A couple of posts ago we announced that the new Postage System for the smaller of the items. The WebShop is still being updated with the postal options as we go along. As you can imagine the amount of stock we have to update every single item takes times. We have thousands of items that need to be updated and we are getting there and we appreciate the patience. We have even more Motorcraft stock in now for later Mustangs. More on that Later.

The postal feedback has been 80/20, although that sounds bad it’s much more positive when you analyse why.

The positive is exactly that, customers are now taking advantage of the small items and have send some great messages covering the service. Those existing customers and new customers love the service – Thank you for the feedback. 🙂

The bad? Well this is customers who have ordered items on a Saturday afternoon and Sunday mornings. They requested the “mail” option for postage. Monday Morning we have had some rather snotty emails asking where the item was as “it’s an emergency”.

This little section below is to explain to the very few customers that want postal service, but moaned it wasn’t next day delivery, they also don’t want to pay for the Courier service either. (If this wasn’t you – please skip).

The post service is a normal postal service which is collected from us each day during the week. At weekends there is no collection and you won’t get it Monday morning. This is nothing to do with our service levels as the items are picked and packaged ready and waiting for the service collection Monday morning, yes we work on a Sunday. Then you may get the item Tuesday or Wednesday depending how the post service deals with it. You pay less because it’s a standard service and not expressed, it’s just like sending a card to your great auntie Maud. Even if we put your package in the post box itself on a Saturday, it still wouldn’t be picked up by the post service until Monday morning! A point to note is that if you order by Courier on Saturday evening while watching ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ you still wont get it Monday as the couriers don’t work on Sunday that we use. Surely this concept is not difficult to understand, or have we missed out on something here. These difficult customers are not exactly good customers, or even first time customers should we say. They order £3 part (that nobody else has) and wants it next day delivery for nothing in effect.

The “Courier Service” is a flat rate charge and is next day delivery. HOWEVER, once the items have left us we have no control over the delivery process. The driver could have an accident, the parcel could be put on the wrong delivery route, the driver could be sick and another driver has to be sourced, the van could break down in the hot weather etc. who knows? Sometimes we make mistakes even with the processes we have in place. We’re only human and have to deal with (literally) hundreds of orders on some mad days. These things happen, and they also happen to us too. We can apologise and try to sort it out for you as soon as we can, and we will. It would be like us ringing up the suppliers in American moaning that the shipment hasn’t arrived in the UK because the boat has hit some sever weather on the way here, it’s not their fault.

Now you can see why we say good and bad, when the bad is just plain daft individuals. We are pleased with the way the service is working at the moment and we will continue to review the process to make sure it works for you and as well as us.

The “C” Button?

Some customers who are particularly difficult and moan through at us through no fault of our own or are unreasonable will now be getting the dreaded “C” button: “Cancelled” (the customer). The “Cancelled” button will transfer that customer’s details into a separate database that we now have where their orders will not be processed going forward. Adam introduced this measure as he spent a morning playing email tennis with a ‘new’ customer over a £3 fitting who wanted it as “it was urgent”. It turns out that the customer ordered the part on a Saturday night via second class post and wanted it Monday morning. Errr – No. Lets just say Adam had better things to do as he was also dealing with a big delivery himself. In the end Adam just gave the customer his minimalist order for free and returned his postage too. Then he hit the “C” button, time is money. There are already a few on this list – a digital little black book as it were.

WebShop

Adam has had a large order in (as we eluded to above) where he has now started to rapidly expand the later model Mustangs too. Not just the genuine Ford spec oils and fluids, but other parts too. Like this hose which is a simple clip in item, a proper Motorcraft item that can split or perish, now replaceable in minutes straight of our shelf.

We are now stocking the general service items for all Mustangs 1960’s to 2020’s. Spark plugs, oil filters, air filters, v drive belts, serpentine belts etc.

We have had a run on batteries recently which caught us out a little, we had to get a new stock in quickly to meet the orders with only a two day delay. Note the Motorcraft stock as well to be put into stock with the batteries.

We have not got a batch in of our own products for some gaskets, bolts & washers along with some core plugs too, high quality and a great fit.

For some people personal preferences they are not wanting items from China. Some items there is no other choice, but for others products we now have some ACDelco products which are made in USA. They can be different style like these heavy duty versions that have a much larger covered thread and cap rather than the small nut.

We also now have these sway bars in a range of colours as well, how many other retailers can offer choice of country of manufacture and choice of colours?

The reception has had a little tidy up and we now can offer some more of the common items that we sell on a walk in basis as well.

Next post we will be telling you about an exclusive service we could offer you. This would be purely at Adam’s discretion, and only if he thinks the car would benefit from it. We will bring you more on that next post too. Here’s a little teaser from one of the cars we worked on this week.

Keep safe & take care.