Vendor service???

[del]

OK guys, just wanting to see if I'm the only one who has had vastly different service with different company's. I'm not talking about big ones like the 4WD Hardware and Quadratech. Talking about people who supply stuff for our specific FSJs. Have purchased with one company and had to call/ wait and then not happy with product. Another was fast and products worked great. Chime in and let me know if I expect to much for the cash I spend.

[dngrs1]

Caviat Emptor.

[jamsni]

Caviat Emptor.

Agreed. Not like there are a lot of sources to choose from. Best to find one or two you like to do business with, and grin and bear it if/when you have to get from some of the others.

[fulsizjeep]

For those that don't do Latin like me, that is LET THE BUYER BEWARE. Yeah, Google is a wonderful thing. You did not name and names. Maybe that is a good thing, maybe not.

We have done business with BJs Offroad and have been pleased with the results. In a small way, we have done business with TT Fabworks as well and no complaints. I also recently paid for a stainless battery tray from GEMOBX and feel sure that we will be happy with that experience as well.

We had a bad experience with a POS "remanufactured" QT bought from an eBay vendor last year. We gave the guy benefit of the doubt and did not air the circumstances here until we ran out of patience. I think that if anyone here has trouble with a FSJ specific or any other vendor, you should try to resolve issues with the vendor first. If you can't come to resolution, then maybe share that here. I do not say this as a moderator, just as another forum member.

[billyrb]

I hope it wasn't us, but if it was I'd like to know about it (whether here or privately).

Edit: t'wasn't us

[del]

I'm giving the vendor the benefit of the doubt. I have purchased GEMOBXs' floorpans and was pleased with the product and the service. This is a culmination of a few things and is my fault for not spreading my dollars around. Funny how several vendors who I haven't purchased from e-mailed me, and the place I spent $$$ with was the last to contact me?Live and learn.....Del

[SeanKHotay]

There's always room for improvement but I try to cut this small community some slack if issues are eventually addressed.

Having just dumped $$$$ into the big hole that was my engine compartment, I will say that some of the following needs to be addressed by the vendors with which I dealt (all items don't need to be addressed by all vendors but there's something for all excluding GEMOBX):

A) Responsiveness/Availability:
--> Not a fan of multiple "no answer on the other end" when I've already left messages during working hours. Is this due to the lack of market depth to support FSJ suppliers, i.e., dedicated phone folks & dedicated part-picker folks?
--> Also, I still have multiple outstanding, week-old+ "Do you have it?" requests holding up completion; plan on searching elsewhere to get it done 'cause I'm not going to become a pest about it.

2) Technical Expertise:
--> not being an FSJ expert, I look to the vendors for expertise and am leery when I know more and frustrated when they don't know, either (leaving it an unknown by me), moreso if they don't show the initiative to find out...

3) Multiple supplier sub-layers:
--> Multiplying middlemen, Batman, talk about unnecessary overhead charges...one vendor had three btwn the part and he and me. I realize off-the-shelf isn't always feasible but three shouldn't be the norm, either.
--> Additionally, vendor couldn't initially tell me if part shipped after a week and a half (it hadn't), then once it did (despite me informing them I sourced it more locally), couldn't reverse the shipment. It still was a week before it showed up which I had to ship back. Gave me some shipping money credit but didn't cover it all.
--> In summary, short supply lines means happier customers.

Yeah, I'm a little frustrated (the GW *still* ain't done) but hopefully this comes off constructively to better the community...I have addressed some issues (but, admittedly, not all) with the respective folks, not always to my satisfaction.

[billyrb]

Sean, I don't see an account with us under your name Sean Hotay, and I don't have any voicemail messages / emails from you, so I'm not sure if it was with us or not. If it was us, let me know the name you ordered under / emailed with, and I'll address your issues.

[SeanKHotay]

Sean, I don't see an account with us under your name Sean Hotay, and I don't have any voicemail messages / emails from you, so I'm not sure if it was with us or not. If it was us, let me know the name you ordered under / emailed with, and I'll address your issues.

I don't really want to address this online but...

"Sean Hotay" is not my name; "SeanKHotay" is an e-moniker like "billyrb".

Sean Mullady is my name. And, no, I don't have any outstanding requests with BJ's.

[fulsizjeep]

and there I thought you might be some distant relative of Chakotay (http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/st/voyager/chakotay.shtml)... ;)

[billyrb]

Sean, I appreciate the heads-up. I don't have a problem with folks airing their discontents with us here, via email or over the phone. If someone is unhappy and I don't hear about it, I don't have a chance to make things right. All I know is I lost a customer. But, if I know what went wrong, then I can try to change things and keep that person happy.