my machinist AWOL?

[yaman]

hey all, just looking for a bit of advice on how to deal with my motor builder

sent cyls and head to him on December 7 for port/bore/dome work to go with the stroker crank he is to sell me
about $3K worth of parts and labor that i am happy to pay for
i sent an email inquiring about progress a week ago- i have yet to hear back
is this normal?
im worried if i push anymore my parts will come back to me untouched

i am not here to dredge someones name thru the dirt
just looking for suggestions on what to do
thanks

[oxford]

What was the agreed upon timeframe when you sent the parts to him?

Hi many times have there been contact with each other since the 7th when you sent them?

Are you close enough to stop by in person to see what is going on?

Have you seen any activity by the person on forums, Facebook, etc.?

[motodreams]

Those questions above are all good ones. 

I do not think it is uncommon for parts suppliers/machinests/other service providers to disappear for a bit depending on how they do business.  Is this acceptable or reasonable from customer service perspective?  I would say no but some of the old school guys don't seem to care.

You may be able to find others with same experience elsewhere on the internet. 

I've recently received back some 300zx parts I sent to Florida in October (4 months and 50 phone calls late) and was told it would be a week for them to get repaired.  Quite possibly the worst customer service experience I have had in my life.  Would not return calls, emails, texts and kept promising then dissapearing.  Not shipping then finally partially shipped order.  If I had taken the internet forums more seriously I likely would not have sent them in first place but he was so good at timely info and service prior to me sending!

[sav0r]

This definitely seems common in the motor building industry. Hell, it took me spamming Millennium on Facebook to get our GT750 cylinder back. They had it five months!

[m in sc]

suggestion? find somebody local to that shop and have them show up at the door asking about it.  face to face accountability is a strong motivator.

[85RZwade]

Yeah, I'm a believer in face-to-face, too. It makes my wife crazy when I want to drive into town and have a conversation over the counter, but it's not the same as nagging someone on the phone.

[Joshua]

I'm not in a hurry with my build, so when I found a builder I trusted with a good name, I worked with him.  If you know he is not going to screw you over and do a good job, work with his timeline.  Lots of guys who do good work with the stuff they love don't make a living, or barely make a living doing what they love.  Communicate with them, see if they can light a fire to get your project done.  Just keep your emotions at bay to see if you can be positive through it.  If you think the guy will not do a good job, or screw you, then it's time to communicate your timeline and see if he can work it out.  If he has a good name, keep patient, communicate, do what you can to stress you're tired of waiting.

Don't take it from me though, I'm more patient with my project than most. . . I enjoy the build as much as the ride. . . . well maybe the build more. . . . so sad.

[yaman]

I'm not in a hurry with my build, so when I found a builder I trusted with a good name, I worked with him.  If you know he is not going to screw you over and do a good job, work with his timeline.  Lots of guys who do good work with the stuff they love don't make a living, or barely make a living doing what they love.  Communicate with them, see if they can light a fire to get your project done.  Just keep your emotions at bay to see if you can be positive through it.  If you think the guy will not do a good job, or screw you, then it's time to communicate your timeline and see if he can work it out.  If he has a good name, keep patient, communicate, do what you can to stress you're tired of waiting.

Don't take it from me though, I'm more patient with my project than most. . . I enjoy the build as much as the ride. . . . well maybe the build more. . . . so sad.

i posted this same question in another place and kind of got the consensus of 3-6 months as the norm
- i will continue to wait patiently and hpoe he finds time sooner than later
i feel he is a rightous man and his skills are undoubtedly worth waiting for

thank you all for sharing your thoughts

[Gil Gallad]

i'm a pretty patient bloke yaman, but how long does it take to type a quick answer out and return an email? send him another one with 'hi mate, how's my work coming on'? something quick and see if he gets back to you. it's bad business sense and bad for business when people don't return emails or phone calls. it will soon get them a bad name  ;D
cheers, gil.

[motodreams]

i'm a pretty patient bloke yaman, but how long does it take to type a quick answer out and return an email? send him another one with 'hi mate, how's my work coming on'? something quick and see if he gets back to you. it's bad business sense and bad for business when people don't return emails or phone calls. it will soon get them a bad name  ;D
cheers, gil.

This is a good point you make Gil.  You will often get the answer 'if I answer everyone I wouldn't get any work done' but I don't think they realize the lack of answer results in multiple inquiries and a snowball effect. Long timeframes are totally cool as long as the expectation is there from the start IMO.

[oxford]

I don't have a problem with long wait times IF they are stated up front.  If you tell me 3-6 weeks, no problem but I expect it within that time frame not 3-6 months.  If you had told me 3-6 months in the first place we wouldn't have a problem.

[m in sc]

1st thing we do every morning where i work is answer emails and statuses on orders.  usually takes about an hour, time well spent. Keeps our customers happy and informed.

[pdxjim]

As a service provider, I have found good communication and setting accurate expectations to be top priority

I also find that if I under promise and over perform, I end up with happier, more satisfied clients, and way more referrals.

The other way 'round, not so much.

[mnein]

What pdxjim said. Underpromise, then overperform, be up front.