Calder Guthrie Custom Raptor Embroidery DEAD ?

But communication is always the best way to keep people in the loop....doing nothing brings on the deserved criticism of poor customer service regardless of product.....blaming suppliers for a lack of communication to buyers makes absolutely no sense.

Happened to me as well last year....1 month turn around time after sending in my leather console...and no communication. Then my completed lid was sent back without the console hinge so I could reattach it.

Great finished product but a goat rope to deal with overall.

ctozzi said:

Raptor Custom Embroidery

A year ago I sent Calder Guthrie from the above website my console to cover and it turned out great, recently I sent him my console again since the leather console cover had gotten really loose and dirty. He said no problem ship it to me, which I did. We had fast email exchanges and said I'll have it back to you in 3 days....and that was great a month ago. Now I have send numerous emails and get ZERO answers back. His phone # says voicemail not setup. I'm pretty pissed off about this not only because it's been so long, but now I have no center console to wrest my arm on. If anyone knows Calder can you please tell him to ship my console back ASAP, at this point I don't even care if it's covered any longer.
Chris Tozzi

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Man I feel your pain, I have reached out to him on the other FRF thread that spoke of how they too had not got products (that did not contain leather), I have sent message thru his website, I have sent private messages on FRF, and sent messages thru his vendor thread here on FRF. I, apparently like many others, have NEVER got a response. I don't know why folks are so sympathetic to this poor business practice.

Calder is a younger dude working his way through college. His products are top notch. I agree that his communication skills need a little improvement, but as was mentioned earlier, his business grew out of a need for his products. I'm sure through all of this that he is learning that communicating with his customers is almost as important as the quality of the products he makes.

I think we should all give him a break and another chance to make things right by the customers still waiting for their products.

Calder, dude, use this as a learning experience and make sure to improve your communication with your customers. Long nights and long days are part of running your own company but if you get the loyal customer base built, it will be worth it.

Hey 2014 Ruby Red, I see your point and trying to do just that. Let me explain. I went on his Vendor thread and gave him an idea for us 2014 guys, help him make money and get us a build plate. He has been on this site since I did it, you would think I would get some kind of response, yea or nay or whatever. Nope, nothing. So I was just stating my opinion.
For all you 2014 folks my idea is, since Ford appears to be blowing us off on build numbers, and we want one of his build plates. They look good and will personalize your truck. Have Calder design a build plate with all the colors and options, except where it currently says Build and has numbers change that. Make it say on that line maybe Built on or Bought on. When we order it we can supply the date. I was just trying to see if he has interest or look elsewhere. I would like to deal with someone on FRF, I like it here. Maybe now you understand my frustration.

adeerchaser said:

Hey 2014 Ruby Red, I see your point and trying to do just that. Let me explain. I went on his Vendor thread and gave him an idea for us 2014 guys, help him make money and get us a build plate. He has been on this site since I did it, you would think I would get some kind of response, yea or nay or whatever. Nope, nothing. So I was just stating my opinion.
For all you 2014 folks my idea is, since Ford appears to be blowing us off on build numbers, and we want one of his build plates. They look good and will personalize your truck. Have Calder design a build plate with all the colors and options, except where it currently says Build and has numbers change that. Make it say on that line maybe Built on or Bought on. When we order it we can supply the date. I was just trying to see if he has interest or look elsewhere. I would like to deal with someone on FRF, I like it here. Maybe now you understand my frustration.

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Absolutely get it. I gave him an idea about an exchange program with his demo console lid. Get a faster turn around and set himself apart from the rest. My cover came out great and after reading the 'other' thread, I thought maybe things were getting better. I think they will eventually, but I totally understand everyone's frustrations regarding communication. My only point was that maybe our investment of suggestions and gentle prodding, that it will help someone down the road. Who knows for sure. I hope it does.....

adeerchaser said:

Hey 2014 Ruby Red, I see your point and trying to do just that. Let me explain. I went on his Vendor thread and gave him an idea for us 2014 guys, help him make money and get us a build plate. He has been on this site since I did it, you would think I would get some kind of response, yea or nay or whatever. Nope, nothing. So I was just stating my opinion.
For all you 2014 folks my idea is, since Ford appears to be blowing us off on build numbers, and we want one of his build plates. They look good and will personalize your truck. Have Calder design a build plate with all the colors and options, except where it currently says Build and has numbers change that. Make it say on that line maybe Built on or Bought on. When we order it we can supply the date. I was just trying to see if he has interest or look elsewhere. I would like to deal with someone on FRF, I like it here. Maybe now you understand my frustration.

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I see your point. Just food for thought there are probably a handful of emails I miss each week in my own business. Thankfully, I have employees and systems in place that nothing important goes missed. One kid, going to college, doing this on the side is going to miss things. Sometimes multiple emails, phone calls, text messages, bat signals or any other form of communication are in order. I hope he is reading this and is working on ways to communicate better.


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bstoner59 said:

I knew he was having issues because of the other post where people were bashing him. I think people need to understand that sometimes the Raptor vendors popped up out of a necessity being as there was no other companies in the Raptor niche. Sometimes they have other jobs or school or are single handily running the procurement, shipping, fabrication, order taking, order placing, bank deposits, taxes, shipping, etc, etc, etc. Cut these people some slack.


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Truth!
But folks expect amazon type of turnaround.

Yukon Joe
Delta Lead
www.runraptorrun.com

@Raptor Embroidery

Try a few of these tips
1. Dedicate an hour a day to communication. Hit the computer lab at school between classes.

2. Don't over promise and under deliver. You want just the opposite. A customer would rather you say the cover will ship out in 5 days than "it will go out tomorrow" and then it doesn't. If it goes out in less than the 5 days as communicated, they will be much happier. Of you promised "tomorrow"and it takes 5 days the customer will be less happy.

3. Get a second source for your supplies.

4. Negotiate net 60 minimum terms. This will help with your cash flow.

5. If something goes south on someone's order, let them know as soon as you can. And tell them how it will affect the delivery of the product they ordered.

6. There are a ton of different personalities and experiences on this forum. A huge number of them are very helpful and a fair amount of them own their own business. Feel free to ask questions if you need help.

I know you are probably learning all this, but sometimes it helps to see it on paper. Or in this case on the screen. Lol...

Best of luck buddy.




Yukon Joe
Delta Lead
www.runraptorrun.com

This is definitely a learning curve for this young man. Its a tough cruel world in the real world and it does take some hard lessons to learn how to put things together. I was one of the first few orders he turned around. But of course then he was dealing with but a few FRF members. My turn around was top notch and so was the product.

That being said this is where life gives you lemons and just keep dropping them on the floor. Success can be a fickle mistress just when you need it the most it bites you in the ass.

When a young boy asked his father " what should I be when I grow up daddy".. "Honest" replied his father..

Don't spend time telling people what they want to hear, your not running for office. Tell them what they need to know to make their plans go smoothly....

Just an update, still haven't received this back yet


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