Local Performance Shops Suck

noco5.0

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I haven't dealt with performance shops for a long time. I've owned Hellcats for the past several years and never really sought additional power or made any major modifications. I just picked up a Boss 302 and love the car, but at least want to explore adding a supercharger. I've emailed several performance shops in Colorado and have pretty much been blown off by all of them. Their pat response is call the shop. Ok I hate talking on the phone and am busy with my own job during business hours so prefer email. If you need to have a phone conversation why put an email address on your sh(*& website. Better yet why not put the info on your website that most customers would ask so I don't have to call or email until I'm ready to move forward. I called one and talked to the guy and he didn't even have the courtesy to respond to a follow up question or return a follow up call. I don't know what is so hard about responding to email and saying we recommend XXX and it will cost you this much to have us install and tune. I guess I'll start looking at some of the national vendors who advertise here and other places. Colorado is starting to suck.
 

DSG2003Mach1

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I can see why they'd prefer a phone conversation but agree they shouldnt be listing an email address if they dont wanna use it. It's hard to find a good shop anywhere
 

me32

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I see your new to the game. Welcome 1st off.
2nd. Shops are so busy these days a lot of times if there a smaller shop they dont have the time to waste on emails. Phones calls get straight to the point. Also personally i prefer visiting the shop that i want to do my work. Cars cost alot of my hard earned money and i want a shop that cares for my car the way i do.
 

noco5.0

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I see your new to the game. Welcome 1st off.
2nd. Shops are so busy these days a lot of times if there a smaller shop they dont have the time to waste on emails. Phones calls get straight to the point. Also personally i prefer visiting the shop that i want to do my work. Cars cost alot of my hard earned money and i want a shop that cares for my car the way i do.

I may stop by the fairly local ones. To me email is the perfect communication method...get to it when you have time. I’m not expecting a same day response but a few days seems like a reasonable expectation. I would think this stuff could be copied and pasted for the most part.
 

me32

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I may stop by the fairly local ones. To me email is the perfect communication method...get to it when you have time. I’m not expecting a same day response but a few days seems like a reasonable expectation. I would think this stuff could be copied and pasted for the most part.

Well to give at least the benefit of the dought to the shops. There are a ton of tire kickers out there in general. So could you imagine the amount of emails you get daily from tire kickers that dont make you any money but take alot of time to respond to emails.
 

jaxbusa

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Well to give at least the benefit of the dought to the shops. There are a ton of tire kickers out there in general. So could you imagine the amount of emails you get daily from tire kickers that dont make you any money but take alot of time to respond to emails.

This is very accurate. While different, I was trying to sell a $250 go kart on Craigslist and had numerous people call and email about it and not one came by an bought it. Two asked for my address and never showed.

I know a person that owns a car stereo shop. He only does complete custom work. It seemed to me that he was missing out on the quick and easy head unit sales and installs. He told me you will have to put an employee on the phone all day and won’t make a profit. It simply wasn’t worth it. I would recommend a face to face meeting.


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CobraBob

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I can see why they'd prefer a phone conversation but agree they shouldn't be listing an email address if they dont wanna use it. It's hard to find a good shop anywhere
This! I'll add that if the shop is busy they should state how many days should be expected for a reply. Or just state that the shop's busy schedule might mean some emails might not get a reply, along with an apology. Then recommend that the potential customer call the shop with questions.

This isn't an issue with performance shops alone. It's prevalent throughout the retail/service industry. I've emailed painting companies, stores, etc. and often do not get a reply. Heck, sometimes I'll also leave voice mail messages and THEY don't get a reply. But when these companies get hungry and want sales, they suddenly change their ways. :rolleyes:
 

q6543

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In my area most shops are way too busy for any of that.

It's known that if you are serious, you bring the car to the shop for an estimate.
And they are scheduling WAAAY out.
 

einehund

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If you are open to turbos instead of supercharging, EDP is in Colorado Springs and took insanely good care of a buddies 5.0. He now has a single big snail under his hood and can put a hurting on my gen2r Shelby. Btw, EDP is Exhaust Driven Performance.
 

Chancey

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I haven't dealt with performance shops for a long time. I've owned Hellcats for the past several years and never really sought additional power or made any major modifications. I just picked up a Boss 302 and love the car, but at least want to explore adding a supercharger. I've emailed several performance shops in Colorado and have pretty much been blown off by all of them. Their pat response is call the shop. Ok I hate talking on the phone and am busy with my own job during business hours so prefer email. If you need to have a phone conversation why put an email address on your sh(*& website. Better yet why not put the info on your website that most customers would ask so I don't have to call or email until I'm ready to move forward. I called one and talked to the guy and he didn't even have the courtesy to respond to a follow up question or return a follow up call. I don't know what is so hard about responding to email and saying we recommend XXX and it will cost you this much to have us install and tune. I guess I'll start looking at some of the national vendors who advertise here and other places. Colorado is starting to suck.
I know how you feel in this cyber world we live in. It makes us all expect a response without ever having to leave the internet. That said, especially in the auto/tuning industry it is not realistic. Like the other poster stated way to many tire kickers. An even decent shop gets countless emails that endlessly want a free diagnosis/answer with 5-14 back and forth emails about there “problem” and will never come to your shop or bring one dollar to your business. Dont take it personal. The bulk are not motorheads like us on here that are really needing help and willing to pay. By far the most are looking to that shop as a “google answer forum board” or something. They cannot possibly weed thru them all, and the endless freebies that waste their time are the ones that will write a scathing/ bad review on the shop after they dont get the free advise or repair they expect, and they will never actually use the shop or bring them any business at all!
 

svtfocus2cobra

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As someone who is a service writer for a smaller mechanical shop, I have the position in the shop that you are voicing your frustrations about so I will give a little input here.

First off though, email is completely fine for communications. I dont necessarily prefer it but I dont mind it at all because it gives me time to prepare the estimate you are requesting without having to drop what I'm doing as opposed to if you had called. Calling or showing up in person is going to get you what you want faster but if you have a question that they say they will get back to you on then you need to call back if they dont get back to you, but also be patient. You have to understand how busy we are and how many different customers we are dealing with throughout each day. Yes, we want your business but you aren't my priority until your car is in my shop being worked on. I forget to call people back all the time and sometimes it is a couple days later in some rare instances, or even sometimes it takes me that long to find what the person is looking for if it is more obscure. We dont have all the answers right there in front of us for the customers. It just depends on the request. What will get you the best service is to just be extremely understanding and dont go in with the attitude you are portraying in your first post. If you have an attitude I pick up on it as soon as we start talking and if the customer has an attitude then I will be less likely to cater to you because I really dont want that kind of business. At our shop we will gladly let a job go if it means not having to deal with someone who is a complete asshole. I'll jack up the cost to your estimate in hopes that you just leave or if you agree then at least we are getting paid more to deal with you in the end.
 

noco5.0

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It just depends on the request. What will get you the best service is to just be extremely understanding and dont go in with the attitude you are portraying in your first post. If you have an attitude I pick up on it as soon as we start talking and if the customer has an attitude then I will be less likely to cater to you because I really dont want that kind of business. At our shop we will gladly let a job go if it means not having to deal with someone who is a complete asshole. I'll jack up the cost to your estimate in hopes that you just leave or if you agree then at least we are getting paid more to deal with you in the end.

Wow you can tell my attitude off of an internet forum post? I didn't name any shops and definitely haven't had an attitude with anyone. I'm basically saying the customer service from several of the shops in my area sucks from my brief experience with several of them. I have no problem being pleasant and thank everyone for there time whenever I talk to them or email them. I realize they haven't made anything until we agree to the project, but I work for a living like everyone else so have to figure out the best way to spend my money.Your post probably represents the attitude of several of those shops I have dealt with. Glad the economy is good and you have more business than you can handle. I'm guessing you will feel the need to earn people's business when the next recession hits.
 

tistan

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My wife and I own a design build contracting business. You wouldn't believe the amount of tire kicking emails and facebook messages we get. I rarely answer people whose first contact is to email me or facebook me, and when I do answer I ask them to call my phone. Email is a tool for me to order and keep track of orders, sub contractors, and client request, I don't see it as a tool for generating sales. If someone is a serious prospect, they will make the effort to call.
 

coposrv

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As a business I prefer phone calls for starting the convo. Saves countless hrs dealing with tire kickers going back and forth through email. After we get through that. Email only. I want clear and documented correspondence. If I answered every email I received I would get. I thing done.


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jaxbusa

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Imagine several of these guys calling or emailing every day.
IMG_2011.jpg



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tt335ci03cobra

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I wouldn’t set up and install a supercharger for a customer without getting to know the person and how they plan to use it.

Perceived liability is what matters today with our backhanded legal system.

11/10 service and more so performance install businesses would shutdown within 1 year if they didn’t screen customers before taking installs for forced induction kits, etc.

Not the op, but in general: person sets up sc install. Person doesn’t understand how heat management and longevity are effected running a pd blower at 5500ft altitude on pump gas. Person gets blown engine after 1 year. Person sue’s shop because other same cars with same blower don’t blow up (at closer to sea level in colder climates). Shop experiences huge defamation regardless of outcome of court case.

News flash. People running performance shops have families to provide for. I wouldn’t stake my business on the idea that everyone inquiring about and engine build, scor turbo or nitrous or FI build has read and understands our liability policy, let alone has the grasp and wearwithall to realize modifying the car that heavily can and likely will lead to premature failure.

That all said, I’d have saved quick email responses, and ready info to offer regarding what we can/can’t do via non personal interaction, and what we would/wouldn’t cover, as well as why we operate accordingly.

Transparency is good, blind trust will always lead to jaded and dejected management and ownership because people unintentionally let you down and assume the worst when things happen.
 

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