Ramy,

How long should we wait to send you another email if we had an email dailog going and haven't heard from you in a while?

The reason I ask is because the last email I sent you(feb 26) I asked for you to let me know how much of deposit I need to put down to get my order moving, but I haven't got any responses from you since feb 14. I just want to make sure my order didn't slip by you. Because I've read about other people submitting orders while I have been waiting for a response and it seems like my order may have slipped thru the cracks. Yet I have also read about people getting responses up to 2 months later, so I don't want to send another email to clutter your inbox if your still working on my order pricing or something. I also want to make a change to my order, since I managed to source a couple of the parts I needed.

This isn't an attack or anything, I know how busy you are Ramy and I expect some delay in response. I just want to know how long of a lapse in response do you think is too long, and should we email again if you haven't responded after X amount of time. Also, is there a better way for those of us with custom orders(ie. not parts that are listed on your site) to contact you. Explaining some things thru email are kinda difficult especially after we had a mixup and you confused my email with another local guy that was interested in some of the same parts. Maybe you sent them my pricing info? I dunno.

I think you need a phone line bro. Maybe BlueRex can be your one man call center.

 

A few things...

1) We all do this part time (for now). But many ppl are full-time customers

2) A phone line is a DISASTER. You have no IDEA what it entails. Plus then I'd have complaints of it always being busy. Every tried calling one of the major vendors on the site? How often do you get through on the first try?

3) Almost NEVER to emails fall through the cracks. I have a method to ensure against that. The problem lies in things that take a bit longer than others, so it takes a while to reply to those requests.

4) The confusion occurs when ppl PM, email, and post, so I have a forum screen name, an incomplete name in the email, plus ppl emailing me from different email accounts. You guys need to help me by making my job easier. Full names. Consistancy in emails. Centralized contact, not mass attempts to contact me via multiple methods.

Having said that, I'm literally workin around the clock getting back to eveyrone's inquiries as we speak. I'm taking several steps to make the response time shorter and shorter, but my simple request is keep in mind the slow turnaround time, b/c wayyy too many customers come to be saying "Yo I need this by Friday" and it's Wednesday. C'mon now...

~Ramy
FDNewbie Imports

 

 

I think that would be an EXCELLENT idea. BlueRex could handle an INCREDIBLY high volume of calls, since he'd simply make a recording and play it...

"If you're inquiring about pricing, don't press 1; it's more than you can afford...
If you're inquiring about availability, don't press 2; we're behind schedule...
If you're inquiring about special orders, don't press 3; just get in line (and it's long)...
If you're inquiring about pickup, don't press 4; we don't want to meet you...
If you're inquiring about anything else, don't press 5; that's what the forum's for..."

 

Whats going on with Datalogit??? People are starting to take their name off the GB... my paypal is ready!!!

 

For now? You guys going to do this stuff full time at some point? I thought you already had a full time career in a different field Ramy.

I still think BlueRex can do it! How about opening a call center in India! They do that stuff on the cheap!!


Yeah I figured certain orders would take longer. Like panspeed for example, from what I've heard their shop is not the easiest or most convieniant place to stop by.

My email had my forum name in it, only used that one address too. I never even contemplated emailing from a different address, that would just be dumb.

Good to hear that your always striving to mimimize response time. There are plenty of companies out there that couldn't give a damn. I'm not really in a giagantic rush to get the parts I requested, its gonna be a while before this car is ready for them. But I will need them eventually.

All good stuff, but the original question wasn't quite answered.

 

I have emailed FDNewbie at least 5 times in the past week 1 1/2 weeks and not a single response.It's real frusterating.I needed a front clip for weeks not and everything is on hold because of it. It makes me concerned to even send you guys money because if your not responding to my email....who's to say your even going to send my part? I'm probaly going to shine.

 

i really dont thin your that busy ramy, come on

 

I sent an E-Mail about a month ago, too.

 

raiden, check the thread plz. We've posted payment info. Please don't cross-post.

Juiceh...

1) Well, no I have no plans of quitting my career to do this full time, but we're working on opening up a full service shop, more adequately staffed than currently, etc. So lets just say we're looking to do this on a larger scale, full time.

2) Call centers in India...OMG, do NOT get me started. That's one of the few things I have NO patience for. They drive me CRAZY. What's the point of tech support when I know more than the tech?! Grrrrr

3) You have NO idea how interesting people can be. Not just a lack of clarification b/w names and email addresses, but sometimes they use different email addresses THAT HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES ATTACHED TO THEM. I'm dead serious. And on top of that, no name is left in the email, or anything meaninful. Like "Hey Ramy...any word?" I'm like whaaa? Word on what? For who? lol. Man...it's definitely interesting to say the least.

ls1240z, that's EXACTLY one of the major reasons why I'm behind. Ppl contacting me MULTIPLE times about a single request, and many a time via many different methods (email, IM, thread, posts, PMs, etc). You simply slow down the entire process like that. RELAX. WAIT. PLAN AHEAD. You're trying to get a front clip in QUICKLY?! Are you serious??? To be anywhere * near* economical, I'd be looking at a month in the container, then 2 weeks in Customs (based on the last set of motors that came in), and another week to ship to you. So you're looking at 2 months EASY. But then everyone wants stuff NOW NOW. That's just rediculous. I'm sorry for your misfortune (whatever it may be), but please don't place your lack of planning on my shoulders. We're a specialty shop, and everything takes TIME. If you think may need something within the next month or two, contact me NOW to get the ball rolling. Otherwise, contact 680RWHP12A (Robert @ RotaryShack) or Ken @ Shine...maybe they can overnight something for ya from Japan

Robert, YES I AM that busy. Wanna take a walk in my shoes for a few days? I guarantee you an experience like no other...

rajahFD, they're ordered in the order they're received, to be fair to our customers.

Thanks,
~Ramy

 

Since Juiceh has been waiting since Feb. 14th for a response (and I know he starting this process with you in the early part of winter) I would have to guess that Rajah has AT LEAST another month till he gets an email answered then if he has another question he can have that answered in mid July. Then assuming the payment is immediate in September you would email back that you recieved payment and are putting in the order and it should be US bound in two weeks so with container time, customs time, and freight time, he should see the part in time for Christmas (maybe)

Looks like you need to hire some people or someone needs to compete against you.

Two ways to kill a business quickly

1. Flood the market and build too quickly, over estimating demand (boston market)

2. Advertise too much without the personnel in place resulting in an inability to meet the demand for your products, and not correcting that situation immediately. This results in alienating the entire potential client base. (you are well on your way)

2a. Spending time here defending your inability to respond in a timely fashion instead of using that time to respond to five more people.

Hell at least respond to the people bitching in your own forum about you not responding quickly enough.