Let me start by saying I have never done any business with Sal,but I will be soon.I am currently dealing with a tuner who has not been prompt and I also think has not been completley up front with me.After several different stories{excuses} And being told that I would be called back and that my company debit card would be credited for almost two grand I have had my fill.some of these guys need to learn how to run a business and treat thier customers with a little honesty rather than **** on your leg and tell you its raining.I am not crying about interest being paid on a credit card as this deal was a debit from my company account.I just dont like the fact that they are operating thier company at my expense and I still dont have answers or refund, or products or tracking numbers or even return phone calls.

 

In this business you are going to find the same thing with most vendors. All the vendors have customers that would follow them off cliff in the name of brand commitment, and they all have customers who'd like to burn thier houses down. When PSP took off with the Gen2s coming out, demand for our products was so great (we were the only company making Lightning products back in 1999) that we were so backordered, some customers waited up to 6 months for parts. Some waited it out, and some cancelled. Back then, I was so obsessed with making every single person happy, I was letting it eat away at me emotionally. Long time members of this forum know that I've had to endure and learn alot over the past few years, to get where I am today. The one thing I had to accept, was no matter how I tried, I would never be able to make every single customer happy. Fast forward to present day, and we still go through the same thing. But instead of people complaining about a 6 month wait, people complain the three days later, they haven't gotten their parts. You really just can't make every person happy. All we try to do, is explain the current status to the customer, and hope they understand. Many do cancel, and I understand that, but I feel more sorry for them, as I feel my products are second to none, so they are the ones losing out.

The point here is this-- all the Lightning vendors small companies. We manufacture, advertise, test, promote, and sell all at the same time. You may have to wait for parts longer, you may pay a bit more than from a big parts house, but the customer IS the one who wins in the end. Because being a small company ensures that there is a higher standard of quality, it ensures that the key people stay involved with you parts, and WE are the ones doing R&D on new products, not parts houses or bargain liquidators. All the vendors are also here to talk to, in person. There aren't many other companies that give that kind of support.

So remember when something arises that delays your parts, there is a lot more to the delay, than you may think, and it will all be worth it in the end, when you're smiling down the road in your truck .

 

AMEN!!!

 

Thanks for the email and your explanation/post. I got a little 'hot' when I read parts of your original post. I didn't realize you were getting ready to place a large order.

I agree about the 'money' part too. It costs to go quicker! I hope you get the mods you want and are able to post some '12s' soon.

Good luck,

Dan

 

I'm really tired of hearing about this so-called 'Tuner Delay'. I've bought some stuff through PSP. Some parts came right away, some took a little longer. I think we should all keep in mind that real L tuners create a vision, then design, test, manufacture, and sell direct-- not just 2 or 3 of these tasks. And yes, testing includes live track testing.

Someone like Summit Racing is a distributor. They buy and sell. I'm sure they're really big...but their business model is simple and the complexity of their operation pales in comparison to an L Tuner.

If you want to keep this in perspective, take Holley Enteprises (NOS). This is the answer I got ONE WEEK after I sent it...

I resent it and am still waiting.

Now isn't NOS a good company? Do we flame NOS or Holley repeatedly???

Plus this reminded me that I had sent an e-mail to Sal at PSP last weekend to find the size of a Pulley Bolt on the 2# pulley. A pulley I bought from another user (i.e. $0.00 to PSP)

I got an answer in 85 minutes!!!, From Sal himself. Try getting an answer from Mr. NOS or Mr. Holley

So let's all keep things in perspective, huh?

Support your local tuner...or we wouldn't have any...

 

Being a business owner I can certainly appreciate what you are saying.I cannot however understand why they have to bull**** you and give you story after story as to why they cannot fullfill thier end of the deal. If the parts are not ready or they are waiting for material to manufacture the parts then all they have to do is say so and not feed you a bunch of crap as to why your order has not been filled.In my case with this vendor I was told several different reasons why my order was taking so long, none of which sounded like fact ,more like BS.I do not mind at all waiting on quality parts,If is going to take a month so be it, just dont tell me its going out today and take my cash and then act like you bumped your head when I call to inquire about my order two weeks later and then tell me its going to be 3 more weeks!!and offer to refund my money because eveything I have done with this company has been screwed up from the very first order I made [wrong intructions,missing parts,incomplete order] and then not do anything!!!! no return phone call, no credit on my acct,I own two different companys, one which is completley automotive related [retail transmission and driveline center]and if I operated like this I would certainly not have been in business for 15 yrs much less have any repeat business!!!! just so you all know I am not new to the performance game as I am close personal friends with some of the most respected engine and chassis builders and drag racers in Michigan.

 

I just think it's funny when a thread starts

"no flame intended BUT!"

--Joe

 

Soap,I am really not trying to flame --m,I am just trying to vent a little,by the way I really admire your truck.
Jim

 

THIS IS AN ADVERTISMENT!

ATTENTION

TUNER LACKY FOR HIRE!!


Out of work Lightning owner looking for job. I do it all. I will clean your L, I will prep it for a race, I will boost(with more PSI than JL's blower), your ego and your rep. for all to see on the fourms! If you hire me, you can get more than a ego boost you will also gain someone who can give product updates, product information; such as pricing, availability, etc. I know it all. I will even deal with the customers and give them any needed info! My pay? I except cash, tuner credit, and/or free parts! Small price to pay in this growing world of supply and demand! I will fly your banner with pride, and sing the (insert Tuner here) moto! So give me a call, or shoot me an e-mail. Or both, I have no life, and am always on the comptuer anyways!

 

Running a small business I know where you all are coming from.

Me and my wife do everything here ourselves.

Full retail and mail order/internet business.

We do over $60k a month total volume with an average sale of $55, needless to say, we stay pretty busy.

Once in a while, I will not be able to fill an order for a customer as an item is just not available.

When I email them, the first thing I get back is "Please refund my card" and I politely send an email back saying "We never billed you, we bill you about 1 minute before the order is Packed"

sometimes i do special orders on items i virtually never sell, and i still do not prebill, the only time i will prebill is on an order where someone is wanting 10 or 20 of something i do not stock.

I also do not make excuses. A gal had placed an order with my business over the phone, a week later, she called wanting to know where it was. (all of our orders arrive by fax so we have a printed copy of them), I had forgotten to hit print on the phone order, and it just got buried in my invoice program.

I told her, it hadn't shipped, and I had no excuses other than I just plain forgot. She thanked me and asked to go ahead and still ship it.

A week later one of my good regulars who spends good money with me called me, told me a friend he referred told him about me not making any b.s. with her and she really appreciated it and i had earned her business for life.

Customers need to be kept in contact with and need to know whats going on. I am very impatient (sal will tell you ) and so i try to give my people the same service i would want.

When I was using JL , i purchased from him at the track and he was kind enough to install the pulley for me.

Everything i ordered from sal was billed right as it shipped.

As for the "other" tuner, i was lied to and never called back on several occassions and they will never receive my business again. PERIOD!

 

Oh, Now I see as to whom you are referring to. My bad carrying on. Just keep on Charging!!!
Later...
Bruce

 

I don't think the problem is waiting....it is the lying that a lot of the tuners do. They tell you that you'll have it in a week...but they don't ship it for five days. If I know I'm gonna wait for a month for something, that's one thing....but if I'm strung along for a month for something I was promised I would have in a week there's a problem.


Not only that...if something is gonna take a month to deliver i shouldn't have to pay until it ships....why should I have my money out in limbo while waiting for someone to send me parts ? Bill me when it ships

--wes

 

There is a crapload of L's out there and only a few big name tuners. That's an incredible amount of orders, back orders, and that's on top of the customers coming through the door. Bad customer service is not good for service and evtremely bad in a world like ours where we can post our pissed us off stories as soon as we get back from their shop. Or off the phone or the internet. When i was at JDM it was extremely busy everywhere. On the phones, on line, and in the waiting room. In my opinion a tuner should take care of his local area and the people who come to their shop first. Phone in orders are second. I never went anywhere else so i can't speek for the other tuners. People should bitch if their credit cards are charged and they are still waiting for their parts a few weeks later. But then again they can't. If you are not getting told the correct info on when your parts will be shipped out or when to expect them it is your job as the consumer to speak up. This is the place but you should be on the phone with the tuner. If you don't get the response or explanation you want you have the power. Cancel your order. Find another tuner and hope for the best. If you think a company is better than anyone else and you have to have their parts, whattya gonn do? Your going to wait. Test and tuning is necessary in this field as everyone knows. I believe that the problem here is the huge burden that are put on the few tuners we have. I'm sure they are killing themselver to get all this product out. Plus trying to have a life of their own. You can always ring the doorbell of the next person and see if they have the candy you want. You can't make them give you what you want. Bad customer service is a product of the huge the insane demand for the parts we have to have. Everyone will not always be happy. Just don't lie to me! That's all i ask!

 

I don't know about others, but I am very patient. (see my ARG tuners! thread). I don't mind waiting weeks/months for parts. I once waited 9 months for a differential.

I think my complaint (and excited's) is when you aren't told. For the differentials, I was told "you need minimum quantity blah and it will take us 6 months to put the molds through." Perfect, fine.

When a tuenr says "I've got them in stock, whats your CC number?" and then you wait for 2 months, then there is a problem...

Coldie

 

Have them credit your card and find a new tuner. It is really that easy. Make your own decision, who cares what everybody else thinks. Threads like this start a bunch of crap for no reason, and get everyone all riled up. It may be fun reading, but this has been gone over many times before. In other aspects of your life, what do you do when somebody tells you their going to do something and don't?