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

[monkeyboy]

David, Amen. I'd love to support the little guy exclusively, but I would still be walking if I did. When I brought it up I was lambasted that people had other jobs and would get back to me.

Some of them never did until I poked them.

I don't care if you are a 1 man army or a million man organization, you should have customer service first. Communication is key.

[rgolia]

David, Amen. I'd love to support the little guy exclusively, but I would still be walking if I did. When I brought it up I was lambasted that people had other jobs and would get back to me.

Some of them never did until I poked them.

I don't care if you are a 1 man army or a million man organization, you should have customer service first. Communication is key.

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[Rand]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) communication is key.
Even when a vendor feels safe, knowing everyone sings their praises, they still need to keep their customers in the loop.

I really only get concerned when they fall WAY behind. It's a friendly community here and we expect delays. But if a vendor ignores customers for months, then it becomes a very serious customer service problem.

I know it's a dilemma for me. I try to stay patient because I want to support them. But after a point, it turns very sour. Sad when some vendor to customer communication would be all it takes to keep things sweet.

[porbmw]

Different experience from my part of "theworld".....have, with exception of one vendor who fell way off the rails, found member vendors by far the best I have dealt with in providing products and good service

[matthepcat]

I agree. I have had some fantastic customer service with the member vendors here, but also had to wait many weeks to receive items, with no real idea of how long it was going to take. Just reply after reply saying, " I should be able to get to it tomorrow".

[6freak]

AA is a rip off! and has very poor customer if you can even call it that ...I no longer deal with them ...JMO

then some JACKASS sold me some chrome lugs from Cali took 6 weeks and had to call and the fuck n thread are gaulled on one of them ...(not so much like new) no names you know who you are ....thanks fucker ...been hold n my tongue on this one for over a year (IMG:style_emoticons/default/slap.gif) un cool




GPR if i have that right ..fella`s name was Jonathon ...best service from 914 world to date .....on time and just what he told me i was getting was the product i received

thanks Jonathon

All just my opinion and i mite get the boot in the ass for name calling ...
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[ConeDodger]

There is a large difference between someone like you and GPR who are IN the business and someone who just does this on the side.
I agree we have a couple of businesses that are terrible at communication but for the most part no one is ripping anyone off.
As for things being 'in stock' how am I supposed to have nametags in stock? I don't know you want one until you order it. There are others with similar products that must be made to order.
I would be careful to distinguish between a business such as AA, GPR, PP, and say, Jim Macintosh. Even Eric Shea who does an incredibly good job of running a home-based business has a day job that is a priority. That is in my mind what a member vendor is, someone who does this on the side.