[rp930]

Warrantying parts that are incorrectly installed with no defect just drives up the price for the rest of us. You have to draw the line somewhere. Just my opinion.

 

[bigmachd]

Warrantying parts that are incorrectly installed with no defect just drives up the price for the rest of us. You have to draw the line somewhere. Just my opinion.

I fully agree, it's a tuff call

 

[steelcomp]

Good will does go a long way and I would say the good will that goes out of this shop is far above and beyond. One thing I've learned -if nothing else- since I've been here.

 

[AJS]

I would spell it out to your customer. Push rods not in the cups. To much white stuff in the lifters. One mad customer can give a million dollars worth of bad advertising but that should not make us a slave to them. The facts are the facts and sometimes the truth hurts. They screwed up the build. If not warranting the lifters is going to cost you a large volume of sales in the future, that is something to consider. Tell them you will warrant the parts but only if your shop builds the engine.

 

[bigmachd]

Good will does go a long way and I would say the good will that goes out of this shop is far above and beyond. One thing I've learned -if nothing else- since I've been here.

AND the one on one phone time and personal service,:thumbsup:

 

[bigmachd]

I would spell it out to your customer. Push rods not in the cups. To much white stuff in the lifters. One mad customer can give a million dollars worth of bad advertising but that should not make us a slave to them. The facts are the facts and sometimes the truth hurts. They screwed up the build. If not warranting the lifters is going to cost you a large volume of sales in the future, that is something to consider. Tell them you will warrant the parts but only if your shop builds the engine.

That's another good option rite there^^^^

 

[engineguy]

I think Chris is wise in working with his wholesale account regarding this issue. Chris' customer knows the customer and will be able to determine if it is feasible to warranty the lifters. Fact of life is that there are some customers who will still bad-mouth you, even if you go out of your way to help them.

Hey Mac,
I like that!! "engine putertogetherer guy". Think I might put that on my next business cards!

 

[BowtieAaron]

man, what a mess.

i had a similar dream to this last night. i was tearing an engine down for a customer, customer noted valve train noise, said it had solid lifters in it.

when i took the intake off, noticed something didnt look right. whoever assembled the engine installed hydraulic lifters upside down, haha.

aaron

 

[jackie schmidt]

Chris, I am a business man, we own a Machine Shop specializing in Marine work.

Much of what we machine is installed by Shipyard Workers. It is a constant battle with them, making sure they follow our instructions to the letter.

I have been forced to "eat" something because of some one else's ignorance, or stupidity. But I only do this after a sit down with the people in charge to let them know that while I stand behind every job I do, it is their responsibility to make sure that things are done properly after we are finished with our part.

Last year, we sent out a large Bronze Bushing that was to pressed into a lower rudder trunk. The bushing was about 18 inches on the OD and 16 inches ID, 24 inches long. It went in a hole that was stepped half way.

The Night Crew installed the bushing up side down, it took everything their 200 ton jack had to put it in. Naturally, the rudder would not go through, and they ended up gouging it out and making a another bushing. Luckily, when they got it out, you could still see the installation instructions written on the bushing.

Since this was about a $8,000 job, they wanted us to absorb the cost. We told them OK, but from that point on we would no longer do any business with them.

They absorbed the cost, and it is still business as usual.

That is the decision you have to make. Is telling the customer he is wrong worth the bad PR, (yes, there will be some), or should you just absorb the cost. You have a outstanding reputation in this industry, sometimes you just have to rely on other people's good will to recognize that fact and see this for what it is, a major screw up by the person doing the installation.

 

[Dave Birdwell]

If you warranty them, I'll give you a hundred bucks for them for a down and dirty junkyard build I'm doing for my own car.. And you'll never hear another word about them...

 

[bigmachd]

I think Chris is wise in working with his wholesale account regarding this issue. Chris' customer knows the customer and will be able to determine if it is feasible to warranty the lifters. Fact of life is that there are some customers who will still bad-mouth you, even if you go out of your way to help them.

Hey Mac,
I like that!! "engine putertogetherer guy". Think I might put that on my next business cards!

Bill, you are welcome to use that quote, PM me and I'll give you my address so you can send me the royalty checks from any business derived from said business cards with aforementioned quote !

 

[70SSTHUMPER]

Chris, it's really all about human nature. Some people are just more honest with themselves than others. The first voided warranty: Adam and Eve. When confronted, what did Adam do? "The Chick made me do it!" That's when the real fight started. Things haven't changed much since then. Honesty is not only a virtue, it's a discipline that needs to be exercised. That's really what we are talking about here- isn't it?

 

[thunderstruck507]

If it were me, I would offer to refund but not replace and explain what the problem really was. I wouldn't want to send another set only to have the same problem come back again.

 

[Guest]

The parts supplier shouldn't be responsible for the parts installer's lack of skill/knowledge.

A warranty should be for defective materials/labor on the part of the manufacturer, not the installer.

I can state from experience, if you warrantied the product everytime a customer made a mistake, your pricing would have to be doubled or you would go bankrupt, either way you're out of business.

NO WAY would I warranty those lifters.

The secondary reason not to warranty them is the sting of the cost of replacement will make the customer remember the lesson and learn from it, the way most of have. If you give them another set they won't learn anything.

 

[cstraub]

My customer has asked for an inspection from Morel. Parts are in route to Morel. Customer and I will discuss a plan of action after the inspection.

 

[70SSTHUMPER]

If it were me, I would offer to refund but not replace and explain what the problem really was. I wouldn't want to send another set only to have the same problem come back again.

Good ideal here. A "Merchandise return form" with an area for your observations Chris. Cite the reason the part has failed or your observations that affect warranty. Have the customer sign and give him a copy or not. Return his money and say hasta la vista!

In 30 years I've fired a few customers, never without a lot of thought, but sometimes you can save future trouble by cutting it off right then and there. "I'm concerned that our business relationship has come to unsolvable impasse, I wish you the best in the future and kindly ask you to take your business elsewhere."