Customer Service is a bigger issue than the back ordered part. I'm steping on very touchy ground here...
Some products are just not available due to manufacturing issues. Now that alone sucks. But the part isn't available. Jeffy's right, if you can find that same part elsewhere, do it. Pay a few bucks more, ask the company to bargain but accept the fact they they've got it and you want it. Pay a few more bucks and get it.
Customer Service starts with, and ends with, communication. It is soo very important for a company to be honest with the dealers or the end users as to the status of that backordered part.
Items that are manufactured in the US have a better chance of fulfilling backorders as soon as it built. Countries overseas have to contend with shipping and customs.
Manufacturing is a multi-process procedure as well. From the conception of the design to the all out building. Cutting steel plates and forming the plastic material. Then the welding of parts and pieces and powdercoating them. Then it heads it's way to packaging. Some parts contain steel pieces along with plastic (or polyurethane). Suspension lifts require a lot of different parts that also come from outside manufacturers or manufacturing plants.
Packaging is easy and coordinating all pieces together doesn't take a lot. It's the time it takes to get to that point.
It's important to understand the machinery needed to create some products... The welders required to stand there 8 hours a day and weld. Sometimes the Jeep part we are so desparately waiting for it's slated to be on the production line until that, um... Ford part is made. They will make a 'run' of one part. Then move on to the next thing in the production line.
Now can I talk about communication?? The guy who heads production has a really good idea as to when he's going to have the steel or plastics or whatever needed to build that part. He has an idea as to when that item is going to hit the production line. As long as he communicates with the head office, people have an idea as to when the part is supposed to be in stock. They have a good estimation as to the backorders being fulfilled. Communication is the key.
Items coming from overseas have customs to deal with. Whether it's the paperwork needed proper documention, or the FDA holding a container because they found snail trails or unidentified seeds that the wind blew into the floor or corner of a container (not seeds packaged inside stuff).
So it's really a fine art of letting customers know ETA's, while still making sure that they understand the the E in ETA stands for ESTIMATED.
Any questions class???
