| greazzer |
10-18-2020 02:06 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark123
(Post 4102804)
I just have to chime in on this one.
Fed Ex, USPS, And UPS don't deliver for free. Free delivery means the cost is somehow built into the cost of the product.
Kent isn't just a shipping warehouse. He creates videos [free and paid for], kits with instructions, and even tools to help us non-professionals take care of our cars. This is the service he provides. Something no one else offers. He has chosen this niche and I think does it pretty well.
There can't be that large of a market in owners of 30 to 40 year old Mercedes wanting to do their own repairs. He deserves a fair margin. We would all be worse off without him.
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No one can dispute what you say, and I agree with it. A lot of quality time is invested in his videos, website, and all the products he markets and sells. Having marketed, R&D, and created a few products for sale myself, I can say it is a tough process and it takes time and dedication and no one can dispute Kent is dedicated.
Customer service is tough and very frustrating. You can have 99 or 199 happy customers a year who praise your work and give compliments. It just takes one turd in the crowd who is looking for something for free and figures if he whines enough, then a refund will be issued and that year is about ruined. It's a hobby and venturing into the commercial marketplace is very risky and it really doesn't "pay". It's done because of the hobby. Making it a full-time business or something which pays the bills is something I couldn't imagine trying. 2021 may be my last year doing injectors. Been at it over 10 years now. Maybe time for someone new to step up to the plate.
The issue is creating business relationships with the few suppliers of genuine German parts and ensuring there's a monopoly. That is precisely the game which Kent played with Monarks. It squeezed Sean Watts out of the game selling nozzles. Sean moved on and good for him. I tried to buy nozzles in bulk and communicated directly with Monark. It was pretty clear the business relationship between Kent and Monark at the time.
I did try to have my own nozzles made but forget about finding a US Firm to make them. There's zero interest. China and India are too unreliable. Both countries have the same exact equipment which Germany had back in the day. The issue is labor. And -- it does matter if you offer higher pricing for a nozzle with a manufacturer to get better labor. There's zero way to ensure the worker is paid more and the Chinese market is driven by pricing and not so much quality. If I can buy a nozzle for .51 or .52 cents a pop and it supposedely comes with a 12 or 24 month "warranty", you can assume how long I would be in business selling this junk.
If a person creates a business environment where only one person can play, then do not expect a few folks to not remain silent. And it was accurate for me to say that I received a lot of Kent's prior rebuilt injector customers. The work was not so hot. Admittedly, that was years ago and Kent no longer sells rebuilt injectors. However, sending folks a gumball and a 2 x 2 piece of sandpiper is a joke. If you want to be treated like a hobbyist, then behave like a hobbyist. If you want to be treated like a big business, then act like a big business. You cannot have it both ways.
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