Hey guys,
There have been a few different threads regarding G&L lately and I feel the need to speak up here...
I posted a similar thread back in April of 2010' asking about G&L and subsequently, shipped my frame & motor (along with a $4,000 deposit) out to Colorado for a complete build. I'm still waiting.
I haven't had much contact at all with Rich and I'm trying to cut him some slack but what would you guys consider a reasonable amount of time for a build?
Thanks
With him having not only your bike, but also $4,000 of your money, I'd have expected to at least have contact when needed/requested. Being as how its now going on 8 months, I'd expect a completed bike on my door step. However, it wouldnt have gotten to the 8month mark if it were my bike and $. After 1/2 that time I'd have pulled my business and went elsewhere.
Busy or not, poor customer service is poor customer service. I have had busy, low man, shops build me custom cages/suspension and it never involved anywhere near that time frame, let alone that level of non-communication. Shops that operate in this manor only do so because their customers let them.
No one likes nagging customers, but at the same time no one should be expected to be kept in the dark and made to wait 7-8 months. Would this same level of "service" be accepted by these shops if it were their parts/$ that they were waiting on? No chance.
When I work on peoples cars/trucks I tell them right up front it'll cost them more if they are going to hang around and watch, ask millions of questions, or call every hour. It simply slows the process down. I have no problems with them doing so, but need them to understand that customer service time means no one is working on their vehicle. Its very easy, and takes little time, to shoot an email/phone call once the wrenches stop turning for the day, or before they begin the next day. I give them a time line on when their work will be completed, keep them updated on any issues that may change that time, and if its more than two days of work, I keep them informed of progress. The people who bring their work to you, for the most part, dont know how to do it themselves, and dont understand what is involved. If you enjoy making money doing this sort of work its your responsibility to ease their minds and make them comfortable. Most people dont like spending money, and most people dont trust shops/mechanics. If your seeking to do this type of work for any length of time its not your work itself that speaks for you (unless its horrid), its how you deal with your customers.