Guys, I am not sure if this is the right area to post but I am going to give it a shot. I get alot of phone calls from people on the tech support line here at the shop and people want help on all sorts of stuff. Tuning, Installs, and so on. The problem we are having is so many people are calling and they dont even buy stuff from us at all. We will help you if you have been a long standing customer, but if they think there going to buy 5 feet of vacuum hose and get tech support on tunning there PFC forget about it. Please shed some light on this subject. I dont want to sound like an ass but a gentleman on the phone today got pissed because I told him to call the Blank store and ask them since you purchased your products from them.





Am I right for saying no or do you think I should spend all day on the phone with these people and not building a motor for a paying customer!!!!!! https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...DIR#>/ohmy.png



-Rikki

It really depends on the situation. If he is asking tuning question then the hell with him. If he has a problem with his car then maybe, because he might have to buy something. Your priorities remain with your Cutomers!

i think the best people to call when you have a problem is the people you bought the product from

help your paying customer,remember (the keyword is PAYING)

I'd give them a couple seconds on the phone... But they should know FORUMS are the place for tech support... I hate trying to explain **** over the phone.

Remember This:

When I go shopping for a shop to do tuning or buy parts from, I will call around and ask some questions. Gues what? If I get an attitude or a holier-than -though type of response; That shop will not get my hard-earned money.



Your particuliar shop already has a customer service image problem, you need to work on improving that as hard as you can.

Just my humble opinion and 2cents worth John

I agree w/ banzai, and 9base3. Let them know about the forums

no don't buy it!

Well guys thanx for the input. I know this shop got a bad rep. for customer service and I am giving it my all when people ask questions but if the get a tude on the phone because I asked them where they bought there equipment from and I tell them call them when they cant fiqure out how to install it or why there car runs like ****. Then they need to check them selves. sorry but that **** pisses me off. Keep it coming I really appreciate it.





-Rikki https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/bigok.gif

You were right to tell him to **** off. I mean, if he's gonna keep you form YOU PAYING CUSTOMERS (which should come back) than his POTENTIAL FUTURE bussines isn't worth your time. In short, tell Dave not to drive illegally anymore, he'll get canned again. LOL

Ryan I say that If they arent buying and it isnt a regular customer you dont owe them ****.

Maybe 3-5 min for politeness once and once only.

-BOOST

BTW where the fock were you????

YTou said we were doing Bennigans at 7:30.

I had the pimp ride

Leslie has had her dads Range Rover for the last five days. I was ready to drive your ass around in style.

Joyce said you and Ray were tunning.

Leslie, Mighty mouth and I went to Unos.

I'm getting ready to kill another 6 of Becks and smoke some funny stuff.



-Dave the Slave.

OH oh !!!!

https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...R#>/tongue.png ****, i didn't know you guys even picked up the phone on the tech line. How can i get in there to actually get my tecII tuned? I stopped by about 3 weeks ago and peter pretty much told me to rip out the tecII put in a tecIII and then he may help me. I've thought about that as the tecIII is SO much easier to tune and so much less headache than the wintec2 software, but I just want to get it tuned as is, can you help me PUULLEEEAAASEEE!!? I'll be payin of course

You've probably seen what RP used to have on their website about tech support for something you didn't buy from them. I beleive it was a link to some porn site.



As a manufacturer, we occasionally get someone asking how to make competitors products work, but it is easy to beg off by saying "I've never used one of those, so I can't really help you. Have you called XXXXXXXXX?"



You don't have it that easy. Well, maybe you do. It's not really your responsibility to decide how to handle this. Your name is not above the door. I know it sounds like passing the buck, but your boss has to decide things like this, the image his company presents to the public. If someone is calling you from across the country for help tuning a PFC that you obviously didn't sell him, maybe you need to be able to tell him at the start of the conversation that you have 5 minutes available to help him as much as you can, that's all.

ok i've done this kind of thing before, and it is something that should be expected by shops.



With the internet nowadays you can get things sometimes like 30+% off of what a standard shop would sell it to you for. When you are able to get a deal like that it is hard to pass up, and you figure since you're willing to pay for the shop to install it then there shouldn't be a problem, you're paying for what you want them to do.



Now the thing most people don't know is most of the profit a shop earns is in the parts themselves. So obviously shops will get peeved when you go "i just bought some samco hoses, can you install them?"



sure the first thing a shop employee or owner might do is go "hell no you didnt buy it from me, i wont install it"



But if you look on the other side of things and lets say you installed those hoses for him and did a ******* killer job, got it back to him earlier then predicted etc. The next time he finds something he MAY just be willing to go straight to you guys order it from you and have it installed by you due to your great service you provided for him previously. Now true some people will continue to buy products and bring them in for you to install, that's when you drop the hint and go like "well ya know we carry/can order that part for you and probably would have had it here for you and installed faster had we ordered it" and hopefully they will catch on.



Either way you're making money so i don't see where the complaint really comes from, if you're worried about how to prioritize the jobs in the shop then let thsoe who come in with their products in hand know that "right now we have an engine being rebuilt so we will have to dedicate most of our time to that since we're only installing your part for you" or something to that effect. Most people expect a negative response when they walk in and simply want a part they have installed so the nicer you let them down or the nicer you tell them the deal the more surprised and better reaction they will give you and your shop.



this business is all about people skills. oh and your shop really should look into get a PR or something to calm the tides a bit lots of people spouting about bad service, with a PR you can come to deals with them that are suitable to both sides and hopefully kill off all the complaints. The one thing you need to realize also when it comes to running a shop is that sometimes it requires that you lose something to be able to ever gain anything (such as money).



that's just form the business side of me, i plan on opening a shop, not in the near future, but sometime close and you have to develop those types of plans and strategies well before the opening day.



kevin.



edity: when it comes to questions about PFC tuning, tell them they can pay $XXX for you to tune and dyno it at the shop but you cant just give away free advice on the product unless it was purchased from you, if it was then give them a few pointers but also let them know dyno tuning is available.

in my job. if they purchased it somewhere i will give some advice and then recommend they contact the manufacturer. if they bought it from you its a totally different story though!

I'd say... if you ain't payin' then SCRAM! I get the same **** in my business... (computer ****) tell them that you'd be glad to take a look at it... for a fee... and if they sound cheap point them in the direction of the forums...



it's not called a business for nothing! https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/bigok.gif

In my business, we will talk and offer advice to folks that are not patients yet because 9 times out of 10 they will

become patients of my practice because we were so nice to them on the telephone and helped them out.



Greg

Another Point:



People are calling for Tech Questions on YOUR PRODUCT, so some guys buys a used PFC/Widget/whatever; and has problems installing it. So IF he calls your shop, looking for advice and you shut him off (Because he didn't purchase the PRODUCT from PFS), then you have alienating a future customer. Plus he goes out on the forums and yacks it up about how YOU (THE PRODUCT DEVELOPER) give LOUSEY customer service. Just something to ponder

Why give tech support to someone who bought a 2nd hand used part from PFS?

It would be hard to give product support for the next 10 years on parts that have passed through 3-4 owners.

I woudnt give tech support to someone who did not but the parts directly from you.

Why give tech support to someone who bought a 2nd hand used part from PFS?

It would be hard to give product support for the next 10 years on parts that have passed through 3-4 owners.

I woudnt give tech support to someone who did not but the parts directly from you. [/quote]

That kind of ATTITUDE just continues to fuel the Customer Service Problem perceptions. So in effect your answer says: WE DO NOT STAND BEHIND WHAT WE SELL! The FD Aftermarket is a very small NICHE market. So... The guy who buys a FD equipped with a PFC is going to get 0 support from PFS? That will do wonders for your bottom line especially when THAT NEW OWNER is looking for a shop to do work on his car. NICE ATTITUDE!

Another good example on how not to handle customer service: HALTECH USA

For Good Customer Service Example: Rob @ Pineapple Racing

Here's my deal, If you got it from me. I'll drive to your house to help!

If you got it from someone else. . . you paid for there knowledge(or lack of) as well.

If you wanna pick my brain, get some of my knowledge, I'll give you basics.

Talk to the guy you bought it from. To me it's not fair to have to leave my loyal customers on hold while someone who isn't a customer of mine

just wants to talk. I respect loyalty and return the favor. But there are alot of people in the world who don't understand the concept.

I feel your pain, but it won't ever go away. . smile and hope they understand.

Don't get me wrong, I'd never just hang up the phone!! I'd never tell them to **** off!

Try and make them a customer, ask them to come in.

But I understand who you're talking about. . the one guy who never buys from you, but still wants your advice on everything!

Well, it happens.

wasnt specialt supposed to be leaving or am i thinking of someone else. something about some stupid high school bf/gf drama???

Who me?!?!Leaving, No! Not in highschool. . .not one for silly drama.

You must have mistaken me for someone else.

But it's nice to know you pay some kind of attention. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

Why give tech support to someone who bought a 2nd hand used part from PFS?

It would be hard to give product support for the next 10 years on parts that have passed through 3-4 owners.

I woudnt give tech support to someone who did not but the parts directly from you. [/quote]

That kind of ATTITUDE just continues to fuel the Customer Service Problem perceptions. So in effect your answer says: WE DO NOT STAND BEHIND WHAT WE SELL! The FD Aftermarket is a very small NICHE market. So... The guy who buys a FD equipped with a PFC is going to get 0 support from PFS? That will do wonders for your bottom line especially when THAT NEW OWNER is looking for a shop to do work on his car. NICE ATTITUDE! [/quote]

https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/boink.gif