Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22838 Location: UK

A week or so back I was thinking that I might need replacement wheelbearings for (small) Dodge - as it happens they're ok.

Because of this I emailed five or six bearing specialists, and a supplier of vintage Dodge parts in the US, quoting Timken reference numbers, asking if a) they had them in stock, or could find them and b) what the cost might be.

This was on Sunday morning. Sunday evening I had a reply (to the positive) from the US Dodge parts supplier. One week on I've not had a single reply from the UK bearing people I contacted. Pretty poor show I think.

On the plus side, the chap at a local engineering co. was very helpful trying to help me find a 7/16" dome-head square-neck carriage bolt (he didn't have any, only metric). Someone else I spoke to by phone, I'm awaiting to hear back from.....

RJ
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victor 101 · Joined: 03 Apr 2009 Posts: 446 Location: East Yorkshire

Unfortuneatly Rick, it seems to be the norm these days, when you go in a shop for something they dont have, it's just a straight NO, never `I don't have one but I will see if I can get you one' and it will probably get worse as now when you want a part, all they want is your registration number. when you go in for a part for something that isnt on the database they don't have a clue.

baconsdozen · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1119 Location: Under the car.

On the other hand there are a hell of a lot of people who ring merely trying to work out who is going to be the cheapest or to get free advice.
I've got boxes of tools etc I've got in for people who have never come back,the trouble is that these people spoil it for the genuine customers and it isn't that easy to tell them apart on the phone.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22838 Location: UK

baconsdozen · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1119 Location: Under the car.

I attach more importance to the quality and fitness for purpose than price,agreed phoning for quotes is normal but it has to be like for like to make any sense.For example some of the spanners and spanners I sell are very costly,but some have lifetime warranties and they are designed and made to handle far greater stresses than a DIY user is likely to subject them to.
Someone wanting the cheapest tools available isn't really a likely customer for me.Logically if you are going to use say the cheapest 1/2 whit socket available you might find it fits about the same as a worn out metric socket rattling about in the bottom of your tool box and you could save still more by using that.The possibilty of damaging the fixing is probably the same in either case.
Having said all that some prices especially of spares are nothing short of a rip off.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

MVPeters · Joined: 28 Aug 2008 Posts: 822 Location: Northern MA, USA

Vaguely related......

The Maine Turnpike send me Traffic Alerts about accidents etc.. They are incredibly long-winded - after 2 or 3 lines of "In the interests of public safety motorists are being advised.........." etc etc you finally find out the left lane is blocked 10 miles ahead.

So on JUNE 1st I wrote to them & suggested they cut out all the junk.
On JULY 27th they responded "Thank you for contacting the Maine Turnpike Authority with your inquiry. I sincerely apologize for the extreme delay. We’ve very recently discovered an internal website issue which delayed our receipt of messages sent using the “Contact Us” web page and are diligently working to respond to each and every one. I’m sure you’ve noticed we’ve updated our email notification service. We were restricted to using updates within our current website construct. We are now in the process of a total redesign of MaineTurnpike.com and plan to further refine our customer notification methods."

Does this respond to my suggestion? - NO
Have their e-mails changed? - NO
Does this look like a "form letter" to you? - YES !

I can hardly wait to see their total redesign........
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2002 MINI Cooper 'S'

baconsdozen · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1119 Location: Under the car.

Even more vaguely connected................
I hate automated e-mail replies and absolutely detest these call centres automated or not that large companies pass off as customer service.
Here in the UK ringing most call centres you end up talking to someone in India with about the same knowledge of your problem as a Martian.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

Bitumen Boy · Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2012 9:06 pm Post subject:

Yes, and about the same English language skills as a Martian.

Jim.Walker · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 1229 Location: Chesterfield

Mog · Joined: 30 Dec 2007 Posts: 663 Location: Sydney

We have the same problems with Indian call centers in Australia. I hung up on one this week, because I could not understand what he was on about, he rang back again and I hung up on him straight away. I still don't know what he was going on about.....

Roger-hatchy · Joined: 07 Dec 2007 Posts: 2135 Location: Tiptree, Essex

richardlw · Joined: 08 Jun 2009 Posts: 138

I discovered I had not ordered wheel bearings for my 75 Morris Mini pickup around 5 pm on a saturday, also noting that they were round, but the catalogs said tappered.
I emailed Mike, the US rep of Mini Sport. By 8 pm I had a response that I could use the new tappered ones, he had them in stock in the US and could have them to my daughter's house in Virginia for her to bring to me in Bolivia later that week.

He has been invaluable to me and this project right from the start last year.
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lowdrag · Joined: 10 Apr 2009 Posts: 1600 Location: Le Mans

I help out restorers here with english/french translations and ordering parts. Ordering a new radiator to specific dimensions from Northampton caused no end of problems, the quality wasn't brilliant, and they took twice as long as quoted. Recently I've tried ordering specific shock absorbers (yellow ones to tell you who) and all they would say was thet we didn't need those for a Renault Alpine, but they had standard ones in stock. After numerous calls I finally got them to understand that this was for prototype racing and was exactly what we wanted. Credit card details emailed, we heard nothing, so yesterday I phoned once again. How convenient that "they didn't get the email with the order confirmation and credit card details". I am ashamed to be British sometimes.

baconsdozen · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1119 Location: Under the car.

In that case I'd be rather worried where the e-mail with all my credit card details ended up.
They should really have advised you to send two seperate mails at least,or better still to give them the security code or some of the digits whilst you're on the phone.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).

baconsdozen · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 1119 Location: Under the car.

I ordered some items from a manufacturer in this country.After a while when they hadn't arrived I asked what was happening and was told some of the items were out of stock.I explained I needed the rest of the stuff quite urgently to fill an order and the said they'd send them.When they hadn't arrived after a few more days I rung again and was told yet another item was out of stock. (and this is supposed to be a manufacturer not a wholesaler).
Another promise to send out then a week later a package arrived but with two of the items wrong and with the other items this meant over half the order was missing.
Is it that the British manufacturing are determined to commit Hari Kiri or that the dole has been made so attractive that the employees prefer it to working and can't wait to get on it?
I remember some years ago a maker cocked up an order,when I spoke to them they dispatched replacements and a manager delivered it personally same day.I can't see that happening these days.
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Thirty years selling imperial hand tools for old machinery(Now happily retired).