How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

[Larry B.]

I recently had 2 Muncie transmissions built by a vendor that advertises in the driveline. Both transmissions had leaks and one had bad parts. One trans had to be taken in and out 4 times and had to be finally repaired by a competent shop. I do not want anyone to go through what I did with this shoddy vendor. Where can I post this to fellow members?

[Vinnie P.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

I answered Larry directly, asking him to send me all the details and the publications committee will take it from there after we get all of the details.

Vinnie

[Mark E.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

What are the possible outcomes?

No more ads from that vendor?
How about ratings and reviews by members? Similar to Amazon's model.

[Al R.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

I agree with you Mark. Ratings and/or reviews would be a great idea!!

[Frank D.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

I recently had 2 Muncie transmissions built by a vendor that advertises in the driveline. Both transmissions had leaks and one had bad parts. One trans had to be taken in and out 4 times and had to be finally repaired by a competent shop. I do not want anyone to go through what I did with this shoddy vendor. Where can I post this to fellow members?

I have to ask. Did you send both at once ? I'm assuming you didn't get a faulty one back and then send another...

[Joe R.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

What are the possible outcomes?

No more ads from that vendor?
How about ratings and reviews by members? Similar to Amazon's model.

As a vendor for many years I don't agree with you! There are many times I have encountered customers with no knowledge whatsoever of Corvettes and expect a silk purse out of a sows ear!
To judge me or any other vendor by those standards would be incorrect and damage the vendors reputation.
It would also cost the NCRS as vendors would not advertise in a publication that would publish slanderous information.
I get a lot of recommendations from members here but no one can please all the people all of the time!

Just my opinion and you know about opinions!

JR

[Mark E.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

I appreciate what you're saying Joe. There is a risk to business owners of managing "slanderous" or inaccurate customer feedback.

But with no public customer feedback, there's a lack of accountability. I question if keeping the public in the dark about a company's customer satisfaction is in anyone's best interest. Especially the best interest of all customers and the good companies.

[John P.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

I agree with Mark and also respect Joe's opinion on having people rate you that do not know what they are talking about. However, my perspective is you can never please everyone and will receive a low rating from time to time. That is life. The good vendors who do quality work will have more positive ratings over time than negative. I am for allowing people to express their feedback on services rendered.

[Patrick H.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

I had a bad vendor many years ago, and they stopped his ad in the Driveline after I made my case to Eric Mortimer and others. In the short term Vinnie may be your best option.

To set up any type of rating system here would likely take Board approval. So, if anyone wants to get the project started, that's where you need to go.

[Dick W.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

And then there was the customer that sent a caliper back to the rebuilder claiming the caliper was defective. The pistons were worn way down, pads were not installed when the caliper was replaced. Buyer was pizzed of when they denied his warranty claim.

[Joe R.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

And so it goes, on and on and on!

Duh!

JR

[Mark E.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

To set up any type of rating system here would likely take Board approval. So, if anyone wants to get the project started, that's where you need to go.

For me, this would be a significant value-add service. Maybe ratings and comments are subject to moderation, with a review process for vendors to challenge specific feedback. If available only to members, I'm open to pay a few bucks more in dues to cover the cost of administrating this.

[Joe R.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

For me, this would be a significant value-add service. Maybe ratings and comments are subject to moderation, with a review process for vendors to challenge specific feedback. If available only to members, I'm open to pay a few bucks more in dues to cover the cost of administrating this.

Mark,

Why don't you discuss this with your Regional Representative and he could discuss this with the Board of Directors. Please get back to us and report on what you find. Maybe contact the Publications Committee thru Vinnie Peters.

Thanks, JR

[Domenic T.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

I am going to stick my neck out here. A NCRS member sent me a on opened box with a part rebuilt from a reputable vendor. The box was not opened and re addressed to me.
I didn't find what he paid for. As a matter of fact the old parts inside the painted case was not even cleaned, rebuilt, or taken apart!
I called this vendor a few years before this happened and asked them if they would share their part source as parts were not available?
They did not have a source for new parts and said they used the old ones over. In this case, they did nothing but reseal and paint. I found something that may have lasted a short time if the vendor was lucky.

Dom

[Domenic T.]

Re: How to alert fellow member of a bad vendor?

Here I go again!
Vendors with multiple employees can send out good and bad work. It's a lucky pick when things are done by one of the good workers.
Example: When I worked as a mechanic at a Chevy dealer there were some bad apples. On a valve job some would only do the exhaust and brag that the intake only needed to be tapped by a hammer in the center of the head.
When I was interviewed for the job there was only one question I was asked "do you have a tool box". He said there is your stall...
We were not allowed to clean parts like heads. Only clean surfaces where gaskets went. I had a 30 gallon drum with carb cleaner that I dipped the heads and other parts in. It was removed from my stall. I moved it to the steam cleaning room and when it was found, it was removed. Bare blocks were not painted if you could believe that. We were not allowed to check out paint.
When the flat rate was raised each mechanic went to the service manager and was evaluated for the percentage of flat rate he would get.
I was denied. I was told that the percentage was determined on how much work we sent out the door! I told him I didn't have any come backs,"jobs to do over". He said that his mechanics do not get paid to clean or paint parts, only are graded for what they send out the door each day. Now that was where the service writer came in to play. If the job was bad, he made some excuse and sold another job saying that they needed to try the first repair first to see if it needed another!
I QUIT because of what I saw. Poor people were sold a job they didn't need just so a service writer could make his percentage on parts & labor.
Not sayin this happens across the board but they are out there!

Dom