sad day, Kirban lost a customer

[rev. 3:11]

Just got off the phone with Dennis Kirban himself! All I can say is he lost a customer for life.

Ordered from on-line catalog on 8/13/07 & paid for UPS 2nd Day @ $12.90. Got e-mail next dat stating they were doubling the shipping $$, and did I still want order? I said yes, but at THEIR posted price. Went back & forth telling me they had a flaw in thier sytem & would fix (raise S&H $$) said fine, but ship to me at agreed upon $$. Long story short, called & spoke to DK himself today (8/17/07). I thought talking to the guy who has his name on the business would set things right, but...
he told me he not in business to lose money (I told him I wasn't either) I pointed out that it was his advertised price and then he went on to say that he was to busy to worry about it as he was planning his reunion & talking to Molly.

So much for intergrity and customer service.

Told Kirban I would no longer be doing business with him and would let others know and seek out more customer oriented vendors.

There used to be a time when a man would honor his word.

By the way they have not corrected their site even now, it is still listing $12.90.



Below is the record of communication (minus phone call of course)

Dear Mr. Kirban,

I was less than satisfied with your cavalier and insulting attitude toward customer service when I spoke with you on the phone today. I will be encouraging people to do business with other vendors so that you can focus on your reunion and getting Molly to your event. As a customer I should feel that you are here to help me, not give lame excuses to make me feel that you don’t care and have no problem ripping me off. If your business is doing so poorly that you need to deceive customers with false shipping charges, perhaps you should reevaluate your business model. Obviously customer service is not at the top of your list (and I humbly submit that, as a retailer, customer service should be your primary concern). As I mentioned previously I have done business with you in the past but I will no longer. If your treatment of me is any reflection of your business ethic. I can only assume that you have forgotten your customer base is the individual enthusiast. I simply asked that you honor your posted charges; I have not asked for any special treatment that I would not afford anyone else. You have had several days to correct a glaring (and potentially litigious) error and have ignored it.

It is unfortunate that you have chosen the low path, instead of honoring your word.

Please be so kind as to cancel my order. I will not trouble you with my business again and, as I said, I will advise others to do business with more honorable men.

Darrell S. Lewis



Please direct this to Dennis Kirban:

You wrote, "Our standard shipping is 8.00 so we can not 2nd day air a pkg. to
Texas for 12.90." Yes you can and you should because this is YOUR mistake. In fact, you should be thankful that I'm pointing out an error on your website. This error is yet to be corrected, even though your company has been aware of it for several days.

In the interest of good customer relations and the fact that my order has already been delayed (through no fault of mine) I would hope that your company would at least try to honor our agreement. Neither I, nor other customers, should be paying for your company's mistake. As of today (8/15/07) the same rate of shipping and handling charges of $12.90 for UPS 2nd Day Air is still posted. This would indicate a contractually agreed upon price and that is what I expect from your company.

You are vwilling to give up over $50.00 in sales for $9.10 shipping charge that I don't owe. Had my order been processed and shipped in accordance to you posted website, my order would be arriving tomorrow.

I would appreciate it if Mr. Kirban would contact me so we can resolve this matter.

Thank you.

DSL


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Dianna <retail@kirbanperformance.com>
To: Darrell Lewis <dslewis01@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: kirban internet order
Date: Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:06:08 -0400
>Darrell,
>
>Our standard shipping is 8.00 so we can not 2nd day air a pkg. to
>Texas for 12.90. Our web site is not always correct when it comes to
>the special delivery types. We are working on this and hope to
>correct this shortly. That is the reason for the email.
>We are sorry for this inconvenience and please email and let us know
>if you still want the order to ship with the new charges.
>Thank you
>Kirban Performance
>
>Darrell Lewis wrote:
>>I checked the website again today (8/14/07) and you are still
>>charging $12.90 for *UPS 2nd Day Air*, and that is what I agreed to
>>pay. You are now telling me that you are doubling the shipping &
>>handling charges! Please honor the original contract. I have
>>purchased items from Kirban's in the past and have recommended your
>>company to other enthusiasts, I also realize that my order is not a
>>tremendous amount, but I do feel that you should honor the amounts
>>posted on your website. If you are unwilling to sell me the
>>products at the agreed upon price of $51.85 as well as the _still
>>posted_ shipping and handling charges of $12.90 for *UPS 2nd Day
>>Air *for a total of *$64.75*, then cancel my order and I will place
>>this and all future orders with another vendor.
>>
>>
>>
>>Darrell S. Lewis
>>
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> From: /Dianna <retail@kirbanperformance.com>/
>> To: /dslewis01@hotmail.com/
>> Subject: /kirban internet order/
>> Date: /Tue, 14 Aug 2007 10:00:21 -0400/
>> >We received your order however the shipping for 2nd day air
>>is
>> >incorrect.
>> >The correct shipping amount for 2nd day air is 22.00.
>> >Please let me know asap if this is ok to charge your credit
>>card.
>> >The total amount we would be charging you will be $73.85
>> >Your order can not ship until I hear from you.
>> >Thank you for your order.
>> >Kirban Performance

D

 

[TWISTER]

Ive never had a problem with Kirbans service. I have had ordered things and had it get messed up and they would always go and make it right. Wrong part number or something and they would let me keep the part and ship the one I needed with free shipping. Honestly Kirban carries some hard to find parts and vendors are getting few and far between on turbo buicks. Sorry about your disagreement.

 

[Gary Wells]

"Sad day for Kirban's"
IMHO: Rev. 3:1, this was a sadder day for you than it was for Dennis. Dennis did what any knowledgeable and experienced businessman / business would have done under the same and / or similiar circumstances. He notified you in advance that the charges that they showed in their catalogue were incorrect, and he requested you notify them what was best for your interests. I really don't think that you could have asked for anything more.
Consider yourself fortunate that Dennis Kirban has too large of a business concern and is too honorable of a person to hold your hasty and what might turn out to be a poorly made decision against you in the future. Only $ 9 difference and you blew this deal. Ha, Ha, sorry, that's funny. Personally, I would have thanked Kirban's for notifying me prior to shipment, paid the $ 9, and anxiously waited for my part.
FWIW, I have done probably about $2k worth of business with Kirban Performance over the last 2 years and they have always proven to be a top-notch supplier to me of turbo Buick parts.

 

[SGRIM]

I would agree with Wells. As long as he notified you, what else can he do. Sounds like he was honest about it.....

 

[GSX-PKV]

Sorry about your disagreement and I hope you can work it out. I've never had a problem with Kirban, dealing with them for nearly 20 years. I understand you are upset it seems to be an honest mistake. If it was a mistake... mistakes happen. Go on from there. We are very fortunate to have any small business Buick vendors left. Paul

 

[Pronto]

I've had issues with orders and each has been resolved with no problem. Shipping costs are subject to change by the shipping companies too. I don't think a $9 difference in price for 2nd day delivery is cause for you to "never do business" with him again but it's your money and your car.

 

[my85grandnation]

They are good honest people, that is why they contacted you about the increased cost of shipping. I have oredered numerous things from them and some of them came in wrong but with a simple phone call they would send the right item out right away at no extra charge and just let me send the wrong one back when I could. Have you ever tried running a business? With the way you have been beating Kirbans down here I would guess that you never have run a business. It takes a lot of work and sometimes mistakes are made, especially with the amount of volume of customers that Kirbans has. As for the mistake not being fixed on the website, most companies do not control the data and have the means of changing it on their own. Most times they outsource the running and upkeep to someone that manages sites for a living so to get something change it can sometimes take a few days to get ahold of that person to get it done if it is not a change that was planned in advance.

 

[rev. 3:11]

The purpose of my post was to relate a vendor's conduct, and to advise board members of potential problems.

FWIW, I was the one who notified Kirban's (please read the post before jumping to silly conclusions "Wells", et al). Why in the world would I ever consider myself "fortunate" that a retailer would sell me something at a profit? In fact the opposite is the norm; without customers, Kirban's, or anyone else, would not be in business.
But I have no need, nor reason, to defend my actions. In fact there is an adage in the service industry that the customer is always right.
Anyone can do business with any vendor they choose, I choose to do my future dealings with those I consider to have integrity and do not dismiss me out-of-hand and go on the defensive in an insulting manner over the phone when I point out a legitimate error.
my85grandnation: If anyone was being beaten down, I submit it was me...
BTW the bogus shipping price is still posted as of today.

Thank you all for taking time to post your comments!

D:smile:

 

[Project TNX]

What's the part, maybe I need one at a discount too.

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

i have ordered a ton of parts from them as well, and had zero problems whatsoever, though, I always thought it was a genuine rule, that if you screwed up the advertised price, you had to give it to em at that price. It's a rule here in michigan I can tell you that. Though even if it wasn't, and you messed up a price, and got a customer to bite cuz of it, and then you called em back and said "woops, sorry, thats not really the price." I consider that bad sportsmanship in a way. You messed up, and got him to order that part at that price, give it to him. Quit trying to *** someone down 9 bucks or whatever. Gimme a break. You're a big business owner, callin someone up tellin them they messed up and that they have to charge you more? Thats TOTALLY unprofessional. I'd either make the data entry person pay for that mistake, or suck it up myself for not doublechecking my own employees work. Then again, 14 years in the army combat arms makes us VERY accountable for our EVERY action. BAR NONE. People out here aren't soo accountable I see....

 

[Turbo6Smackdown]

Uhhh where'd my edit button go??? At any rate, what I was trying to say was, I don't think the customer should be penalized the difference because the owner f***ed the dog.... That's not fair. YOUR mistake, YOUR loss.

 

[turbo261977]

just my .02

if its listed at that price you should get it at that price no excuses period if mr kirban ordered a shipment of say bulbs at 1.50 with shipping being .20 as stated then they say o no we have to charge 20.00 for shipping he would do the same thing just like any other human on earth if someone sells you something u buy it u get it at that price ps and its still not fixed whats up with that the man himself knows about the problem he must be worried about something else maybe hes made enough money to not worry about this so little 9 dollar problem

 

[Gary Wells]

It did not relate to a product cost and / or charge that Kirban or his staff would be or is directly in charge of, it involved a shipping cost increase brought on by a third party that Kirban has no control over, and kirban also has no control over when it changes and how much advance time there is before the change. Although this may not have been a common practice prior to the '80's or so, it has become common practice since the invent of the internet due to the volume of internet sales, third party shipments, drop shipments & attempts to get the parts and / or orders to the customer timely regardless of shipping and / or transportation method. I personally would never expect a vendor nor a manufacturer to lose money due to shipping costs that they have no control over. Kirban did everything that could be expected of a vendor. There have been instances where some vendors, although not TB.com supporting vendors I am sure have just charged accordingly & shipped without any advance notice to the buyer. Now that's just my $.02 worth.

 

[G McCall]

If Kirban is still advertising a price that is wrong, he should change it immediately. It does not matter what the price is for.

I would also be suprised to find that the shipping jumped from $12.90 to $22.
So was there a typo in the original advertised price ?

He has had more than enough time to make the change.

No winners here.

 

[TurboDave]

If Kirban is still advertising a price that is wrong, he should change it immediately. It does not matter what the price is for.

I would also be suprised to find that the shipping jumped from $12.90 to $22.
So was there a typo in the original advertised price ?

He has had more than enough time to make the change.

No winners here.

It's obviously a typo. I don't know of much of anything that can be shipped second day air for 12.90

 

[Terry_H]

I've only purchased a few things from their site and it's been okay.

Their website seems somewhat primitive and not well run. I was looking at a cam sensor a couple weeks ago that was "on sale for limited time $51.99" in a large banner. However when you checkout the price was $59.99. When I called the next day I was told the sale had ended days earlier.

They evidently don't put much priority on maintaining their site. I would suggest not using it and using the phone instead on anything critical.

 

[scottk]

problems

Why do you people complaine so much?????????the venders have the products we all want!just deal with it!

 

[littlebuick8]

thumb's up to kirban

just bought some stuff from kirban. shipped fast great product's and customer service. cant wait to have a bit more money in my pocket so i can buy more stuff from them. thumb's up kirban thanks for everything. dickie

 

[turbo39151]

Why do you people complaine so much?????????the venders have the products we all want!just deal with it!

WOW I think you've missed the point.

Vendors are in business to supply us with parts we want and need. Without the customer, there is no business. Just because a Vendor has a part we want it doesn't mean that they are entitled to treat us poorly or dismiss our complaints. Reasonable steps should be taken by a vendor to ensure that all customers or potential customers are retained. It costs less to keep a customer than to get a new one...

Just my .02

 

[onefastgn]

WOW I think you've missed the point.

Vendors are in business to supply us with parts we want and need. Without the customer, there is no business. Just because a Vendor has a part we want it doesn't mean that they are entitled to treat us poorly or dismiss our complaints. Reasonable steps should be taken by a vendor to ensure that all customers or potential customers are retained. It costs less to keep a customer than to get a new one...

Just my .02

Very well put! I think that alot of vendor should think twice before loosing a customer. It's the same for us as it is for them, without us they would not have the service. It's that simple. It's to bad some of the vendors have the attitude to tell you to go some where else " BRASS BALL" I think most of you can relate to some of the vendors on here that beat your name into the ground just because you posted that you had a problem with there services. Some people never learn. It's been like this for year and it is only getting worse. There is always someone else that is going to start up and supply the parts that we need. Out with the old and in with the new.