Please allow me to rant, support your vendors!

[bigtyme1]

I'll have to admit I've been pretty loyal to one guy in general who has helped me since the begining of my build 4 years ago . Considering this is the biggest build I have ever done. 7/24 he's been there for me, and I can be a real pain in the A$$. He knows who he is. That being said I've also been trying to help out alot of the little guys that are just getting started in the business even if the price is higher. It's all about relationships and loyalty to me and not just the money savings. Lets face it at the end of that day I'd like to just kick back and have a drink with all the venders and builders.
Some of you may know I have a problem making up my mind but most of the time if I call somebody about a product they have my sale if it's what I want and there not just trying to change my mind because they make a better profit from it. Just the other day I called about some info on some seats and I ended up buying them because he was such a nice guy and I could tell he was sincere and wasn't pushing a sale on me. I can honestly say I have purchased about 90% parts for my car from somebody on Lateral G. and will continue too, and pass the word onto others.

[awr68]

Frank hit it on the head! These cars are 'dreams' for many of us and the vendors on this site deffinatly help us get to the end with all their knowledge and awesome customer service....and they do what they can on pricing to help as well! But we can't forget that the vendors are also chasing their 'dreams' and need help too! Bottom line, this comunity is a family....lets help eachother out and keep the dreams going! It's a real shame that Tyler had to close ATS...let's not loose another awesome vendor!

[cluxford]

For me there are 2 guys who have both posted reponses up here that opitimise why I love this hobby.

Mike (MuscleRodz) and Frank (Prodigy).

As I am in Australia, the price of anything I buy is automatically 25% more expensive due to currency exchange, but I then have international shipping and customs duties on top. So a $1000 part ends up at my door for like $1500.

When you are buildng a top shelf car that adds up. I reckon Fx and shipping / duties have cost me in real cash over $15,000 alone for what I have bought so far.

So why do I pretty much ONLY buy my stuff from these 2 guys....simple.

Service and advice. They are both straight up, pleasant, knowledgable, very responsive and genuinely interested in my build and how they can support that.

I could shop around and save $$$, but I have no interest in doing that.

Shopping around is a fact of life, but anyone who really values what it truly takes to earn a dollar realises that nothing is for free. Even in a commodity market you can still make mistakes in buying that with sound advice you could have avoided.

But we all know that people will shop around, do you stop providing advice ? It comes down to whether it helps make money or in fact costs you money and that is a decision we all have to make in all of our businesses evryday, where do we invest our time to generate the greatest return.

I hope the vendors that frequent this site are widly profitable and successful so they can keep helping us build killer cars !!!

[jst8a5.0]

Yeah, I can't figure it out either. It's like loyalty as a whole doesn't exist. I do appreciate this topic being brought up however. See, I considered myself loyal to those who help me with customer service. Here's how it went down. I went to my local paint supply and saw a paint gun I wanted. I figured since I didn't have too much paint business at that time that it was ok if I didn't buy from them. I can't just buy stuff on a whim or just go and get it when it's needed. I have a daughter on the way, I am a first year business owner in a small town with morgage to pay. That's how I justified myself. I wound up chosing a mid line gun. I noted the price and then I went online to where a buddy gets his paint and stuff from. I looked and saw the same paint gun was about 50 dollars cheaper. Shipping wound up being more than I expected and I saved a whopping 20 dollar bill all said and done. After I get the gun I have to shoot a couple things. Alright, right? Well, I have to get the paint from the paint store! Soon my lid gets a crack. I need a new one. Yeah the guilt is really setting in. Getting a lot more paint work. Now I need a higher end gun to do mainly clear. Do I go to the internet? After all the looking and fondling of the high end Iwata, you bet I bought it from the paint store! They even gave it to me for what that website listed it as before shipping! Yeah even more guilt! GO WITH THOSE THAT HELP YOU!!! Honestly, 20 bucks? Was it worth it? Nope. Internet sites cannot go to your shop and demo a product. Nor can they help you when the weather is different such as paint gun settings and material use. I learned the hard way and I considered myself loyal but was shown what I really was. Don't learn the hard way like me!

[monza]

Welcome to the world of wonderful world of retail! Operating 6 specialty store fronts and internet, I've seen it all. People amaze me... there should be laws or a test about who can breed in this world! Some people will do 'anything' to save small amounts of money.

Frank nailed it in his business plan.
Damn I want to buy something off you right now Frank!

Mister Grinder- I do think you forgot about Mister Grinder, don't you get the guys that just grind the shiz out of you relentlessly throwing down every angle at you for a better deal, I used to play along. I even gave a grinder five bucks once for gas to go shop at my competition; he came back, I knew they didn't have what he wanted. I break the rules now, after 20 years I just can't stand them anymore. I walk away and send in someone else who can't give them deal. I hate them!

I hope most people reading this thread would support the Vendors, but for sure a few of you cheap focks have made it this far in this thread ... support the damn Vendors! Good for the Karma.

[radrambler]

guys
id like to say thanks to the supporting vendors i bought from while working on my project so far .also the ones i didnt get a chance to buy from but answered my questions about their products.all of you have great customer service
the wheel purchase would be the tuffest (havent purchased anything yet)
my project purchasing is now on hold status but i will not forget who you guys are when spending again.

rodger@ironworks
jon @ driverz
mike @ musclerodz
frank @prodigy
chris @fesler

wish you guys all the luck in 09

tom

[Mick Mc]

Price, in the absence of value...








Mick

[ironworks]

On the service side of things I have had some just amazing stories. I had a guy come in probably 5 years ago no that wanted me to build a studebaker truck for him and use every part from this 700 mile explorer roll over. He wanted to use the chassis, suspension, ac, engine trans, steering column, seats, radiator, wiring everything, I mean everything. Then he told me that Time and Materials was a joke he wanted an exact price, and an exact date of when it would be done. So I asked him in amazement if he really thought we would only use the explorer parts that were designed to fit into an explorer to build your studebaker. Some parts may work but the studebaker make look like an explorer when we are done. It was pretty funny So I told him 125,000, and you can keep the explorer and you can come back in 6 months to pick up the truck in whatever color you want the paint and interior.

The really funny part is after he told all his buddies I was way to expensive he came back about 1.5 years later and and wanted me to resolve all the problems of the guy who he got to do the project. He said the wheels rub, it pops out of gear, and the steering column linkage was binding up. I asked him is he got what he paid for because it sounds like he went to the lowest bidder shop. He was hoping I would not recognize him, Well I never forget a face.

I have guys call all the time to get rough idea on price and they hear a realistic number from me and choose to go to the other guy because they trick you with the lower price to get you in the door and ten your kinda stuck. It really amazes me what me people will do to just think they are saving a few bucks.

There are some points that I heard from Posies rod shop when I started in business. One if the shop needs a down payment for work they cannot afford to be in business, go some where else. Physically go to other shops to check different levels of quality. If you find what you want in a complete car that is for sale, Buy it cuz it will be cheaper then building it. Never ever go with the lowest bidder, I don't care how low your budget it. The whole thought about a guy doing work for cheaper to get his name out there is crap, His over head is more then the guy who has been at it for years. Solely because the new guy is usally a one man shop, the experience guy usaully has crew working on other project and make other money. The new guy is just inexperienced and is biting off more then he can chew. And probably does not realize how much work it takes to do it right or does not even know how to do it to the quality you may want.

We hear amny stories on here about many people who get takes advantage of or recieve crapy work results, but 90% of that can be prevented with research and not letting the the all might dollar guide the decisions you make.

There is no way to know exactly what any project is going to cost in the beginning, That is like asking how much is bag of groceries, or how many left hand turn do you have to take to get to New York. In this industry there are guy who bid cars like Boyd did, But he got an insane price for the car. The Time and materiel guys make the same amount of money if they build 1 car for 10,000 hours or 10 cars at 1000 hours each, if they are honest.

Last boring Rant, I had a customer talk to me about chopping the top on a pick up. He decided to go to another shop that charges 20 bucks an hour less. Both shops are time and materials. When he got done, I saw the project and asked what the end result on price was, he said they had 125 hours in chopping the top, which was 5625 ( 45 per hour ). I was blown away we had done the same truck in half the time just a few weeks before by coincidences. Because we had the tools to speed up the process. We had hydraulic sheetmetal shaping machine, and an english wheel. Well these guys had done all the metal work with a hammer and dolly and and tree stump. So that is why they are cheaper, but those methods take way longer. Imagine how much quicker a hydraulic bender is over a manual bender, Or an eckold kraft former is over and set of east wood shrinking tools. Why do you think Body shops use air sanders to knock down the big stuff, Or why a mechanic uses air tools to tear your car down.

You need to be efficent.

Rant over.....

[buickfunnycar.com]

Great thread Jon...and I whole heartedly agree with your comments.

Being in sales myself I do know how it feels to do your best to make a sale only to find that customer went and bought elsewhere to maybe save a few dollars.Maybe they thought what they saved justified their actions...and I hope they slept better at night knowing they have no loyalty or regard to what excellent service is.Times have changed and I'm convinced 95% of the people I deal with have ZERO loyalty.

This is a community here guys,let's not forget that.Type your comments all day long but just remember...there are real people on the other side of the computer and the advice and suggestions they provide aren't always free...doors need to be kept open and lights need to be turned on...and we haven't even mentioned trying to put food on the table to feed their families.

Do the right thing and support those who support you.

<off my soapbox now>

[youthpastor]

Right on Jon-

without the vendor tech info I would be in trouble. You know what gets me is I have many products on my car. The stuff that is QUALITY comes from small companies like ATS, DSE, and Rushforth Wheels.