TLDR: we are lucky to even be in the market to try and buy these cars... but if you can't wait (I'm at 9 and 1/2 months and counting on my 5BW), then that is ok if you have to move on and choose something else for whatever the reason. Yes, we are used to getting what we want when we shell out crazy amounts of money like this, but regardless of how things have always been/used to be... they just are not like that under the current conditions for whatever reason that may be and while we all need to vent from time to time (read my rant below because it's my time to vent)...pissing and moaning and blaming and shaming are not productive and if anything inflame emotions unnecessarily.
If the TLDR was that long, then I'd be scared about the length of what's below:
I own my own business with an outstanding local reputation that just celebrated 55 years May 1st (actually we haven't celebrated or even brought it up yet... simply because I haven't had the time and would prefer to do it right). We currently have around 40 employees... and for the first time ever we have been unable to perform (due to similar reasons that Rob stated above) to our highest standards. At times we simply have not been able to service our clients' needs and when we do it may not be to our own lofty standards that they have come to expect. (We are not failing as a business, but we are not performing as efficiently as typical for us and our growth has been more limited due to this)
We try to look after everybody, but recently it's come to the point where I've had to fire more clients due to treating my staff poorly, while also I've had clients leave me because we are unable to meet their expectations. It kills me on both ends...yet we just do not have enough hours in the day to talk to every client to explain to them everything that we are dealing with... and I'm not going to do that here, but can assure you that unless you are directly involved you just don't know what you don't know. (We do discuss being empathetic and giving them an idea of what's going on when able... but most of the time that leads to longer and longer time spent that becomes unproductive and without resolution... and then it's expected to be repeated with the same/different clients over and over)
We try to be 100% transparent with everybody (but the truth is I don't have a lot of solutions at the moment that would satisfy my clients... including ETD's of service/production that are acceptable to them). Instead I use my limited resources to try to proactively work towards getting back to the level of service and production that have defined us for the past 5+ decades.
What I can say is that it is all- consuming and affects my personal life and family and nights and mornings and weekends.
I and my staff are not perfect and there are always situations where you wish you had the benefit of hindsight, but right now I have to protect my staff with all my being unless I find/feel that they are being malicious, immoral, or illegal with respect to our business/clients... which is not the case. So yes at times when clients feel as though I'm choosing my people over them...they are correct.
I'll finish with 2 credo that I am currently espousing:
1. Just do your best and be ok with that because that's all you can do.
2. Let assholes be assholes, but don't be an asshole (yourself).
This is not personally directed at anybody on this site in particular, but I know a lot of business owners from various industries that are in the same boat right now (each one dealing with similar yet different 'constraints') and just because we don't have the answers it doesn't mean we are being complacent, not using/seeking available resources, not thinking outside the box. Also, personally my business is still productive and successful and many of our clients still tell us how impressed they are with how we are navigating the current environment... but the clients we can't help still eats away at us due to our caring/efforts especially when we are unsuccessful/not as high level as we are accustomed to.
And for all of those businesses not having issues and all of those customers that are getting what they want... good for you, I'm genuinely happy for you.
I think I need a drink and then a nap... oh wait I have to go in to work because I'm working the closing shift today.
<end rant>
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest...I plan on going back to having fun and busting chops while occasionally providing some hopefully useful info.
rodeo update for philly bound cars. Just got off the phone with gm customer service. They moved up my edd from 6/9 to 6/7. Could they be finally coming to our region.
