AFX Spindles

[MickMc]

The Fedex guy just showed up with my new spindles.
Man these are cool. The pictures don't do any justice.
Now I have to really get to work on the Malibu, the spindles are the waaaay pretty. I guess its time to get serious.
Tyler was very helpful, maybe I'll step up to a AP kit to go on the spindles, after all a Chevelle with a big block is a heavy car....

Great customer service and I will spend money, compared to another company I sent an email to about a wiper kit, got a very short answer (we're out of stock) stopped buy the booth in Loveland and the guy wasn't to happy that I wasn't working on a Camaro, he sort of driffed of when I said the Chevelle word...

Mick McMahan

[Steve68]

Your lucky you got and answer, but I hear there busy people,

[trapin]

Great customer service and I will spend money, compared to another company I sent an email to about a wiper kit, got a very short answer (we're out of stock) stopped buy the booth in Loveland and the guy wasn't to happy that I wasn't working on a Camaro, he sort of driffed of when I said the Chevelle word...

Mick McMahan

Well.....what company are you referring to? Don't worry about them being a sponser here. If you've had a problem with a vendor, get it out there. The membership would like to know about it.

On a side note....I'm expecting a package from ATS myself tomorrow. Can't wait.

[EFI69Cam]

The Fedex guy just showed up with my new spindles.
Man these are cool. The pictures don't do any justice.
Now I have to really get to work on the Malibu, the spindles are the waaaay pretty. I guess its time to get serious.
Tyler was very helpful, maybe I'll step up to a AP kit to go on the spindles, after all a Chevelle with a big block is a heavy car....

Great customer service and I will spend money, compared to another company I sent an email to about a wiper kit, got a very short answer (we're out of stock) stopped buy the booth in Loveland and the guy wasn't to happy that I wasn't working on a Camaro, he sort of driffed of when I said the Chevelle word...

Mick McMahan

That company has a nice line of products, and decent customer service, one employee in particular is quite pleasant.

There problem is if you deviate from their way of doing things, then they don't really want to help.

[trapin]

Alright....the suspense is killing me. Someone drop me a PM before my head explodes. LOL!!!

[MickMc]

Tarpin
I guess I am really not complaining just very surprised.
From a marketing piont: Alot of money is spent on advertising driving customers (or potential customers) to your business or web site.
Every one is in the business to sell something, like it or not, if nothing gets sold then there are no paychecks (Government is kind of different, I am an 'Economist' so don't get me started on this).
Customers are driven to a store front, (either in person, very traditional, or a web site) they walk in and ask questions (wallet in hand) and should get a positive (we are here to sell a product) response.
All of the advertising, including signage, every sticker, a very fancy trailer, hats, tee shirts, word of mouth, print articles, everything is advertising and if the customer walks away, nothing was sold and the customer is empty handed. A empty handed customer will stop in the next store and try and buy again. This is human nature (I think, but it is even more evident car guys, we neeeeed to solve problems and make things better). If one store can't help we will move on to next store and the next trying to solve the problem.

I had my wallet in hand and I sent an email (small buying hint) about a product and I received and "no". I moved on. Junk yard shopping, blog reading, asking questions and I found the part I wanted to buy and now I am finishing solving the problem.
I realize that they don't need my money, I saw thier truck and trailer (dam nice) and no I don't have the sweet spot car they cater to, but all of that money spent on advertising to get me in the door to buy and I was shunned. Maybe the boss has no idea, maybe the boss has plenty of money, maybe the boss didn't train the employees, maybe the employees act just like the boss (this is the case most of the time).
I did try a second time at Good-Guys, stopped buy the trailer and still left empty handed.
I stopped by Denver Specialties (just accross the parking lot display area) and spend a small wad, and yes it was a drag hauling all of it including a bucket of Lizard Skin sound proofing all the way back to the car.
My point is that if you are going to advertise and I show up at least try and sell me. If I'm not interested, I'm a big boy and I will tell you no. If you have plenty of business, that's great too, just let the customer know. I have been in plent of shops that state up front that there is a two year wait to get in, at least I know where I (and them) stand.
But now that I was shunned (in my mind) there is not a very good chance of me every going back to that company. No I don't have the sweet spot car today, but I am very diversified in the automotive world (like most car guys). I have a very large four wheel drive, and am very familiar with the industry, I have a 64 Coupe de Ville very familiar with that world, I have a 96 Impala SS
very familiar with that world, I have a rigid V-Twin 104cid, I am very very familiar with that industry. I am note bragging but pointing out that most car guys are involved in many different areas of the automotive (and other) world be careful who you shun.
It has been said and I paraphrase 'be careful who's a$$ you step on on the way to the top because you might be kissing that a$$ later on'.
My second point is: (maybe this is about companies in general not any one specific company) it seems amazing how hard companies try and get you to buy, but when you show up no one really cares.
Maybe it is the Morton's idea; I was sold on a Morton's steak before I walked in the resturant.(but if the service is bad I will never go back). A one time sale will never grow (or sustain) a business.
Thanks for letting me stand on my soap box, I will step down now.

Mick McMahan
to many projects, to little time, but I love solving problems (I mean working on projects)

[DSE]

Detroit Speed would like to address your concerns about customer service. Customer service is our top priority throughout the entire organization including sales, fabrication, manufacturing, and shipping/receiving. We are happy to help anyone with technical assistance whether they have a Camaro, Chevelle, or '56 Oldsmobile. Obviously, we have more expertise in Camaro products and fitment. However, we will do our best to help you in any way we can. We spend a lot of research and development time on the products we design, manufacture, and sell. Therefore, we will have the most knowledge and expertise in the processes and methods we recommend. If you are using a different method, we will certainly try to answer any questions you may have, but may not have all of the answers. Secondly, we even recommend customers to other companies to purchase products if we don't carry a particular product line. We do have any expanding product line and are working on Chevelle products at this time. However, do to the time to engineer, design, and test the products, we do not have release dates.

We take customer service and integrity very seriously from the top down. This business is built upon customer service. We have a top notch team of people here at DSE. If any of you know Kyle, he will do anything for any customer any time. He is the one that "eats" the hours on many customer projects; he is the one that will stop along side the road to help ANY hotrodder in ANY type of hotrod put together with ANYONE's parts. He built this business out of a love of hotrodding and oh yes, Camaros. Many customers have become friends over the years. We know many of our customers by their first names on the phone.

However, we aren't perfect. Unfortunately, mistakes will be made. Based on your experience with our company so far, I understand your frustration.

Mick, please call Detroit Speed and ask for one of the owners to discuss your displeasure with our company. The very short email you received was from a sales person that no longer works for the company. As for your experience at the Colorado show, the sales person you spoke with was not aware that you were unhappy. I apologize about the miscommunication. We would like to speak with you so we can learn from our mistakes and improve upon them.

[chicane67]

It has been said and I paraphrase 'be careful who's a$$ you step on on the way to the top because you might be kissing that a$$ later on'.

Huh. Daja-vu.

[gEtyOpAPiOn]

I Stopped At The Dse Trailer In Pleasanton Cali With My Friends And They Were Very Friendly And Helpfull That Sounds Weird As They Answer Everyones Questions But I Guess Everyone Has A Bad Day

[restomodbird69]

All I can say is I too have spent lots of money with DSE and found that they would ansmwer any question I had and even made time for smalltalk about my car.So I say give them the chance to make things right.

[Bill Howell]

Detroit Speed would like to address your concerns about customer service. Customer service is our top priority throughout the entire organization including sales, fabrication, manufacturing, and shipping/receiving. We are happy to help anyone with technical assistance whether they have a Camaro, Chevelle, or '56 Oldsmobile. Obviously, we have more expertise in Camaro products and fitment. However, we will do our best to help you in any way we can. We spend a lot of research and development time on the products we design, manufacture, and sell. Therefore, we will have the most knowledge and expertise in the processes and methods we recommend. If you are using a different method, we will certainly try to answer any questions you may have, but may not have all of the answers. Secondly, we even recommend customers to other companies to purchase products if we don't carry a particular product line. We do have any expanding product line and are working on Chevelle products at this time. However, do to the time to engineer, design, and test the products, we do not have release dates.

We take customer service and integrity very seriously from the top down. This business is built upon customer service. We have a top notch team of people here at DSE. If any of you know Kyle, he will do anything for any customer any time. He is the one that "eats" the hours on many customer projects; he is the one that will stop along side the road to help ANY hotrodder in ANY type of hotrod put together with ANYONE's parts. He built this business out of a love of hotrodding and oh yes, Camaros. Many customers have become friends over the years. We know many of our customers by their first names on the phone.

However, we aren't perfect. Unfortunately, mistakes will be made. Based on your experience with our company so far, I understand your frustration.

Mick, please call Detroit Speed and ask for one of the owners to discuss your displeasure with our company. The very short email you received was from a sales person that no longer works for the company. As for your experience at the Colorado show, the sales person you spoke with was not aware that you were unhappy. I apologize about the miscommunication. We would like to speak with you so we can learn from our mistakes and improve upon them.

Mick, this is the DSE I know. I am not nor have I ever been a customer of theirs, because early A-bodies are not their babies(yet). However, I have never run into them that they did not stop and talk with me. Stacy and Kyle are the type that help make our sport what it is. As Stacy said, being a customer is not a prerepresent to being friends with them. Having been self employeed for 20 some years, I can understand help maybe not being as personable, but that happens in any business. Give them a call, I know you will find what I am saying is true.

[zbugger]

I've had the same experience with DSE. They've been great, even though I haven't been able to buy anything from them yet. In time though.... When they FINALLY come out with 2nd gen parts.... Although that might not be in my lifetime.

[formula]

speaking of 2nd gens and AFX spindles.....

Can I please have my 2nd gen spindles soon? I WANT THEM SO VERY MUCH!

[trapin]

Wow...I wasn't aware that Mick was talking about DS&E. As far as I'm concerned they are the benchmark for all other companies when it comes to customer service. My experience with them has always been fantastic. And we sure miss the hell out of them back here in Michigan. Mick, give 'em the benefit of the doubt...I think you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Stacy will straighten this out, give her call.

[MickMc]

Ok ok, I should have kept my typing fingers to my self. Thank you Tony for asking for the details.
I didn't intend on this getting out of hand.
Everyone has had a great experience with DS&E, judging from the response. But mine was different.
Kyle and Stacy might be customer service driven, BUT I never talked to either one of them. My email was answered by who knows who.
The guy I talked to in Loveland was pleasant but when the Chevelle came up he was no longer interested. He did say (Allen Ortega ((very nice Camaro)) and Bill Howell ((dam you car is cool and in a magazine)) listen up "we are woking on second generation Camaro right now and Chevelle after that hopefully 2008".
Tony, sorry about the misspelling of "trapin" to 'tarpin', BUT I was NOT in the wrong place at the wrong time. I am the customer, well potential at least.

I will give Kyle a second chance, even though I have no idea who wrote the post from DS&E, it was unsigned, I will call.
I will be in Boston next week 19-23, and the next week (26-31) I am setting up and master of enrollment meetings for a 401(k), for a small-mid size company. Work calls to pay for the projects.
I will call Kyle and talk this out. I realize that he and Stacy are service driven but if you don't talk to them are their employees service driven too.
This is really about me standing on my soap box about companies in general, it just so happens that DS&E was one of the last companies I tried to buy from and I expected great customer service but they failed to perform. It didn't help that I had just done business with Tyler and he under promised and over-delivered.

Don't forget my point: Business spend alot, no alot alot of money on advertising and what kind in response does the customer get when he does respond to the advertising? Does your staff answer the phone "yah", do emails get replied with three word sentences, is the bosses ideas and customer service carried out through all employees?
Kyle and Stacy have done a great job to get their company where it is today, no doubt, am I the only guy with a complaint or the only crazy guy who takes time out of his day to post a problem, do the others just go away and NEVER come back (the silent desenters).

Mick McMahan

[OHCbird]

Mick-

You can add me to the list of those more than impressed with DSE's products and customer service. I grew up around the aftermarket, and let me tell ya- there aren't many like them in this industry. There are wayyy, waayyy too many fly-by-night types in the aftermarket that (as you have said), over-promise and under-deliver. If you know business like you say you do, then you can appreciate a company sticking to it's business plan, so as to get things done right the first time. It may have taken DSE a bit longer to get some products out, but I can vouch that the products they do have out are well thought-out and engineered. I hope Kyle, Stacy & crew continue to make enough to stay motivated (and therefore, innovative).

Even so- Don't worry about whether or not others are open enough to post a dissenting opinion or example; it's good to rock the boat every now and then. You are right, though- there are a bunch of people here that will stick up for DSE, ATS, etc when the time comes. I think it's a good thing- when was the last time you saw somebody stand up for a niche-market company?

[4MuscleMachines]

There are wayyy, waayyy too many fly-by-night types in the aftermarket that (as you have said), over-promise and under-deliver.

He said ATS (TYLER) UNDER promised and OVER delivered. The opposite of the above quote.

[OHCbird]

4MM-
That was kinda my point; I didn't directly quote him if that is your concern. Did you get my point?

As for Tyler- I agree. He called me 8 months after I jumped on a post committing to buying a set of spindles. He called to confirm that I still wanted a set, or I'd have to wait till the next batch. 8 months later! That is great customer service, as was the way they arrived. Great packing, an enclosed catalog and directions, and best of all- a product that is exactly what they had advertised.

So please excuse the confusing grammar.

[4MuscleMachines]

OHCbird, my "bad", didn't read it throughly.

Mick, it is good you brought it up and will give them a second chance. It will get people here thinking to to only expect good service and not the run around or have the door shut on you from ANY vendor.

[TitoJones]

Mick-
I'm glad you had a positive experience with my company. We aspire to treat our clients like we would like to be treated. We are very much like DSE in that manner.

Tyler