The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Chevy Duty Frustration...

Here we go again... I ordered parts last Friday afternoon... and was told that they wouldn't be shipped until Monday and I'd have them in 3-4 days. Perfect! I'll put the new roller bearings in on Friday the 11th.

Not. The package didn't go out of Chevy Duty until late Tuesday. It was in Ill. as of o'dark thirty this morning. I'd find it hard to believe that it'll be here today.

I called CD and was told that they never tell someone when a package will go out and shipments are always 5-7 business days.

Why is the customer always wrong when you call there???

I know this topic comes up often but I needed to vent... Thanks.

Vent complete? I doubt it until the parts arrive. Did they happen to ship UPS or FedEx? I'm thinking tracking number. If you've had the problem previously and don't feel good about it perhaps you should shop somewhere else for parts in the future and supply feedback to Chevy Duty.

Larry Bear,

It always feels good to vent, especially when you know you have a sympathetic audience. I know CD means well, but it appears they don't have tight leadership and certainly no customer service training.

My wife worked for Pacific Telephone in California. That company spent buzillions on service rep training. It isn't easy to placate an irate customer, or have him call angry and hang up happy and satisfied.

Think of Chevy Duty as a TV Dinner, sort of rough around the customer service edges, it will satisfy your Bolt appetite, maybe a little heartburn, but your full!

Stuart

Typical salesperson, they always tell you what you want to hear.

Plus they have no clue what the shipping department does, did he
sound like he was from India, You should try calling Dell for support.

I go into it one day with them, told them I wanted to speak to someone
who spoke English...(they could not find anyone).

-RT1
*

i haven't ordered much from chevy duty but the little bit i have ordered it was sent went they told me it would and the customer service was quite friendly when i ordered my brake lines for my 70 they called me back because the front brake line set was for a 69 chevy and it was all straightened out and taken care of so far i am impressed with the service from chevy duty and they did tell me how long it was going to take to deliever my brake lines and it was maybe a day late or so if i remember right but so far i am impressed, don't know if that'll change but for now they have been good to me

Nate

Yup vent complete for the moment. They shipped UPS and I did the tracking. I've supplied feedback... it's never their fault. One of the reasons I shopped there this time was because I had a credit from a previous order screwup.

I'd like to use American Classic more, because they sponsor here but thier lack of a printed catalog makes it difficult to order, especially when you're in a garage without net access and need to place an order.

Oh well, I'll just need to stay at work longer instead of working on the Bolt....

I do a lot of shopping on the web and I've come to avoid that frustration by ordering way far ahead of when I'll need the product. I know that's not always possible but when it is, it'll keep your blood pressure down.

The most extreme example of the above was when I ordered a '54-'55 1st Series grille nose from Chevy-Duty. Took over a year. They sent me a postcard saying it was out of stock and I could cancel if I wanted to. Since your credit card is not charged until they ship, I let it ride. I became aware thet the guy who made these things had passed away and nobody had them until someone else started making them. I check my credit card charges every day online and one day there was a new charge from Chevy-Duty. A few days later the grille nose arrived. I'm still not ready for it but it sits behind me here in the Krash Pad for when I am.

My bolt is pretty much where she needs to be right now so when I need parts it's usually for something that needs doing sooner vs. later. I use a good local parts place mostly and can get most things I need delivered to me within an hour. But there are times, like now when they can't come up with what I need so hence the catalog route.

Getting parts, getting the right parts... it's all part of the challenge of this hobby. And my blood pressure is still terrific!

Always enjoy your postings about BillyBob, Larry!

i've had problems with one or two of the companies we all use, and ordering elsewhere sounds great, but unfortunately, there are times when only 1 or 2 places have what you need. so, i ask for UPS shipping so I get a tracking number and i always call the next day and the next and the next until they tell me its been shipped and having a tracking number. i then confirm the number on ups.com and wait.
that seems to help keep my blood pressure down a litte anyways.
tony

I have never ordered from Chevy Duty because they don't have a whole lot of stuff that will fit my '46.

I have always had good luck dealing with Chevy Duty.My orders usually get here within 3 or 4 days.

When I buy parts from Chevy Duty, I just go to their wharehouse in Riverside, Mo. it's about an hour and a half from here. Oh and I've known the owner since day one. resto44

I have always had good luck with CD. You want real frustration, place an order with Truck Shop in So. Calif. THEY are the WORST!

i've had problems with one or two of the companies we all use, and ordering elsewhere sounds great, but unfortunately, there are times when only 1 or 2 places have what you need. so, i ask for UPS shipping so I get a tracking number and i always call the next day and the next and the next until they tell me its been shipped and having a tracking number. i then confirm the number on ups.com and wait.
that seems to help keep my blood pressure down a litte anyways.
tony

I have had nothing but good luck with ordering my
parts from chevy duty and quick delivery,BUT!!!
If you have a PART PROBLEM OR IT DORS NOT FIT
you have to deal with a real PILL named MINDY.
She must be on commision for being a _itch.
I will continue to buy parts because they are quick but now I buy ups insurance

Larry Bear - (FYI only) American Classic does have a printed catalog. No pictures, but they do have catalogs and sent me one for my AD and another one for my '63.

Brian - I've heard that about Truck Shop, but I've had great luck with them and they are my current favorite - I've had everything shipped quick and the prices are the lowest I've found.

I feel fortunate. I've had good luck with all of the usual vendors.

'47 and up seems to be what most of those joints sell parts for.. so I don't have much occasion to shop with them.. since what they DO have that I can use is too dang expensive.

LMC has a beautiful catalog, and their exploded views of trucks is quite helpful.. but if I was ever going to order new parts, i'd do it from American Classic, just because they help support this board.. which has been far more helpful to me than any retail operation.

In addition to Fumblin's statement . . . American Classic's online order form also has a "comment section." I've been thanking them for supporting the Stovebolt Page with my orders!

What seems to happen to me is this. I work on my truck on the weekend, and realize I need some parts. I order the parts online Sunday evening.

ChevyDuty ships them on TUESDAY and I don't recieve them until the following Monday. I always wonder why they didn't ship on Monday so I could have it the same week.

As a result I loose a weekend when I could have worked on the truck, and another week I could have driven it. But if I order from LMC Truck so far I've always received the parts in time for the next weekend.

When I've tried to talk to ChevyDuty its been clear that the problem is something I did, not anything they did or can control.

Well I figured out what I was doing wrong, and now I don't seem to have a problem any more. I now order from LMC Truck and the stuff is shipped quickly and arrives when I wanted it.

Plus I don't get mad at ChevyDuty anymore!

Might as well add my venting RE: Chevy Duty. I asked them to drop a small, 4-ounce bearing seal to an order they were about to ship so I wouldn't have to pay extra shipping. I received this obnoxious message from CD informing me that I would have to pay $8.00 extra shipping for this $10.00 part, even though all they had to do was drop the seal in the box they were about to ship. Guess what? That was my last order to Chevy Duty.
Apache

I've placed many orders with Chevy Duty and I'm happy with them. I don't place time restrictions on their shipping. They'll get the order out when they get it out. If you want something immediately you should have ordered it two weeks ago. There are too many variables to expect a certain delivery date.

A couple of times they shipped a wrong part. Both times they shipped the correct part, no hassle and trusted me to return the wrong one. I didn't have to wait for the wrong one to get there first.

They've earned my business and will continue to get it.

I'm with cletis! Working on the Bolt isn't a life/death situation. Take your Prozac and enjoy it.


Stuart

I have had both good & bad experiences with most of the Vendors we deal with. I think it's a direct result of the attitude of the person on the phone. Customer & Salesperson. As for shipping, well if you expect it to come when they say it will, your just setting yourself up for disappointment. :rolleyes:

i don't get it . i've ordered from CD for years & had nothing but great luck with them. their service has always been very personable & friendly. the stuff usually came when they said it would. i don't think shipping the day after an order or the day after that is unreasonable. we don't know how busy they might be or about parts availabilty. i think some of you may have some unreasonable expectations. I believe CD is after all ran by human beings.
Robert French

I also agree with Cletis about having patience when ordering with CD, or anybody. There are a few companies that offer express delivery for an extra fee, so if you are in a hurry ask them before ordering if they provide this type of service.
In support of Chevy Duty, I have placed many orders with them for several vehicles over the last few years and have nothing but excellent service from them.
HERE IS A FREEBIE - When I placed my first order for over $300 of parts, they were offering a free T-shirt. Every time since then when my order reaches $300 I ask for a T-shirt and they send one. CD can't be all that bad!

Well I don't think my disagreement is unreasonable. I've tried to treat my Stovebolt as a daily driver, so a week delay in getting parts is a week I have to drive something else.

Not the end of the world, since I currently have twice as many licensed and insured vehicles as my household has drivers, but an annoyance just the same.

Looking through the responses I see that many who are satisfied with CD also live in the middle of the country. That probably means things get to you a day or two faster than they do for us on either coast.

If I order one day, paying for fast shipping, and the order is not shipped for more than 24 hours, I get the feeling my hurry isn't important to them.

When I've dialoged with ChevyDuty customer service I've always ended up with the impression that they think I'm the problem, not their service.

They are welcome to feel that way, and I can save us both some stress by only ordering from other venders.

I'll say it again. LMC Truck has consistently fulfilled my expectations, and their customer service has always treated me, the customer, in a way that showed SERVICE was a priority.

Is LMC perfect? I doubt it. But they have alwasy acted as if what mattered to me was important to them. Now maybe you don't care when parts arrive, and ChevyDuty's schedule is fine for you. That's fine, I don't care if you order from them.

They have dissatisfied me ALMOST everytime I've ordered from them. They have dissatisfied me EVERYTIME I've contacted customer service.

They don't value my business so I've chosed to take it elsewhere.

After one of the times I spoke publically about my frustrations with them I was contacted directly by them and offered a credit against my next order. When I decided to take advantage of that credit and place an order, I could not find the credit on my account or any way to take advantage of it.

They are not the only vender, why would I ever choose them when others seem to value my business?

If you like them, fine, I don't care. If my dislike for them is a problem to you, take the same medicinal advice given me above. Personally I prefer a cold beer.

Steve,

I am sorry if I offended you, the Prozac comment wasn't direct at you, just my very poor humor. I feel exactly as you do about customer service, and where a companies priorities lie. The customer should always be right. If he isn't right, he should be made to believe he is right. That is how you "service a customer".

I haven't had a problem with CD, yet! When I do, I will be prepared. I can go elsewhere, or just
realize they are a small company with folks doing the best they can with what knowledge they have.

We all remember the furor a couple of months ago regarding Chevy Duty. A representative from them was a member of this site...he jumped in and said everything was cool, we will take care of you, blah blah. Where is he now? This would be an example of the extent of their customer service.

If I owned a company the catered to old GM trucks my presence on the old GM truck site would be dazzling, to say the least. I would be schmoozing and giving away free stuff till heck wouldn't have it. Do you see Chevy Duty anywhere.

American Classic has made a financial commitment to this site...they do old truck stuff....we do old trucks..Gee, go figure. This isn't an endorsement for American Classic, just an example of how a company would show service to its customers.."customer service"..now I need a beer!


Stuart

Gee, sorry I vented in the first place... I was needing to just spout about it but didn't realize I'd be stirring up a hornets nest!

While I agree with some of the posts and disagree with others, my future ordering habits will be based on my personal experiences.

Thanks for all of your feedback!

Nicely said Joe.

When I order something from a catalog or eBay, I think a reasonable time frame in which to recieve the item is 7 to 10 buisness days.

If the salesman told you your order would be shipped Monday, he obviously was wrong, since we've leared from another post that Chevy Dutys regular shipping day is Tuesday.. maybe the guy meant the first part of the week? Maybe the guy was new.. who knows.

Most packages sent within the continental U.S. via UPS ground arrive within 3 to 5 WEEKDAYS (saturdays and sundays don't count since they don't deliver ground packages those days)

From all the problems i've read about Chevy Duty on this board, you should consider yourself lucky that the part they actually sent you wasn't a fuel pump for a '76 Chrysler Cordoba.. cause when you called to complain that you recieved the wrong part they'd just tell you it was your own darn fault for ordering the wrong thing.

Good help with autoparts stores is hit and miss regardless of where you go, and it gets even further complicated when you're doing the deal long distance.

Hey folks, I really didn't want this thread to go into a negative personal space!

I think we can all agree that some companies do business better then others... some do that consistently...some are spotty. I think we're all resonable enough to recognize that there are times when our number is up and we hit a bad day for whatever reason. How a company then responds to that becomes a matter of record for each of us and will affect our future buying habits.

I will reiterate that when I'm told that an order will (not might) go out on Monday, it's what I expect. Obviously my number was up (again) and I was misinformed. The subsequent customer service was lacking from where I sat (again) and that was the subject of my own vent.

Part of my problem is that I'm a firm proponent of
making a customer happy. Our staff is empowered to fix a problem... refund money, provide a make good, buy them a cup of coffee... whatever. So when you personally, operate with that philosophy, it's difficult when you encounter the obverse. But sadly, it's the reality of today's environment. And that maybe is a discussion better suited for the "Greasy Spoon" forum! : )

AD_pickup....Take what Joe didn't say.

When I placed order they did not tell me some of the parts were backordered. When they did ship backordered items they charged 6 or 7 bucks to ship something that an envelope with $.37 stamp would cover. Since I placed a big order there were numerous backordered items and the handling fees nearly ate my lunch. Then as others have said they always treat me like an idiot when I called.

Jim Carter is my man. He is imperfect but he is a good honest man who cares. When an employee makes a mistake it is on Jim's dime, no questions asked.

hahahahaha. well thanks for making me all paranoid about buying parts from these places.
looks like its shucks or grand auto for my king pin, 6 volt generator, and my schraider valve . they look at ya funny if its older then 1980

Demo,

Don't be paranoid. Just be aware. So far, out of the 4 places I have purchased parts from via the web, I have had no problems.

Filling Station
Jim Carter
American Classic
Chev's of the 40's

I have bought stuff at other places too, I just can't remember which ones. All have been trouble free.