A little general Member Vendor rant..... Options

[dlee1967]

Having started another 914 project for myself I've spend the last 6 weeks buying loads of parts needed in preparation of final assembly of my new car. Vendors such as Pelican, Restoration Design, Summit, Ebay suppliers, Amazon and even the street road AC guys had everything they advertised in stock and shipped in a timely manner.

The Member Vendors who I placed orders with for parts have been the worst at getting parts shipped. Most did not even stock the parts advertised.

Now, before someone fires back, let me say that I am a Member Vendor and everything that I have on my ecommerce site is in stock and ready to ship or an order cannot be placed for it. My site won't even accept a backordered item. This is not the pot calling the kettle black. I do what I am asking of our other vendors.

This is what I would like to see our member vendors do..........

1) If you don't stock the product please manage the expectations of your customers by either telling them up front on your site or on your Membor Vendor thread that it takes # weeks minimum to ship an xyz as you don't stock the xyz. (Just an example....no need for any vendors to think I am talking about them....you know if you are guilty of this)

2) If the material is delayed or you find an inventory discrepancy, please email your customer and let them know of the delay and when they can expect their purchase.

3) Don't ignore emails requesting status updates. A customer should not have to call you a week after they sent an email inquiry to try to get an answer. You can head this off by sending a acknowledgment email when they first place the order....(See #2 above) If you are too busy to answer emails, then you need to correct that issue or your customers will feel that you are too busy to deserve their business.

I always like to work with Member Vendors over the big boys to help support our grassroots based organization, but if the Member Vendors are not stocking the products and the big boys are, then it is hard to argue against ordering from the big guys. Just because you are a 'little guy" does not mean you cannot give excellent customer service. Please treat your customers the way you would like to be treated.

I'm done. Please ship my parts. I am anxious to get my project finished and driving a 914 again daily.

thank you....David Lee