|
|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
|
11-02-2012, 12:19 PM | #1 |
Former Vendor
Member#: 190729
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Marysville, WA
|
Maxwell Power's Growing Pains: Internal Restructuring for 2013
Hello all,
First I would like to thank every one of our customers. You guys have helped make us great. Most of you have been extremely patient and supportive and I appreciate it very much. We have been having a hard time getting some projects out in a reasonable amount of time. There have been many causes and I would like to share them with everyone so that it is understood and I would like to share the fixes that we are going to implement. Currently our scheduling is done as far in advance as people want. This has turned out to be VERY bad. Let me explain: We have a certain number of slots (hours) every day for work. We take appointments Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Thursday was reserved for cars that are already at the shop, administration, shipments etc. Thursday has proven not to be enough on it's own. When a customer's car shows up with more problems than he/she knew existed and it takes longer than scheduled OR has to stay at the shop for a previously unscheduled amount of time this creates a serious issue. The issue is that every slot for every available work hour has already been scheduled for a month. That type of scheduling snafu gives us no time to work on the car until a spot opens up. Because of this error we have accumulated a few customer cars. It sucks, it's very stressful and creates a lot of tension at the shop. Sometimes we snap at each other or at a customer on the phone. It isn't right and we are very sorry to anyone who has experienced my wrath. We WANT to get our customers' cars back to them as fast as possible without sacrificing work quality. We want the experience to be a pleasant one and we want all our customers happy with their new found power, drive ability and or reliability. Effective immediately: 1.We will not be taking appointments past 2 weeks. On Tuesday of each week we will open the schedule for the week that starts 14 days later. Appointments will be given on a first come/call first serve basis. The 14 day rule only has exceptions to those who have to travel a long way or are doing full builds/projects. Regular tunes and installs will not be granted exception. This guarantees a handful of spots open for "problem cars" two weeks away. Two weeks is still quite long and so that isn't sufficient for us. At this very moment we are scheduled until Mid December. I will have the hard job of calling people and cancelling their appointments. We currently have 13 cars at the shop. 6 of them should have been completed long ago. If I am going to have these cars finished before December, I have to cancel the appointments on the schedule. This is a VERY hard decision to make. However, if we are going to take care of our current customers, our future customers are going to have to be understanding. To the people on the schedule currently, I'm sorry! I hope that this post helps you see what we are doing to ensure everyone gets great service and you do not get angry with us. Please be understanding. To the people who have been waiting for your car: Thank you for being patient. I apologize publicly for the wait. So back to the two week thing. In order to keep cars from sitting for two weeks for a spot to open up, we have limited the amount of tunes that I perform during the week. Instead of two per day, we will be scheduling one per day. The second tune slot will become available IF we have no project or problem cars sitting waiting for work. This gives us the opportunity to work on those cars much sooner than two weeks. The next big thing that we are doing is FINALLY bringing on another tech. This will help us in more than just floor work. By bringing on the additional floor tech, WE are giving Dave a promotion. He will be absorbing some of my daily tasks so that I am available more often for customer support, admin and performing work. He will be doing more Estimates, scheduling, billing and tech support in addition to being the floor manager. These major changes in addition to a handful of minor ones should help get us faster and more efficient. We have only been at the new shop for 19 months and have had our business increase very rapidly. We are having to learn to handle much more than we did three years ago. Taking on more than twice the work without any changes in how we do things just doesn't work. So to recap: We've been slow at getting some things done. We're sorry. We are changing how we schedule appointments We are hiring more help I'm looking forward to 2013. By the new year I believe our new system will be running more efficiently and the MPS experience will be much better. Help us through these growing pains. Thanks again! Dominic Acia Maxwell Power Services Last edited by Maxwell Power; 11-08-2012 at 03:41 PM. |
11-02-2012, 03:28 PM | #2 |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 22825
Join Date: Aug 2002
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Seattle, WA
|
This is great news! I know I've been frustrated having to schedule more than a month out for work, and I drive from Seattle to you guys, as you've been the best so far to work with.
This I think could be a great thing for me and my car getting serviced quicker |
11-04-2012, 10:14 PM | #3 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 65140
Join Date: Jun 2004
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Seattle, WA
Vehicle:2007 STI Limited#213 05 STI (rip) 03 WRX (rip) |
.....
Quote:
Nothin but love for MPS here... Very happy with my stroker... |
|
11-04-2012, 11:47 PM | #4 | |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 309997
Join Date: Feb 2012
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Arlington, WA
Vehicle:2010 STI Blick |
Quote:
Small world, I drive from Arlington to Seattle to get work done on *mine*. It's opposite day! |
|
11-02-2012, 04:32 PM | #5 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 268580
Join Date: Dec 2010
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
|
Thanks Dom and MPS crew! Keep up the great work!
~Jess del Mundo P.S. Sorry for being the annoying "Is it done yet?" dude. |
11-05-2012, 01:24 AM | #6 |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 84547
Join Date: Apr 2005
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: PDX S-SE
Vehicle:06, Lafawnduh Fender rolling king |
It is insanely stressfull being the boss. Sending good vibes your way
|
11-05-2012, 03:18 PM | #7 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 259948
Join Date: Oct 2010
Chapter/Region:
W. Canada
Location: Regina, Canada
Vehicle:MPS 510 whp GTX35R Long Rod Motor |
To continue from what I said on Facebook, MPS will always have my business and I couldn't be happier with my motor. This change to give more time to service customers better is fantastic and I wish you all the best
Alex |
11-05-2012, 04:43 PM | #8 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 313860
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Washington, Sea
Vehicle:2012 wrx Grey |
Its worth the wait, because they do great work. Not one problem with my car after they were done with it, will be going back MPS if I need any more work on my car.
|
11-06-2012, 10:36 AM | #9 |
Former Vendor
Member#: 190729
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Marysville, WA
|
Thanks for the positive feedback and kind words.
Hopefully by the spring I'll have an apprentice tuner too. Only time will tell. |
11-06-2012, 03:22 PM | #10 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 259948
Join Date: Oct 2010
Chapter/Region:
W. Canada
Location: Regina, Canada
Vehicle:MPS 510 whp GTX35R Long Rod Motor |
Quote:
|
|
11-06-2012, 07:16 PM | #11 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 212509
Join Date: May 2009
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: marysville,WA
Vehicle:unde your hood makin your **** go faster |
We won't let canadians work here!!!
|
11-06-2012, 07:20 PM | #12 |
Former Vendor
Member#: 190729
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Marysville, WA
|
|
11-06-2012, 09:36 PM | #13 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 259948
Join Date: Oct 2010
Chapter/Region:
W. Canada
Location: Regina, Canada
Vehicle:MPS 510 whp GTX35R Long Rod Motor |
Quote:
Or is this the continuing I'm a Canadian joke from that weekend?! Haha |
|
11-06-2012, 10:04 PM | #14 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 65140
Join Date: Jun 2004
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Seattle, WA
Vehicle:2007 STI Limited#213 05 STI (rip) 03 WRX (rip) |
No please
|
11-07-2012, 08:46 AM | #15 | |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 299169
Join Date: Oct 2011
Chapter/Region:
W. Canada
Location: Nelson bc. For Now Duncan, BC
Vehicle:2002 Wrx/JDM STi v.7 Dirrrty |
Quote:
In my loveliest dreams lol |
|
11-07-2012, 12:14 AM | #16 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 212509
Join Date: May 2009
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: marysville,WA
Vehicle:unde your hood makin your **** go faster |
You live in Canada!!! That makes you Canadian in my rules!!! Lol
|
11-07-2012, 01:38 AM | #17 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 259948
Join Date: Oct 2010
Chapter/Region:
W. Canada
Location: Regina, Canada
Vehicle:MPS 510 whp GTX35R Long Rod Motor |
Quote:
|
|
11-07-2012, 06:11 PM | #18 |
Former Vendor
Member#: 190729
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Marysville, WA
|
I have one guy picked out already. The next position will be available around Feb/March time frame. That person would likely be a tuning apprentice or a secretary (spoken sexatary)
|
11-13-2012, 01:40 AM | #19 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 183495
Join Date: Jun 2008
Vehicle:2002 WRX Silver |
I'll whore myself out as a tuning apprentice; sounds like I'll be out of a job by then anyways
But then maybe one day *I'll* be the Master! |
11-15-2012, 11:19 AM | #20 | ||
Former Vendor
Member#: 190729
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Marysville, WA
|
Got an email from a kid asking for a job:
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
11-15-2012, 06:50 PM | #21 | |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 194232
Join Date: Nov 2008
|
Quote:
A properly written letter shouldn't make a difference in how it's delivered, I can understand you having a preference but ignoring the fact that the rest of the world uses email to communicate and calling it fake is a slight bit ignorant. you're entitled to your opinion of course, but mine is the opposite of yours. I prefer email to phone calls, mail and people dropping by. the joy of technology for me is that I can respond when I have time. People aren't constantly interrupting me allowing me more time to complete my tasks at hand. When I have a moment I can respond and collect my thoughts to provide a better answer to a question or have a minute or to to research something. It allows me the flexibility to complete my jobs on time |
|
11-15-2012, 06:56 PM | #22 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 284935
Join Date: Jun 2011
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Bremerton, WA
Vehicle:2004 STi Stage __ Aspen White |
Hopefully we're not hijacking this thread too far.
The difference lies in the fact that the professional world is built off of common courtesies, expectations, and standards that don't exist between your buddies. You don't care if your friend slouches, won't look you in the eyes, has a weak handshake, is late, or any other cue that employers look at. So what if you're a minute and thirty seconds late to your friend's house? If you're a minute and thirty seconds late to a job interview, you're likely be told "Don't call us, we'll call you." Even if you're not the kind of guy that upholds the standard acceptable practices for job interviewing on a daily basis, the fact that you care for that one day that it really matters means something. If you want to be taken seriously, take the job seriously. |
11-15-2012, 11:57 PM | #23 | |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 309997
Join Date: Feb 2012
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Arlington, WA
Vehicle:2010 STI Blick |
Quote:
I walked into a Jiffy Lube once many years ago, on a day off. I hadn't planned on being dressed up in a sport shirt and tie with slacks and shoes (had a nice lunch I was going to) but I asked for the manager and asked if he was hiring for entry level to learn. He gave me an application and interviewed me on the spot, and explained to me the ONLY reason he gave me a shot was because I took the job seriously by presenting myself in a professional matter, even though the job itself entailed being covered in grease and oil all day. Didn't get the job (had 2 speeding tickets and for some stupid reason they wanted clean records) but my example is no less relevant. |
|
11-15-2012, 11:24 AM | #24 |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 132458
Join Date: Nov 2006
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Kent, Wa
Vehicle:Okie Dokie Fine |
at least it wasn't via facebook
|
11-15-2012, 11:44 AM | #25 |
Former Vendor
Member#: 190729
Join Date: Oct 2008
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Marysville, WA
|
I've had those too.
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|