ARTICLE BY ERIK "THERED" ORMOSEN
(June 3, 2007) - Hey there fellow VW peeps! Give me a quick sec to lay down a little history here, ok?
Brian Watts, one of the two main guys behind the super-successful website you're looking at right now-- ACDRM-- has been reading my posts on Cal-Look for quite some time. At the very least, and for whatever strange reason, Brian seems to think I'm known to voice my opinion from time to time without overly concerning myself with the possible repercussions. Good or bad, for better or worse, sometimes I think things just need to be said. So, I say em. Simple as that. I don't think I'm God's gift to the sport nor do I believe that my opinions should represent everyone. (well, ok, maybe that last one is a bit of a stretch). I just know there's a lot of stuff that goes on out there that seems to concern a lot of people, but these issues quite often don't get the attention they deserve......or they don't get the attention I think they deserve. And since this is my page, I'll give attention to whatever issue I feel like giving attention to. If you don't like it, get your own page.
Brian and I locked horns awhile back on an issue many of you might remember......the infamous "bikini debate". While it did get somewhat frustrating at times, the debate was civil and it got people stirred up and involved. We believe these kinds of topics, the "controversial" ones, are often times the ones that are the most fun and can be the most productive. If its controversial, EVERYONE has an opinion. When everyone has an opinion, and its important to those people, things can get accomplished. Its our goal here to create that atmosphere, to stir up some civil debate and hope the powers that be are listening to us, the seething masses. Well, long story short, Brian and I have become rather good friends in recent months, and as a result, Brian and Jason (the other main guy) thought it might be a neat idea to give me my own "rant" section on ACDRM. No, this isn't another place for me to hang all you libs out on the laundry line, or a place to discuss my recent run-in with the pimply-faced goober kid at the McDonald's drive-thru, but rather a place for me to air my VW industry related opinions (for what they're worth) and maybe whip up a little conversation in the meantime. This is not intended to start fights or piss people off, and it doesn't mean that ACDRM necessarily endorse or agree with everything (or anything) I might decide to rant about. Its just a way to get out in the open many of the things I hear buzzing in the pits or in private conversations with other people, or from my own experience, and is mostly for entertainment. (This is starting to sound too much like a legal disclaimer now, so I'll get to the point). I hope most of you take these "rants" with a grain of salt and realize we are all in this together. Our pond might have some big fish, but its still a very small pond. With respect to that fact its important that we all remember this hobby is FOR FUN. Without the fun part, what idiot would continue to do it?
So, that brings us to the first installment of ETR Rants Again. And what might I have on the plate to offer up this first go-round? Well, conveniently, the timing here is just too good to pass up. Lets talk about industry wait times. This will be good fun, so stick around a minute-- I'm willing to bet 90% of you will agree with the rant material.
As many of you might know, I've been gathering parts to build a new race motor over the past year or so. Most of you have been at this stage many times, or at least one time, or will be here soon-- the parts collecting stage of the engine build. This is the stage that's supposed to be kinda fun, circling all your future goodies from the dealer ads in Hot VW's with a Sharpie pen. Asking questions and calling up the "somebody's" in our industry, people you've come to know and respect for their experience and opinions as to exactly what goodies you should be circling. Scouting The Samba High-Performance section during your lunch break at work, hoping to spot that crank or that really neato set of rods or that must-have set of heads for a screamin' deal. Making your engine intentions widely known by posting your plans on Cal-Look.com, TheSamba.com and ShopTalkForums.com, then the anticipation every day to see who has replied and what they have to say about your "What do you guys think of this combo?" post. Setting aside large and mostly irresponsible portions of your paychecks to purchase said goodies, money that should be going to PG&E, the landlord, the grocery store, or the kid's college fund-- but that nonsense doesn't buy horsepower, so it can wait. Or, worse yet, suppose you're an active drag racer and you break something at the track. Now its a race to get your new stuff and have that motor back up and running before the next event.
Notice if you will, I said earlier that this stage of the build is "supposed" to be fun. Unfortunately, all too often, it becomes more of a source for irritation and frustration than it is a source for good times. And why is this? Well, I know I speak LOUDLY for myself and several others who share the same frustrations. I'm bewildered as to why our small, close-knit ACVW community seems to be plagued with such a variety of irresponsible retailers and shops who can't tell the truth about the wait time to save their own lives. Why are there so many shops who make public claims as to what they can do and when they can do it, only to find out AFTER they've run your credit card that few (if any) of their promises can be kept? Now, I'm not talking about a guy who tells you it'll take 3 days and it ends up taking 6. I'm talking about a "reputable" crank shop who tells you, "No problem man, we can have that crank done in a couple weeks, tops", then takes over 13 weeks to get it done. Why the hell didn't they just TELL YOU from the start it was gonna take 3 months? Then, as if the initial crap isn't enough, the shop feeds you line after line of excuses as to why they don't have it done yet as you continue to wait even longer......"Sorry man, our milling machine broke. Sorry man, we had a bunch of dudes out sick this week. Sorry man, the 3rd moon of Jupiter didn't line up with Saturn on the 5th day of April, so we couldn't get the flux capacitor up and running to put a shiny finish on the clooge flange thrust bracket on the whoodafritzer." Or my personal favorite, the honest-yet-totally-unacceptable approach, "Sorry man, I just plain forgot about it." You mean to tell me I've been sitting here for 8 weeks with my thumb in my ass and missed Bug-O-Rama because you forgot? Why couldn't the shop just be up front about the time it will take to finish? I'm not gonna name names, but I've been waiting for a "product" now for well over 9 months.......I was told it would take 6 weeks. I don't care who you are, this is completely out of control. I hear all the time from fellow drag racers who are fed-up with this kind of crap, waiting on heads, waiting on trannies, waiting on whatever-the-heck they ordered from whatever-the-heck shop they ordered it from. Waiting waiting waiting. Never a good reason why, just waiting. Waiting for the doof in shipping to put it in a box. Waiting for the back-order that never shows up, then nobody calls to tell you anything. Waiting for so-and-so to call you back about something, who of course never calls. Waiting for a reply to an e-mail that apparently nobody read. I just don't get it. Some of these guys put out an excellent product, if you can get em to actually do it. I know I know, they all have some reason why it takes so damn long, but most of these "reasons" are no more than cleverly disguised excuses. If you're short-handed and have way too much work, then STOP EXCEPTING NEW WORK! Or, be honest with your customer about how long the wait is. Or, hire some help. SOMETHING! Just stop telling customers "Oh yeah, 2 or 3 weeks" when you know damn good and well its gonna be at least 3 or 4 times that. What, do you guys have a computer program that spits out random excuses for you? Did you buy one of those "excuse calendars" to give you your 'excuse of the day'? Do you learn your excuses from your kids when you ask them why they didn't get their homework done? I've heard some real whoppers over the years. Dudes, if its gonna take awhile, then just SAY its gonna take awhile. Don't be so dang scared that the customer will go somewhere else because your back-log is too long......honesty will go a long way. Get with the program and be honest. If its gonna be about a week, then tell the customer 2 weeks and surprise him when it shows up on his doorstep early. Many of us depend on these parts to keep us in the game, and we plan our schedules around it. How can any of us be successful when we have to wait on BS all the time? I've heard of guys waiting well over a year (and even TWO years) for heads. What in the Sam Hill is THAT all about? 2 YEARS? Is there really an excuse good enough to justify a 2-year wait? I'm not in the head-porting biz, and I don't think I need to be to know that's a big stinky load of horse-hockey. I'm not sure if its laziness, crookedness, or just plain stupidness, but its NOT realistic no matter how you wanna slice it.
I hear all the time retailers and shops making the claim, "VW people don't have any money, just a bunch of cheapskates". Well, its my contention that VW people (drag racers, anyway) have plenty of money-- drag racing and building drag cars and race motors is NOT cheap by any standard, and most of us are willing to pay for prompt, quality service and products. The money is out there, for sure. Its quite possible that the guys making those claims are the same guys who are not treating their customers as they should be, and not earning repeat business. I just spent over $800 on a "product" and had to wait over 4 times as long as I was told it would take-- with no good reason-- until it finally showed up last week. So, will I go back to that same shop for work in the future? Hmmm, probably not without some sort of reasonable and honest estimate on the wait time and a sincere promise that the estimate will be respected, and maybe even backed up with some sort of guarantee. $800 bucks is a chunk of change, and I'm just a dirty Marysville redneck-- but I paid it gladly. To return their thanks, the shop didn't seem concerned at all that the "2 week" estimate wasn't even close, or that I was trying to get a motor together for Bug-O. Had they delivered the goods anywhere near the time I was promised, the motor would very likely have been in the car for the event. This is the kind of stuff that turns buyers off and they end up spending money elsewhere. Or even worse, they experience this sort of treatment one time too many and leave the hobby altogether, taking their money with em. This isn't good for anyone-- the shops lose, the retailers lose, the customer loses, the promoters lose, the magazines lose, the entire industry suffers when people get fed up and take a hike from the whole deal. I don't think its out of line to expect a shop to deliver what and when they say they will, and I certainly don't think its out of line to say something about it when the promises are repeatedly broken. As I mentioned earlier, I sent out another "item" to a certain shop back in September........and I'm still waiting for it. After many phone calls and e-mails, I still have nothing. When he asked for payment, the full amount was in the mail that afternoon. Now call me a complainer, but I think I've been far more than reasonable. We typically don't tolerate this stuff from most in our daily lives, so why are we expected to tolerate it from VW shops?
Bottom line, you retailers and shops need to do whatever it takes to make sure that your quotes are reasonably accurate. If you say 3 weeks, it should be 3 weeks, give or take a reasonable margin. Nobody's perfect, nothing ever seems to happen exactly as planned, and sometimes unexpected circumstances do arise. But waiting 10 months when you were quoted 2 months is just completely ridiculous. And then to add insult to injury, you never call your customers to let em know what's going on-- instead, you wait for the customer to call YOU, now all bent out of shape and pissed off, weeks after the due date, and then you're forced into a line of lame excuses and make him wait even longer. Why? What's the deal? Why can't you just be up front, honest, and let people know? Wait, wait, wait, excuses, wait, more excuses, wait some more, more excuses, then finally, waaaaaaaaaaaaay after the most recent promise, the stuff shows up. No thanks.
What is so damn hard about picking up a phone to say, "Hey dude, got a little backed up-- I'll have your stuff out in a week or so." How friggin' long does it take to shoot an e-mail to your customer BEFORE your customer gets pissed off? Or, maybe, just be straight about the wait time from the very start. Now there's a novel idea, huh?
To give respect where its due, there are several shops who are quite reliable and punctual with their products and shipping. These guys are obviously exempted from my rant, and should be given extra consideration for your future business. If you've had good luck with a shop or retailer and haven't had to experience any of this unreasonable waiting nonsense, then stick with em and give your money to the guys who earn it. That's my plan.
DISCLAIMER - The views expressed by Erik "TheRed" Ormosen do not necessarily represent the views of ACDRM.com or any of it's staff.
