blown 87

I for one am glad to see Roger and GB working together on some projects.

Great going guys.

Dave928S

I second that

Ducman82

to take up the "slack" in the holes, could you add little veins on the sides that would compress or squish out/in? or is the derlin to hard to do that? i have the derlins from Rog in the car now. love them...

Shane

Carl how long have I been a customer of yours? I'll have to dig around in my records to find out but prolly at least since '03 or '04. I've bought a lot of your products and the "Only time" I find out one is defective is after reading about it here once someone gets "Brave" enough to bitch about a "Sponsor"...

It would appear that I have iteration number f#c&ing one of your solid AL bushings that I just installed on my car; do you not have my current email, or do you not send out recall notices on defective products? How many of the other items that I have purchased from you are now old junk iterations?

Motor Mounts?
Electric Fan upgrade?
Spoiler protection plates?
Rear drop links with tie down plates?
Metal shifter ball cup?

What else is crap and who eats the wrenching time and shipping?

If you can tell I'm just a tad pissed off, that it takes Greg Brown calling out shoddy merchandise before I find out what I have is junk and that I shouldn't waste my time installing it on my 928s.

Thanks! (I'll probably get banned now for ranting about a vendor)

Carl Fausett

Wow. I never said the any of our steering rack mounts were defective.

I just said we learned how to make them better, mostly so they were easier for the customers to install coreectly.

Shane, are you having a problem with yours?

We do constantly improve out products as we see the need. Of course. Its unreasonable to believe that the first version of anything is perfect and cannot be improved upon. But as time moves on, we get feedback from customers that helps us to improve the product, or feedback from manufacturing that they can be made better or less expensively. So, subsequent iterations are created.

Unless you think we should ignore product improvement suggestions when we receive them.

This is no different than the rest of the world. When Porsche decided to change motor mounts on the 928 in 1983, it did not mean that all the motor mounts from 1982 and back were "junk" or "defective" suddenly.

Thank you for using our solid aluminum steering rack mounts. If you bought them within the last year, they probably are the latest iteration. If they are older, are they failing or causing you any problem?

BTW: the 1st generation of steering rack mounts are on my race car and still are on my race car. I have had no reason to replace them. And I have run 315/35/17's on the front without any failure of those mounts.

Shane

Yes!


The ones that I purchased from you, probably back in '06 look just like the ones on page one, post one of this thread. Not only are they not a press fit, but I had to tape them in place to keep them from falling out while I installed the rack.

After reading Gregs' post and then yours, I now realize it is supposed to be pressed into place, tight fit, no wiggle, to not allow for wear to take place. Since this isn't a 928 I plan to keep, I can't just ignore it and "pretend to be a happy customer" anymore, I'll have to go back in and replace them. Fortunately for me I do have some real nice delrin two piece design I bought from Roger that I can replace them with that were to go on my other 5sp.

As to the other products of yours that I've purchased, should I try installing them? Are there newer better designs/iterations of these as well? Or should I box it all back up and return them to you for a full refund? Or do you have a restocking fee still?

Fabio421

See my sig. I know what I would do.

Alan

Carl - here is a little free advice - sentiment is slipping and its time to take some action...

Some suggestions:

Offer as a standing position that any customer can upgrade to your latest version of one of your products from any previous version for XX% of the new cost - decide this based on an ~cost for you.

Document the version of all your products and the changes you made to design, materials, documentation etc by version.

When you launch a new product - take your time... roll out the prototype, get some feedback - get volunteer test drivers at free/low cost on sufficient models to cover your intended applications.

Get all that feedback worked back into the product before you launch officially

Does it slow things down - yes, does it risk someone copying you - yes, does it remove the risk of surprises - yes, are the initial users happy - more likely than now, will you still rev the product - yes probably, but fewer times, will there be surprises - maybe some - but many fewer...

I know you need to make money (now), I know you have pride in what you do. You have brought out some great ideas, but execution has sometimes required a few tries to get right - don't make your early customer pay for the development instead make them advocates.

You are selling into a small well connected user base - make sure they are happy with your products, you, and your reputation. Invest more into making those that have never bought a product from you thinking highly of you... they are your future customers.

I think a systematic change as above would be good - its transparent - everyone can help you and it will create some good ideas - no design by committee - you still drive. Early critical feedback is hugely valuable and likely very positive in outcome if you just embrace it for product improvement.

I value your tireless pursuit of new ideas (or improved old ideas)...

Alan

PS

Recall how Mason committed slow motion business suicide right in front of us here a few years ago.... he didn't give a damn about his customers or how he was perceived here - till nobody wanted to buy anything from him..

Scale of the issue is way different here - but we don't need any more Mason's or anything like it - Get your previous customers to be your biggest advocates - figure that one out and you have it made....

Carl Fausett

Shane,

My phone number, my email address, my website and my toll-free phone number are under my signature on every post. Up until this moment, I have never known you had a problem.

I see your post: Of course, if they are loose, I want to replace them. No need to send them back. I will have Gretchen send a new set to you now. Same address as last time?

Carl Fausett

Thank you Alan for your comments. But I hope you are not suggesting that we do not do recalls when needed (we have, like when I recalled the steel upper a-arms with spherical rod ends and replaced them with greasable ball joints. Customers that had them got emails, and parts were replaced.

I will also add that I represent NEW products as NEW. I describe how many and how long of the new product have been field tested. Some only for a little while, some I have run for more than a year before I release them. (case in point, I tested but never made Delrin steering rack mounts available, they failed).

Another example, the new camshaft sprockets. A brand new part, described as such. Some want to get right in on a new product and will take a discount to do so. That's good for me as I have to pay my manufacturer. Others prefer to wait until the product is out there for a while and hear the feedback from end-users before they get on board. That's fine, that's their choice. Its the best I can do. R&D costs money, and I am not funded like Porsche. If I could not list new parts until they were a year old, then a) they never would get broadly field tested (by more than just my own car) and b) all R&D would stop, as I'd have parts on the shelf for a year before I could sell them and get my money back out of them.

I'm sorry to disagree with you, but that business model you describe in unworkable for a small business.

Alan

Carl - read what I actually said. There is no need to guess what I mean - its all actually there.

I'm sure you do recalls for safety etc issues.

BUT DO MORE: (but not for free...)

Offer upgrades for existing customers - honestly very few will take you up on it - that doesn't mean it won't make them feel better knowing they have the option, and it will make others feel more positively about your business.

I have a rather strong feeling you see no value in this - I can tell you that is a big mistake.

I spent some time writing what I said - I spent that time for you... because I'd truly like you to be very successful in what you do.

I think your generic development model is not optimized today, like an individual products development - it needs continued honing till its right.

Too much of the feedback comes too late in the cycle.. pull it earlier, continue to do it but make the incremental changes after launch smaller and accomplish most of the major changes before you launch...

Everything here is already in what I wrote above. I do product development cycle optimization for a living - you can do everything you do today - just resequence some of it and customers will be singing your praises, instead of giving you grief - honest.

Alan

Carl Fausett

Alan, please read my post #40

We do have product upgrade programs and I gave you an example.

Further, twice a year, all our customers get a new product bulletin from us - more than 11,000 emails are sent out. Just so they know whats new and what has been upgraded.
That email nets quite a few "upgrade" phone calls and emails from our installation base. And after the customer has spoken to us, some elect to keep the version they have, and some
decide to upgrade.

This is what the twice a year email bulliten is for, and it works well.

I am not aware of any other vendor here that goes as far as we do to reach all of our customers and keep them informed. Could we be better? Of course.

We are still improving.

Alan

If you want me to stop I will - but I AM trying to help you.

Yes hadn't seen it before my last post - thats a good start.

How does this message get to non-customers? need a mechanism on the website at least (whats new, whats upgraded)

I'm suggesting a broader policy for all existing customers on most 928M products (it will really cost you very little - the cost/pain of installation on most things is deterrent enough).

Since this doesn't go to non-customers - at least post them prominently on the website...a good tool for promotion...

I suggest for every product some kind of revision status - its in the nature of the business you have (R&D oriented) that you track this stuff better than pure retailers - it is your value add.

Great keep it up...

I'm not suggesting you stop selling new stuff - just restructure your thinking.

Initial products ship as "validation phase" (you were primary prototyping), you sell these but to an audience that knows they are test subjects, value those who will install and test fast - scale the discount you provide based on installation pictures and a published review on rennlist within a timeframe.

Goal sell as many as you would otherwise and do it on a sliding discount scale - earlier customers who contribute early/documented installs, insights and reviews get more discount later customer get less but are still knowingly buying pre-production HW.

"Product Launch" happens later and means the product has met certain criteria - AND the price goes up. You get to do 2 distinct introductions: For the prototype unveiling & for 'Product Launch', in between you get to tout the improvements occurring during prototyping as collective results of the prototypers who you can recognize. These can be made into positive things much more esaily than post 'Launch' changes can...

Do you see where I am going - it isn't much different stuff to do - but its hugely different in perceived result to customers.

Instead of:

"We have this great new product for you all to buy"

its:

"We have this great new idea - We'll work with some early adopters over the next 6 months to turn this into a great product for all to buy"

Alan

OBehave

Alan, You are a wise man sir! It always amazes me to see how many people/companies out there that don't even understand how critical customer service is and the total disregard for providing value. I remember Mason and the lesson he taught was how to destroy a business in 5 easy steps.
I also agree on the testing and trial phases before ever launching.That can certainly comeback around and bite you in the *ss. I totally understand the need to get it to market quickly but the consequences need to be compared very carefully.
Ed

Shane

I have to appologize since my receipts show the e-mail you are using has been a deactived excite.com account that I haven't used since '07, so your e-mail alerts never reached me. The address on the latest receipt is correct.

I'll send you an e-mail to reverify my specifics. Thank You for addressing this matter.