I am really getting tired of placing orders for parts. I don't want to mention any names but I just placed an order from this place that borders a state that got hit real hard by the last hurricane, and there is just this attitude or smugness that just rubs me the wrong way. I asked if a particular item they had was OEM. Instead of just saying, "I'm sorry, OEM is not available on that part", I get "Now, you tell me where your going to find an OEM of that!" I mean, it's not said in a mean way, but I get off the phone feeling like a kid asking his Dad for something and being told no. And it's just not this one place, I have experienced this with other places and even walk-up places.

It is like the people who dish out the parts have this gnostic know-it-all smugness. If you show any sign of doubt or questions, they sieze on that to show how they know so much more. I am getting to the point that I would just rather place orders completely online, or from Ebay.

Rant Over

You should send the exact same message to the attention of the sales manager of that company. I don't think they want that attitude from their employee. Someone may get their chain jerked and for good reason.

You should tell Dr. Hustle to move to the Florida Keys!!!

To slightly change the subject, I hate getting jacked over on parts when you try and support the little guy and buy locally.

I've been swapping out shocks on my daily driver Jetta. I didn't have the forsight to order new rubber bits when I was ordering the shocks so when I went to buy them locally the price is 3.5X the online rate. Screw that. I am not paying $70 for two bump stops that probably cost 15 cents to manufacture especially when I can get them online for $10/each. Who cares if I have to pay $7 in shipping I'm still way ahead.

$70 was from the dealer so I tried another place that specializes in German parts. They wanted $20/each. I told them that the online places charge $10 and then he gave me the song and dance about how they operate on a 10% margin and drop ship everything but he would sell them for $15/each but they were out of stock and I'd have to wait 2 days. I get the messsage - just order from the online places and save the bucks. I'm not getting any service or knowledge from these guys.

I would never deal with those criminals. If you are looking for new 914 parts, I would call GPR German Parts & Restoration in SLO California @ 800-321-5432
They should have everything you need.

You can call and complain all you want, I think they encourage rudeness there! I dared not to have ordered the "Tips" guidebook they are so proud of and wanted to order a control arm - they said you better buy the book, read it, then call us when you know what you are talking about. I have never used them since. Turns out, my control arm is bent and i needed a new one (guess i knew what i was talking about after all)....

If this is the company I think it is, contacting the sales manager will, if anything, get you even more attitude. They continue to exist primarily because of a regular flow of new customers who don't know any better.



The life of a retail parts house is hard, esp. now. The smarter ones aren't fighting, but joining, setting up e-commerce sites and expanding their business with phone and online orders, rather than just trying to survive on local business.

I had a conversation with a guy who runs a one-man British parts place that's been in business for nearly 30 years. Business was very good then, and stayed good until about 10 years ago. The slow decline in the number of British cars still needing parts, coupled with the growth of the mail/online businesses, are hurting him badly. However, I don't feel too bad for the guy, because he's refusing to change to adapt, or even go out of his way to reverse the trend. I asked him if we was planning to attend a local British car show that was happening that particular weekend, and he looked at me like I was insane, saying he didn't have time for that. Now, think, advertising costs serious money (he only has an ad in the Yellow Pages!), but with little return. Paying for a booth at a car show full of dedicated and local customers who probably didn't even know he existed would have a far better return. He completely failed to grasp that supporting local clubs and making himself visible at events paid off far better than an ad in a phone book no one even looks at anymore. Zero on-line presence, and no desire to acquire one. Yet his shop is in one of the most plugged-in areas in the country.

I do try to support local businesses, but some clearly don't deserve to be supported. The successful ones do support the local clubs. The most succesful actually create events (Moss Motors, one of the top retailers of British parts in the US, has a huge event every year).

If the bump stops had been in stock I would have bought them at the inflated $20/each (2X of Worldpac price). But if they can't even keep basic stuff in stock and then tell customers that we can get it in two days what's the point? I can get it in two days as well for less $$$.

You're right. Shops/part houses need to adapt if they can't survive just on service. For VWs, New Dimensions in Santa Clara is the model business. They have had an internet presence for 10+ years (started in the newsgroup days). They do top notch service. They are helpful and friendly, they send me a nice newsletter once or twice a year, and they have charity car shows every year that bring hundreds of people to their business.

It surprises me that no Porsche shop in the Bay Area runs a similar operation. I guess most good Porsches shops are full up with service calls anyway.

I think this is a growing trend of lesser customer service and it is not just limited to parts suppliers.

Same scenario happens to me almost weekly at Barnes and Noble. Do you have Porsche, Ducati, Triumph book XYZ? "No, we can order it and have it ready for you to pick up here at the store in two weeks". No thanks, I'll just order it from Amazon.com and have it tmorrow (OK, or three days later if I go priority mail).

The online suppliers seem to fall into two main catagories as well.

1.) I'll sell you this piece of crap part because you won't know any better and what can you do about it. Once I get your credit card number you are dead to me. I could never imagine any value of your repeat business or care for that matter. I'm so cool, I don't need any repeat customers, I make plenty of money without 'em.

2.) I'll sell you the part you need, the exact part you need, and if you need special washers & nuts for the part I will alert you about it before checking out. I will also provide you with step by step instructions or point you to an excellent online article detailing the install. I will meet or exceed your every expectation to earn your repeat business. If something does go wrong, I will own the problem and do whatever it takes to make it right.

I know what sort of companies are getting my business.

There just isn't any human interaction in business any more. I would rather buy a part in person than order from someone over the phone who doesn't know me or my car or much about anything but is going to try and impress me with what a genious he is. If you know exactly what you want, the internet or phone orders are ok but if you have any questions...good luck. It's hard getting help and advice on the phone anymore especially when the person you are talking to is in India. Find someone local, someone you like and trust. Good luck to us all.
Cheers, Elliot Cannon

OK, now I am totally pissed. I just checked my email and I get the Fedex shipping info on the order I placed at 8 AM Tuesday morning, saying "Can I still get this by Saturday?" The answer was yes, and since shipments from the state near Florida to my house have been 3-days in the past, I decided OK, I'll go with them. And I even bought the freekin tech tips so I don't have to hear "well, you know if you had the tech tips...blah blah blah" anymore.

Well, what does the Fedex email say? What do you know. Just shipped today. Won't arrive till 9 freekin 14! I am so pissed because I ordered the engine bay seals for my car...the only thing keeping me from putting my engine back in. So there goes the whole weekend.

No offense, but what baffles me is how you still ordered there after hearing all the comments on this BBS. It's like that story of the guy who goes to the doctor and says it hurts when I do this...

DON'T DO IT!

Well, I guess I order from them because I have never really been screwed in a monetary sense by them. I know there is a lot of loathing on this board for them, but I really haven't found a good replacement for them. I suppose Pelican will be my new way to go...never have to talk to anyone.

But I guess its my fault. WHen I restarted this 914 project after a 7 year absence, I made a decision to go with the best parts, even if it ment I had to wait longer to get them. So I really wanted to get the engine in this weekend, so I ordered from who I thought would get me the parts the fastest.

It amazes me how many horribly run businesses are out there. In the long run the ones that give good customer service and fair prices will succeed. Most small businesses out there need repeat customers and referals to thrive. If you treat your customers like crap eventually there won't be any new ones.
IMHO

(sorry if this diverts attention!)

As many times as HPH is mentioned around here, do they have a website?

http://www.highperformancehouse.com/

Actually, you'll have a better experience with Pelican if you call them especially if you need parts in a certain amount of time. Their problem is that their web site doesn't show real time instock/out of stock status so you don't know if your order will take 3 days or 3 weeks.

That is why I called that place in the state where Zell Miller is from. I figured if I said "need it by Saturday" and I am in a 3-4 day FedEx region, there should be no problem. Personally, I think they had all the parts, but it is those people that work there that are to blame. Probobly the guy that is doing that "914 Extreme Makeover" was the guy that handled my order. I still don't know what is so extreme about that car, but that's another story...

http://www.highperformancehouse.com/

P.S.

Did you get my email about that car?

I'm wondering how many more years it will take them to either finish the car, or update their website...

Unfortunately, the little guy can't stock parts for every car's everything.

It's the death knell of small business like that, unfortunately for us, a lot of parts will get lost in the shuffle.

(but they will pop up as NOS in 50 years..


M

No, nothing since your last PM

The shop owners in this area talking about how people BRING in their own parts and have you install them (because they bought them cheaper online).. OK, No problem. BUT... BUT here is what you are going to get from all the business owners that you DONT buy parts from. IF I install a part you provide.... NO WARRANTY on the failure or labor to replace that part. If it fails... you eat the labor AGAIN. Better make damn sure that part is exactly what you needed and of decent quality. When you install parts all day every day you tend to figure out which ones are good and which ones are bad. Joe Blow internet guy thinks he is getting this smoking deal when all he really bought was some cheap ass parts.... that fail early.


More to come.


B

Next issue:

Porsche is F_cking us royally. They are now shipping parts with a wholesale price of 200.00 and a retail price of 201.00 ??? They are making it impossible for people to make money on the parts markup. I *think* this is going to drive the aftermarket even more if Porsche continues this BS pricing game they are playing. It is starting to feel like they dont want independant shops/online retailers selling parts


B

All the better for their dealer network, one presumes.

I'm a tad surprised there's much of a healthy market for parts fitment/repair of OEM stuff for newer cars by independent shops today, anyway. Designing, making, selling, and fitting aftermarket-only bits, esp. for racing purposes, I see a healthy market for the independent. That, and tight specialization (we only do Porsche OR BMW OR..., not "European", let alone "foreign"). One hears the complaints from some of the shops of the highly specialized diagnostic equipment required these days. Though I wonder exactly why you'd need fancy stuff to, say, replace a water pump. That said, I wonder what's going to happen in 15-20 years when the current crop of cars with 10 microprocessors and 200 miles of wiring start having the inevitable electrical problems.

I've tried an awful lot of these guys. I've had the best luck/attitude/customer service from GPR (german parts & restoration). Talk to Dave...he's a 914 guru. I needed some parts so I could make the MWC in the "next day" scenario. He didn't have everything I needed and shipped the stuff he had in the warehouse next day and had his supplier (was H&R) ship what I needed from there warehouse "next day". Both packages arrived "next day" within 10 minutes of each other. And 30 minutes after that Dave called me on the phone to make sure the parts arrived!

Now that is customer service I can get loyal to.

Jim

Yeah, Dave at GPR rocks. I have known him and been a loyal customer for over 10 years now. Years ago I thought about ordering something from AA and stopped when I asked for a catalog. They said it was $5, I said send it to me for free and I might order something out of it. They said no, so I never ordered anything from them. Figured if they wanted my business, they would be sending me the goods to order from them with. :finger2:

I would say stick with GPR if you want parts to install yourself. As for me, I use GPR for my "hard" to get stuff my wholesale supplier cannot get or has terrible prices on. Dave has ALWAYS taken care of me. That attention to his customers will keep me there for life. I am a little guy (shop size) and do sell parts to customers locally. I don't do much over the web though which is fine by me. I like to be able to hand someone a bag of parts and recieve the money etc. Old school I know, but I like that. Just me.

Before knowing better I also ordered Tips and catalog from Senator Miller's State;

Needed a rebuilt MPS so I ordered one plus 4 90' injector hoses (@ $24.00).

Never heard a word from them so sent my old MPS (...043) to The Bird for rebuild.

Lo and behold a package arives from Zeb's state; inside was a ...037 MPS and four 2" long pieces of hose cut from a length of 7mm FI hose. No molded 90' bend and wrong MPS (they list 1 MPS as fits all....). Never again.

Next day MY rebuilt MPS shows up from The Bird.

Quickest service I've ever had was from FUK (Ferrari United Kingdom, the factory designated repository for all 'classic' Ferrari parts). Order on Monday, part arrives WED or Thrs at the latest!

Ok, I figure I'm gonna get a ton of hate email on this, but here goes: I know I work at the Evil DEALER , but I am constantly amazed at the poeple that won't even give me a try. I see all the email about how bad this a/m supplier is, or that one, and yet you always see a email later how someone has tried them. Yet not many people actually metion the dealer. C'mon, we don't ALL suck. I have invested almost ten years of my life to the golden crest and the four rings, and I constnatly compare my prices to the aftermarket and try to compete. Yet when I tell people where I work, it's like I have the plague.

Brad..you're 100% right on your pricing structure. Porsche used to have a comfortable margin for everyone to work in, and on occasion, I could get the area rep to get me a bigger discount on a special deal..now I have to almost sell at cost, and even then people ask if that's all I can do..But I keep believing that if I give a fair price, I'll make up for it by the repeat business.

Granted, I don't enjoy spending 45 min to look up all the correct grommets for a 72 911e first thing on a Sat. morning, but in the back of my mind I gotta think that the guy will turn to the place that got him all his info, even though it's the dealer.

I know that there's bad places out there, and I've even dealt with AA and been amazed at the lack of customer relations...I guess the best thing IS to find someone you trust, and stick with them. It's just tough sometimes to sit on the sidelines because no one wiil give you a chance, due to preconceived notions

Eric

I called the parts department at a dealership once. They were so totally unhelpful that I will probably never call again.

Well, I might try the dealer next time. Since they don't stock "old parts" as they tell me, how ling do you think they will take to get parts? And will they make me pay for shipping?

I just did a comparison on ball joint (bolt-style) prices.

Tweeks $50
GPR $70
Pelican $50

So I guess it pays to shop around. I find this with everyone. Most prices are near what the market rate is, but on certain items, they are more expensive. I don't know if that is a trick, or what.

I have had very good service at the dealer in Portland, OR. I have the PET on my computer and I often call with a part #. The parts are sometimes on the shelf and if not I usually wait about 4 business days. It takes that long from the AM mail order suppliers. I've never been charged extra for shipping. Some parts are way overpriced, others are surprisingly reasonable. It never hurts to try the dealer. You may be surprised and you are getting genuine Porsche parts.

I find one of the most useful online parts sites to be Stoddard. They have a lot of good things going for them. They are a dealer so they provide genuine parts and their online system hooks into actual inventory.

BTW, ball joints at Stoddard are $42.02 (in stock)

I just called my local dealer and they want $37.95 for balljoints for a 71 911. Not too shabby.

Wanted to chime in on this.

I needed a 914-6 oil line saturday, Called brad (thanks BTW) no gots, called around. Found one at AA, in stock,was about ready to purchase then "Tom" went into the self serving tirade about what do I expect from the 914 "World Headquarters"! I almost laughed, but said I would get back to him, checked with my dealer, two other places, then reluctantly ordered the line from AA. 200.00 but then he wanted to make sure What VIN I was putting it on and another tirade about how good they were and so forth and so on. In the 80's I used to order alot of parts from them, 5-8K a month. When I started looking at the back orders and what had never been shipped, but promised to be in the mail, I flipped, and never ordered from them again. The explanation was less than plausible, and the money was not returned but tallied as a store credit. Weak business practices, and after Saturdays conversation, I will never order from them again. Don't like the Customer service. I'll spend my money elsewhere. I am trying to have an open mind, but when the service is for shit 15 years later, you know the Owner is the problem, because as we all know, it flows downhill.

Erik

Just went down to the local Cayenne dealer to get those balljoints. Turns out he was giving me the price for steering ball joints. The lower ball joints are $96 a piece. Yeah right! What a rip.

.02 to follow:

I've purchased at least odds and ends from quite a few P-car parts vendors. This experience and other's opinions caused me to decide to buy all of the seals and other such stuff for my resto from GPR. I talked with Dave (GPR) briefly at GAF. He impressed me. Struck me as a guy that has his shit together and talked to me like a vendor should treat customer.

FYI: Dave told me that he could get anything that AA can get. He'll get a call from me LONG before anyone from AA. Even if AA has what I need.

Did anyone notice there was an AA license plate frame in the men's room at the autofest?

I was expecting it to eventually end up in the urinal or something but it never happened.

Dave at GPR has gone out of his way to help me out on many occasions. For some reason, he always seems to have what I need right there. Case in point: the electric antenna on Marcie's car took a dump halfway up on saturday morning before GAF. We couldn't show it that way, and just knew nobody was going to have one on a weekend. First stop at GAF was the GPR booth. I told Dave the problem, he turned around and pulled out the antenna we needed. Almost exactly the same as the one on her car. This one was black instead of chrome like the old one. The black goes better on her car anyway. He said he didn't know why he brought it, it was the only one he brought. I personally think he psycic & knew I'd need it. I think I'm pretty lucky living where do. I've got the Cap'n 20 minutes south of me, and GPR 20 minutes north of me. I'm not sure, but I think this is heaven.