Problems With PMB Performance, Anyone Else? Options

[arsprod]

I was planning to order calipers and pads from PMB this week. I hope Eric weighs in on this thread - enough to make we wait and see what happens for PO

[Amphicar770]

My guess is that the volume of work coming in has outgrown the staff. My own experiences have been mixed, ranging from excellent to meh.

I did receive my 914 calipers quickly and they were beautifully done. Another order was also processed quickly and with no problems.

I later wanted to order SS brake lines but after a week of unanswered calls I learned they were / may still be out of stock for many more weeks to follow so I gave up on those.

When I returned the caliper cores the refund was about $5 less than expected. When I asked why the diff he responded that it was because I had chosen the wrong shipping for the part ordered. I let it go but could not help thinking, "Um, actually I chose the shipping option that was presented to me by your web site when I ordered on-line, it was your mistake, not mine."

I am glad PMB is there and offering the services that they do. But yes, it may be time to hire someone whose job is solely manning the phones. Either that or partner with another vendor to handle the sales and service side rather than selling direct.

[Chris Pincetich]

+1 for PMB SUPPORT! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

HOWEVER, Eric and Co. are super swamped now. I recently had a brake emergency fix needed, called 3x in late April with no response, then they called back and I got the info I needed and placed my order online and got my 2 restored 914 calipers, 2 new rotors, new bearings, and new SS hoses shipped out to me the next day.

I have been active on 914Club.com and now 914World.com for over 10 years. I am positive and supportive of almost everyone (and refuse to post more about that damn "Unobtanium" and destroying a classic race 914 for his bastard 904 project). I drive and used to race my 914. It serves commuter duties now, and when it's not running my wife or I needs to bike or bus or get a ride. My situation, I think, is "special" (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Anywho, it shouldn't matter, because ya know all those sayings..."customer is always right" ...."it takes years to get a good reputation and minutes to loose it"...

Compared to some of the stories I've read here about other restoration shops and other 914 vendors the story I am hearing now about PMB is not too bad (yet).

Good luck! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[mercury26]

Quick update, Eric gave me a call today and we discussed the situation. He offered (and I accepted) his apology for the delay. He proposed a path forward and to get things moving. Hoping things work out.

Regards,

Chuck

[veekry9]

Nah.
I put my time and dough into the hands of a vendor,to be stiffed,means only half the time the customer is right.
Sometimes,even in industry,you have to break out the cattle prod,to motivate a recalcitrant vendor.
Timely expert service and ease of access is what is expected,otherwise customers will migrate to those competitors that do provide such.
Do or die in biz,in such a small niche market is as simple as a missed call,crossed wires or 'hassle'.
Like the shipper who sent the hightech conveyor to an island in the Gulf of St.Lawrence,not the mine it was meant for.wtf.
Delivery of service.'I like him',means as much to me as 'I like soup'.Where are my parts?
This is not a date,'You said you would call'.You jackin me off?
Sometimes,we have to write it off,as useless.
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1:16
Great,movement.
Oh happy day.
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[scotty b]

I'm going to try my best to stay out of this, but feel there are a few things to say in defense of those of us on the other end. Eric can address this specific issue if he feels

I will also say upfront Eric is a good friend of mine, and gets all of my brake and suspension work/purchases, so I probably have a lot more experience dealing with him than most

Perspective :

How many other companies out there do what Eric does ( truly restore vs simple rebuild ) ?

I know of ZERO

How many Porsche's, Ferrari's, Alfa's, BMW's Jag's are out in the world being restored right now that need the brakes done properly ?

10's of thousands + ????

How many of those go to PMB ?

When dealing with a niche market, ( in this case being one of, if not the only one providing a service ), you will get overwhelmed with work extremely quickly once the word gets out. Mistakes happen, phone calls, emails etc get missed or forgotten about. I tell every one of my customers that if you call, text or email me and don't hear back in 2-3 days, hit me again. I may go for a week without checking emails. I see phone calls and texts while working and forget about them by the end of the day.

As far as " why don't you just hire someone " statements....I wonder how many of you making that blanket statement have ever had a small business in a very specialized market ?? Just "hiring someone", tends to end up with bigger issues in the long run ( see the complaints about quality control ) You as the owner of a growing business have to put faith and trust into employees because you CAN NOT fully inspect every single item that goes out and get your work done. As a formerly 3 person business, if I took the time to completely go over my employees work on every car, I might as well have been doing the job myself. I have had to re-do so much work from my last 2 full time employees it has made me decide to go back to working by myself on fewer cars unless someone magical comes along.

If you want to provide a top notch, specialized product, you can't hire the average Joe looking for a job on Craigslist. I speak on all of this from a LOT of personal experience.


Now take all that, and factor in the traveling to shows to promote the business, taking care of employees F-ups ( I've got several stories I can get into there ) dealing with vendors you sub work out to, the phone calls, text messages, emails, parts chasing, paperwork, taxes, bills etc etc etc. and THEN trying to maintain a life out side of work etc.

On Michael's ( Cairo's ) car we have been plagued by delay's from EVERYONE I have outsourced work to because they are some of the best in the business I know. We had some serious issues with a chrome shop I have used before with stellar results, but in this case they botched his stuff up. I have had my own delay's that he and my other customers know of, but I haven't spoken on in public ( because quite frankly it isn't the general publics business )

Going from a garage startup to where we are now, pretty much any small business will experience " growing pains " which is not only a headache for the business owner, but also a headache for customers during those times of change. I have changed my business practices once already, and am in the process right now of changing it once again to better suit the work I now have coming in.

In the end, when you want specialty work done in a limited market, there will be delays because the vendors in that realm are few and far between, are typically swamped with work ( because there are so few ), and they too try to maintain a life outside of the shop/office that the rest of you do.

Your question has been asked and answered, ( particularly by one member who is well known to still hold a grudge ) Eric no doubt has seen this. IMHO your reason for going public may be very valid as I don't know the whole story, and he now knows it is out there in everyone's face. Maybe you should grant Eric the respect of letting this thread die out until you two have a chance to get the issue resolved

Patience and understanding are virtues, vitriol and grudges ares not

[veekry9]

It's tough work,but someone has to do it,customer service and relations is what I mean.
There are 10,000 kids out there with half a degree who would love to get into the Pcar culture.
A streamlined,up to date application will generate more than what you put in.
A ready room full of first response interfaced kids is a cheap way to an expanding c-base,instantly in seconds.Snappy.
914?Part no-914-001,sent now,thank YOU for your biz,this is my personal T# for when you call again.
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Modern.
https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome...ephony+software
https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome...nux%20dbms%20sw
https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome...are+open+source
Should only take a year to analyze,measure and compile the lists and procedures.
A twenty something whiz could hack the jobs in a jiffy.
The future,is on the horizon rotating away from you,pedal faster.
https://www.google.ca/search?q=robotic+inve...HanOo6e_jM3M%3A
And yes,we did this in the '80s at a monster outlay for the inventory and tooling,and more recently on a much larger scale.
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Most times,delegation of duty is the way to minimize the time spent on micromanagement.



The dimension noted is typ of the part's tolerances.
Simple key that was to be delivered to the customer in 1980.
A [Key Hor Stab Jackscrew].Shipped by bonded carrier jit.
A tiny part that fits on a fingernail,that is crucial to the flight control of a passenger aircraft.
Among thousands of parts and fabrications post proccessing.
The general manager and engineering depts sign off with 100% traceability.
The point is,this is sop in the new world,has been for some time.
There are simple solutions at hand.
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[6freak]

Knew that one was coming.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Im slowly getting over it ...fuck that no im not (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) joking

But you dont say what he did about me in front of the world and expect me to forget it anytime soon .. I just keep spread n the word of my experience with him

I always say..dont let your tweety bird ass over load your alligater mouth....behind the keys their some bad MOFO`s but they couldnt back up a car let alone there mouth

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) good day gentlemen

[rhodyguy]

The silence is deafening. I have my story too but I let the outcome determine the future.

[Mikey914]

The character of the the owner (Eric) is well intended and honestly tries to do the best he can. I understand that you can have more demands on your time than you can fulfill, growing pains of a successful business.

I trust Eric, literally with my life (brakes). There are many choices for "parts", Eric is a true resource for our community. I'm sure Eric will do the right thing when it comes to his customers.

You can't make everyone happy, but history shows the character of the business / owner, and Eric has been a good member of our community.

By the way, just placed an order with him this last week, and he has my future business.

[Chris Pincetich]

Quick update, Eric gave me a call today and we discussed the situation. He offered (and I accepted) his apology for the delay. He proposed a path forward and to get things moving. Hoping things work out.

Regards,

Chuck

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
There ya go. The squeeky wheel gets the oil, so to speak (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)
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[0396]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/dead horse.gif)

[DavidSweden]

He was good to me, Eric took the time to ship some seals free of charge to Sweden when I had forgotten to order them with my main order.

[Series9]

I'll tell you right now:

Eric Shea is a friend. He's a friend to me personally, and to the Porsche community. I've stayed at his house, had drinks on his back porch and known him personally for fifteen years.

If you think he's dishonest in ANY way, you are completely wrong.

PMB does ALL the high-end brake work for Series 9, and they always will.

I'm 100% sure he sees all of this and that he's doing his best to deal with a super successful business and make his customers happy.

[jfort]

Eric did my rear calipers a couple of years ago. Quick turn around. Almost too beautiful to put back in the car. I saw and talked with him and his wife at Hershey last month. They said they were swamped and were having trouble finding good help. He has been a strong member of this group. I hope he gets on top of things soon.

[LowBridge]

I joined the 914world community back in August 2015 and after reading post after post it was clear to me PMB was the vendor I need to use for my project. I have placed about a handful of orders with PMB and I received the level of service I had expected after reading all the posts which is a positive one.

I will use PMB again and would recommend them to anyone who asks, but remember you are not buying from Amazon or a bigbox retailer you are working with a small business and in this you will find that things happen on a different timeline.

Also it was great to see above that the poster gave us an update and things have been worked out and both parties seem to be happy...

[MDG]

Quick update, Eric gave me a call today and we discussed the situation. He offered (and I accepted) his apology for the delay. He proposed a path forward and to get things moving. Hoping things work out.

Regards,

Chuck

Glad to hear that. Eric is a good guy. He'll make it right. What he probably won't do is jump into this thread and start making excuses so that his detractors (we ALL have some) can drag this out.

Personally, I have had Eric do the brakes for both of my cars and the work was perfect. If his workflow has outreached his current production capabilities my response is, "Congratulations, Eric. I doubt too many people here are surprised by your success. Now hire a couple more guys so I don't have to write any more nauseating posts like this. TARD!"

But that's just me.

[6freak]

I'll tell you right now:

Eric Shea is a friend. He's a friend to me personally, and to the Porsche community. I've stayed at his house, had drinks on his back porch and known him personally for fifteen years.

If you think he's dishonest in ANY way, you are completely wrong.

PMB does ALL the high-end brake work for Series 9, and they always will.

I'm 100% sure he sees all of this and that he's doing his best to deal with a super successful business and make his customers happy.

Rick Dishonest and being a bully is two way differant things hes said alot of really mean nasty things to not only me but to others and a young lady as well that I dont see around here anymore... did everyone forget about that! ...and over 6month for a product....sound to me like hes taking care of the hi dollar guys and piss n on the little guys...if its not first come first served it should be..
.
I dont think hes seeing this or he`d be telling me I need counseling again and how stupid I was and that I needed help lol4:Like i dont already know that ya fuck (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif) ..I dont forget being disrespected by someone that dont know shit about me or who I am or what I know or dont know

point blank! Eric Shea CAN KISS MY BIG WHITE ASS ..and if i get booted off 914world so be it... sorry but ill stand up to a bully every time and thats all he is as far as im concerned,,,

MikeC.. good day gents

[Eric_Shea]

Friends,

Chuck's a very gracious and good (repeat) customer.

His calipers are, at best, odd-ball VW Scirocco rear calipers. We tend to specialize in odd-ball calipers (914 rears, Alfa GTV, Ferrari 308, RSR, 908 etc.) so, that's not the real issue. These calipers were seized internally. They required special attention which, around here means... "me".

The calipers came in as I was dealing with the end of life with my father. As he passed, it took my attention away from the business and on to handling his estate. At the same time, I was dealing with 18-20-somethings that I had hired to handle shipping, receiving and tear-down. One had to find employment elsewhere as he was watching cartoons in the media blasting room... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

Now we're in the thick of our spring rush (I need to train ya'll to send these in Q4). We are "always" busy this time of the year. Everybody wants to get in their cool old Porsche and drive. We have to maintain our presence at the LA Lit Show and the Anaheim show. We have tried every year to maintain our presence at Hershey but... I'm only one guy. Those events take me away from the everyday workings and goings on here at the shop. Bottom line: This year has simply been "OFF THE HOOK"!!! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif)

Our problem now is very simple:

1) It's growing pains as I try to run a lean business and keep costs down and then use today's money to pay for tomorrow's 50% plus growth.

2) An OCD owner that is kind of a perfectionist which can lead to procrastination when everything isn't going as planned (E.G. Chuck's frozen Scirocco calipers). I want to be able to answer every question with a reasonable and well educated answer. I want to make every experience a positive one. SOMETIMES THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE "ERIC" (he says to himself as he types in the third person).

3) Cores. We are behind because cores have not come back. We've lost over 200 calipers in the last 365 days to Pelican customers alone who have not sent cores back in. This means we can "basically" only build customer calipers. It take much more time and makes it more labor intensive as we have to manually track each piece and make sure "Joe Smith's" calipers get back to "Joe Smith". Late 914 rear calipers, as an example, are non-existent.

4) Time. I thank you all as you've helped to grow my business. I'm only one, normal, pant legs one at a time guy. I'm getting 100+ e-mails per day. I'm now training a new employee (making 5 of us, plus Diane who really tries hard to help when she can). I'm working on Chuck's Scirocco calipers. I'm finishing up the RSR calipers. Yes, trying to keep up on social media and things like this. I'm the only one here who can answer the technical questions, the "where's my order" questions, all of the e-mails etc. I'm "about" the only one who can do all of the receiving making sure things like rare, Wide L-Calipers are received as such.

I'm VERY thankful for you all and your business. It KILLS me not to be able to answer every single question, every single e-mail, every single day. I love nothing more that to sit around talk calipers and vintage Porsches with everyone. We are simply buried right now trying to crank out calipers as fast as we can.

Moving on, I eventually purchased another caliper for Chuck hoping to compensate for the seized caliper. After tearing it down I went back and moved forward with his original calipers today (I had to make sure I was missing something with his frozen/rusted adjusters). Chucks calipers have some pretty serious issues which I'm basically now devoting 100% of my time to so, I'm very sorry... I can't get to the phone or deal with the 50 e-mails still unanswered today. Diane is working hard to try to contact those who are calling and asking about order etc.

Again, I thank you all for your patience and your support.

P.S. As I told Chuck this morning; I don't want these to be construed as excuses... just bringing ya'll up to speed.

[billh1963]

Thank you for the update!

Now that we know you need cores, what are you buying and how much ($)? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)