Cloud Defensive's Accountability and the EPL
Jason PineShare
Sean McCauley posted the article below in the Cloud Defensive Owners Group on Facebook back in October. I found myself re-reading it today and thought about how someone else could learn from it. I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for Cloud Defensive and Sean after reading this post. The fact that he took the time to write it and took full ownership of the issues they were having speaks volumes to his character and integrity. Owning your mistakes is a great first step in continuous improvement.
As you know, we make light carriers for the MCH DUTY and the MCH-HC, so we work closely with Cloud lights every day. They are also a fellow Indiana Based company, so supporting them aligns with our "keep-it-local" directives.
They will be releasing the EPL, which stands for Enhanced Pistol Light, and we plan to release holsters for them as soon as we can collaborate with Cloud and get our hands on them.
Happy Reading,
Jason
Without further ado, here is the article:
First of all - I want to tell you all how much Cloud appreciates your support. Matt and I built this company to be unique. To listen to the customers and to address needs in the market. To be what other companies cannot or choose not to be. For a bit now, we have lost our way and nowhere is that more obvious than right here in this group. Today, that changes.
About a year ago we put certain management in place. Some policies and strategies were created or changed with the goal that we could operate more efficiently and serve you better. This included moving from a direct-to-consumer model, adjusting some CS policies, and many other internal changes.
Suffice it to say that management is no longer with the company. Matt and I are squarely back in the drivers’ seats. Course corrections are happening fast. And good things are coming.
But. We need to address massive mistakes that were made. That blame lies squarely on my shoulders and Matt's shoulders as well. We wholly own this company. It's ultimately on us. If you are mad because of a poor experience with a Cloud product, you should be.
Among those mistakes were the following:
1. The company did not properly address what was approximately a 5-6% flicker/failure rate in our early-production MCH tail-caps. The issue was our fault. We corrected that issue long ago but failed to address it publicly. That was a mistake. And countless thousands of lights were fielded early in the MCH lifecycle. We routinely provide new tail-caps for those affected. Affected people post here frequently and rightfully so. Not addressing this was a big mistake on Cloud’s behalf. We will absolutely stand by those lights and our commitment to you. Current production MCH lights are not impacted and have never been of higher quality or reliability. On behalf of everyone at Cloud, I apologize for this failure.
If you have a flickering MCH, contact support@clouddefensive.com and work with us through the process of getting you fixed up. You gave us money for a world-class product, and we intend to deliver that to you.
2. The company did not properly address a very limited issue with our REIN 3.0 light heads. A single batch of those lights had a problematic electrical component which made them prone to flickering. The decision was made to warranty them as needed and not address this publicly. Again. A mistake on Clouds part. Transparency was ignored for operational expediency. Never again. Cloud should have addressed this sooner. Current production REINs are world-class and have never been better.
Often, flicker is of improper installation with the REIN, namely an improperly torqued tail-cap crown or tail-cap ring. This is a specialty light with a unique design that absolutely mandates a specific installation procedure. It is designed for extreme performance. As such, expect to verify installation methods. If you have properly installed your REIN and are experiencing a flicker, contact support@clouddefensive.com and work with us through the process of getting you fixed up. If you need a new part, you will get it. Fast. On behalf of Cloud, I apologize once again for this failure in communication. You gave us money for a world-class product, and we intend to deliver that to you.
3. The company suspended website sales to our customers in favor of dealers. We fully support our dealers. But let's be honest, our website changed and hurt your ability to get rapid access to the gear you need. The consequence was losing touch with you guys directly and negatively impacting your experience as a customer. I apologize for that and can only assure you it will not happen again. To remedy we are implementing 3 things rapidly:
A) We crafted a new website recently and it is live now. We are now focused heavily on the user experience, only selling in-stock items (avoiding backorders) and shipping very fast. And free. Always. We would love your feedback.
B) We took the gloves off Customer Service. We've never had better people in that department. Or better processes and behind them. We will continue to fortify that department and service you guys before, during and after a sale. At the highest level possible.
C) We will diligently work to be as active as possible on social media. This is where our community exists. We will not hide from pain points any longer. We will support you. Period.
4. New products were pushed back and delayed. It’s unacceptable when you guys are screaming for something and all you hear is radio-silence from us. That was a mistake. Matt and I put an end to it. So. All in-process projects have once again been pushed forward. And in the spirit of this, let's talk EPL.
5. EPL (Enhanced Pistol Light) is at the top of the list. It is real. It is close. It is industry leading. It works with the holsters you need it to work for. Pre-production units are currently in the field. We will have updates for you starting in November, on the website. 2025 will be a good year for a lot reasons. This has been a massive and painful undertaking. But we will deliver these lights. Come hell or high water. And they will absolutely be worth the wait.
6. Not publicly broadcast until now: We have cost-effective lighting options coming your way as well. Not everybody can afford top-of-the-line, but still needs utterly reliable gear. We never thought we would offer this but again, we listened to you. And we are working on that, too.
Oh. And I made you guys a discount code. Because we owe you. Because it should have been done long ago. Use it whenever you want for 20% off. We may have to limit codes during product launches and such, so please be understanding. But broadly speaking, we make it so you can use it. Because we support those that support us. If there is an adjustment to it at any point, we'll let you know here.
Code: CloudOwnersGroup20
Thanks for the time. The understanding. The support. And again, we truly apologize for mistakes and understand your frustrations. They are justified. We hold ourselves to a higher standard and we’re continuing to push forward.
And. We thought you might want to see the EPL in action. The new phrase we should all be discussing here: "Application-Based Performance and Profile". In other words, gear being made specifically for the work being done. Because that is what gets you home at night.
Thanks again guys.
You can join the Cloud Defensive Group on Facebook HERE
I think they are going to do great things in 2025!
