Not a fan of PMB Performance Options

[brainf18]

I'm having an extensive suspension restoration done to my 914. Ordered about $2K in parts from PMB. The shop I'm working with scheduled techs and shop time around the expected delivery date. Parts did not ship together but came in several different boxes at different times and one of the parts has still not even shipped.

When I queried PMB and asked for updates so I could tell my shop what to expect I was Extremely disappointed with the lack of customer service and malevolence PMB demonstrated.

Bottom line is the parts were not delivered on time, they provided limited and inaccurate shipping information and had an extremely dismissive attitude when asked to provide basic tracking details.

If PMB would perform basic business practices and communicate realistic expectations for parts availability and provide accurate shipping and tracking information then their customers would probably be alot happier. Their Google ratings reflect the fact that I'm not the only person who feels this way. I should have checked the reviews before ordering.

[mepstein]

If you understood how part sourcing worked, your post would be different. Nobody stocks all the parts they sell on their shelves. That would be impossible. So is counting on the big suppliers who supply the retailers to supply and ship on time. Our shop orders a couple to $10K in parts weekly. If half of them showed up on time or at all, we'd be happy. They aren't ford and chevy parts that are made by the millions and stocked by thousands.
And even when we are pissed off at our suppliers, I have personally learned to hold my tongue (I didn't always) because the long term relationships has proven to be 10X more valuable than not having the specific part for a customer or myself.
I'm thinking back to the time at Hershey where I mentioned to Eric that I was looking for a 911 turbo stub axle. He personally found a vendor who was selling it for a crazy cheap price, walked me over to the booth and confirmed it was exactly
what I needed. Priceless!
So, I'm sorry but I won't commiserate with your disappointment.

[raynekat]

I agree....it's just part of the Porsche game. Porsche parts are not as available as say domestic auto parts are.

I've ordered a number of things from PMB without issue.
For my project, I got most of my suspension parts from Elephant Racing.
They are numero uno to me for Porsche suspension parts.
And even they had trouble delivering parts on time as some of their suppliers were back ordered.

Sometimes you just have to be patient.
I know it's tough when you car is at the shop, but with these older P cars, you really need to get this stuff way ahead of time compared to when you need them.
I understand that's not ideal or convenient at best.

Sorry for your experience with PMB.
Many folks here obviously have not had the issues you are experiencing.

[wes]

I’ve never had a problem with them and agree with above.

[carr914]

If you understood how part sourcing worked, your post would be different. Nobody stocks all the parts they sell on their shelves. That would be impossible. So is counting on the big suppliers who supply the retailers to supply and ship on time. Our shop orders a couple to $10K in parts weekly. If half of them showed up on time or at all, we'd be happy. They aren't ford and chevy parts that are made by the millions and stocked by thousands.
And even when we are pissed off at our suppliers, I have personally learned to hold my tongue (I didn't always) because the long term relationships has proven to be 10X more valuable than not having the specific part for a customer or myself.

So, I'm sorry but I won't commiserate with your disappointment.

100% spot on. I work for a Auto Parts Manufacturer who sells to Wholesalers, Retailers and the consumer. I think the problem lies in the society we live in. Everybody wants something NOW!

to the OP, my Golden Rule is you do not schedule shop time until you have the parts in hand. That is a disservice to the shop. Another note, without PMB, your mechanic would probably be trying rebuild your stuff.

a personal experience, I ordered some Rennline Brake Lines for my 944 from Pelican 7 weeks ago, I got them last week. I understand it and no worries, I will wait for quality.

[IronHillRestorations]

Is it possible you don't have realistic expectations on sourcing parts for a vintage Porsche? How long have you owned a vintage Porsche?

So your problems are that you didn't get the specific delivery dates, their ability to provide tracking information, and demeanor on the phone? Sorry sir, but these are somewhat superficial.

How are the parts you recieved?

I know we live in a era with an expectation of instant shipping/tracking/ordering, but since the parts business for vintage Porsches is vastly different than Amazon.com perhaps you should re-evaluate what's important, which is the quality of the product.

[Toolboy32]

Do you want it done fast, or do you want it done right?
PMB does it right.

Parts have to be carefully collected....BEFORE you take your car to the shop.

[brainf18]

I completely agree with all your comments. This isn't my first rodeo. I'm working on my 14th Porsche, but first 914. If PMB had said, this may take some time, no worries. They didn't. They said "everything has been shipped and and all your parts are on the way." This was factually incorrect and when I queried them about it they were rude and dismissive. If others have had good experiences with PMB, great! That's how a customer service business should work. I however did not. I'm not the only disappointed customer. Check their google reviews...

[ConeDodger]

I just checked out your plethora of negative reviews. It’s a shame that the thousands of very satisfied customers didn’t bother to leave a review because they’d drown out the noise from the very-very few.
Eric is a man of utmost integrity. I have dealt with him for over a dozen years. He has always given me great service. Only my Tundra pickup has never used parts sourced through PMB. 5 cars. How is it that he has failed you so miserably while doing so well for me?
Let me say something about rude and dismissive as well... what was the method of communication? One cannot attribute ‘tone’ to written communication so text and email can’t really be dismissive and rude unless it is overtly dismissive and rude. More commonly, a person doesn’t get the answer they want, so the attribute dismissive and rude to the message.
When someone in the parts business says ‘it’s on the way’ it isn’t a lie. If they have ordered your drop ship then it is in a manner of speaking, on its way.
As an admin here, it is within Eric’s power to make this thread go away. He could also ban you. He would never do that out of a sense of integrity.
Long before his business began, Eric was in commercial customer service. I think he can weather your petty complaint.

[dabird]

Just checking in to say I also had a negative experience with PMB while having my rear calipers rebuilt, so it does happen. I will say, I eventually received my calipers and Eric did contact me and asked what he needed to do to "make it right". In the end, I felt just letting him know my experience wasn't the best was enough for me. I would do business with PMB again because form the best I can tell my experience wasn't typical

[mb911]

One thing I remind my customers of is that each part I sell is special for that client.. I build allot of parts to order.. That maybe what others are talking a bit about here as Eric does need to order parts for drop ship and once ordered he is at the mercy of his vendor.

As to a side note I am sure Eric appreciates your input for improvement to the process.

[brainf18]

I just checked out your plethora of negative reviews. It’s a shame that the thousands of very satisfied customers didn’t bother to leave a review because they’d drown out the noise from the very-very few.
Eric is a man of utmost integrity. I have dealt with him for over a dozen years. He has always given me great service. Only my Tundra pickup has never used parts sourced through PMB. 5 cars. How is it that he has failed you so miserably while doing so well for me?
Let me say something about rude and dismissive as well... what was the method of communication? One cannot attribute ‘tone’ to written communication so text and email can’t really be dismissive and rude unless it is overtly dismissive and rude. More commonly, a person doesn’t get the answer they want, so the attribute dismissive and rude to the message.
When someone in the parts business says ‘it’s on the way’ it isn’t a lie. If they have ordered your drop ship then it is in a manner of speaking, on its way.
As an admin here, it is within Eric’s power to make this thread go away. He could also ban you. He would never do that out of a sense of integrity.
Long before his business began, Eric was in commercial customer service. I think he can weather your petty complaint.

If you look at all my reviews they are significantly more positive than negative comments. I'm an umpire, I call'em like I see'em. Its unfortunate but many business just don't care about customer service and posting factual reviews about good and bad experiences helps others.

You many have had great interactions with PMB. That's great. And I agree nuanced messages can be misconstrued via email, so thats why I called and spoke with a person as much as feasible. However, it was next to impossible to get E. on the phone and they weren't even open during posted business hours last Friday.

Maybe PMB was having a bad day or week...I don't know. What I do know is that I did not have a good consumer experience and my concerns are factually based...All of this could have been avoided if he'd simply apologized and gotten me correct information wrt when I could expect my parts to arrive. He didn't. He acted as if my request for tracking information was and inconvenience and somehow completely out of the norm.

Since you asked - Here are the facts

1. He said ALL my parts had been shipped. The fact is they had not.
2. I'm planning shop and tech time based on the inaccurate information PMB provided. The fact is because PMB can't or won't provide accurate information, I wasted time and money coordinating with my builder, also inconveniencing them.
3. I asked for tracking information. The fact is he said to "check my invoice" which only said they'd been drop shipped with no tracking info.
4. I called again to ask for actual tracking numbers and they did not or could not provide.
5. I finally called a vendor they "represent" and he was very apologetic and said, no one from PMB had contacted him about my order and the parts hadn't event been built never mind shipped. I said "no worries" thanks for the info. I appreciated the update, just gett'em sent whenever.

So is it too much to expect shipping and tracking info when parts are ordered? I don't think so. This is standard business practice. Is it too much to ask the vendor to be accurate in their communications? Again, giving customers accurate information about their orders is also standard and expected.

If you're saying I should cut PMB some "slack" because E. is a good guy then fine. My point is rather than become adversarial with me, he should reflect on the situation and the other negative customer reviews he has, and strive to improve.

Lastly if E. wants to delete this post them I believe it only reinforces the fact that he did not provide professional / adequate levels to customer service and now wants to sweep it under the rug. I guess we'll see...

[IronHillRestorations]

Next time shop at Automobile Atlanta! They never have customer service issues, and I'm sure you won't have to endure anymore "malevolence"!

If this isn't your first rodeo, did you forget about having parts in hand before scheduling shop time? I mean you don't have the brick layers show up when there aren't pallets of bricks in the yard.

[carr914]

Next time shop at Automobile Atlanta! They never have customer service issues, and I'm sure you won't have to endure anymore "malevolence"!

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[brainf18]

One thing I remind my customers of is that each part I sell is special for that client.. I build allot of parts to order.. That maybe what others are talking a bit about here as Eric does need to order parts for drop ship and once ordered he is at the mercy of his vendor.

As to a side note I am sure Eric appreciates your input for improvement to the process.

Thanks for being one of the responders to take an unemotional, level headed view of this. As for your second point, I would hope so.

[brainf18]

Next time shop at Automobile Atlanta! They never have customer service issues, and I'm sure you won't have to endure anymore "malevolence"!

If this isn't your first rodeo, did you forget about having parts in hand before scheduling shop time? I mean you don't have the brick layers show up when there aren't pallets of bricks in the yard.

I have also ordered parts from AA and have been quite happy with them. Not sure why you'd feel its OK to take a cheap shot at AA by dragging them into the conversation but its NOT OK for me to voice concerns about PMB? I can only assume your friendly with PMB and feel the need to come to his defense.

To address your second point: Companies large and small use "Just-In-Time logistics" to maximize efficiencies and reduce inventory storage costs. JIT logistics

JIT logistics is also a standard business practice. Perhaps you're not familiar with the concept but its based on suppliers providing predictable and reliable service, with accurate information about delivery times, so those downstream can plan accordingly.

This goes to the heart of the problem. A miss-match with my expectations for service and the reality of dealing with a company that's not up to normal business practice standards.

[mb911]

Just trying to fill in the blanks here as to why most are defending Pmb. I for one am a huge fan of PMB and Eric as he believed in me when I started my new venture of 914-6 parts. He also bought many parts site unseen so that he could see the parts and rep them. He has made mistakes in the past as I have and many others. He makes good on things. To another point ironhills (Perry) is likely one of the nicest guys in the world, extremely knowledgeable, a huge 914 resource. To that the 914 world is a much more laid back then the 911 world and the timeline expectations are different. I understand that 1st hand with my former business(mkexhaust.com) vs my new business..

Again I appreciate your experience and I also understand Why so many defend PMB and it just boils down to an unfortunate experience.. I am sure if PMB gets a chance to make it right he will..

Now would you be willing to share some pictures and details of your car? I would love to see what your building as I am sure others as well.. Take care..

[mepstein]

Just in time for small Porsche businesses. That's when the shop pulls an all nighter to get a car out the door the next morning. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

Anyway. Good luck with your build and

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[IronHillRestorations]

You're right, I shouldn't have drug AA into this, and I am truly sorry you had a bad experience with PMB, however that is unique. 99% good service is only relative if you are the 1% that had problems.

I ran a small business for over 25 years, and know JIT all too well, however that business model is difficult to apply to restoration work on vintage cars and parts. Factor in the daily challenges of a smaller operation, and sooner or later a ball will drop.

I'll admit Eric is a friend (by phone and through business only), and always been straight up with me and everyone I know. This community is tight knit and when someone slams on a known "good guy" many will come to their defense, and in that regard I plead guilty, again my apologies. It's all to easy in this era of anonymity via social platforms for tempers to flare in a situation that we'd discuss more rationally face to face.

I feel certain that PMB will do their best to rectify the situation within reason, if that's possible. I'm also certain that you won't find a better place to get calipers done.

Best of luck with your project. There are lots of good guys in this group that will go out of their way to help you, should you need it.

[ConeDodger]

Eric is on vacation and it’s possible he gave the guys a long weekend while he was gone.

Again, Eric doesn’t have a warehouse. He doesn’t stock things, unless he makes them. So you order a widget, he calls the widget supplier and orders it to be drop shipped directly to you. In most employees minds, that is “on the way” even if the the widget supplier hasn’t actually shipped. The supplier just ships. Tracking is for retail not commercial customers. Not sure who you talked to at his supplier, but he has specific people he deals with so you might have gotten hold of someone who truly had no idea in spite of the fact that it had been handled by someone who did.

Eric’s shop is a restoration shop and his shop is out 3 years Last I heard.

Am I biased? Yes. I’ve stayed at his house. I’ve worn an “it’s salmon” colored shirt when he picked me up at Salt Lake Airport (inside joke but most here will get it.) I’m even Facebook friends with his kids and ex. But I’m also a customer, and he has never failed to make it right when I’ve dealt with him.

As for “emotional,” I’m not. I could give two shits if he makes you happy. People who leave bad reviews are a dime a dozen and clearly don’t represent the customer base for PMB. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

My Dad was head of a division at AT&T. He had a saying about customers like you. He’d tell his guys “if he got the death penalty he’d bitch if you weren’t going to use a brand new rope.”

Good luck with your project...