MORE PELICAN PARTS FEEDBACK HERE PLEASE!!!

Hello there everyone. We here at Pelican Parts have been listening to your concerns. The last feedback session that we had on this site revealed some insight to us that we were not aware of. The two biggest complaints about Pelican were our catalog, and pricing. While we will be slowly adjusting our pricing policies in the near future, the main concentration of our efforts over the next few months or so will be our catalog. I have spent a lot of time working on one section of our catalog, and I would like to offer it up to the community here for review. Let me know what you think.

Basically, we have expanded our parts offerings to include just about everything you could possibly want for your car. If it's in my competitor's catalog, I want it in mine. If it's on the car, I want it in mine. Our proprietary software now gives us the ability to supply an infinite amount of parts in 'near-realtime.' (some things will always have to be shipped in from Germany).

Check it out, and let me know what you think. Again, this is just the beginning:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/911M/por_911M_brakes_main.htm

Thanks again for your support!

-Wayne

Wayne,
excellent.....always love to see pix when avail. I usually ask for Darren when I need something and he is (as well as others)always very helpful.
thanks
steve

Well Wayne, since the last feedback thread you posted, I have devoted all my parts business to you guys. Just wanted to say thanks. I have been very pleased with the service and feedback I have gotten in working with Darren and Thomas. Both have been very helpful and excellent at following up with my orders and questions. Glad to see your expanding catalog! You are in a good position as a Porsche exclusive (yeah BMW too) parts supplier as things are changing with some of your competitors. I'd had a hard time with Perf. Products in the recent past as they have spread their market across several makes and funnelled it into one customer service/order department who know nothing about the products they sell. No matter how big you get, you have to retain a tech-knowledgable staff. This makes all the difference in the world. Keep up the good work.

Nick.

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Nick Shumaker
1982 911SC Coupe
nickshu@yahoo.com
PCA -- Rocky Mtn. Region

Wayne,
It looks and reads really well, look forward to other sections getting the same treatment

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John Forcier
69 911T

Sounds like you are on the right track...but just to reiterate...

the catalog...sometimes it is really hard to find the parts I need...

I am doing the Heat Exchanger upgrade...and the gaskets were confusing...
there is no listing for the regualr hex nuts
finding the right blower hose was impossible
Nickshu (one of the members) was really helpful about a o-ring replacement in the oil cooler but I cannot find it on your catalog...


you should really try to have all parts...nuts washer and bolts included...and try to link it with diagrams...ohhh that would be cool, if you had the factory diagrams...and each part was a link to the catalog...I don't know how fessible that is...but at least have diagrams or photos of the parts...

Darren was very helpful in fuguring out which parts I would need...

Price-wise I complain, but I think you guys are pretty good, and are getting closer...

But I would love if you were truly my one stop Porsche shop...down to the nuts, washers, bolts and o-rings...

Wayne,

I was happy to try Pelican out again after the discussion we had on the board and via email. This time I needed front and rear torsion bars and came to check your site out. Easy to find and navigate, good server speed, but the prices were still way out of whack. Fortunately I called in and a price match of your competitors was approved; you got my business. Great service and correct fulfillment on the torsion bars and other stuff I ordered. Thanks a lot- you'll have my business in the future.

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Dave
1972 911T (E motor) RSR replica project
http://members.nbci.com/dtwinters/garage/

Wayne--if I might make a minor suggestion. The sample you provided is cluttered with too much AROUND the actual parts listings and pictures. You might want to reduce the size of the top and bottom sections and provide more space for actual listings and photos.
Once the customer has come to your catalog site to search for parts, there is no longer a need for the large PELICAN ON-LINE PARTS
CATALOG banner. Also, the lower REVIEW section could be made a lot smaller allowing for more parts info and photos. For me, the ideal catalog page shows the parts in exploded views of the assembly. That also usually triggers additional parts ordered because the display serves as a reminder. Thanks for the continuing fine service.

George 86 911T

Wayne,

honestly, i think you guys are awesome! i recommend you to all the 911 owners i run into but let me tell you a few departments where things are a bit "slim". i'll use myself as an example.

right now, i am doing some trim work on my 944. i need the rear carpet that goes in the floor of the back seat area. i searched pelican parts and...

nope, not available from Pelican. unfortunately this means i'll have to get it from someone else. i will bring up Automotion and Tweeks because they DO carry carpet kits for the 924/944. multiply my situation times hundreds, or thousands of owners with 10-25 year old 924/944s and you will see what i mean.

another item:

i went to look up the Sheet Metal, Stiffening Kits... for the 924/944... and...

nothing. just chassis parts. i know there are others that offer these items, so... there's another lost sale.

i won't go on forever, and to summarize what i mean let me put it this way:

consider that in the 1980s, the MAJORITY of Porsches sold were 924/944s. a lot of these cars are still around, and they are needing parts just like the 911s do (though not as often ). the 924 owners know they already have a bulletproof engine and a good handler; all we want is more horsepower. the 944 guys know they have good horsepower, all we want is more horsepower, and something to give us even better handling.

the bottom line is that if we can't get the "tweaks" for our cars from Pelican, then we unfortunately have to go somewhere else to get them. some examples:

carpets, racing and performance parts, other brands of mufflers, big bore throttle bodies, header pipes, high flow catalysts, etc.

i know that at the bottom it says "This catalog contains only about 25% of the
944/924S/968 parts that we currently stock." but there are times that SEEING something in the catalog, verifying it fits your car, and seeing the price next to it is what really makes the sale. we don't want to tie up your phones asking for parts you may not have, knowing that there are other cutomers waiting to order parts that they have all the part numbers and info for.

just some info for you.

oh, and don't worry about not carrying parts for the older 924s... they never break anyways . honestly, i haven't had to order a part (other than spark plugs) in 10 months. i drive it the hardest of all the cars i've ever owned and it never breaks. that thing is a TANK!

thanks! just giving you some feedback.

obin

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A straight line is the most BORING distance between two points.

Very nice, but I still can't seem to find the self installing clutch, or "Syncro Magic", you know, the transmission additive that reforms old worn out syncros as you drive. Also coming soon "Top End Magic".

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Robert Stoll
83 SC
83 944

Wayne, I think my experience is instructive and common for the target market you are looking for. I am one year into 911 ownership. I know little about mechanics but am willing to learn, both because it's fun and because everything about these cars is expensive. Next to driving, I love talking about 911s. I spent 6 months on the internet looking for a site like this. I have never left since, and still think the site is unique and even better than Rennlist. This bbs is why I am brand loyal to Pelican and is the reason I recommend the site to friends.

After feeling like a leech all winter, I recently made my first order for a little over $200, all stuff recommended by Warren and others on the board. The wife didn't bat an eye because the stuff I bought would have cost twice as much if I got it from the dealer, even if I hire someone to do the instalation. I know you don't lie awake nights waiting for the next $200 order, but as I get more comfortable tinkering and budget more, I will order more and there are more novices like me than pros. Also, people like me are more willing to pay a small premium for service and a live person to order from who will tell me which part is right.

I offer the following observations and suggestions:

The bbs is unique and an excellent way to create Pelican Parts brand awareness and brand loyalty for all makes and models (even for BMWs). You should market the board itself. My local PCA members hadn't heard about Pelican before. You should advertise in each PCA regions' monthly newsletter. People would log on to the bbs and would stay for the parts.

Second, if you can supply all parts for a reasonably competetive price, the customers that come here would not even look anywhere else.

Third, the flip side of number 2 is that your catalog is a little intimidating. I have trouble figuring it out too, but probably because I don't know a wrench from a torsion bar. To order I just called and spoke to Darren. He told me everything I needed right off the top of his head. You should design the site to encourage people to call and make them aware that everything they want or need to know is one toll free call away.

If people know they can get any part from Pelican and will excellent service, they will come here and pay a fair price for the parts and service. Sorry this ran on for so long. Good luck and keep up the good work.

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MRM 1984 Carrera Cab Eurospec

Wayne,
The thing I like most about your store is, I can call in with what I want, no part number, just tell Thomas or Darren what I need and they take care of it. This is great. Because many times I'm ordering before I go to work, and they just handle it, then all I have to do is wait for the parts to get here.

keep up the good work, I would love to visit your store in person some day.



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Matt Chamblin
78 911 SC

Wayne, The referencing is nice. When I can't find the part in the cat. I usually go to the parts diagram, and try calling Pelican using that to refer to. It always works.
Thanks a million......S

TWO WORDS:

1. Photos, I want to see what I'm buying

2. Diagrams, I want to make sure what I'm buying

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Shakenbake (Chris Baker)
1974 911 Sunroof Coupe

Wayne,

I love your site and service but I really wich you would consider more coverage for the C2/C4 964. Your brake example was excellent but nothing for the newer Frog eye! Keep up the great work - your site has already saved me hundreds of dollars.

Hey - how about web specials for your BBS people?? Seem like a natural extension for your great effort!

SteveD
1993 C4 Euro

Yeah, that'd be cool if we could click on a part reference and see a diagram or picture. I agree that you should market your website and specifically invite them to join us here on The Board. Also, folks should be told that you can access virtually any part available elsewhere, and you can usually match other suppliers' prices. You're probably the closest thing to a one-stop supply place. At least that's my impression and people are looking for methods that save them time. You, or your site, can answer just about any question, and provide just about any part. But then I don't have a 924 or 944.

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'83 SC

Photos, photos, photos....
oh, and more photos...people (me) are alot more confident when buying a part that they can actually see beforehand.

Did I mention photos???

Also, I emailed you guys last week about some specific parts not listed in the on-line catalog and was disapointed by the response of..."we don't carry that...we don't carry that, we don't carry that..."
Granted we are talking about small stuff like Loctite #574, piston wrist pin cir-clips and CIS intake runner hardware but if I can't get it from you guys I'll definately go to someone else and the chance of buying more things from another vendor (like head studs for instance) are higher, because of the convienence of placing one order instead of two.
I still love you guys (even though you erased my profile ) and I will continue to support you with my business. I'm just trying to come up with suggestions to keep you from losing potential customers.

I will add another vote for diagrams/ assembly drawings/ expolded views. I get to decipher bad cad geometry and blue prints so I am comfortable figuring out things like this goes here so that thingy must go over there and I need a thingambobber to connect them and oh yeah there is a little O ring that I need too. Not all of us have have Warren like knowlege so the drawings could save us from halting a project midway because of a simple part we over looked.

thanks
david 89 turbo cab

Hi Wayne,

Havn't had a need for parts, but when I do, I will definitely give you guys a call. Like the way you link your tech articles with the part. Great Idea.


Steve

Wayne, I've ordered several things from you and had mixed feelings. Sometimes timely, sometimes not. Sometimes not complete.
I've also sent E-Mail on several occasions requesting info on an AC unit that Bob T. sports in his 83. He said that PP had a kit (SEIKO) for the installation contained in a package form. Whether or not it is available is not the point, but a simple response would at least honor my effort to patronize PP.
I'm a little uncomfortable answering your request in such a forthright fashion, but it is as you requested.
Mrdi

Wayne,

How about some Pelican Parts trinkets we can buy when not in need of parts? I would certainly put a PParts sticker next to the PCA club sticker in my window (nice if it was similar in size and shape). I would also wear a PParts shirt to autocross events if they were available. Coffee mugs would be cool too since coffee and checking this site are part of my morning rituals.

Keep up the good work - you have my business when I need stuff.



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jrdavid68
1986 Carrera (165K Miles)
1980 911SC (175K Miles)