Ok here in the fiero community we have some outstanding vendors, ....Mr Mike, the Fiero Store, THe Fiero Warehouse, Rodney Dickman, V-8 Archie and many others, but there is something going on that i just do not understand.

It has not happened to me but several other members on the forum are currently experiencing it and to me it is totally unnecessary and unacceptable.

What i am talking about is a total lack of any assemblence of customer service. I am not talking about any specific vendors but if the shoe fits,........

We have people who have turned their cars over for custom work, ( bodywork, paintjobs, swaps, etc ) months and even years ago and they are still waiting for the work to be done.

In some cases large sums or partial payments have been made and months go by without even a simple acknowledgement or update from the person supposedly doing hte work.

Furthermore in most cases i am told getting in contact with said persons is akin to trying to contact the president.

I totally understand that things happen in life that put work on the backburner, that some have other businesses that take priority over simple fiero modifications or work, but is it really that difficult to stick to a timetable or god forbid give the " paying " customer an update or return a simple phone call.

Sorry but i just do not understand that, and i hope that the vendors whom this may reflect, get their act together and get back to giving just a little customer service.

It's more than just a simple sale that is on the line,...reputations are a bit more expensive to recoup.

I see what you are getting at here. It has not happened to me either, but I am just starting to organize a project build. I expect delays. I have never done business with most of the people on PFF. I have always driven stock Fieros.

In the multiple shows that I have been to, some of the work I have seen just speaks for itself. If it takes time for this kind of work, so be it. There are only so many places I can go to have this work done. I just want to have a good start on my car before the 25th. I want to be able to show people a good idea of what the final product will look like.

Let me guess................. WCF again ???

It's always best to do as much as you can yourself, sometimes even if you have to learn something new. Especially with things like bodywrok, where they have your car and won't give it back even though they screwed it up. One of our customers has had our intake for like forever but cant put it on his car because the shop wont give it him!

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[IMG]



Trueleo.com/fiero.htm
RSpiderII@aol.com

I've been biting me tongue in fear of being a vendor basher and the fear of upsetting the person who holds 10 years of my life in his hands. I wouldn't think he would do an A1 job if he was pissed at me, but I guess we will see now?

In hindsight, I'll edit my post. He probably is still pissed, so I'll keep you guys updated. I spoke of how I was heading the Fiero Owners of Central Indiana, and how I planned to spread good things about his great job. I'll reserve comment in anticipation that he will still do a good/great job.

Greg

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[This message has been edited by FieroGTguy (edited 02-18-2007).]

I have done business with quite a few of the Fiero vendors and have only had problems with two.
I have been waiting 24 months for something I have already paid for and it looks like I will be waiting at least 26 months.

I haven't had any issues with Fiero vendors, but don't get me started on body/paint shops. My car has spent the better part of 2 years getting painted.

However, I will make the following comment. I'm not a big time Fiero parts vendor by any stretch...but it's my policy not to accept a dime of anyone's money until I have the part in my hand ready to ship. I know it's hard for a small buisiness to work that way, but once I have a person's money, it becomes a priority to get them their item. I know stuff happens, but that should be the exception to the rule, not the norm.

That's why I stick to the venders who don't fart around. V8Archie, Mr. Mike's, Rodney Dickman, Dakota Digital, HRE, WCF, and D1S.

Dickman [personal items that are hard to find or available]....serious business man with my money.

Mr. Mike [basic interior]....serious business and who will bend the rules for ya.

Dakota Digital [gauges]....serious company w/o any issues with my Fiero.

HRE [rims]....serious company and who doesn't care if you drive a Fiero....they don't say "no" to my money.

D1S [engine]....Whenever there's an "issue" he returns my calls and backs-up his product. You may have to wait a little for the results...but in the end, you'll be pleased.

WCF [interior]...Chris West will bend the rules for ya when it comes to interior parts and he's come through with a good part.

V8Archie [custom items]...a person who will bend the rules when it comes to building your dream car. It's sometime a "Ali-Frazer" bout fights when it comes to the build-up but, like two old gumpy fighters, we break bread and laugh at our loss of teeth at the end of the day, hehe.

Great thread...This has been needed for a long time!

Ahh...on the good guy side...Let's not forget the new kid on the block....Monsterparts! He has gone above and beyond for many here already. I have spoken to him and know he is in it for us! He even found 200 of the same part that we all thought was dead.

I guess there is always going to be two sides of the same story. Sorry to all the peeps that are getting the shaft.

Although I do not know a person down here (Other than phone conversations and the odd meeting.) ...let me know if I can do anything to help.

Remember...with a brillant mind comes a wee bit of insanity!

[This message has been edited by WisconsinGT (edited 02-18-2007).]

quote Originally posted by madcurl: That's why I stick to the venders who don't fart around. V8Archie, Mr. Mike's, Rodney Dickman, Dakota Digital, HRE, WCF, and D1S. Dickman [personal items that are hard to find or available]....serious business man with my money. Mr. Mike [basic interior]....serious business and who will bend the rules for ya. Dakota Digital [gauges]....serious company w/o any issues with my Fiero. HRE [rims]....serious company and who doesn't care if you drive a Fiero....they don't say "no" to my money. D1S [engine]....Whenever there's an "issue" he returns my calls and backs-up his product. You may have to wait a little for the results...but in the end, you'll be pleased. WCF [interior]...Chris West will bend the rules for ya when it comes to interior parts and he's come through with a good part. V8Archie [custom items]...a person who will bend the rules when it comes to building your dream car. It's sometime a "Ali-Frazer" bout fights when it comes to the build-up but, like two old gumpy fighters, we break bread and laugh at our loss of teeth at the end of the day, hehe.

At the risk of sounding like a cheerleader for Fierostore, I just want to add them to the list of 'serious' vendors. I've never had an issue with them--they do what they say they will and as quickly as possible. But they're working from inventory, too.

Archie's rep is that he does what he'll say he will, but he 'don't take no lip.' Archie has built his business on his word--and apparently (someone is always dissatisifed) he's good for his word. This takes a lot of extra effort in the custom business--he's busy enough that he's got pressure from to do's and from those that are in his shop and in progress. I've seen his reactions on this forum, if something's wrong with something he sells his reaction isn't to point fingers elsewhere or hem and haw, he asks how he can make it right.

These custom fabricators that get your car and then go into "manyana" mode need to be exposed to the light of day. They won't stay in backburner mode for long if their businesses are under scrutiny. After reading this thread, who here would turn their car over to Norm?

quote Originally posted by WisconsinGT: Monsterparts! He even found 200 of the same part that we all thought was dead.

ehh??? Which part is that?

quote Originally posted by Brian Lamberts: At the risk of sounding like a cheerleader for Fierostore, I just want to add them to the list of 'serious' vendors. I've never had an issue with them--they do what they say they will and as quickly as possible. But they're working from inventory, too.

Woops, I forget The Fierostore, hehe. I've never had a "issue" with them. I call Justin up and my items are, "in the mail."

Doug and Sage (Fiero Warehouse) .....Same as The Fiero Store. When I order from them it's "In the mail---ASAP" even down to custom orders such as the new Camero bow-tie wing.

If I could say I would have said it Cliff. Sorry, but I hope a few things are being worked out as I type. Once that is finished, I can share. It will all make sense once complete. It is only big news for a few Fiero owners.

Oh yeah, FieroDave is a great Vendor as well.

[This message has been edited by WisconsinGT (edited 02-18-2007).]

quote Originally posted by FieroGTguy: I've been biting me tongue in fear of being a vendor basher and the fear of upsetting the person who holds 10 years of my life in his hands. I wouldn't think he would do an A1 job if he was pissed at me, but I guess we will see now?

I hear ya ! And its been my #1 beef with body shops for over 20 years, and the reason I avoid them like the plauge. I have a problem with being a victim of extortion.

As soon as they have the car, the $1,000 quote and 2 weeks turns into $3,000-$5,000 and 2-4 months, but they want $1500 for so-called "work done" to release the car the next day, otherwise they will slap a lien on it--or just plain old not return it. Sure, its possible to get lawyers involved and force them........but I wouldn't trust any work done under those circumstances, and I would be very suspicious of sabatouge to the car.

I personally don't think there IS a solution, except, as posted above--learn to do the work yourself and avoid vendors except those with extremely top-notch reputations wherever possible.

Too many companies treat thier customers like mushrooms, keep them in the dark and feed them BS. We go out of our way to keep ours informed of any delays or whatever. If you tell someone you just had hand surgery and it will add a little time to their order (me last month, now fine) being filled, they can understand that. But too many companies would rather not say anything and just leave you hanging there wondering what heck? Treat a customer honestly like you want to be treated and you cant go wrong. Simple rule that works but is sadly seldom true these days especailly of the big corps, just try to get help from a big company! First you have wade through a maze of "press 3 to return to main menu etc" and then in some cases you get to speak to live person (or a bot pretending to be one), or someone in another country that can't comprehend what youre trying to tell him. Isen't out-sourcing customer service wonderfull, ya right. I use buy lots of HP products, but with thier now horrid India-based service department, I wont go near thier stuff. You gota love the way they give themselfs American names try to make you think they are here. Among other things, can you tell I was a Field Service Manager for years (computer hardware/telecom)

Like i said this thread was not directed at any one business, shop, or person because right now there are so many out there just giving really poor customer service it is ridiculous.

Jscott your situation is just one of the examples that irked me beyond compare. I feel for you man, and i am afraid i would not be as understanding as you and some of the others whose hard earned money is on the line.

Every dime i earn is from my sweat and effort, and i' ll be darned if i let someone screw me over just because they think my project is insignifigant or something they can sluff off.

If you can't get something done in time, fine just say so !!

Then just give the customer a new estimated time of completion and then stick to it !!

If you can't do the project, don't want to do the project, or it is not worth your time, then don't start !!!

Sorry but this is not rocket science folks. Courtesy is all that is asked.

quote Originally posted by exoticse: Like i said this thread was not directed at any one business, shop, or person because right now there are so many out there just giving really poor customer service it is ridiculous. Jscott your situation is just one of the examples that irked me beyond compare. I feel for you man, and i am afraid i would not be as understanding as you and some of the others whose hard earned money is on the line.

I went "Volcan Mind Melded" with Jscott. He's knows I'm calling right before his phone starts to ring, hehe. One of these days, I'll show-up at the shop where his choppers at and I'll be calling him using the shop's phone.

[This message has been edited by madcurl (edited 02-18-2007).]

The finger does need to be pointed here. Word of mouth is always the best advertisement.
You do a good job, people are going to get the work/item/part from that vendor (backyard shop in PFF case)
If its 60 people say yay, 40 say nay then thats a issue. Well, sometimes the vendor makes the customer happy is unacceptable.

If people keep putting up with that kind of nonsense, those shops/people arent going to go away. I dont understand the hesitation to call someone out. Ive seen threads where people complain about the price, FieroStore is a great example. In my thousands of dollars spent with them over the years not ONCE have I had a problem. This should be the kind of standard the fiero community should want. Not accept whatever, because theres only so many vendors/persons that are into our cars.

The statement you get what you pay for is UNIVERSAL. From my F-bod vendors to G-bod vendors, god bless em , theres a right and wrong way to deal with customers. Biting your lip, or dealing with the issue isnt going to solve anything. Its just going to get the next guy screwed over.

Most likely leave a bad taste for our community and our cars. Bad public opinion seems to be a sore sport for some IIRC.

Can I take a moment to point out some good service that I've received?

When I got my 4.9 swapped in, I left my car with Ed and the Fiero Factory folks. He told me it would probably be ready in two weeks. Ended up taking a little bit longer, but that's because Ed discovered that the guy ahead of me needed some additional work while his car was already disassembled. No biggie.
There were no surprises with the price, and everything I paid for was itemized.
The quality of the work was first rate, as usual.

Also, I was very happy with the body and paint work on my fastback.
The price was quite reasonable, and didn't go up by even a nickel from the time I got the quote until I picked up the car. It took longer than expected, but that's because he was working me in between insurance jobs that came up. (They are his bread 'n' butter, after all.) And I told him, going in, that I wasn't in a hurry.
My red notchie will likely be going there soon. (Body Works, Carrollton GA, BTW.)

Of course, Doug Kinney, Rodney and the Fiero Store always give me the usual exemplary service that everyone is familiar with.

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Raydar
88 4.9 Formula IMSA Fasback..........................88 3.4 coupe................................................

Read Nealz Nuze! Praise the Lowered!

[This message has been edited by Raydar (edited 02-19-2007).]

I've only dealt with two fiero-specific retailers (Rodney Dickman and FieroStore) and have not had a prob with either. I ordered a clutch and T/O bearing from FS, and when the T/O bearing and pressure plate ended up being the wrong ones, Justin shipped the correct ones the same day, along with pre-paid return shipping labels. The instructions Rodney ships with his parts are very helpful when working on unfamiliar parts. Just my $.02.

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86 SE 2.8 4-Speed

quote Originally posted by WisconsinGT: Great thread...This has been needed for a long time! Ahh...on the good guy side...Let's not forget the new kid on the block....Monsterparts! He has gone above and beyond for many here already. I have spoken to him and know he is in it for us! He even found 200 of the same part that we all thought was dead. I guess there is always going to be two sides of the same story. Sorry to all the peeps that are getting the shaft. Although I do not know a person down here (Other than phone conversations and the odd meeting.) ...let me know if I can do anything to help. Remember...with a brillant mind comes a wee bit of insanity!

Thank you very much for your support it is greatly appreciated. I am new to the forums and am still trying to het aquainted with them. As far as what I am doing is I am trying to provide an avenue where GM car enthusists can get factory GM parts at cheap prices and get better customer service than anywhere! Any advise or comments would be greatly appreciated. If you need anything you can go my site www.monsterpartsonline.com or call me at 1-800-676-6321 and ask for Patrick. I will do my best to help you out and beat any price (except from joe who found a part in his garage and is selling it for a penny on ebay)

BUMP

[This message has been edited by FierociousGT (edited 06-12-2007).]

Jon Scott - you have a PM

Can't have a list of great vendors without:

Rock Auto www.rockauto.com - online catalog with just about every part made for the Fiero. Reasonable prices, fast shipping.

Paul McKibben www.fierosails.com - sail panels, decals for Fieros. Great customer service, very high quality products.

I have dealt with a whole buch of Fiero Vendors over the past 6 years. Most of you have dealt with the same vendors. I have had a couple small issues with a couple but for the most part even the small issues were trivial. 1 vendor though just really jerked me around! I got screwed royal to the tune of $8,000.00
My best advice vendor wise is to look at my sig and take notice!

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My best advice when it comes to your Fiero is to "NOT" do any dealings with www.kitcarman.com

VIAGRA - Strong enough for a man but made for a woman

I havent had problems with vendors i have more faith in them then anyone here.

NOT ONE THING I HAVE EVER BOUGHT OFF THIS BOARD HAS EVER TURNED UP.

Seems the vendors have a business they are trying to protect and anyone in business wants to stay in business and should fill the order if taken payment. People here just want a few bucks.

[This message has been edited by Australian (edited 06-13-2007).]

Bump, cause good threads should never die...

quote Originally posted by JimmyS: My best advice vendor wise is to look at my sig and take notice!

quote Originally posted by JimmyS: VIAGRA - Strong enough for a man but made for a woman

Hmm.... lol

quote Originally posted by FierociousGT: BUMP

Any details on this??

Looks like someone got a wee bit excited at the sight of girl one

quote Originally posted by PURPLE REIGN: Any details on this??

Looks like she may have given a lap dance to a virgin

quote Originally posted by madcurl: Mr. Mike [basic interior]....serious business and who will bend the rules for ya..

Laugh... some of them he can't bend for you... I think his favorite word for me was no laugh... The seat covers I wanted for Max's ZR2 didn't start out the way they ended up... I wanted the sparkle blue/silver material that is only for the PT Cruisers door panels... frown... (although I'm sure Max was going Thank Goodness!! laugh.. he's rather ummmm conservative is the word I suppose) ok, so I settled on the Blue/silver combo with the silver on the outside/blue in the center... nope... not enough silver material to do the back of the seats with... frown... well.. ok, I guess I'll settle for blue on the outside/silver on the inside.. Yep, can do that, Oh but I want purple trim cording... that will be hard to do... but I want it... sniff, sniff... ok.. I'll see... oh yeah, I want a custom logo too... which took a couple of trial and errors, but it turned out great!! Yep.. he did it!! So I guess he did bend the rules just a little... One of these days he's gonna get to do seats for my 88.. and I'm betting he's gonna hate the color combo on them... laugh...hmmmm so do I want a dragon logo or ?? Oh yes, and of course purple... and he's gonna tell me he can't do purple on the backs... I just know it...



Anyway, Mr. Mike does a great job on these seat skins, this is the 2nd set we've had, the first being dark grey/light grey combo with a red Ferrari horse logo...and I'm sure probably won't be the last.. we just have to space them out a bit though...

We've also had great service from just about all the vendors listed... plus a few private individuals that wouldn't be considered vendors... even when I had to send back my window scoops because one of them was missing a small piece out of the inside window corner.. probably easily repaired, but at the time Max wasn't comfortable with fiberglassing stuff... and it would have been a bit difficult to shape it. Or the sail panels from Paul for the notchie... had to have them replaced a couple of times cause the paint was a bad batch and kept coming off... but when it was good, it was very good and is probably still looking great on the notchie that ended up with them!!

A big THANK YOU to all the wonderful people that have stuff for our fiero's!! Keep up the good work guys!!

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Alright guys, although I have been out of the Fiero business for the most part (besides selling my used parts to you), I think a thread like this makes more sense if those that are (screwing people) to be mentioned.

I see that the good vendors are mentioned, but if you don't mention the ones you have had bad dealings with aren't mentioned, then future consumers may be screwed by them as well.

I make it a point to let other car enthusiasts know when I have had a bad dealing with a vendor, so please, for the sake of other future buyers express your freedom of speech of what vendors aren't so good.

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'87 GT *Show winning* sold
'89 BMW 325I Zinnoberrot, 5-spd Stock
'96 BMW M3 Cosmos sold