari
I have an ACS Minima Caffeum Perfectus espresso machine that I purchased from 1st-Line about two years ago. It stopped working one day during warm-up, after which there were no lights coming on. Tech support patiently corresponded with me over several months while they sent me parts to replace myself, but it became impossible to proceed further this way. So I sent the machine to the shop for service.I want to thank Sam in support for the great job in fixing my ACS Minima. Apparently there had been an electrical surge that damaged something. Like many businesses, there can be a surge of repair requests near holidays and a shortage of workers that slows things down. But they kept working, and I even got replies to questions sometimes on the weekend.When I got it back, it had been polished and shone like the sun, the electrical problem and a leak were repaired, and the service boiler pressure was adjusted up from 8.5 bar as I had originally received it to 9 bar. This made a very noticeable improvement in the taste of the espresso. I purchased a 1700-joule surge suppressor to prevent this problem from recurring after I had found a recommendation in the QA section on their website for the product recommending a minimum 1080- joule rating for surge suppression.I also wish to commend customer service for their usual fast and courteous service. It's always a pleasure to speak with them.
-
May 2023 by Julie Simpson
Everyone at 1st-Line was so quick to help me and so accommodating even though I showed up on the premises without an appointment. They had my Lelit espresso machine which was out of warranty working in no time.
-
April 2023 by Bel C
Great customer service. My steam wand fell off my Lelit Anna and customer service helped me get it back in place. They also helped me last year when my pressure was weak. Plus, my machine makes a great latte.
-
March 2023 by Fadi Shaheen
Jim and his team are the best: They are real professionals, super nice, and great to work with. I've been a happy customer for about ten years. Recently, I had an issue with my Lelit Bianca, which I bought in 2020. I emailed Jim about it and he helped me fix the problem during his vacation. He sent me free replacement parts and prevented me from unnecessarily buying other parts. I followed his clear instructions and the machine is working beautifully now.
-
March 2023 by Stephen Feher
I bought a Lelit Victoria in 2022 and it worked fine until recently, when the control center stopped working. The instrument no longer lit up so one could not see the temperature, the timing, etc. I contacted 1st-line Equipment, and after some communication we diagnosed the problem, and they sent me the part under warranty. Having some technical ability, I undertook to do the repair myself, and replaced the part. It works!! This saved a lot of money in shipping the espresso maker across country to be repaired.
-
December 2022 by M Tamassia
Knowledgeable team and great customer service. I bought a Lelit Bianca in 2019 and had an issue with the machine after the warranty expired. Even outside of warranty, the team was attentive and worked with me to address the issues in a reasonable time frame. Thank you!
