Please tell me what we (GPR) are doing wrong, - in other words why don't you buy from us. Options

[bandjoey]

Ok wow. Just found out you're in Dallas. Where? Do u have a warehouse with normal stocked parts we can pick up? All along I thought u were another California supplier. Moving up on my list (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer.gif)

U should look at Al Zims site. It covers the basic daily need stuff just enough to keep use up and a really good phone sales guy for everything else.

[biosurfer1]

The banners here are less intrusive then on some of the other sites, including Pelican. IMHO that's a good thing but they are easy to miss.

Andy, is there still a link to all the vendor banner ad's on the same page? You've posted it before but I can't find it.

[Brian_Boss]

Let me clear up the location thing. I'm in Dallas, Jonathan is in Santa Maria, CA. Our office/warehouse is currently in CA but moving to Dallas.

However, almost all the basic OEM stuff (brake rotors, ball joints, etc) is drop shipped from our distributors. We keep some things in inventory. These are typically from suppliers who don't drop ship (or are slow/unreliable), small items that people order alone (hood buffers, FI seals, etc), and things we actually make.

We have distributor warehouses on both coasts and in TX. A lot of people get there free UPS ground orders in one or two days.

Some companies will give you some BS about "our" massive inventory, but if you order a brake rotor from us (or Pelican, RockAuto or wherever) it is going to drop ship from a distributor. I just never saw any reason not to be upfront about it.

[GaroldShaffer]

Advertising here and on the web is good, but what about in magazines? Being a member of PCA and SCCA I get a ton of different magazines. Most Porsche ones have Pelican, Aase Bros, Stoddard, 914LTD and a few more. Pelican has one page ads while the others are usually smaller. I know it cost $$ to do this, but you need to get the word out that you are a player in the biz.

I won't (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dead horse.gif) about the website. I have always had great service when I purchased from GPR.

Do you ebay???? There is always the crowed that just buys off ebay also.

[Bulldog9]

I've owned old Saab's & BMW for 20 years and buy 99% of my parts online, pelican, eeuro, bavauto, ecklers, sierra madre, autoatlanta, parts geek, autopartsking, etc etc. I always cross shop to find best price. Am also in the middle of a full restoration on a 76 912E, and have been part searching for ust about everything at one time or another, and often do my first search for parts by name NOT at a bookmarked site. NEVER heard of you. Happy to look though.

[Porschef]

I've purchased a couple of small items in the past, via eBay I believe.

So, just for kicks, I went to your site to price out and determine availability of rotors for my 2002 Golf diesel.

I counted 15 options for the front, 9 for the rear. While I figured that they were listed by price, (eventually) that's not how I look for a part. I'm interested in brand (which you do) and OEM listing. I did not see that. It's my daily driver, I just want an option to purchase OEM. I'm not passionate about my Golf, I just want to replace my rotors.

Brembo is a name I recognize, sure. Why do you have two listed that would fit? Ahh, I see, one is solid, the other vented. Let me scroll back up to the solid rotor. Oops, no, thats a front, where was that solid rotor...here it is, no, wait, that's a different brand, ok, now I found it...

IMHO, I'd like them to be separated by front and rear. Then by brand, if it's OEM, then it's particular design (solid/vented) and then price. If I'm gonna buy from you, making the selection process more streamlined would help greatly. Not to mention, I went first to Brakes (not there) then to Rotors (not there) then found it by looking at the pictures (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wacko.gif) ...ahh, here they are, under Disc Brake Rotors...I didn't think there was another option (IMG:style_emoticons/default/shades.gif)

Now off to the Birdie to find out who made the rotors for the car...they're original, and still work well. I'd like to get another set...



Happy Thanksgiving All

[mr2by4]

I needed a part that I knew Pelican had, looked on your site and could not find it, or you do not carry it (it is OEM Porsche so I bet you would dell it to me if I could find it). Stopped by Zims while running some errands and picked it up for $2.50 less than Pelican and had a pleasant FTF transaction with a flesh and blood person in a brick and mortar shop. I also had the part in my hand instantly.
I do not imagine that this is particularly useful feedback, but after reading this thread, I gave it a shot and wanted to tell you what happened. The part BTW is a horn plunger for a 71 914. Zims had more than one on hand...
I wish you well and will look again in the future.
Good luck!

[02loftsmoor]

This is not a sales pitch. I'm sincerely asking for feedback on what we could do, or do better, in order to earn your business.

Even if it's not something I can fix, it would still be good to know. For instance, I realize a lot of people have a loyalty to certain vendor as a result of a long standing personal or business relationship.

I go out of my way not to spam this forum with commercial posts so I hope this isn't viewed as objectionable.

Brian

WOW. I just never thought about it, just looked at your website, easy to use, I'll have to keep you in mind. I do try and buy from the genders from this site. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/flag.gif) Happy thanks Giving (IMG:style_emoticons/default/chowtime.gif)

[Harpo]

I had purchased a few parts from you in the past with no complaints other than the web site that has been covered previously. Most of my recent purchases other than with Bruce stone have been with 914rubbber on group buys. Many of the parts I probably didn't need but because of the group buys I bought them anyways

I'm not suggesting his products are not great but I don't need them at that moment. Kind of get caught up in the moment while following all of the lemmings

Group buys?

[Madswede]

Also, i really liked the old black GPR T-Shirts and people would always come up and ask about GPR when i was wearing it.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

I'll back this up. They really are cool-looking shirts! I have a black GPR tee also, which I won as a door prize at one of the Rt66 Classics. Might I suggest making another run of those and sending some to the events as give-away door prizes? But I'm no businessman, so I wouldn't necessarily take my advice without that grain of salt.

I think you've got logo recognition down pat - it's a very catching logo, but it is a little hard to make out the letters GPR. The T-shirt solves that issue by being bigger and being warn by a human being who might know something about the company. I've found with the shirts, people have their eye drawn to it and so they ask me, at which point I point to the website on the shirt.

As a customer, I plan to shop with you for maintenance items and some other tidbits (maybe an O2 sensor for a 3.2 but I'm not the builder and would need to check what is compatible with my PLX wideband sensor and the Megasquirt system). As might be guessed by my saying all that, I also have the issue of a 1973 chassis with an 1987 3.2L engine (mostly) and 2013 engine management. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) In any event, I'm looking over oil selections now, in fact. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif)

- Jon

[Mike Bellis]

I forgot to mention...

If you are relying on 914 owners to sustain your business...

That's what your doing wrong. We're a bunch of CSOB's.

[r_towle]

Let me clear up the location thing. I'm in Dallas, Jonathan is in Santa Maria, CA. Our office/warehouse is currently in CA but moving to Dallas.

However, almost all the basic OEM stuff (brake rotors, ball joints, etc) is drop shipped from our distributors. We keep some things in inventory. These are typically from suppliers who don't drop ship (or are slow/unreliable), small items that people order alone (hood buffers, FI seals, etc), and things we actually make.

We have distributor warehouses on both coasts and in TX. A lot of people get there free UPS ground orders in one or two days.

Some companies will give you some BS about "our" massive inventory, but if you order a brake rotor from us (or Pelican, RockAuto or wherever) it is going to drop ship from a distributor. I just never saw any reason not to be upfront about it.

So,

You asked.
If your business is mainly selling other manufacturers products that you do not keep in inventory and you drop ship from distributors, then your core business is sales and marketing, service and support.

The asset value of your business, aside from a discounted inventory you may have, is your customer list.

You must see that you are a sales and marketing firm first and foremost.
Your methods will either work or will not.
Your business will succeed based upon how well you do your marketing.

Fix your site based upon what you have heard.
Figure it out, take a class, learn to build a site, or pay someone to build it.
Then you have another asset....

If you continue to make excuses about your own efforts in marketing your firm, usability of your site, and not being able to expand your main asset of yr customer base, then you may be controlling your destiny, but not in a great way.

[Brian_Boss]

I forgot to mention...

If you are relying on 914 owners to sustain your business...

That's what your doing wrong. We're a bunch of CSOB's.

LOL. As a 25+ year 914 owner, I hope I can say without offending anyone that I am acutely aware that 914 owners are, to put it kindly, among the most cost conscious of any group out there. I posted this here because this community tends to be willing to give honest feedback.

[Brian_Boss]

Also, i really liked the old black GPR T-Shirts and people would always come up and ask about GPR when i was wearing it.
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

I'll back this up. They really are cool-looking shirts! I have a black GPR tee also, which I won as a door prize at one of the Rt66 Classics. Might I suggest making another run of those and sending some to the events as give-away door prizes? But I'm no businessman, so I wouldn't necessarily take my advice without that grain of salt.

I think you've got logo recognition down pat - it's a very catching logo, but it is a little hard to make out the letters GPR. The T-shirt solves that issue by being bigger and being warn by a human being who might know something about the company. I've found with the shirts, people have their eye drawn to it and so they ask me, at which point I point to the website on the shirt.

As a customer, I plan to shop with you for maintenance items and some other tidbits (maybe an O2 sensor for a 3.2 but I'm not the builder and would need to check what is compatible with my PLX wideband sensor and the Megasquirt system). As might be guessed by my saying all that, I also have the issue of a 1973 chassis with an 1987 3.2L engine (mostly) and 2013 engine management. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) In any event, I'm looking over oil selections now, in fact. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/type.gif)

- Jon

Thanks for the input.

I am going to do some more shirts soon.

[Mikey914]

I would agree, 914 owners, myself included are let's say, cost conscious. If I didn't have a day job, my business would not exist.

[funk]

actually this is a question and a suggestion first I've been needing pistons and jugs and when I found your site you offer a set of 1976 914 p and cs for 250$ that are euro spec Mahles a great price but you don't say if they are forged or cast a particularly huge description mistake and I thought well a set for 250 must be cast but then I went to look at vw transporters (some parts are interchangeable)and found them with a set of mahle for 330 plus or minus except they do say forged and they say for a full set but they are dished pistons no interest for most Porsche engine builders so suggestion make certain description is complete and is this a full set or just one piston and one cylinder??I was uncertain when clicking on that parts section of exactly what I was clicking on. maybe update your products a bit to boot really most people who are rebuilding their motors from home at least are going with 96 mm pistons and cylinders just because you can still use stock fi ect... that that would be a trending issue.you have some great stock parts and good buys but not necessarily up to date on some of the latest mods although I do see the front sway bar set up some 914-4 headers would be nice to see at your prices hell if I was just saving 20 bucks. most of us guys are doing 914 because of course its the poor mans Porsche or so some people say and to save a few bucks hear and there on the solid updating mods is key at least imho,Jo P.S.I know my picture is abit jaded for you have to goto whole new sources ect.. ect.. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)

Somewhere in here, I 'think' you have something to say, but the lack of punctuation and sentence structure makes it virtually incomprehensible.

really its more poetic prose than a statements in essay form thanks though

[shoguneagle]

I think you have handled the question very nicely and have received great answers with logical reasoning. Evaluate and set you busness course by your "new" compass trying things along the way. Adjust and keep it moving until you have reached a point where you are receiving business performance according to your ideas, feedback, and evaluation.

Nothing should remain static so you should be adjusting with new ideas, changes, and other small details which you discover along the small business path. These paths are always changing and you must be on top of them to make the timely changes you see and continually needed to run your small business.

Dependability is a main idea which has been floated here. It was mentioned that Pelican no longer gives practical information and are riding on their laurels. Probably some merit to this view, but they have a large audience of customers.

Drop shipping seems to be very important to your business and this does establish merit to your ideas of an east coast warehouse and west cost warehouse. At some time if you have growth you will probably have do something along these lines.

It has been mentioned that 914 owners are cheap, some are not buying anymore since their cars appear to be done, etc. I am probably one of these types. EXCEPTION: major events come up where suddenly we are back in the market. In my case, I lost all my new car parts which I had purchased over the years but had not put on the car since painting was needed. All these parts went "south" while my recovered car moved "north". I am back in the market to replace these parts. Parts do wear out or maybe for some reason need replacing.

You should handle the car diversity each at the highest level to your client/customer needs. This mean each one has some level of importance and leads to profit return. Each has its own level of importance and is the hedge called "diversification". These must be evaluated each just as you are looking at the 914 people.

What I am I going to do? I like my 914 group members, suppliers, board, and whatever reason I have for these cars. I am a "sicko"!. I believe at this stage I will buy whatever I can from our suppliers. These people have proven themselves time and again. You should be this crowd. The business name certainly meets this criteria. What you are asking certainly a first step in achieving your business needs.

My allegiance is to the 914 members and suppliers. I will buy from you.

These are my thoughts and comments; hopefully, they will help you and do not mean anything negative. All positive thoughts.

Steve Hurt

[mepstein]

What is your USP? Unique Selling Position. Why should we buy from you vs. anyone else? Until you get that figured out, and learn how to convey it to your target customer, you are just chasing your tail.

[Johny Blackstain]

Outside of 914world, I'd never heard of GPR before. Really a shame, because my pm's with you were both extremely helpful & informative. King George you are not Brian, thank god. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Joe Bob]

Every place I go, they ask make, model and year. Like Ahndy....fuck dat.....this is what I want. Here's the part number.

I knew GPR when Dave was alive and well. Then with Jonathan.....my ride has been doing well the last six years. Kinda parked and a weekend driver now. Honda, Econo box gets me the long distances.