Member Since: 09 Jan 2007
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 338
How many people are waiting for Pro Speed steps?
Based on the good reports of Pro Speed products and as I needed some side steps, I ordered my side bars/steps in February and selected the additional steps option. The side bars arrived in March but without the step inserts. After much chasing and tales of woe about them trying to move their production facility Pro speed said that they were having tooling problems and that the steps would be another month.
Since then, on a regular monthly basis, I have contacted Pro Speed (they have never once contacted me with an update) to find out when the steps would arrive. Bearing in mind that I had paid them £100 for the inserts in March I feel that I am funding their product development instead of receiving the goods that I purchased some seven months ago!
I was wondering whether I am a voice in the wilderness or whether others are getting the run-around?
Member Since: 09 Jan 2007
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 338
Thanks, It's Ben I have been dealing with and I agree that he is very helpful but to have had the same conversations for seven months is a little waring!
Member Since: 21 Mar 2014
Location: Co Carlow
Posts: 1958
I was told there was an issue regarding the supply of the inserts when I placed the order. So for me, I don't mind waiting as I know when I do get them that they will be the best for the job. Everything they make is of the best quality and will do what they say, good things come, to those that wait.
EDIT
Ben has always answered any emails I have sent him so maybe he is not getting your mails.Dale
Member Since: 11 Jun 2011
Location: Hastings
Posts: 1283
I am waiting on ordering the steps until the inserts are ready.
Shame to hear they are still not ready, I've never had anything but amazing service from Prospeed.
Alex
7th Sep 2015 10:59 am
JonM
Member Since: 24 May 2012
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 1247
Got my sliders before Christmas, still waiting for the steps. Apparently I'm first on the list to get them (according to Ben).
I'll let you all know if they ever when they turn up. MY2022 D5 HSE D300 - with extra nice bits added
MY2019 D5 HSE 3.0 SDV6 - sold to a dealer for a crazy price! - So good I bought another!
MY2012 D4 HSE 3.0 SDV6 - retired to a new home
7th Sep 2015 5:12 pm
Dudleydisco
Member Since: 20 Jun 2014
Location: York
Posts: 853
Still waiting for mine too. Made a call today and spoke to Olly who promised me Ben would ring me back. Still waiting for the call D4 MY14 XXV - RLD/IID BT
D4 MY13 HSE Lux - RLD/IID BT
P38 RR - Sad parting
110 - Even sadder parting
S3 88" - Still going strong after 23 years of ownership
7th Sep 2015 6:11 pm
Robbie
Member Since: 05 Feb 2006
Location: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Posts: 17932
Ouch. I've been waiting since the group buy when the step inserts were expected in the next month. I had no idea people had been waiting for 10 months.Land Rover - Turning Drivers into Mechanics Since 1948
Member Since: 28 Sep 2009
Location: York
Posts: 143
Hi Everyone,
We're honestly very sorry about this situation, and we know it's been a long wait. Too long.
JonM, yes, you are first on the list, promise, and you will be getting them as soon as they arrive with us.
Dudleydisco, I apologise that Ben hasn't called you yet, he was on holiday last week, and has been running around like the proverbial blue arsed fly catching up!
I appreciate that some of you have heard this more than once now, as mentioned in the post, and I apologise that it sounds like we're just repeating the same rubbish time and time again, but it is unfortunately the situation we're in, and without elaborating to the point where people get very very bored! It is our plastics supplier that we are struggling with.
The plastic moulding is the only process that we don't do in house ourselves. We design the plastic part, and the mould. And we machine the mould ourselves too. But the forming and trimming is done by a specialist supplier.
This is where the problems have been. The design of the insert is relatively simple, apart from a few areas where some complex changes in direction in 3 dimensions occur on the trim line. That's where things are going wrong. We have also had some initial things to work out with the moulding itself, but that is a normal process of back and forth with a new moulding to be honest. But, with the trimming, it is a problem which has persisted and persisted, and eventually the supplier has had to have their machine looked at to make it carry out the complex moves in 5 axes to make the clean cut. It's not something we appreciated would cause us a problem as the moulding itself is exactly as we want it, and we thought the trim line could just be improved with some tweaks to their programming of the machine. I think they thought that too! But, that hasn't proved to be the case, we are now in the situation we're in, waiting for their machine to be sorted so we can get our parts. My guess, for what it's worth, is that the machine has too much backlash in one or two of the axes - i.e. too much slop. And because it's in production, there are delays in stopping it to get it sorted.
We are very sorry that people have been waiting so long, and we could have never known that we were going to be in this situation at the start of the process. It's very important to us however that the quality of our products is as high as possible and our standards don't slip. In this case it has been at the sacrifice of our customer service, for which, again, we apologise. We are in the hands of another company at the moment, things are being resolved though, and we are keeping pressure to get a solution very very soon.
On a side note, by the end of the year, we will be bringing the plastic moulding and trimming in house to avoid this kind of problem again - we can react much faster and resolve things to our satisfaction if we are in control of the process from start to finish.
I hope I didn't bore anyone too much, but equally I hope it gives people some insight into how and why the situation has arisen.
Many thanks again for everyone's patience,
Olly
8th Sep 2015 7:57 am
Dudleydisco
Member Since: 20 Jun 2014
Location: York
Posts: 853
Thanks for the reply Olly Knowing what's actually going on makes the wait for the parts much easier! Please do keep us all updated, as it'll save Ben a load of phone calls 8)D4 MY14 XXV - RLD/IID BT
D4 MY13 HSE Lux - RLD/IID BT
P38 RR - Sad parting
110 - Even sadder parting
S3 88" - Still going strong after 23 years of ownership
8th Sep 2015 9:05 am
pdes
Member Since: 09 Jan 2007
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 338
Thanks Olly, I am sure we all appreciate the issues you are experiencing but in all this, you have still not even suggested a timeline. Are we to assume that you now intend to wait for the in-house production or are you keeping the pressure on the current supplier?
From my personal point of view, these issues would have been somewhat more acceptable if you or Ben had just provided updates, no matter how painful, instead of leaving people in the dark. Not once has anyone contacted me proactively in the past 8 months to explain the delays - I have always had to chase for updates.
I have no doubt that you are working hard to fix this and that you are understandably worried about the customer service reputation (which is why I think people are being patient) but the most important aspect of customer service is to keep people informed. Could you please at least issue a regular update either here or by mail.
Member Since: 23 Aug 2007
Location: Kent
Posts: 10564
Olly
I am just at the point of changing my D4 and was looking for a set of your sliders/steps. This post and the information contained has raised concerns with me as to actually ordering your parts, somthing I have also seen and heard from others.
It is clear that this situation is harming your bussiness and if I was running it I would not have let it drag on for this length of time. Surley knowing the issues you are having it would have been better to be open and up front with people or change to another supplier. Better still perhaps it would have been better not to take money off people when the product is not fully available.
I appreciate the quality of your products and that this to a certain degree is out of your hands, but at th end of the day you are the supplier that we all see up front and as such it is your bussiness that is affected and tarnished perhaps unfairly.MY17 D5 1st Edition Namib Orange
MY15 D4 HSE Kaikoura Stone
MY12 D4 HSE Nara Bronze Sold and gone
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D3 S spec Silver Sold and gone
Tow bar, full length roof bars, side steps, tow bar storage unit, surround camers.
D4 camera club
8th Sep 2015 9:45 am
pdes
Member Since: 09 Jan 2007
Location: Cambridgeshire
Posts: 338
Member Since: 28 Sep 2009
Location: York
Posts: 143
Hi Guys,
Just to let you know, step inserts all sorted and the first batch is in production, we expect delivery in 2-3 weeks and we'll get them out to you as soon as we can.
Thanks again for your patience. See pics below
21st Oct 2015 3:45 pm
JonM
Member Since: 24 May 2012
Location: North Yorkshire
Posts: 1247
MY2022 D5 HSE D300 - with extra nice bits added
MY2019 D5 HSE 3.0 SDV6 - sold to a dealer for a crazy price! - So good I bought another!
MY2012 D4 HSE 3.0 SDV6 - retired to a new home
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Update please!
