The Economy- or Is It??

H

Hombre0321

Guest
You know guys over the past two months I have had the worst luck in the world trying to hire "Anyone" to do just about "Anything". Or sometimes in just trying to purchase things.

I was building me a combination Man Cave and reloading room. It is an addition to my shop. I got the slab poured and the addtion itself up and in the dry. I contacted 14 different drywall Co's to install the sheetrock tape and bed. I everycase all of those 14 Co's were simply not able to even go to work for 14 weeks or more. The cabinet guy wanted 6 months lead time. This at a time were I see that construction workers unempoyment is 28%.

It's not just that addition but I am finding this in almost every field. trying buying a custom action for one of our rifles. lead times are in months maybe even Years, same with barrels. I needed to order some custom bullets for my 30br. I have called all of the custom makers and have sent e-mails. Over the past month to 6 weeks I have not recieved a single e-mail response. My phone calls also have fallen on deaf ears as none of them has answered the phone a single time.

I needed to purchase a new set of tires for my Dodge Dually. That truck takes six tires and they cost right at $200. a tire. At the same time I was also going to purchase a set for my wifes Chyrsler another $800 or so thats a total of around $2,000 for the two sets of tires, CASH. I went to three local tire shops and in each case the told me they would need to order them(I can understand that) one shop said three weeks, the other said 10 days to 2 weeks. The third wanted them payed in advance before they would even order them. One more phone call and a place about 50 miles away said "I'll have to order them but they will be here in the morning, needless to say they got my business. If one of these shops can get them overnight i believe they all can. So what is up with that? Maybe my cash money just wasn't green enough for them.

This past week I was looking to buy a new truck. Not just any truck but a custom built Ford F-650. I owned one of these a couple of years ago and always regreted selling it, they are a Monster pick-up and are relativly rare and hard to come by, and with very---VERY few customers out there for them. I have been looking for one for about a month. I had a couple of requirements, it had to have the C-7 Catipiller Diesel and a Allison Automatic 6 speed tranny, leather, Bluetooth and navaigation. Tuesday last week I found two of them that fit the bill. One was in Houston 780 miles from me, the other was in Lima, Ohio about 560 miles. There wasn't any difference between the two other than color. The price was within a $1,000 between the two. I decided on the one in Lima, Ohio simply because it was closer.

On this particular truck I found ads from the dealer in Lima on the net going back to March ( as I said there are not too many customers for these trucks) so this company had, had this truck for awhile. i called we struck a deal, I told him I would be driving up there on Friday. I was going to send him $10,000 to hold the truck and seal the deal. Then this guy says " We close at 4:00 so you need to be here early enough to get the paper work done". I understood that but in a tongue in cheek way I commented " Well you would stay late an extra "HOUR" to sell this truck wouldn't you?" His instant remark was a quirt "NOPE". After a further talk I found that he was dead serious he told me he wouldn't stay late 10 min.

Needless to say by late Thursday night i was driving, not to Lima, Ohio but to Houston.

I see on the TV and hear on the radio were so many Companys are having such a hard time getting customers to spend the money. They are laying off, going out of business. So I have to ask Is it the economy? Or maybe is it them?

Roland
 
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i believe the issue with work backlog, is the reluctance to hire, just to layoff...so untill the backlog is great enough...they work with what they have. if he lays off its anadditional cost of unemployment for no work.....so they wait.

good gun stuff is typically long lead in my opinion..bullets, bbls and actions....always a small manufacturer and cant ramp up.......so we wait for the good stuff.
i need bib 187's but the wait is wayyyyyyyyyy longgggggggggggggg.

mike in co
 
as far as the truck goes...well when i sold i waited..but if there is no money in the deal for the salesman....happens in new cars....well...i guess he walks.
if he was one away from a bonus..he'd wait.
you have to remember there are typically four bodies involved in a sale and maybe 2 of the 4 leave on time..hourly.
salseman, manager, finance, clerk....maybe new car prep guy/ a delivery guy.....now we are at 6...
it happens.
mike in co
 
You know guys over the past two months I have had the worst luck in the world trying to hire "Anyone" to do just about "Anything". Or sometimes in just trying to purchase things.

I was building me a combination Man Cave and reloading room. It is an addition to my shop. I got the slab poured and the addtion itself up and in the dry. I contacted 14 different drywall Co's to install the sheetrock tape and bed. I everycase all of those 14 Co's were simply not able to even go to work for 14 weeks or more. The cabinet guy wanted 6 months lead time. This at a time were I see that construction workers unempoyment is 28%.

It's not just that addition but I am finding this in almost every field. trying buying a custom action for one of our rifles. lead times are in months same with barrels. I needed to order some custom bullets for my 30br. I have called all of the custom makers and have sent e-mails. Over the past month to 6 weeks I have not recieved a single e-mail response. My phone calls also have fallen on deaf ears as none of them has answered the phone a single time.

I needed to purchase a new set of tires for my Dodge Dually. That truck takes six tires and they cost right at $200. a tire. At the same time I was also going to purchase a set for my wifes Chyrsler another $800 or so thats a total of around $2,000 for the two sets of tires, CASH. I went to three local tire shops and in each case the told me they would need to order them(I can understand that) one shop said three weeks, the other said 10 days to 2 weeks. The third wanted them payed in advance before they would even order them. One more phone call and a place about 50 miles away said "I'll have to order them but they will be here in the morning, needless to say they got my business. If one of these shops can get them overnight i believe they all can. So what is up with that? Maybe my cash money just wasn't green enough for them.

This past week I was looking to buy a new truck. Not just any truck but a custom built Ford F-650. I owned one of these a couple of years ago and always regreted selling it, they are a Monster pick-up and are relativly rare and hard to come by, and with very---VERY few customers out there for them. I have been looking for one for about a month. I had a couple of requirements, it had to have the C-7 Catipiller Diesel and a Allison Automatic 6 speed tranny, leather, Bluetooth and navaigation. Tuesday last week I found two of them that fit the bill. One was in Houston 780 miles from me, the other was in Lima, Ohio about 560 miles. There wasn't any difference between the two other than color. The price was within a $1,000 between the two. I decided on the one in Lima, Ohio simply because it was closer.

On this particular truck I found ads from the dealer in Lima on the net going back to March ( as I said there are not too many customers for these trucks) so this company had, had this truck for awhile. i called we struck a deal, I told him I would be driving up there on Friday. I was going to send him $10,000 to hold the truck and seal the deal. Then this guy says " We close at 4:00 so you need to be here early enough to get the paper work done". I understood that but in a tongue in cheek way I commented " Well you would stay late an extra "HOUR" to sell this truck wouldn't you?" His instant remark was a quirt "NOPE". After a further talk I found that he was dead serious he told me he wouldn't stay late 10 min.

Needless to say by late Thursday night i was driving, not to Lima, Ohio but to Houston.

I see on the TV and hear on the radio were so many Companys are having such a hard time getting customers to spend the money. They are laying off, going out of business. So I have to ask Is it the economy? Or maybe is it them?

Roland

It is "them" in many situations. There are more people now than ever that are arrogantly "not interested". "customer service" has become "our way or the highway". I am a Manufacturers Rep. My business lives or dies on customer service. I am gaining ground every day because most of my competitors are not willing to service the accounts they have or could have. Just get off your butt and do a bit of true service and the public will flock to you. It is not bending the rules, it is doing the right thing
 
Mike, I believe your remarks may in fact reflect the way a lot of people see things. Until we Americans restore the work ethic that made this Country strong things will stay the way they are. And that lack of a work ethic sucks!! As long as someone is willing to make excuses for this way of "NOT" doing business things will stay the same.

As to the truck deal, there was "NO" finance guy, there was "NO" delivery guy I was driving over a thousand miles round trip so I guess I was the delivery guy and I was willing, as I was dealing with the owner of this Company there was "NO manager, "NO" salesman, and certainly "NO" clerk. Only me - the guy with the money and the owner. In my mind there are no excuses for doing business this way.

As to the bullet companys, I don't care how busy they are, how much of a back-log they have. To not even respond to a potential customer, tells me all I need to know about them and that is I have no use for them or there product. If there back-log had them doing all they could to fill those orders I would have gladly gotton on that list and waited, they however "Choose" not to even give me that chance.

David, I see what you are saying. No service has become a way of life. Show me any Company willing to go out and pursue business, offer service and I see those Companys thriving.

Roland
 
Mike, I believe your remarks may in fact reflect the way a lot of people see things. Until we Americans restore the work ethic that made this Country strong things will stay the way they are. And that lack of a work ethic sucks!! As long as someone is willing to make excuses for this way of "NOT" doing business things will stay the same.

As to the truck deal, there was "NO" finance guy, there was "NO" delivery guy I was driving over a thousand miles round trip so I guess I was the delivery guy and I was willing, as I was dealing with the owner of this Company there was "NO manager, "NO" salesman, and certainly "NO" clerk. Only me - the guy with the money and the owner. In my mind there are no excuses for doing business this way.

As to the bullet companys, I don't care how busy they are, how much of a back-log they have. To not even respond to a potential customer, tells me all I need to know about them and that is I have no use for them or there product. If there back-log had them doing all they could to fill those orders I would have gladly gotton on that list and waited, they however "Choose" not to even give me that chance.

David, I see what you are saying. No service has become a way of life. Show me any Company willing to go out and pursue business, offer service and I see those Companys thriving.

Roland

Roland. The companies around MI. Have mostly laid off the lazy people. Except for union shops. There used to be 5 maintenance guys per shift. There are now 2.
Even office people, lawyers, etc. Companies are trying to make it. With less people. It's the way business gets.
A stop and start economy.
Ever work fast food. Every body wants to eat at the same time. And it's always busy lunch, dinner, etc.
Bullet makers. There is a shortage of good jackets.
Oh, yea. It's also summer in the lower 48. And most bullet makers also shoot. They prolly only work 4 days a week. Which is better than your congressman. He only works 3 days a week. When he is not on vacation.
 
"I needed to order some custom bullets for my 30br"


May have no lead time with Mr. Turner... Personal message sent Roland.

cale
 
the delivery guy is the one that make the truck ready for delivery to the custome at the front door.....the cars do not come in ready for retail delivery.
there is a small stack of paperwork even with a cash deal. were you brining in CASH, A CERIFIED CHECK or ?? someone does the title work..that is a clerk.
so you took two out of the equation...but not all.
and the bottom line..he was the owner and chose not to bend to make the sale....my gues is he knows if you buy the other one, he is in the controlling seat for the next sale.....he will not have to deal as much..as in actually make some money on the deal.

as for work ethic, people who dont run companies do not understand the costs involved.
if he brings on 4 guys for 4 months to reduce the backlog, those 4 get laid off when the backlog goes away...and he is saddled with the cost of unemployment. there is actually some good business decisions being made. you may not like them, but you aint paying the bill.
mike in co
 
dude, this is really p!$$!ng me off.....(I Th!Nk that's PC for The CuRRent Crop of SUPerModerATors) AGAIN I find me'self having to support that meanie Mike for saying what needs to be said.

bravo

al
 
If you have trouble with tires, order them from http://www.tirerack.com/ , have them delivered to the nearest listed installer. I always give my local shop first chance, but I usually end up ordering from the tire rack and having them installed at that same shop.
 
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