Do established businesses want your custom?

PostPost by: checkrail » Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:26 am

I phoned a well known Lotus restoration/alternative parts supplier regarding the fitting of a new front screen for my S130.
The guy explained the two options and what was involved etc. I asked for a quote, he said the best thing was to send an email which I did.
That was a week ago, I'm still waiting a reply.
It makes me wonder can they really be bothered. Regards John
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PostPost by: oldelanman » Fri Feb 08, 2019 10:01 am

Hi John,
I understand your frustration but may I suggest that it would be helpful if you name the company involved. That way others can report their experiences - good or bad - and members here can then make an informed choice when choosing where to place their custom when seeking supplies and services.
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PostPost by: checkrail » Fri Feb 08, 2019 1:01 pm

Hi Roger, I did wonder if I should actually name them, However it is Spyder.

I don't know who I spoke to but he seemed friendly enough, this is the first time that I have had contact with them but it doesn't give me much confidence.
I asked for a quote for fitting only as I would supply the screen and trim, hopefully from Sue Miller. I prefer to use her where possible.

Regards John
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PostPost by: 2tmike » Fri Feb 08, 2019 1:21 pm

Perhaps there is a case to be made for a trader/parts retailer feedback section here?
I've got a growing list of components from several of the well known retailers that simply don't fit or are badly made. If people were able to record honest and accurate comments on service or quality in one section if may help many of us making unsatisfactory purchases!!!
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PostPost by: oldelanman » Fri Feb 08, 2019 4:40 pm

checkrail wrote:Hi Roger, I did wonder if I should actually name them, However it is Spyder.

I don't know who I spoke to but he seemed friendly enough, this is the first time that I have had contact with them but it doesn't give me much confidence.
I asked for a quote for fitting only as I would supply the screen and trim, hopefully from Sue Miller. I prefer to use her where possible.

Regards John


It seems you are not alone ......lotus-talk-f50/how-contact-spydercars-t43747.html

Try giving them a ring again ...if you haven't given up on them already !
Roger
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PostPost by: JohnP » Fri Feb 08, 2019 5:24 pm

When I was a lad I was lucky enough to spend some time with a well known classic race care restoration expert, sadly now passed away. He told hilarious stories of the efforts that they went to to keep unwanted prospective customers away - and indeed the other way round - unsolicited transport containers full of Bugatti bits being left outside ther workshop over a weekend etc.
The price of success - they never had time to work on their own projects..
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PostPost by: Bud English » Fri Feb 08, 2019 6:04 pm

If Spyder also sells windscreens and trim, providing fitting only may be way down on their priorities if they are otherwise busy. I've run into that before.

Quite a few businesses won't install customer supplied parts as a general rule due to warranty hassles as to whether a failure of the parts are the manufacturer's or installer's fault.
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PostPost by: Slowtus » Fri Feb 08, 2019 7:41 pm

Bud English wrote:
Quite a few businesses won't install customer supplied parts as a general rule due to warranty hassles as to whether a failure of the parts are the manufacturer's or installer's fault.


Excellent point - when I ran a service facility I flatly (but politely) refused to do such a thing for exactly those reasons.

And some of the cars/parts were fairly exotic Bentley (rear window), Ferrari Spyder, ('nother rear window), McLaren (you guessed it - rear window - and that one was ridiculously expensive considering that it was small, dark and who the hell would look out the back of a McLaren anyway :D ).

All of these potential clients could source the offending part for a lot less than the price we quoted them, before installation but there was no way we could or would warranty either the part of the work involved if said part was somehow faulty.

So for the hijack, the older I get the more the mind wanders :shock:
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PostPost by: checkrail » Fri Feb 08, 2019 8:42 pm

At the end of the day in my opinion it is manners to reply to my email, why discuss the job on the phone if they are not really interested.
Would they have replied if I had asked for a restoration /respray?

John
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PostPost by: mbell » Fri Feb 08, 2019 9:08 pm

If you are using [email protected] I'd guess they aren't intentionally ignoring you they probably just get so much junk email on that address that it's its hard to identify the non junk. You might have better luck if contact one of them directly, e.g. Sean. (they seem to use <firstname>@<domain>, so not hard to guess their email addresses.)

That said ~18 months ago they responded to my email to [email protected] about buying a few chassis related components. So they could just be busy/lazy or not interested......
'73 +2 130/5 RHD, now on the road and very slowly rolling though a "restoration"
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PostPost by: Slowtus » Fri Feb 08, 2019 10:51 pm

mbell wrote:If you are using [email protected]" target="_blank I'd guess they aren't intentionally ignoring you they probably just get so much junk email on that address that it's its hard to identify the non junk. You might have better luck if contact one of them directly, e.g. Sean. (they seem to use <firstname>@<domain>, so not hard to guess their email addresses.)

That said ~18 months ago they responded to my email to [email protected]" target="_blank about buying a few chassis related components. So they could just be busy/lazy or not interested......


Why not forward a screenshot of this page to them and ask for their comments?
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PostPost by: Spyder fan » Sun Feb 10, 2019 4:07 pm

I?m not answering for Spyder or any of the other usual suspects.

The telephone is the best communication option in the first instance, then follow that up with an ?agreed? email if the enquiry warrants it. I know it?s a pain especially for those who are not resident in the UK, but all of the suppliers of Elan parts are nice people to deal with and it won?t be a difficult conversation when you realise that you are speaking to somebody who understands what you are talking about.

With a couple of exceptions you are dealing with small companies with limited resources who haven?t invested into e-commerce based web sites.

Most Elan business seems to be on a personal basis, and I quite like that, especially when I call somebody like Sue Miller and she reminds me or prompts me to add an item I might need or tells me about a part that?s now available.

Edit: reading the original posters message properly, I See that a phone call was made and a subsequent email was ignored. That?s not excusable, I run a small business with all the same issues as the usual suspect Elan suppliers and I don?t ignore email enquiries however insignificant, I have a good spam filter and check my spam headers daily just to be sure. Perhaps I need to visit all the usual suspects and educate/update them.... that would be a pleasure for me!
Kindest regards

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