Why do offroad shock companies suck at running a business???

[PDANK Racing]

Unbelievable how these companies stay in business. Ordered a spare FOX for a customer in March, they originally say may 22nd, now delivery is AUGUST 31st!!! WTF! This really pisses me off, I recommend their shocks to my customers, I've used them since I started racing. This isn't the first time either.

SWAYAWAY has open orders from my supplier for over 9 months, supplier stopped carrying their products, after selling them for years.

FOA - 2 Months late on order, parts not completely assembled. Obviuosly you get what you pay for, only time I ordered from them and will not recommend.

King, actually has been doing good compared to the others. Good turnaround on my orders, but have had a couple issues in the past. One of my customers waited 3-4 months past delivery date for shocks last year.

I don't deal with any of these companies directly, since I really don't sell much of their products. But for them to treat my supplier like this, who sells a ton of their products, is crazy! No other industry allows companies to perform like this on a consistent basis. These are the types of problems that should be hashed out in the beginning, not continuing on ten years later. Figure it out.....
The worst part is that this makes me look like an @$$hole to my customers, I've already lost a couple over this BS. SHould I stop selling their products all together?

 

[GBRACER]

I used to try sell FOX here and gave up on it the few orders I did get the wait times were too long customers don't and can't wait that long .
I heard Fox had some big military contracts so guess where the product went first, i feel your pain !!!!!
They can because they can !!!!!

 

[TRichards]

Most of the FOX race shocks are built out of the service side because they are hand built they are not rushed together. All the bypasses are custom to the clients order and all the tubes are welded on and then sent out for plating. This all takes a lot of time. The service side also takes care of all the customer rebuilds. I have seen pallets of shocks come in after a race by many big name teams to be serviced. Both Desert and short course racers have their work done by Fox. There are seperate production lines for all the street and off road shocks, Military and Raptor shocks. They have also quadrupeled there space in the last year in El Cajon.

 

[swiftracing5]

I wouldn't say Fox sucks at running a business, one walk through their factory and you'll see they are doing their best... Ford, Polaris, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin are big fish. We as racers are just lowest on the totem pole unfortunately. Most of us want shocks for cheap, so why would they devote more resources for the lowest margin department?


Sent from my iPhone using race-deZert

 

[Frank13]

I guess the off road side of Fox is as bad as the MTB side. Sent my bike forks in last winter to be serviced, and never received an email that they received them and were servicing them. Was 5 weeks & a few emails & calls before they showed up at my door step, no heads up that they shipped them back either. Woulda be nice to know that my $1,200 forks were just sitting on my porch.


Sent from my iPhone using race-deZert

 

[Jessaca]

Going through this right now. Ordered shocks from King. It was the first week of Jan. Still waiting. Was told they shipped last Friday but still haven't received a tracking #. And, now with the 500, I am sure there will be even more of a delay.

I run King on my prerunner and both race cars. I will have to start looking for another company. We are at a standstill until they arrive. It angers me.


Sent from the RDC Mobile App. Get it for your IOS device today

 

[biggjim]

Fox is a build to order company as are most performance shock companies. The problem today is that we live in a society that has no patience. No one is willing to wait now days. If you want quality sometime you have to wait for it. Fox changed manufacturing software about a year ago and things have been a lot slower every since. However they seem to be getting a handle on it. Our lead times on most parts have came back around to 4-6 weeks. All we offer is fox so we stock deep.

 

[BajaFand]

Fox is a build to order company as are most performance shock companies. The problem today is that we live in a society that has no patience. No one is willing to wait now days. If you want quality sometime you have to wait for it. Fox changed manufacturing software about a year ago and things have been a lot slower every since. However they seem to be getting a handle on it. Our lead times on most parts have came back around to 4-6 weeks. All we offer is fox so we stock deep.

Not everything from every company is built to order. They all make stuff for stock. You can go to Kartek or ORW and buy off the shelf whatever you want assuming they aren't out of stock because of back orders.


Sent from my iPhone using race-deZert mobile app

 

[JDDurfey]

Fox is a build to order company as are most performance shock companies. The problem today is that we live in a society that has no patience. No one is willing to wait now days. If you want quality sometime you have to wait for it. Fox changed manufacturing software about a year ago and things have been a lot slower every since. However they seem to be getting a handle on it. Our lead times on most parts have came back around to 4-6 weeks. All we offer is fox so we stock deep.

If the shocks are built to order that is one thing, but I see several complaints in this thread about them not being delivered when promised. That is poor customer service, plain and simple.

I am sure that the likes of Rob Mac, PAB, Andy M, and Jason Voss get their shocks on time so they don't miss any races.

 

[GBRACER]

Bottom line if it takes that long to get a shock out the door it is unaceptable, welding tubes on and plating is not rocket science nor are shocks they even have long wait tmes for "stock" off road shocks took me five months to get a set of internal bypasses nothing special just shocks with a shocking lead time. Imagine if Ford or Chev or any car manufacturer had wait times like that and building a car is far more involved than a shock.!!!!!

 

[ltr450rider]

Seems to me like most everybody here is the same boat. Sounds like Supply < Demand as the economy is doing well and business is booming, so everybody has to wait.

Go ahead and say "Why don't they just hire more people?". Good luck with that! Honest, motivated, hard working employees are hard to come by these days. Even if you try and throw a bunch of money at someone, it still doesn't get you a 40 hour a week guy that is trying to be a master at his craft. People nowadays want to get paid before they do work, it's unfortunate.

 

[Hurleygo3]

I've had horrible service from King, FOX has been nothing but great. I would expect wait times on custom shocks. But why are you ordering an off the shelf shock straight from FOX when you could call up any number of dealers that have them on the shelf?

 

[biggjim]

Not everything from every company is built to order. They all make stuff for stock. You can go to Kartek or ORW and buy off the shelf whatever you want assuming they aren't out of stock because of back orders.


Sent from my iPhone using race-deZert mobile app

Every order kartek puts in has to be built...it All build to order from Fox.

 

[biggjim]

If the shocks are built to order that is one thing, but I see several complaints in this thread about them not being delivered when promised. That is poor customer service, plain and simple.

I am sure that the likes of Rob Mac, PAB, Andy M, and Jason Voss get their shocks on time so they don't miss any races.

I am sure certain people get special treatment....but I can Also Guarantee we buy as many shocks as anyone...and when I put in an order its 4-16 week lead times depending on what shock it is.

 

[Hurleygo3]

True, but I can call up Mckenzies, Kartek, Down South and my others and have a set of shocks on the way today. I'm just saying, if your not ordering a custom shock. There is no need to wait.

 

[biggjim]

I've had horrible service from King, FOX has been nothing but great. I would expect wait times on custom shocks. But why are you ordering an off the shelf shock straight from FOX when you could call up any number of dealers that have them on the shelf?

Thats the idea....Fox wants you to call their dealer network and buy shocks from dealers.

 

[Shannon]

Unfortunately .... IMO the vast majority of any company with "off road" in its name .... flaky....


Sent from the RDC Mobile App. Get it for your IOS device today

 

[MoonCo]

I used to work at a lighting company where nothing was pre-assembled, machined or painted. Everything was shipped within 24 hours. There is absolutely no reason lead time on shocks should be so far out. I have spent 10 years of my life converting companies to lean manufacturing and lowering production times. Most of these places just don't have the experience or desire to change.

I ordered shocks through a shop from King that were ordered in October, I received the shocks the first week of April. Nothing special other than 90 degree hose ends.

 

[cosmo]

Try getting parts out of them, ridiculous .

 

[kats]

King worst customer service, cost me money to take the truck and team to Mexico for valving for nothing....still have all the emails and messages back and forward
but at the end I was blessed to end up at FOX which is not really more expensive as everyone said to me and you can't compare the quality and customer service from FOX!!