Quote:
Originally Posted by ugbandtulsa
For instance, the search engine stinks. Wayyy too much emphasis on part numbers on your site. In fact, the default setting for the search engine is actually set to search part numbers! So you want a centercap for your rally wheels? Type in center cap, and hit search. No results. Every single part you want to search you must select "description" first. I can promise you 99% of your customers search descriptions. So why have part number as the default? ........Classic's website is bad too by the way. I already mentioned one website that is great- perfectly laid out, great categories, extremely helpful descriptions, and fast as heck. Hope this helps.
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I totally understand the frustration but please try and realize several things.
1. The emphasis IS on part number search because it's the opposite of what you think. 90% of our customer base has our catalog already! We use to default to description and since we changed it, the complaints have all but subsided to an occasional topic like this.
2. Our industry's products are not conducive to shopping by description! It's not just PY. It's not just Classic Industries. It's ALL of us. It's so frustrating to hear customers like you complain like it's just PY that has this problem. ALL the restoration supply companies have the same challenges.
Above you demonstrate my point perfectly. You say 'centercap' and you left out the space. Unless you are Google or Ebay (multi-billion dollar companies) you are not going to find 'centercap' if the real description is 'center cap'. I tested your search by keying in 'center cap' while selecting only the GTO catalog and 13 results come up. Pretty much everything our print catalog has. So I'm not sure what you were doing that is yielding 'zero' results except maybe the same thing you did above ie 'centercap'.
Here's another example; Say your dash gas gauge doesn't work and you suspect it's a problem with the device in the gas tank which will remain unnamed for a moment. What do you call it? What's its description? Well we hear customers referring to it as a Tank Unit, Sending unit, gas gauge, fuel sender, fuel gauge gas tank sending unit etc.
I can go on with examples like this for probably 20,000 part numbers. Do you follow the logic of the complexity of maintaining a description database that meets the needs of all of our customers personal automotive dictionary?
Anyway, all I'm asking is that you guys keep an open mind when you complain about your online shopping experience like it's the only thing that is important to you. I can't believe how many people have said 'PY was frustrating. I guess I have to go to Ames'. Like Ames online shopping experience is any better. If that's the #1priority for you, then I feel sorry for the person that buys your car when it's done. :(
After you shop for a 32 gb micro SD card on Amazon or Ebay, is it fair to come here and hold our small niche Pontiac company to the same standard? After you go to Disney World and then go to your local carnival, is it fair to compare the two? Yep, that's right, I'm comparing us to a carnival because from a size standpoint, it's pretty accurate! But there's nothing wrong with a good carnival either! And PY is a pretty damn good carnival! :)
There's only 2 companies on the planet that supply ONLY PONTIAC parts. PY is one of them. You can't go anywhere else and get this kind of selection, expertise, inventory, customer service or pricing. And even if you can bounce around from site to site and are lucky enough to purchase about 1/2 of what you need for your vehicle, you're going to have a similar frustrating experience IF YOU SHOP BY DESCRIPTION!
Despite this overwhelming and impossible situation, we continue to make thousands of improvements in our descriptions each year to yield better results and we will continue to do so.
In the mean time, we HIGHLY SUGGEST three very good ways to get those Pontiac parts you need;
1. shop by category
2. if you have our catalog, use it in conjunction with your online shopping (by part #) for a much better experience.
3. you can always pick up a phone and talk to some of the most knowledgeable experienced helpful staff you'll ever find. :)