Thank You, Thank You, Thank You
Yes that's right Thank You. Every so often we all need a wake up call. First I would like to say a little bit about what I do. I have 30 years experience in GM muscle cars and parts, I specialize in accesories, options and yes tilt steering columns. Some people like HO Trains some, some people like baseball, well plenty of people know my vice is steering columns, and the ones that bend in the middle fasinate me. To date I have rebuilt and sold in excess of 6000 tilt columns. I don't belive in blowing my own horn, but 6000, come on thats alot. I curently have over 500 cores in stock. I have encountered most every problem known to man, and I am more than willing to walk you threw your situation or I would be happy to offer you my services of restoration and rebuilding of your steering column or even just a purchace.
Ok thats enough about me, lets talk about my business. I took my first steering column in 1974. I have completed 19 frame off restorations , all but 1 were for customers. I at one time had 6 employes, I know have one part time helper. I quit my job in 1985 and turned my hobbie and part time business into a full time business, Here I am 49, soon to be 50,I have been doing business since I was 16. I have found in business that most people focus on the bad not the good, like the news, people thrive on bad news.When I sell a service or a part Itell the customer what my back log is most of the time it is 2-4 weeks. So with that I then explain, for instance, When I rebuild columns I usually have between 10 and 30 columns apart and in the works at one time. Once everything is cleaned, blasted, and painted then comes the assembly, then any trouble shooting, packaging and then shipping. on an average I deliver, ship out, 10 columns a week. With as many as 30 columns, not to mention they are not all the same, often I run short of parts. Sometimes its a part that wears and might be hard to find, or a directional switch that delco remy has backordered, without my permission, to any other possible problem. I used to advertise in Hemmings motor News every month, when the work load got to mutch I went to every other month. I used to go to as many as 25 swap meets a year, I go to maybe 10 and vend at maybe 3 or 4. In my opinion you can maybe do 5 things so so, or you can do 1 thing really well. My goal in my business is to provide the best product on the market for a price that reflects the quality. I have a 30 year inventory of accesories for gm musclecars. I have reduced my inventory by 20%, thank you Ebay. I guess in answer to the questions posted let's take a look at my viewpoint. The customer made a initial call looking for a 1967 GTO F/S tilt column. I explained that I did have a core, Itold what I do to the columns,I explained that I use an updated lower bearing The correct lower bowl and so on. I then told the customer, sorry guys this is going to hurt, that the boine directional switch that pontiac used was junk when thew were new and are no longer aviable. I then explained I had the parts to convert his coumn to accept a delco switch, by far a better switch. We then talked price ,595.00 with shipping. HE then agreed to buy a column and said he would send a check, he did, I recieved it about a week later. Here is where it started. I usually have about 20 orders in progress, some for a small column part for maybe 5.00 to 3 or 4 thousand dollar package. I work on my orders in the order that I recieve payment. When I get behind I do not sell on ebay. In the same time frame of this column I sold 14 columns of 2 ebay auctions. This is great for my business, but it also creates a tremendous back log. When I sell a product I deliver I give you my word. It is that simple. If you go to the very best restoration shop to have your car worked on some of these guys are a year behind, well go figure the guy who dose the best work is always behind. So I will wrap this up with this, I will take this as a wake up call, but please don't call every day 2 and three times, I am not leaving town, I have way to much to pack up. I would like to share something from a mentor of mine in the Chevelle business: If you have been working on your car for nine years and you need a steering column and the car show is next week, why did you wait till now to order one, maybe you could have called nine years ago, even I could have one done by now, Sincerely, Chuck Schuster, Parts Finders
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