Heinous hefty fabworks fab time

[Jono.ful]

I had similar experiences with the rear bumper I bought from Hefty last year. I placed the order in March, and it was the middle of October before I saw it. In my case though, there were some extenuating circumstances, and I was offered a discount on some other product to smooth things over.
The main theme throughout the whole thing was that communication was not good - emails wen't unanswered, promised dates would come and go. Once I did speak with Chris personally, things did begin to move in earnest however, and I am completely happy with the end result.
Is this the right way to do business? Absolutely not. But as others have pointed out, this is a small family business, not a multinational corporation. I do not want to speak for the Hefty's, but the have to be overwhelmed with the popularity of their wares and are struggling to keep up with demand.
You will absolutely get the product you have paid for, and you absolutely will wait longer that you should, and you will likely be frustrated by the lack of communication. You are getting a made to order work of art that will be perfect to the last detail when it arrives, not some Chinese made crap from Wal-Mart.

 

[rayofsi]

got email with tracking number.

ordered 4/6/2017 - shipped today, day 1 of week 13. Sliders and skids.

 

[Jetboy]

I've always been a little surprised this industry still builds to order. For custom parts - sure. For things I consider off the shelf I would think they'd build a production run of 20 at a time and stock them somewhere until they sell. Although if no one else is doing it, I guess you don't have to.

And my family owns a fab shop (industrial steel - not auto parts), so it's not a knee jerk reaction. Just an observation. I would think it would cut cost significantly to make production runs of each item and engineer them so a production run has minimal waste materials - ie size the run to use entire orders of each raw material. When we build a run of cattle guards for example we cut the entire 40' bunk of channel at once while it's still strapped together right off the truck. It's just a lot cheaper to do it that way if you've got the facilities to do it.

Having too much work is a good problem to have. Sounds like they could use more help and/or a little better communication.

 

[Bodie the Dog]

I expect a phone call...

Yea, ditto, Chris and the Hefty family are good people. They may be slow at time communicating cause Chris, his dad, his brother are in the shop making their products. They have 5 fabricators...5. That's it. Takes time to make crates, pallets, packing, shipping, accounting, taking orders, checking emails...

Anyways, I have felt your pain before. I waited 6 months for front and rear bumpers, but its definitely worth it! Hang in there!

...if I pony up over a thousand dollars for a product and it is not delivered on the date promised. All it takes is a proactive phone call, and I'll give you all kinds of extra time.

 

[Bodie the Dog]

Lack of communication is a red flag

I had similar experiences with the rear bumper I bought from Hefty last year. I placed the order in March, and it was the middle of October before I saw it. In my case though, there were some extenuating circumstances, and I was offered a discount on some other product to smooth things over.
The main theme throughout the whole thing was that communication was not good - emails wen't unanswered, promised dates would come and go. Once I did speak with Chris personally, things did begin to move in earnest however, and I am completely happy with the end result.
Is this the right way to do business? Absolutely not. But as others have pointed out, this is a small family business, not a multinational corporation. I do not want to speak for the Hefty's, but the have to be overwhelmed with the popularity of their wares and are struggling to keep up with demand.
You will absolutely get the product you have paid for, and you absolutely will wait longer that you should, and you will likely be frustrated by the lack of communication. You are getting a made to order work of art that will be perfect to the last detail when it arrives, not some Chinese made crap from Wal-Mart.

Really, in this era of instant communications, it is inexcuseable for any company to not stay in touch with the customer. I am very wary of any business which can't even handle email.

 

[rayofsi]

it seems like the norm nowadays for companies to only reply or tell you something when there is progress. They are not proactive in letting you know about shipment, or delay of shipment.

 

[cheeser]

Hefty has built a great product for me with my new sliders. I was less than happy with the poor communication in letting me know when my order was going to be ready.

I guess I would be a little more forgiving if I didn't have to pay the full price up front and than wait for months before it arrived. I recognize they need something from the customer to have a little "skin in the game," just in case they back out. I think paying half up front and then the other half upon shipping would be better for the customer.

I am willing to wait a while for a quality product....I also want to be kept in the loop for delivery as well if paying in full up front.

 

[mrblah]

Long wait times are the norm for built to order products, but they still need to complete it within the time frame they quote you, and that isn't the problem in this thread.

The problem is when a company takes your money, misses the deadline by months, fails to communicate the problem, and you are left to wonder where is your money or product.

Luckily, most people get what they order eventually....but thats not an excuse.

The only people who are happy are the fanboys who ironically have received their products, and for whatever reason, make excuses on behalf of the companies in question. Shills....

 

[CoMtn4Runner]

I am perfectly ok with the long lead times as long as the company doesn't expect me to pay the full amount upfront. Being out thousands of dollars for close to a half of a year doesn't work. I don't think it's good business to hold the customer to the standard of paying for an expensive produce and receive little to no communication especially if the estimated lead time changes. Unfortunately, this is becoming way too common in the industry and seems to becoming the norm.

 

[Trixx]

When I needed sliders, I called/emailed about half dozen potential companies about lead times. Some were decent, some just sucked and I knew they were likely lying on top of what they said due to other customer feedback I had researched online.

I decided to go with bud builts, they told me about two weeks. I ordered on a Monday and they showed up at my door a week from that Friday.. less than two weeks to build, powdercoat, and ship (granted they weren't too far, but still). They are just your basic, well build sliders.

In terms of function and looks, they were around 4th on my list of what I wanted, but the ones I liked more either had much longer wait times or didn't offer powder coating.

 

[sleevefullofaces]

I wanted a Hefty bumper but they didn't reply to my emails so I bought a Metal tech.

 

[83Mule]

I ordered my sliders from All-Pro and got a confirmation E-mail. Then got a confirmation that a shipping company had been assigned, then an update that the sliders were being fabbed that day, then a completion of product, then a shipped confirmation.......then I got out of the shower on day 6 and found them on the porch! Tracy at All-Pro did it right! $499 and free shipping to Kalifornia!:dance:http://www.toyota-4runner.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=258009&stc=1&d=1498871851

 

[Titanpat57]

I wanted a Hefty bumper but they didn't reply to my emails so I bought a Metal tech.

I think all to often this is the norm...I truly feel bad the company can't get their head and a ass wired together....God knows it's tough enough running a small business.

I also think folks need to take step back and realize when you order something custom....theres lots of variables beyond the builders control.

 

[mscot]

I have no skin in this. This isn't a criticism or an excuse. Just a statement.

An inexpensive CRM could automate a lot of this communication for small companies like this.
Shame more companies aren't implementing it. If you have an e-commerce site you should have a CRM.

 

[mtnbiker61]

I live in the Springs, and bought a new Trail in April 2016. I went to their shop and ordered a set of sliders. Lead time was June which they were on time. Great group of guys and love the sliders. I can tell you that the local Toyota dealerships are keeping them very busy with orders, and at the same time, they were building a new shop to keep up with the orders.

 

[sooperedd]

<<<<<<<
Hefty custom built these bumpers to the design I wanted for my Burb and I did have to wait 6+ months, went to the shop when they were ready and they mounted them for me, they are good guys but communication could have been better.

 

[AZ Craig]

When I needed sliders, I called/emailed about half dozen potential companies about lead times. Some were decent, some just sucked and I knew they were likely lying on top of what they said due to other customer feedback I had researched online.

I decided to go with bud builts, they told me about two weeks. I ordered on a Monday and they showed up at my door a week from that Friday.. less than two weeks to build, powdercoat, and ship (granted they weren't too far, but still). They are just your basic, well build sliders.

In terms of function and looks, they were around 4th on my list of what I wanted, but the ones I liked more either had much longer wait times or didn't offer powder coating.

Honestly, this is the way to go. I'm starting to think about taking the plunge on some parts in the near future and am generally putting emphasis on finding companies with items either in stock or very quick lead times.

Metal Tech, Bud Built and Front Runner are all in serious consideration for me at this point versus some of the other companies that seem to either take forever and/or have a ton of angry customers out there.

I too don't see how you can expect $1000 to $2000 or more for custom parts up front and then sit on an order for 16 to 24 weeks. If folks want to do that, more power to them, but I simply won't be purchasing from these sort of fabricators...

Coming out of a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, I also have to say that parts are definitely more readily available and with quicker lead times than for Toyotas (simply due to volume I imagine). Kind of frustrating though.

 

[Trixx]

Honestly, this is the way to go. I'm starting to think about taking the plunge on some parts in the near future and am generally putting emphasis on finding companies with items either in stock or very quick lead times.

Metal Tech, Bud Built and Front Runner are all in serious consideration for me at this point versus some of the other companies that seem to either take forever and/or have a ton of angry customers out there.

I too don't see how you can expect $1000 to $2000 or more for custom parts up front and then sit on an order for 16 to 24 weeks. If folks want to do that, more power to them, but I simply won't be purchasing from these sort of fabricators...

Coming out of a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, I also have to say that parts are definitely more readily available and with quicker lead times than for Toyotas (simply due to volume I imagine). Kind of frustrating though.

I really wanted a slider that would better double as a step like the Shrockworks or C4, however Shrockworks had super long lead times, and while C4's was a bit longer, they don't offer the powder coating option. I'm a bit OCD about door dings and sliders were something I wanted to get on there asap to help prevent that. I have less of an issue waiting 6 weeks for my slimline bumper, although I still feel places could build up a bit of a stock.

Honestly, nothing will ever change as long as people keep supporting these companies to the same extent. I'm not saying no one should order from them at all, but I think being vocal about how ridiculous some of it is on the forum, as well as exploring options and giving more credit to companies with better customer service is a very good start.

The only reason the bud builts weren't at the top of my list was because they don't have an effective step. They are still 100% as function as any other slider, and had no problem being a jack point holding up my 4Runner for 12+ hours installing my lift.

 

[Trixx]

I also think folks need to take step back and realize when you order something custom....theres lots of variables beyond the builders control.

Yeah... but a lot of these AREN'T that custom...

A effin' GOBI rack for instance? Ohhh, he wanted mesh instead of rails... Ohhh... sunroof or not!

They have so much demand for their product they seriously can't build up a bit of a supply?

For people looking for REALLY custom orders, I see what you're saying. But 90% of these issues people are having, the companies could easily build up a stock of a few items and replenish the stock as they sell... Worse case scenario, an item sits for a awhile and they mark it down a tad and people will be all over it cause they love a deal..


I would like an example of something that people ordering that are so custom, you think they couldn't make a few and have the rest sell? I'm sure there are some, but they are pretty few and far between.

Not to mention, I feel like it would increase sales at most of these places when a few step up and start carrying some in stock and people have a 1-2 week wait instead of 16+

I ordered a Baja rack 100% due to Gobi's lead times. I would imagine that the majority of Baja racks 4Runner rack sales are probably due to the same reason. It's not the couple hundred dollars.. It's the 4-5 week wait with reasonable customer service as opposed to the garbage that Gobi is notorious of..

 

[Titanpat57]

Yeah... but a lot of these AREN'T that custom...

A effin' GOBI rack for instance? Ohhh, he wanted mesh instead of rails... Ohhh... sunroof or not!

They have so much demand for their product they seriously can't build up a bit of a supply?

For people looking for REALLY custom orders, I see what you're saying. But 90% of these issues people are having, the companies could easily build up a stock of a few items and replenish the stock as they sell... Worse case scenario, an item sits for a awhile and they mark it down a tad and people will be all over it cause they love a deal..


I would like an example of something that people ordering that are so custom, you think they couldn't make a few and have the rest sell? I'm sure there are some, but they are pretty few and far between.

Not to mention, I feel like it would increase sales at most of these places when a few step up and start carrying some in stock and people have a 1-2 week wait instead of 16+

I ordered a Baja rack 100% due to Gobi's lead times. I would imagine that the majority of Baja racks 4Runner rack sales are probably due to the same reason. It's not the couple hundred dollars.. It's the 4-5 week wait with reasonable customer service as opposed to the garbage that Gobi is notorious of..

There's lot of varibles...the vendor is at the mercy of the metal supplier, a cabaple labor force that doesn't create considerable issues, supply and demand (which changes when the wind blows) and the occasional "custom order...that can upset the apple cart. These folks suffer from every other pitfall any other contractor is susceptible to....never a shortage.

I get the aggravation many folks experience...then they take to the internet to unleash their wrath...sometimes warranted...many times not.

We should remember, our trucks are mass produced, but most times our accessories are not. We keep saying there's no excuse for someone not to answer the phone, or answer an email in the timeframe YOU expect them to...chances are, they are there working 12 hour days, and when you can't take another minute standing on your feet, you collapse into your office chair to answer phone calls and emails....sounds like fun.

Anyone that has had the distinct pleasure of running their own business (me, 26 years before I went to my current job working for the man the last 12 years) knows there is no life/work balance....only work.

All I ask is we at least be somewhat understanding of the obstacles a vendor must overcome to try and make us smile.