gnirtsnod
05-13-2014, 09:32 PM
Barring any problems found while unpacking the shipping crate, my chrome plating saga will be coming to an end on Thursday, 101 days after Chrome Pros Plating received my parts. The 4 1/2 week projected turnaround time turned into nearly 15 weeks and I hope it was worth it as I try to get my roadster back together for a week long trip on beginning the 24th.
Something has gone terribly wrong with this plating company compared to my first experience 7 years ago. Here's what I discovered based on my recent experience:
Managing expectations does not come into play. Anything I learned about the order during the 14+ weeks I found out by calling them, not the other way around;
The people in charge did not know what was going on in their process. I would call and be told that my parts must be in shipping (at seven weeks). I was told on two different occasions that parts had to be re-chromed (an excuse to buy them more time);
There is no sense of customer service. They implied that I should be glad I wasn't charged more because they had so much trouble plating my parts. When I asked for some consideration on the shipping costs when it was apparent they were not going to meet the promise of having the parts to me today, they refused;
Management members are idiots. No, no, I'm not being unfair because of my experience. They recently told me that I shouldn't expect too much because they only pay some of their team members $10/hr...and that they were afraid that they had lost my parts or maybe that a part or two were dissolved in their process;
They don't mind lying. I was told that my parts were being shipped last Friday. When I called Monday because I had not received a tracking number, they called back to tell me the tracking number and to verify that the shipment was no longer in their building. I checked the FedEx website and learned that the request for pickup was received 12 minutes prior (2:24 p.m.) and was picked up at 5 p.m.;
They are not willing to accept responsibility. According to them, the CanAm castings are inferior causing plating issues (no blame on the $10/hr technicians).
There, I've said it. I don't really feel better because of the disappointment in what I felt was a class operation. I'm communicating this on the forum to make riders aware of what to consider when planning a plating project. Don't rely on your past experience. Check out the forums, HD & Spyderlovers for feedback, and the Better Business bureau for complaints.
Something has gone terribly wrong with this plating company compared to my first experience 7 years ago. Here's what I discovered based on my recent experience:
Managing expectations does not come into play. Anything I learned about the order during the 14+ weeks I found out by calling them, not the other way around;
The people in charge did not know what was going on in their process. I would call and be told that my parts must be in shipping (at seven weeks). I was told on two different occasions that parts had to be re-chromed (an excuse to buy them more time);
There is no sense of customer service. They implied that I should be glad I wasn't charged more because they had so much trouble plating my parts. When I asked for some consideration on the shipping costs when it was apparent they were not going to meet the promise of having the parts to me today, they refused;
Management members are idiots. No, no, I'm not being unfair because of my experience. They recently told me that I shouldn't expect too much because they only pay some of their team members $10/hr...and that they were afraid that they had lost my parts or maybe that a part or two were dissolved in their process;
They don't mind lying. I was told that my parts were being shipped last Friday. When I called Monday because I had not received a tracking number, they called back to tell me the tracking number and to verify that the shipment was no longer in their building. I checked the FedEx website and learned that the request for pickup was received 12 minutes prior (2:24 p.m.) and was picked up at 5 p.m.;
They are not willing to accept responsibility. According to them, the CanAm castings are inferior causing plating issues (no blame on the $10/hr technicians).
There, I've said it. I don't really feel better because of the disappointment in what I felt was a class operation. I'm communicating this on the forum to make riders aware of what to consider when planning a plating project. Don't rely on your past experience. Check out the forums, HD & Spyderlovers for feedback, and the Better Business bureau for complaints.