Firm Feel feedback

[LSM360]

I want to warn everyone regarding Firmfeel Customer Service. I delayed this email for a long time in hopes I was going to get a response from Matt of FF. He was nice enough to respond to my first email in which I was asking questions VERY nicely and politely regarding the new t bars I purchased (I have the email chain for evidence). He responded promptly and politely asking me to call him and provided the number. I called and got voice mail so I left a clear message with my name, phone number and short ref. After a week I called and left another VM. So over two months after the first email and no return call/email, I decided to try another email. Again, I politely asked for a call back as I needed "advice" regarding my issues with the super expensive new t bars I bought. There was a little frustration in my last email regarding no response to anything after months but still polite! Again, I have a chain of emails as evidence. It would take a whole lot to get me to become an azzhole customer, and especially with a company I use to be so grateful for and made that very clear in my first email.

Finally Matt responds today and is a smart azz and claims to not had any emails with my phone number. Not true, AND i left my name and number on both voice mails. And if those two things weren't enough, I've been a customer for decades yet he says he doesn't have my number. He referred to the 63 year old ASE cert mechanic with 40 years experience as my "sleuth mechanic" and had all kinds of excuses and a very chitty response to someone who has been patiently waiting for many months.

MY take? They MIGHT still have good products, I'm not sure, but customer service is chitty now. If that's the case with customer service, will this transfer into manufacturing? I don't know but they lost a super good customer (I've bought virtually everything they sell for front ends on multiple cars and would've continued). If a customer service rep can't get along with me, they have problems. I'd tell you my faults, but being a Karen isn't one of them.

Larry

 

[XfbodyX]

Wow, Larry your a straight shooter in more ways then some here could imagine and I know you have great temperament so FF clearly has rubbed you the wrong way. Since I recently had some interaction with FF and Matt with some good and bad in the mix I thought id reply and some of my experience might be relatable and insightful. First I am not writing this to in any way defend FF as in many ways there customer service side has always been a bit wonky and hit and miss. And I do not know your situation.

So I will start here. In an odd way I ended up with two sets of there big bars. Was able to sell the set I did not use to a good guy who actually put them in. So I needed sway bars and had all the good quality (mostly FF) install hardware from here and there, most from guys here (thanks) and just needed bars and since FF only offered kits I ordered the big addco bars via jegs with a ship date a month out. That month came and went. Jegs offered no info so I called addco direct and it seems like FF they are down to just a few workers. I was promised id have my bars in the next run the next week and it never happened. 1,2,3 more weeks go by and I called every Friday to another reason why I could not get my bars made. So I said F it and canceled through jegs.

I tried to call FF a couple times and could never get a person to answer then I did. So I pleaded my case and explained my experience with addco and asked if they would consider bars with no kit and no powder coat. I know I was asking a lot but I was told YES. Was told 2-3 weeks so knowing they run behind I called on the 30th day and no bar for me.

Its my understanding its just Matt and one worker currently. I was not happy and the worker knew it and he was going to put Matt on the phone but told me to be nice. So in my already angry mind in thinking this dude just told me to be nice because im calling about my unfulfilled order and my mother might of got away with the be nice part but a stranger...naa. So Matt explained the situation which did make sense. So I asked him just to give me a firm time frame, if its a month good. If its two months good just pick a time frame and keep it. He told me 30 days and my junk was made when I called in 30 days.

I received my junk and even being raw non powder coated the workmanship looked great and my test fit was dead on. The shipping seemed a bit excessive but I thought oh well I got my stuff and whats done is done. And the price was actually competitive with what Addco did not make.

Now it gets interesting. About a month later the phone rings and its FF/Matt. It was the first time in a month he said he had the time to go over some of the office side of things and he noticed the excessive shipping I paid and gave me a $50 credit for the future which I thought was nice.

Larry I cant recall word for word the convo but my take away is they are busy, workers are thin. Matt is wearing many many hats it seems and I can almost understand the messages and email part. With just two guys there it seemed to me the right hand and left hand were not in the same room at times. And I do know he is also involved in the care of his aging and frail father the FF founder Dick. (I hope I got that accurate.)

Matt does read these internet comments when he can as we discussed some and I feel I got some good insight on poly vs rubber and what to use where as well as some other things suspension related.

I do not agree from my perspective that quality is an issue in the equation but that is just my opinion. I thought many places powder coated things to hide some sins of production but especially this rear bar looks like a work of art with every bend and corner so nicely done and everything symmetrical and that is raw, just fogged black like I asked for.

So again, no excuses for FF/Matt just my recent experience.

Honestly I have made it a point to avoid FF as much as possible over the years because of people having issues with the front side of things. However I would again call Matt if I needed something and I do need one thing but the wallet says no right now. All he would have to do is give me a time frame and keep it if its 30, 60 or 90 days or? just stick to the date. I feel the quality is there and then some.

So I hope you and Matt can sort your issues out or not. I hope Matt/FF can get better on the customer side but ya gotta love America where good workers are hard to find and look at the location of FF....Probably would kill the bottom line to pay someone $18-20 an hour to answer a phone and they still have to go ask someone who knew the answer.

Larry, is it an issue that could maybe be addressed here by some of us who have done the work and rebuilt front ends or is it more of a part defect?

Anyways, good luck. That is all from this pie hole.

Since many might read this do not forget about NOS parts that Martin (Arizona Parts) has. Soon my nos parts hero of over 25 years will be gone into the land of retirement and we will have one less guy with first hand knowledge that AI or any youthful second hand scholar will ever match. So check him out or not. But look at his prices and then look at ebay, when he sells out there will be no good NOS deals left.