Shoddy PP service

[white90]

Where once I would sing the praises of Exeter4x4 store with great service

now after repeated bad service, I'm making people aware rather than ignoring what has been shoddy service.

A month or so ago I ordered x2 track rod ends on a friday mid week the following week I call to chase up the where abouts

to be told they were sent. the following monday I chase again, to be told they'll send them again, Thursday they arrive.

so 13days (I fail to see how they were "lost in the post") that old chesnut doesn't carry much water as they are collected direct from

them then to the sorting office to be delivered to me, could happen but I think they just weren't sent the first time.

This week, Monday morning I call for some gaskets and locktabs

no show so I called them this morning "oh sorry I forgot"

well that doesn't work for me I explained I needed them latest Thursday. used all my spares to do as much as I could yesterday

thinking replacements will show in the morning.

May not seem much but it stops me working on the 90 on the only two days I have off spare, in time for the next event.

So now I have to drive to get spares, wasting more time.

I shall be seeking another supplier, I may not spend hundreds per week but over a year do spend a fair bit.

[V8CAMEL]

i phoned them on monday after your and wills advice that they were good and reasonably priced

I wanted an esr2391 exhaust for a disco. Paddock price delived was 49.87 smarties

Dunno who i spoke to at exeter but to get it delivered for friday they wanted 10+ vat

and then he started to tell me the price - 69 +vat paddocks were only 37.44 + vat

I said at that price ,much as i would prefer to support local busines ( having been there myself), i would be buying it from paddocks. No offer to price match so they didnt get the business and i wont waste my time again

the exhaust turned up as promised from paddocks yesterday

[ThreePointFive]

Yeah but it'll be inside out or made from cheese and dustbin lids knowing paddocks, they once sent me a ready-blowing silencer so I didn't have to go to the trouble of damaging it off road.

[andyb]

they once sent me a ready-blowing silencer

Getting a little OT I know, but thats not really fair on Paddocks. We have had exhausts for car from motor factors that have the hangers in the wrong place or missing or bends going the wrong way....even had to finish welding up one silencer; obviously the Friday afternoon pub was calling

[Jon W]

I know it is a shame when you are let down by a supplier. But i recently ordered all the bits for changing the clutch on mine, and paid extra for fast delivery and it all came very quickly and well packaged at a good price. So someone must be working hard, and another member of staff leeting the side down.

Jon

[lrfarmer]

Where once I would sing the praises of Exeter4x4 store with great service

now after repeated bad service, I'm making people aware rather than ignoring what has been shoddy service.

A month or so ago I ordered x2 track rod ends on a friday mid week the following week I call to chase up the where abouts

to be told they were sent. the following monday I chase again, to be told they'll send them again, Thursday they arrive.

so 13days (I fail to see how they were "lost in the post") that old chesnut doesn't carry much water as they are collected direct from

them then to the sorting office to be delivered to me, could happen but I think they just weren't sent the first time.

This week, Monday morning I call for some gaskets and locktabs

no show so I called them this morning "oh sorry I forgot"

well that doesn't work for me I explained I needed them latest Thursday. used all my spares to do as much as I could yesterday

thinking replacements will show in the morning.

May not seem much but it stops me working on the 90 on the only two days I have off spare, in time for the next event.

So now I have to drive to get spares, wasting more time.

I shall be seeking another supplier, I may not spend hundreds per week but over a year do spend a fair bit.

have you tryed brookwells http://www.brookwell.co.uk/index.php

i've been using them for 2 years with no problems thay are up to tiverton every tuseday and thursday

i would recemend them to all people that are into there landrovers.

[bishbosh]

I think all companies suffer from the human element of the process to a greater or lesser extent.

I have also used Brookwells for years and for the most part have had good pricing and service. I have also had a couple of shockers with them too.

In an attempt to support "local" business I gave Brooklyn 4x4 a couple of goes and so far they have been very good. Mind you that's not surprising as Dan doesn't work there any more!! (Only kidding dearie! )

[simonr]

I have about 1 in 200 parcels sent by post go missing and about 1 in 1000 by courier. I suspect that when it does happen - they are saying "that old chestnut" too - but it does happen all too frequently.

Frequently, they do get delivered but sometimes weeks or months later, by which time I have sent another one.

I've had two parcels which were sent at the start of this week which have not been delivered yet. Both were hopping mad with me - but I don't know what I can do about it. Both wanted stuff to fit this weekend, so even sending another is not going to help much.

As a supplier, it's a lot harder to keep everyone happy than it might at first appear!

Si

[Guest diesel_jim]

It feels awkward from the "other end" too...

I bought a Td5 clutch slave cylinder from Britcar. really helpful, but the cylinder never arrived. Duncan there duly sent me another and i promised that if the original one arrived, i'd send it back.

It's still not arrived, and i rang him the other day regarding a price for another part, and asked if he had any luck with the refund from royal snail, but he failed in that, i felt quite guilty, eventhough it wasn't my fault.

but cr@ppy customer service is just unacceptable.

whenever i experience it at my work, i make a point of telling the next person who answers the phone (at the same company) how the last person "was happy....not!" just so the word gets back.

[lrfarmer]

I think all companies suffer from the human element of the process to a greater or lesser extent.

I have also used Brookwells for years and for the most part have had good pricing and service. I have also had a couple of shockers with them too.

In an attempt to support "local" business I gave Brooklyn 4x4 a couple of goes and so far they have been very good.

i'm lucky as brookwells deliver to my area with there own vans so if it's in stock i can get it before the weekend if ordered before 5 on wednesdays

i tend to look at the price on paddock's then phone brookwells if there not way over the top i go on and order.

[landmannnn]

I know it no excuse but this is peak holiday season. Any small suppliers will suffer if key people are on holiday.

[ciderman]

Its a right PITA when ordered spares dont turn up , I have been waiting two weeks for a product I bought from Ebay , Fair play to the seller though he sent me a Proof of posting certificate from the PO to prove he sent it when he did .

The item has been lost in the post and a claim form has now gone into the Royal Mail , So maybee the next time someone fobs you off with idle excuses like its been lost in the post ,ask them for a copy of the proof of postage .

[white90]

Lanmannnn

Granted but I spoke to the manager. the best bloke there is Pete he is on holiday.

but I'm a paying customer and to just have an order not sent is shoddy.

I have had issues with other suppliers sending stuff but how they deal with the follow up is what counts.

I do not go running them down , this however isn't the first/second or third time I just listed the two latest ones

for the content of this post.

Shall I go back? well may be but I will try Brookwells/mailorder4x4 and see what service is like from them

[ciderman]

Tony Its a shame our local LR parts chap dosnt do mail order , Christian Autos , Bristol (Free plug) have an amazing amount of stock for a small shop , Not once have I had to wait for parts to be ordered , They are always on the shelf . Top Service there from Pete .

[Guest diesel_jim]

The item has been lost in the post and a claim form has now gone into the Royal Mail , So maybee the next time someone fobs you off with idle excuses like its been lost in the post ,ask them for a copy of the proof of postage .

One of our sites is the mail sorting office in Swindon, we supply a couple of gaming machines and pool tables there in the "games room" (read: social/dossing/sleeping room)

It's a wonder anything gets delivered at all! the amount of time people spend in there playing the machines etc!

[Milemarker Type S]

I know it is not strictly on topic but I have to second (or maybe third or fourth!) the Brookwells recommendation... I have been buying parts there for 12 years or so and have yet to be let down by their service- yes they are not perfect and do make errors on occasion but when they do they bend over backwards to solve the problem asap.

(no connection other than satisfied customer!)

[OilIT]

island 4x4 i have found offer really fast delivery - but as you say once it leaves the suppliers premises your in the hands of the gods!!

Mind you, I have avoided bearmach in swindon for the last couple of years as the guys who took over from stewart and adam were not the best in terms of wanting your business, but I went in the other day - under duress and the new guy was the most helpful and customer freindly I have seen in there for 2 years ! I might even go back in tomorrow !

It all goes to show that its the attitiude of the pople you deal with that makes the difference - both if things all go well, and if things go wrong.

[SIMEXSLAVE]

I have to agree with Si couriers are normally OK but we booked a collection with FedEx yesterday for parts to be delivered today they didn't turn up so chased them up their helpful customer services told me that if I could wait they would DEFIANTELY be collecting before close of business ----- I gave up waiting at 7.00 last night.

I called them this morning and they were full of apologies and they are now delivering the parcels on Saturday free of charge so a good result but still a day late. When couriers do foul up its always when its a part needed straight away or lose custom made parts that can't just be picked off the shelf and resent !!!! Tried them all and there's not much between them

[Guest diesel_jim]

Mind you, I have avoided bearmach in swindon for the last couple of years as the guys who took over from stewart and adam were not the best in terms of wanting your business, but I went in the other day - under duress and the new guy was the most helpful and customer freindly I have seen in there for 2 years ! I might even go back in tomorrow !

No you won't.... bearmach have binned the latest manager (the "biker" looking chap).... the shop is currently shut, you need to ring Cardiff and they send someone with the keys to open up. Les H was there the other day and experienced this.

I've heard (through the grapevine) that "they'" (head orifice) are going to shut the shop permanently.

[Les Henson]

Yep - Bearmach in Swindon no longer does counter sales. You can phone Cardiff office, order parts, and then have to pick them up before 9:30am or after 4pm the next day if the parts you want are in stock either in Swindon or Cardiff. If you just turn up at the Swindon branch they won't serve you. I was there on Tuesday and they were turning people away. There is currently no after market L/R parts supplier in Swindon - just the Main Dealer - T.H.White.

Les.

[OilIT]

Yep - Bearmach in Swindon no longer does counter sales. You can phone Cardiff office, order parts, and then have to pick them up before 9:30am or after 4pm the next day if the parts you want are in stock either in Swindon or Cardiff. If you just turn up at the Swindon branch they won't serve you. I was there on Tuesday and they were turning people away. There is currently no after market L/R parts supplier in Swindon - just the Main Dealer - T.H.White.

Les.

WOW - the biker looking chap was the guy I was talking about - he was really helpful and behaved as if he wanted your business. Wonder why they have done this - maybe the previous guys ran it into the ground to the point where its not viable?

Island 4x4 it is then !

[JST]

Exeter have always been pretty good with me, but then i don't have to worry about postage, its just delivered to work on a sale or return basis, they have been a little slower with the turnaround lately but maybe its just peak fixing season!

[Guest diesel_jim]

WOW - the biker looking chap was the guy I was talking about - he was really helpful and behaved as if he wanted your business.

I saw him wandering down wootton bassett high street on thursday.

Whenever i was there, he always had a que of people getting more and more p**sed off waiting for him to finish typing one fingered on the computer.

[TJ101]

Since we touched on the subject of carriers

Have been using Business Post for all our outgoings for the last 5/6 years, To date, nothing lost even continental , and only one item delivered late,, and that was only Dulverton, ie 20 miles away, if that !!

Not had any problem with Exeter 4x4, but then we do get a daily delivery from them , and they sponsor the Rangie

Tony,, I would speak to Pete when he returns, as a owner, am sure he would what to know, things do not run to plan in his absence

[white90]

Tim

Dan is the manager

Pete just a worker (but the best one they have)