Bumper question
- Thread starter 3rdgenfan
- Start date
AddictedOffroad
New member
So, I want to clear a few things up here. Yes, our turn times are running longer than usual. As is my response time in getting back to people. That is changing as we speak.
Ryder and I had a 45 email chain between the two of us that would show otherwise. But, I was not able to get back to him immediately all the time, and therefore it was lacking. I tried to keep him informed of everything when I could. He ordered our complete package on 8/11. The sliders and rear bumper were shipping on 11/3. The front bumper was the big issue. We had 12 sets of wings come back from press bend. However, Ryder was 13th on the list of bumpers ordered. So, yes, he missed the cutoff. Unfortunately, I misquoted him during that time, assuming he was part of that production run. And, his bumper had to wait for the next run to come though. It was my fault.
The other issue we have is sales. I really hesitated this year even having a sale at all because I know what usually happens during that time. The Black Friday sale is the biggest sale we have and we usually get anywhere from 30-40 bumpers ordered that week. For the three weeks leading up to it, all I received was phone calls or emails asking about if we were going to run a sale or not. I decided last minute to just run the sale. It was a mistake as we received well over 30 bumper orders. At that time I was very clear to every customer who ordered a bumper what it would do to turn times, and that I was quoting 12 weeks minimum on the turn times.
It also never helps during the holidays as manufacturing companies are crippled by midweek holidays(short weeks), shipping delays, and employee time off. We go through the same issues.
To boot, my 75yr old mother who lives alone in VA, fell in her bathtub in Nov. She was unable to get out of the tub for 5 days. So, when they found her, she was disoriented, critically dehydrated, going into kidney failure, etc. It forced me to drop everything and take a trip out there for a week to get her affairs in order and start the process of getting her house ready to sell as she cannot live on her own anymore. Then, again, the week before Xmas, I had to drive out to VA and load her entire house into my enclosed trailer to bring it back to CO. Then from 12/31-1/4 I had to drive it to CA to move her to my brother's house where we have an assisted living nurse setup to help her.
FWIW, this isn't an excuse, as I should have been able to juggle all of it. People don't care about this stuff when they were told a turn time and its over that time. They just want their bumper, and I understand. I have begun the process of relinquishing a lot of things I have on my plate everyday to James, my shop manager. But, it will take some time to get him ready to start answering emails and phone calls. But, I need someone who can do these things if/when I cannot be in the shop.
So, here we are this week. I got back into the shop on Monday and we went to work. We are getting caught up again. We built 20 tube bumpers, and several plate bumpers this week. As of right now, we are caught up to the 4 week mark on tube bumpers, and 8 week mark on plate bumpers. However, I am waiting on a run of wings on the plate bumpers, so I am still quoting 8-12 weeks on plate bumpers because manufacturing them takes time. Tube bumpers are running 4-6 weeks. I also hired another guy this week to help try to get caught up.
Needless to say, Ryder is somewhat right about our customer service during the last few months. Its has been definitely lacking, but I will get that sorted out immediately as I will now have more time to spend in the shop again.
So, if you want a plate bumper or tube bumper, you have my word that I will get it done ASAP. But, just so you know: There are times where I will turn the ringer off on my phone during the day as well. Otherwise, I will never be able to get anything done in the shop. The days of 10 calls in a day are over. We receive 50+ calls a day, easily. So, some days you will need to leave a voicemail and be patient for a day until I can get back to you.
Ryder and I had a 45 email chain between the two of us that would show otherwise. But, I was not able to get back to him immediately all the time, and therefore it was lacking. I tried to keep him informed of everything when I could. He ordered our complete package on 8/11. The sliders and rear bumper were shipping on 11/3. The front bumper was the big issue. We had 12 sets of wings come back from press bend. However, Ryder was 13th on the list of bumpers ordered. So, yes, he missed the cutoff. Unfortunately, I misquoted him during that time, assuming he was part of that production run. And, his bumper had to wait for the next run to come though. It was my fault.
The other issue we have is sales. I really hesitated this year even having a sale at all because I know what usually happens during that time. The Black Friday sale is the biggest sale we have and we usually get anywhere from 30-40 bumpers ordered that week. For the three weeks leading up to it, all I received was phone calls or emails asking about if we were going to run a sale or not. I decided last minute to just run the sale. It was a mistake as we received well over 30 bumper orders. At that time I was very clear to every customer who ordered a bumper what it would do to turn times, and that I was quoting 12 weeks minimum on the turn times.
It also never helps during the holidays as manufacturing companies are crippled by midweek holidays(short weeks), shipping delays, and employee time off. We go through the same issues.
To boot, my 75yr old mother who lives alone in VA, fell in her bathtub in Nov. She was unable to get out of the tub for 5 days. So, when they found her, she was disoriented, critically dehydrated, going into kidney failure, etc. It forced me to drop everything and take a trip out there for a week to get her affairs in order and start the process of getting her house ready to sell as she cannot live on her own anymore. Then, again, the week before Xmas, I had to drive out to VA and load her entire house into my enclosed trailer to bring it back to CO. Then from 12/31-1/4 I had to drive it to CA to move her to my brother's house where we have an assisted living nurse setup to help her.
FWIW, this isn't an excuse, as I should have been able to juggle all of it. People don't care about this stuff when they were told a turn time and its over that time. They just want their bumper, and I understand. I have begun the process of relinquishing a lot of things I have on my plate everyday to James, my shop manager. But, it will take some time to get him ready to start answering emails and phone calls. But, I need someone who can do these things if/when I cannot be in the shop.
So, here we are this week. I got back into the shop on Monday and we went to work. We are getting caught up again. We built 20 tube bumpers, and several plate bumpers this week. As of right now, we are caught up to the 4 week mark on tube bumpers, and 8 week mark on plate bumpers. However, I am waiting on a run of wings on the plate bumpers, so I am still quoting 8-12 weeks on plate bumpers because manufacturing them takes time. Tube bumpers are running 4-6 weeks. I also hired another guy this week to help try to get caught up.
Needless to say, Ryder is somewhat right about our customer service during the last few months. Its has been definitely lacking, but I will get that sorted out immediately as I will now have more time to spend in the shop again.
So, if you want a plate bumper or tube bumper, you have my word that I will get it done ASAP. But, just so you know: There are times where I will turn the ringer off on my phone during the day as well. Otherwise, I will never be able to get anything done in the shop. The days of 10 calls in a day are over. We receive 50+ calls a day, easily. So, some days you will need to leave a voicemail and be patient for a day until I can get back to you.
