Firm Feel feedback

LSM360

LSM360

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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
 
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?
 
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My GUESS is that it's probably not a quality control issue. I just wanted to speak to someone. For all I know they had a bad run of bars or something like that. It can happen. TTI makes great products but they had a bad run of ceramic coating on headers and admitted it happened and offered solution. I'd still buy their products because they are superior. I have to look into it more with mechanic, but we have done that already. My post was NOT a knee jerk reaction. It was because of months and months of being ignored when all I was asking for from FF was some guidance, info, insight, whatever. I NEVER asked them for refund, partial refund, return of bars, not even close. Not what I was looking for. But after waiting patiently for months and then getting a snarky response and excuses of "I don't have your number" and things like that I had enough. Multiple emails and phone calls with my number. Just a little communication would've been completely satisfactory. I understand it's difficult running all the complexities of a business and had no issues waiting a couple weeks for a call.

I'll just move on and hope nobody else experiences this. I would say people should still give FF products a try. The old "don't cut your nose to spite your face" lol. I don't have time to dedicate to any back and forth with FF and drama.

Thanks.
 
XfbodyX said:
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?
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I will keep you posted. I think we'll (my mechanic and/or myself) will eventually get it figured out. It isn't the Artemis II schematic LOL. But I just wanted a little quick help from FF on phone or email. You know, customer service :)

Dick use to be great about this. I wish he was still there.
 
That sucks.
I've been hearing some issues with other similar sized companies. Same thing, someone not looking for a refund but guidance with either obvious manufacturing defect for something they spent some serious money on or being told a delivery date that comes and goes and comes and goes or the part doesn't match their application and they're being ignored. They aren't one off incidents even with firm feel.
People like to say you should help support these local companies and buy American/Canadian/Whatever made but when you do that and don't get the support back it's easy to see how they get frustrated and move on.
 
I've read similar reports about Firm Feel's poor customer service over the past few months. Never used them personally but it seems like things are going to hell in a handbasket over there.
 
I can't say what went wrong with the powder coat, I just know it wasn't anything I did. They haven't even had water on them let alone anything caustic. But Matt wrote that I must've spilled a chemical on them. I'm not an idiot and had anything gotten on them, such as brake fluid or whatever, I certainly would've cleaned it off immediately, but that's a moot point because nothing got on them. Again, if he had just communicated with me. He's the one that replied to my first email that I should call him and gave a number. I guess waiting months and months wasn't long enough.
 
Unocal76 said:
I've read similar reports about Firm Feel's poor customer service over the past few months. Never used them personally but it seems like things are going to hell in a handbasket over there.
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I completely understand trying to wear many hats running a small business isn't easy! That's why I waited and waited and called and emailed again much later. It's just that email he sent when he finally responds that was filled with excuses and blame rubbed me wrong. I wanted NOTHING except some advice, insight, whatever he could offer.
 
Larry, is your issue similar/same to what I had ran into with mine? => NEW Torsion Bar Install

Beyond that, I will say this: I was disappointed with what seemed like a "well, that ball is in your court now" approach/attitude that FF took with my inquiry re: those problems that I ran into.

After all, that's not just a 'chump change' purchase and clearly their finish/whatever wasn't right and yet they lacked even the willingness to pick up the shipping costs to get the bar back in-house to review, check, etc....heck, for those of us who have done any work in a manufacturing domain this screams QUALITY CONTROL issue!!! (and if I am that shop I BADLY want to know what went wrong so that I can correct and prevent any re-occurrence of said problem(s)).

FF lacked in that respect...which honestly made me pull back from some of the additional purchases I was considering.
 
Wow Dariusz I forgot about this thread! Too much in my head. I had professional ASE mechanic of over 40 years install mine. He is by far the best mechanic I've ever known. Meticulous. While he did b*tch a little bit about the install lol, he got it done and I didn't get into specifics about where the biggest problem was. I very seldom drive my Diplomat. I picked it up after install and drove straight home (it was late). I thought I heard a noise but the drive is less than two miles and I figured next time I drive it I'll see and get back to my mechanic if necessary. Before I could take it for lengthy drive, my mechanic of over 30 years decided to retire. I was so bummed but understand. He had been talking about it for a couple years. As I drove it more, there's a clunk or shifting heard whenever the front end dips, as in braking weight shift or backing out of my driveway going over gutter dip. I was getting references on a new mechanic when I decided to change the oil (it had been less than 500 miles but over a year) and that's when I saw the severe peeling of the powder coat. The car had never been wet or subjected to any chemicals whatsoever! Not even antifreeze or engine oil, let alone a caustic chemical. So when I got no responses for months and months, and then I got blamed for the peeling powder coat by "spilling a chemical" on them because "that doesn't just happen to powder coat" and being told nobody else had complaints, I was not happy.

I will find another mechanic to use since my favorite retired. He is 63.

I just wanted some feedback or advice. I was not going to ask to return them! I would have to pay for an uninstall, ship them and have the car down for long time! How do I get it home if I removed them to send back?

Bottom line, I don't know what's causing the noise and I'm wire brushing bars and will paint them myself. Pic of bars shortly after install.

Thanks all!

Larry

T bars.jpeg
 
Here are my bars at install. Btw, I forgot to mention that I do see a gap in the poly bushings I bought from Firm Feel also. I don't think that's what I'm hearing but I'm not sure. I'm going to get some closeups of that asap.

IMG_1001.jpeg
 
See my TTI Headers in the pic? They admitted to a bad batch of ceramic coating and told them to send them back for a free re-do but that would've been more hassle and cost than it was worth to me. Shame, because they foot so well!
 
There's just been too many problems with the FF bars. I think if they had said "hey we have these bars, they won't be perfect, some fine tuning required" then people would complain a lot less.

The quality just seems all over the place for a production run.
 
That powder coating issue definitely looks like a quality control problem - I've had FF bars for years without any peeling like that.
 
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