Its obvious that you are a yellow bellied coward. If your afriad to put up your real name your obviously an ass face or have a personal vendetta. I already have my suspicions who it is. The "Missisippi queen" and the "Local 02 guru" or who else could it be?... Al pulls through in the end and the product is worth it.

Keep your personal vendetta's to yourself or quite honestly go to hell or make a blog about it.
_________________
If more power is better then way too much is just enough.
"Why do it once when you can do it thrice!"

I manage a number of engineering projects and i would never expect my clients to wait for a set of plans because of my personal issues. If i have to work 16 hours a day to deliver on time what i've promised then thats my problem, not the customers.

In the case of Car parts, its simple. don't accept payment if you can't deliver the goods.
_________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
88' 735i 5sp.
85' 535i Turbo
78' 528i Euro
77' 530i
76' 2002 - fishing mobile
68' 2002 - current project

K-Swiss wrote:

Its obvious that you are a yellow bellied coward. If your afriad to put up your real name your obviously an ass face or have a personal vendetta. I already have my suspicions who it is. The "Missisippi queen" and the "Local 02 guru" or who else could it be?... Al pulls through in the end and the product is worth it. Keep your personal vendetta's to yourself or quite honestly go to hell or make a blog about it.

Actions speak for themselves, I suspect Al has lost a lot of future business already, simply from the amount of 'can you please get back to me" posts over the last few months.

Give it up K-swiss, you make it sound like its one or 2 people out to get Al. I don't think thats the case. People are just looking for a bit of customer service and respect. If he runs 1 business or 10, I really couldn't care less, and I don't think anyone else does either. They just want the product they paid for. I fully agree with what Justin said on this.

Customer service counts, and in the end, actions speak louder than words, or excuses.

And for Gods sake, give up YOUR vendetta against Esty already...do you have to bring that up in every other post? Its getting kinda tiresome.

Matt

CanadaMatt.
How would you feel if you got attacked by an some unknown poster on the web? Quite honestly if you have a problem have the balls to at least put a name to a problem. Guest or lurker posters who attack people are obviously persons hiding behind thier computer screens who seem they are bulletproof but in real life couldn't stand behind their beliefs for anything. Esty brought it on herself.
_________________
If more power is better then way too much is just enough.
"Why do it once when you can do it thrice!"

K-Swiss wrote:

Its obvious that you are a yellow bellied coward. If your afriad to put up your real name your obviously an ass face or have a personal vendetta. I already have my suspicions who it is. The "Missisippi queen" and the "Local 02 guru" or who else could it be?... Al pulls through in the end and the product is worth it. Keep your personal vendetta's to yourself or quite honestly go to hell or make a blog about it.

wrong freud...but i agree with what lurker said...if i had anything to say, i'd make a bigger deal about it...but i'll be nice & not

your mentor has drop'd the ball again....and again...and again...there is no acceptable excuse for not responding to someone that paid you months ago...how long does it take to clear old voice mails?


maybe someone'll start a blog chronicling canuk's pisspoor excuses...whatday think young turk?

K-Swiss wrote:

Its obvious that you are a yellow bellied coward. If your afriad to put up your real name your obviously an ass face or have a personal vendetta. I already have my suspicions who it is. The "Missisippi queen" and the "Local 02 guru" or who else could it be?... Al pulls through in the end and the product is worth it. Keep your personal vendetta's to yourself or quite honestly go to hell or make a blog about it.

Wow! Such hypocrisy!

If that "local '02 guru" comment is directed at me, then thanks for the tacit recognition of my mad '02 skillz but I was not the guest poster. Rest assured that if I have something negative to say about Al or anyone else, I will do so under my own name and take full credit. Sheesh - I don't even use a screen name. It should be no secret, anyway, that I have no fondness for Al or his hangers-on, especially after this thread:
http://www.bmw2002faq.com/index.php?option=com_forum&Itemid=50&page=viewtopic&p=292219#292219

To Steve: I really wish the IP addresses were still being shown with the posts. At least that way there was some accountability. Not perfect, of course, since for example Kirin (aka K-Swiss) and I live about 2 minutes apart and probably have the same ISP and may even be on the same subnet. But still, it was better than nothing for catching the obvious trolls and avoiding making assumptions about innocent parties. Well, in my case maybe not innocent in the biblical sense, but you know what I mean. ;-)

regards,
Zenon
_________________
'73 2002i Verona (Megasquirt/318i EFI conversion, daily driver)
'72 2002 Golf (bone stock, rusty but still pretty, sleeping)
'73 2002 Fjord (first '02, now parts car, almost gone)
http://www.zeebuck.com

Hey the last thing we need is to have all the canadians agree at each other!

I wouldn't call "lurkers" post an attack - probably just miffed that Al is not returning his/her messages. Simple call people back and problem is solved.

Not to get into the middle of the this but I agree with what Matt and Justin said - I am accountable by my actions to my clients, part of the reason why I post very little on the board now is that I am crazy busy at work and in my personal life (baby due June 3rd). Cars are my hobby so they come second.

Now how would this look. And please don't flame me I am making a HUGE assumption I know anything about the situation.

Client emails and calls me
I don't answer. Don't respond.
They search me out on a public forum (not sure this would happen)
And someone else responds to them telling me to be patient.

Anthony
Great white north[/quote]

anthony-office wrote:

Client emails and calls me I don't answer. Don't respond. They search me out on a public forum (not sure this would happen) And someone else responds to them telling me to be patient. Anthony Great white north

give the big guy time...he'll burst onto the forum soon, blowing more smoke and sucking up to win lost points. most will accept his apology...again.... then in a month, it'll be a rerun of this thread started by someone else

it's not al's fault that people keep doing business with him

swiss...post it on the board and not in emails....show everyone what you're all about

kirinj@telus.net wrote:

Then be an absolute bitch and stick your nose in other peoples business. You’re a fraud. There is no esty lacroix and you need to go to hell. Oh wait I hope you get katrinaed!

I can understand the anger of paying a bunch of money and never receiving a product or knowing when you are going to get it. My machinist had my engine for way too long and made excuse after excuse on why he couldn't get it to me. You take someone's money you better be able to pony up in a reasonable amount of time or have a damn good reason why you aren't.

That being said I'm sorely disappointed w/ the carpet I purchased from someone other than Al's company. The fit is far from perfect (it is all in the details). I'm going to make it work because I hate to wait and don't own a show car. But I'm left wishing I had been patient; I'd probably be saying the exact opposite if I were on the other side of the fence. Ten of one and nine of the other.

No offense to the parties involved, I appreciate the give and take. It lets consumers know what they are getting into. It did get a little heavy handed though.
_________________
Current: 1974 BMW 2002, 2004 VW R32, 2009 Infiniti FX35, & VW Eurovan Camper
Previously: 1996 VW GTI, 1984 VW GTI, 1984 GTI

Al has to do a better job at a few things, the first and obvious one is getting back to customers. The second, would be not accepting orders without agreeing to a realistic timetable with potential clients.

Bottom line is that his work is in demand - whether you like him or not. If you commission him to do work, lets be realistic about the length of time it will take. Do not send/authorize the work before you agree on a delivery date. I made that mistake with an order about a year ago. However, when it came, I was very pleased with the final product.

I would encourage Al to do the same with others that he did with me. I spoke to Al about an order in November/December. I was told it probably would not start before March and I would not get it until mid May. I agreed to the terms and so far, we are on schedule.

At times, too much space is spent on this board getting at each other. Let's move on.

rns7602 wrote:

Al has to do a better job at a few things, the first and obvious one is getting back to customers. The second, would be not accepting orders without agreeing to a realistic timetable with potential clients. Bottom line is that his work is in demand - whether you like him or not. If you commission him to do work, lets be realistic about the length of time it will take. Do not send/authorize the work before you agree on a delivery date. I made that mistake with an order about a year ago. However, when it came, I was very pleased with the final product. I would encourage Al to do the same with others that he did with me. I spoke to Al about an order in November/December. I was told it probably would not start before March and I would not get it until mid May. I agreed to the terms and so far, we are on schedule. At times, too much space is spent on this board getting at each other. Let's move on.

Well said. :) As for the parent post, I won't dignify with a response.

rns7602 wrote:

Al has to do a better job at a few things, the first and obvious one is getting back to customers. The second, would be not accepting orders without agreeing to a realistic timetable with potential clients.

as long as you guys agree to the delays, things will never change....if you want to wait 6 months, that's your choice. and i see nothing happening on al's end to correct the problem....actually he has no incentive to handle things any differently ....he knows "we'll" stand in line, waiting to be served, like sheep........why should he handle it any other way...he has his cake (he gets paid up front) and eats it too (he does things when he gets ready)

if he had to process the orders and ship them COD, he might be more motivated to get the work out in a timely manner, in order to get paid

like i said....it's not his fault, we keep doing business with him...i'm sure he's greatful that we allow him to have our money immediately then allow him to serve us at his convenience

any of you can justify however you want...it's PISS POOR BUSINESS...PERIOD...but not my concern, i wouldn't do biz with him if i had to have bare metal floors with cheap rubber mats from autozone

you guys need to lighten up.
_________________
Patrick Sloan


67 1600
90 325is
04 Audi A4

Als a good man.

Too bad there aren't more in the world like him.

Anonymous wrote:

Als a good man. Too bad there aren't more in the world like him.

maybe a good man but PISS POOR BUSINESS...

i'd do it just like him if i had the followers that kept allowing me too ...i'd love to be paid for my services months in advance of having to think about providing them.....advanced billing would be a great source of cash flow

put a name on it or shut the f..... up orsch
_________________
tii touring in 75, on the Abahn in Europe 1975 to 1978, 74 Red Baron 1986( still with my kids)
Green culb racer and Malga Auto left the family
Left w/ a 1976 beater/5 sp/AC in 2004 not on the road yet & Its All I have left

Here's an opinion from someone who has never met Al nor done business with him. Based on what I've heard here (and only here) he reminds me a lot of a guy I do business with. This guy local to me here in the Sacramento area is an absolute artist when it comes to doing sheet metal work on cars, but he operates in his own world. Nothing motivates him to get a job done any sooner than his personal time table. The thing is, everybody knows that, so they bring business to him and just wait for him to do it. Bad business? Guess that depends on who you ask. He could care less if you bring business to him or not, so its not bad business in his opinion. If you're a person who wants his expertise and rare abilities but want to be treated like customers are "suppose" to be treated, you'll never be satisfied.

This is basically what Esty is saying when she refers to it not being Al's fault because customers continue to go to him. You have to remember, the "PISS POOR BUSINESS" comment is just Esty's opinion, period. If I told my friend that he had piss poor business sense he'd just laugh at me and tell me to take my business elsewhere. That's fair in my book.

My bottom line.... take a look around and see how many businesses get involved with discussion forums. There's a reason why most stay away from "the talk".

Dan

dang wrote:

My bottom line.... take a look around and see how many businesses get involved with discussion forums. There's a reason why most stay away from "the talk". Dan

i absolutely agree with all you said but does that make it ok to the unsuspecting, newbie that gets swarmed by a few al fans, that are the direct cause of them doing business with such an "artist"

business don't get involved with discussion boards because they don't care what the disgruntled have to say and wouldn't change anything anyway...they all, including al, work on the law of large numbers theory....there are enough unknowing or new souls to keep them floating and they don't rely on or neccessarily give a rat's ass about repeat customers

and i'd suspect...it's just a hunch but i'd guess the majority would call al's way of doing business...PISS POOR....

I've never entered into one of these heated topics before, and I'm torn about doing so now, but here goes.

Having only owned my 02 for a year, I still consider myself new to the community. However, in that year, the thing which has surpised me most about this little car is not any of its driving capabilities, but the great community of people which seem to have formed around it. Living in the SF Bay Area I have had the pleasure of meeting numerous 02 owners who have been unbelievably generous with their time and expertise to help out a newbie.

What am I getting at? While Al's customer service certainly seems shy of your average Ritz Carlton, I guess it's just that these types of message strings just seem to lose a little perspective. Viscious name calling and making enemies over 50 square feet of wool pile just seems so silly.

Keep this crap up and I'll start posting pics of my rear fog light every hour.
And if that doesn't work, I'll start asking on the For Sale list for chrome bottlecap wheels.

I've dealt with these little cars and the businesses that deal with them for some 25 years. Seen the same stuff said about nearly all of them in that time.

Remember what Thumpers mom said.

I pretty much am at Al's shop some way or another every day. As for Al having "time" uhh... does he even have time to sleep? He is at work roughly 7:30 till 10:00 at night. He is lucky to have lunch or dinner. And then for his own personal well being is at the gym for a little break. And then back to doing other work till 2:00 in the morning. He's not on vacation. Nor run off...
_________________
If more power is better then way too much is just enough.
"Why do it once when you can do it thrice!"

He is lucky to have someone on the board such as yourself to explain how busy he is.

However, an intelligent business owner needs to come up with a way to meet demand. The alternative is what we see happening now...
_________________
**Formerly known a Cam_A**
-'91 318is

Wow! I had no idea any of this was even going on until a couple hours ago. It's 1:19am, and I AM JUST getting home from the shop, tired as hell, and can't address all the issues right now. I would like to say a couple things though.

1) I opened both my shops at 8:30am today, after working until 2am last night. I worked from 8:30 until dark, before I even had a minute to sit down to a meal. After my meal, I went back to the shop, and did my book work until I fell asleep in my chair in the showroom. Got up, went for a coffee with Kevin and Kirin, and then went back to the shop again. I am JUST walking in the door now. I'm going to take a shower, go to bed, and then open up my new shop at 8am, to do it all over again.

2) I bought another business this past month, which admittedly, has taken most of my time away from Seams Perfect, and I have not answered the phone very much. I apologise for that, and am taking action to correct it. Some of you know Andre, and some of you will get to know him soon. He has been my head trimmer for 2 years now, and he is now taking over the shop phones during the day, so I can get other work done. As of 8:30am Friday, the Seams Perfect phone was fully operational again, and will remain so forever. Andre is a great guy, knows the product well, and is looking forward to helping me serve all of you in the future. I am trying to keep on top of email, but I'm not succeeding right now. I will soon, so please bare with me just a while longer.

EDIT - Phones will be answered from 8:30-4:30PST, M-F, and assorted hours on Saturday.

3) We are swamped with work, and working 10 hours per day, 6 days a week to crank out orders. The logisitics of helping multiple clients through complete interior builds over great distances is not an easy task, and I am always looking for ways to improve it. Believe it or not, I do try to get stuff done on time!

4) I am currently seeking 2 new employees. One is a full time tech in the new shop, and one is a part time trimmer in the trim shop. This will ease my work load, so I can get back to answering phones, replying to email, and chewing the bullshit on the FAQ. I miss this place dearly.

5) My average day consists of working from 8am to 10pm, going to the gym from 10pm-12am, coming home to work from here between 12am, and 2am, and then trying to get some sleep. I will likely suffer some major physical problems from this, but that's OK with me. I wouldn't trade this job for the world. I get to play with cool old cars all day, and oddly enough, this is truly my dream.

6) Despite owning 4 BMW's, and a Ford truck, I have not had a functional car for over a week. My old 533i died, and I have not had the time to fix it, as I prefer to put customer's cars in front of mine. I am managing by bumming rides, but it's getting tough. I've decided that this is the year to get a NEW car, and I will hopefully be finding a 2006 C230 Sport Coupe in the fleet this summer. I know it's not a BMW, but I sure do like it!

7) It is my 30th birthday next Friday, and I'm looking forward to doing some good drinking, and a bit of gambling with friends. Should be a nice way to decompress a bit, and enjoy my life some. I apologise in advance for not being able to work on any projects next Saturday, as I will definitely be too hung over to do so.

8) Lastly, I have not forgotten a single, solitary order from any one of you, and I WILL fill them all. Some people might say I have poor business practise, but I disagree. I think working to capacity with people who I trust, rather than hiring a couple of idiots to do half ass work, is great business. Despite taking a while, I'm certain that EVERY project we do, will be done to the highest standards, which I KNOW 02 owners want, and deserve. When the right person walks through my door for an interview, I will hire them on the spot. Until then, this is the way it will be done. My clients will thank me in the end.

Well, I guess I covered more than a couple things, but I had to do it. I've met a lot of good friends through these cars, and on these boards, so I feel you all desrve an explanation to the current problems at Seams Perfect. Rest assured, we're not going anywhere, and quality will always stay at the highest level.

Goodnight,

Al

ps - One more thing. Esty, I only require a 50% deposit to start a job, and I actually prefer it that way. Many people insist on paying up front, but that is not my policy at all. I simply ask for a deposit, especially on custom orders. That's pretty standard in this trade. The couple of times I have not done it, I've been stuck with work that was never paid for, and now takes up space in the shop.
_________________
67 1600
77 630csi
81 323i
68 VW Bug
06 Volvo V50


Last edited by AlCanuck on 3-4-06 02:55; edited 1 time in total

2002maniac wrote:

He is lucky to have someone on the board such as yourself to explain how busy he is. However, an intelligent business owner needs to come up with a way to meet demand. The alternative is what we see happening now...

Yup, Kirin is a good friend, and I appreciate his help.

As for not being an "intelligent business owner", well, I would rather be WAY overbooked, than underbooked, and standing around with no work, and a bunch of employees to pay.

Al
_________________
67 1600
77 630csi
81 323i
68 VW Bug
06 Volvo V50

AlCanuck wrote:

3) We are swamped with work, and working 10 hours per day, 6 days a week to crank out orders. The logisitics of helping multiple clients through complete interior builds over great distances is not an easy task, and I am always looking for ways to improve it. Believe it or not, I do try to get stuff done on time!

Well I guess you must be doing something right Al! To all his detractors - have you ever heard one bad thing about the actual product? Me neither. Have you only heard praise for the quality of his workmanship? Me too.

I do not know Al other than through this board and I have never bought anything from Seams Perfect, I just thought a little perspective was needed in this tedious thread.

Good luck Al, and happy birthday for next week.
_________________
1973 2002 RHD m2 Touring. Waiting a re-shell
1967 1600-2 LHD. Daily use
1967 1600-2 LHD. Parts car
1972 2002Tii LHD. Resto project
1972 2002Tii LHD Touring. Another project..

Al,

I'm 46 years old today so enjoy your 30th like the dickens next week and "keep on keepin' on!" I'm sure once you get a couple more hired hands things will smooth out much more for you.

Tim
'69 2000

Al you keep doing what your doing. I understand what your going through and that your trying to fix it. I am sorry that you are having to go through this. My only question is to esty. I am just wondering what got you started on this hate Al thing in the first place. And yes I did read your blog but didn't find it there.
_________________
73 colorado orange 2002 in restoration
owned for 27 years
71 2002 Driver