Shine Auto Project: Letter to Shine customers ... Company Update 2009!
 

Hey Guys,

I just wanted to give you guys and update on recent company info and a summary of what's been going on in our company since the beginning of the year, which I hope can help explain some of our "absenteeism" or lack of customer service.

Company Address:

Shine Auto Project, Inc.
9135 Santa Anita Ave.
Rancho Cucamonga, Ca 91730

Phone: (909) 980-3433

If you don’t get me by phone, please leave a clear message. Clearly mention your name and contact number (that’s all I really need). Repeat the number twice if you can as I cannot count how many times the numbers don’t come through clearly.

Aol Instant Messenger: ShineProjectKen (I find this to be the most effective way to reach me as I am not glued to the phone:)

email: shineautoproject@gmail.com

paypal: shineautoproject@gmail.com (same as email)

www.shineautoproject.com

I first would like to start off by apologizing for any inconvenience we have caused for our customers or potential customers who have recently dealt with us or have "tried" to deal with us.

There has been a tremendous amount of adjustments that have been made to our company since the beginning of the year. With adjustments and change comes DRAMA. Let’s face it. Most of us do not like change, however, it is unavoidable if you wish to sustain. We’re in a recession economy. This is no new news. I am sure many of you are facing a tremendous amount of changes in your workplace as well.

The industry has changed and we can sense that our competitors are making adjustments to compete better. Towards the end of 2008, I sat down and spoke with the Shine Auto Project staff emphasizing that our company will have to adjust quickly and as smoothly as possible if we’re going to ride out this recession and give ourselves and edge over our competitors. The companies that can’t hang will fall and the ones that can adjust the quickest will have the best chance of riding this whole thing out. I have a personal business philosophy that any company can prosper in a good economy, however, only the truly good companies can withstand a recession. We’re weeding out the fat and keeping the lean muscle. I want to prove to you guys that we are indeed the lean muscle in this industry. That is our main objective moving forward in 2009.

I want to give you guys a bit of insight on what changes we’ve been going through. Take it for what its worth. I’m sure there are plenty of stories in this economy and I am sure most of you are going through your own story.

Let’s talk about prices and quality of goods. One of the main things helping most of us ride through this recession is deflation – the dropping of pricing of goods to help balance your purchasing power. I am sure most of us are making less than we usually do, so it definitely helps that things are cheaper these days than yesterday.

We’ve been dropping prices of goods. I haven’t had time to make changes on pricing on all the threads (there are just too many threads) , but we have input correct pricing on our own website forum.

Here’s an example:

http://www.forum.shineautoproject.co...thread.php?t=6

I’m sure many of you have called and might have been surprised to see that I have quoted a lower price than advertised.

Dropping prices is not as easy as it sounds. If you compare the prices/quality of our goods to our competitors who produce parts overseas (lower labor cost / lower overhead) we are not far off. I still believe our products to be higher quality than our competitors in most cases. We’ve been able to compete because we are a MANUFACTURER (produced right here in our facility in the USA) of goods and we sell directly to the customer. Yes we do have distributors around the U.S and around the world, but we do a tremendous amount of direct selling minimizing cost in the distribution chain. This is a good thing for our customers overall, but a tremendous amount of work for Shine Auto Project on the customer service side. It’s a good thing I like my job :). One thing about this job… as much as a satisfied customer can make your day… a dissatisfied customer can ruin your day. If I had a choice between type of dissatisfaction, I would rather a customer be dissatisfied because the product was not delivered in a timely fashion than be dissatisfied with quality. So I’m letting all our dissatisfied customers know that if your product arrived to you late, it’s only because it was on backorder or the quality had to be there before it left the facility. We are not perfect, but that is indeed my philosophy and something that I am constantly trying to instill.

Dropping prices does not come without change. Wages have to be renegotiated, which is not an easy thing to do. I personally feel that in such a recession that we are facing, we all have to do more for less. It is difficult to ask an employee to do more for less, but it has to be done. In addition to slimming down labor costs, we have had to put a tremendous amount of pressure on our vendors to cut their pricing as well. If these two things did not happen, I doubt we can sustain with these price decreases. We also have to deal with fixed cost, which cannot be immediately changed. The way we work also has to be changed. Our work system has to be effective and efficient, because that is a form of cost savings as well. Less wasted materials, more disciplined. Some of our staff have been able to hang with the changes, some have not and they are no longer with Shine Auto Project. We run a small operation and I would say half our staff is changed since the beginning of 2009. We prefer a good and strong pool of talent than a large group of lackluster individuals to get the job done.

One of the things that hurt our company and hindered my ability to perform the customer service that I’ve done for the past 3 years is the lackluster performance from our production manager. Production numbers and quality was down. He could not get the backside to “change.” I would not have it, so I found myself having to spend more time on the backside of Shine Auto Project, when our customers needed me on the front side. I had to make an important decision and told myself that my efforts on the front side would be meaningless if the backside was not supporting. Today, the production manager has been replaced with a much more talented and energetic production manager, who I strongly feel can do this job the way it should be done…. the way it HAS to be done.

The previous production manager was moved to a sales position to help support the front side. His assistance was something I desperately needed as I have been tremendously behind dealing with the internal DRAMA. However, his lackluster efforts and work ethic transferred to his new sales position, which is a shame, as he had all the knowledge of our products and had the professionalism and mannerism I would expect of sales person who works at Shine Auto Project. We don’t need someone to “make” sales. We need someone who is mature and can confidently provide our customers with the information they need to make a decision and be able to speak to people on all levels. We have a broad range of customers … young and old. Mature and immature. Patient and impatient. You name it, we got it. There are quite a bit of “unqualified” individuals in this industry handling your purchase…. Trust me on this. People tell me all the time …. “Just hire another sales guy.” Yes… but easier said than done! Just as I am a bit picky about the quality or product you guys are receiving, I am also picky about the quality of information and service you guys are getting. Until I find that person, I am currently the ONLY person on the front end who can help you with your inquiry. I am catching up as fast as I can.

I am currently available till 8 or 9 pm. Even later. I am currently working 7 days a week. People have visited on Sundays and will find me here. Be assured that I am not answering your email, phone call, or inquiry because I don’t want to. It’s more of a matter that I cannot possibly get to everyone at this point. I know that some of my responses are quick and it might come off as if I’m trying to make a quick sale. All I’m trying to do is catch up as fast as I can and be adequately informative where I need be.

I’m sure most of you have not heard from me for a long time and it might seem as if we have “fallen off” because of the economy. I can assure you that is NOT the case. If anything… I’d hate to say it….. but we’re getting too many orders in (more than I can handle given the current situation) and I cannot fulfill the demand with the state Shine Auto Project has been in the last several months. The changes have been made for the better and hopefully we can catch up and come out a level up where we were last year.
If you have made an order with us and feel uncomfortable not hearing from me in a timely fashion, be assured that your hard earned money is indeed in good hands. We’re not going anywhere anytime soon. You will get a product or your money back. I will confidently say that no customer of ours has dealt with us and come out empty handed. ZERO.

In addition to the changes mentioned above, we’ve also embarked on an ambitious project no company in our industry has done. We are trying to build an “informative” forum and build an excellent website off the information on the forum. There are just way too many websites out there that do not provide enough information. Aero kit purchase requires information. Good pictures. Installation guides. And most importantly, genuine feedback from REAL customers. We don’t spend a dime on ads. Our customer base has come from referral from word of mouth or information spread on the forums, which is why we look to take care of our customers as best as we can as I can honestly and proudly say most of you have been taking care of us. Very few of our competitors, if any, are willing to invest the time to create an atmosphere of information and honest dialogue. We’re looking to change that.

We’re also building a garage/showroom so we can take good quality installation pics and well as pictures of products and finished cars if possible. This has consumed a lot of my time as well, but has helped our local customers understand our products better. When a customer comes to Shine Auto Project, I drop everything and show them around. This is no joke. When you come to Shine, I treat you as if you came to my house. As a matter of fact, I have offered people to pick parts from my house during after hours, especially when I live closer to them. I have had numerous customers from out of state visiting Los Angeles and they are more than eager to see what we got going on here. To me, it is a rare opportunity to showcase what we do to the world, so I definitely spend time with customers who visit. I would say that is the best part of my job. When you walk out that door I often times tell myself, “damn, I gotta get back to work. I have a lot of catching up to do.” I hope that those who have visited are satisfied with what they saw.

To add to the drama, my quickbooks crashed along with my computer. I’ve had to acquire a new computer and install everything etc…. I am still trying to figure out issues. I currently cannot send sales order confirmations. I will get this take cared of as fast as I can and hopefully quickbooks’ data recovery staff can get my file back in action.

Aside from that, the main goal of this write up is to apologize for our lack of service in recent months and to assure you that we are moving forward strong. It is possible that inquiries have come this way as some competitors have dropped off. We are definitely not dropping out the game anytime soon. If anything, we’re changin’ the game. Thanks.

Ken

Ken, its good to know that there are buisness owners out there that work as hard as anyone else in the world and can come accross with the character you just displayed in this thread. Also to know that you give it to your customers straight no bullshit. Keep up the good work i think i speak for everyone when i say that we all respect the work and products you provide to this community.

Thanks
Cory

Thanks Cory.

We operate out of a 14,000 square foot facility. We have all the tools we need right here. We're definitely not going anywhere anytime soon. Here are a few pics. I can't show you guys everything, but I can show you some :).

http://img35.imageshack.us/img35/158...parts2z033.jpg
http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/717...041855x642.jpg

I've ordered parts from Ken over the last month or so. He is hard to get a hold of (for obvious reasons), but he DID get back with me, I do have the parts I ordered, he did give me a lower (GREAT) price and Im happy...

Thanks Ken, hope you get it all worked out!

Victor

Sad to hear that things are going that rough for you, good luck with all the drama. I'm hoping to get some more products in the near future also.

Ken, this is David from Boston, you charged me twice on my card for the diffuser add-on remember? LOL Anyways, im glad to hear that you are doing well. From a customers stand point, i don't think you have much to worry about. Its the quality of your parts and service that sets you apart from the others. And for you to figure out whats wrong or what could be fixed with your business before the problem has even come, then you are already miles ahead of everyone one else. So quit the typing and more parts, what i wouldn't mind is the knightsports headlight kit but better, throw some bi-zenon projectors and of that Shine Auto R&D on it and we got ourselves a recession killer.

agreed, shine does does make very very good quality items.

hope to see your company grow and maybe you will have your on trademark on a unique style body kit or items for the rotary community(like c-west and erebuni)

thanks again ken..

btw, im loving those kevlar skirts. i should drop by your shop in a few weeks for that lip pic and undertray =)

I can definitely relate to some of your problems, running a business and meeting customer demands are tough. Here is somethings I think you need to work out from personal experience.

1. If you ship multiple items, you need to package them better. I was in a recent order with feed front and rear fenders, a diffuser and some other tid-bits. They were only wrapped in a plastic bag, no other protection. Consequently, my rear quarters had some slight damage from hitting other parts, which is going to cost me more money to fix. One layer of bubble wrap would have fixed that, I buy bubble wrap in 1000ft rolls and it is cheap. If prices have to go up $10 to accommodate better packaging, then I think it would be justified. I have had some shipping problems in the past by letting other people package products, which was a bad idea.
2. Not sure what the problem is but I ordered a burnout front bumper awhile ago and it was fine. I got a feed front bumper in and it had a lot of waves and required much more work and time at the bodyshop which is more money out of pocket.

I understand I am getting this cheaper then if I were to get it from Feed (not that much cheaper because of what I can get) so I cant expect a perfect item so I cant really gripe about anything. Just I thought I would share my problems, other then that you ship next day and have always gotten back to me on e-mails. I will be back to order a low profile spoiler, so I cant be that upset :)

My first order with Shine went without a hitch both in speedy communication and product delivery. As a customer, I appreciate the detailed write up of the "state of the union" and appreciate the apology for service even if I was not affected. Keep up the good work and Thanks!

Purerx7.

Your problems are exactly the problems I was approaching my ex production manager with. Better packaging and more consistent quality. There was too much inconsistency and I can honestly now say it is at a much higher level.

There are times a customer is confused about what the standard of quality should be, but there are also times where the product is extremely bad and should not be shipped out. I had to replace a bit of these items.

Quality control is very difficult in this industry. You gotta be on it.

Ken

One more thing.

As I am answering older pms and emails... it is very difficult for me to know if I have taken cared of a customer or not. Simply because a customer contacts me using 3 different methods. Phone, email, or Pm. If I took care of someone by phone, there's always a likelihood I didnt answer their email or pm. I can remember some transactions, but not all of them.

Ken

Im caught up on pms. Feel free to pm me as I should be ablel to answer them quickly. However, I do still have a ton of emails to answer to.

Ken

LOL, you probably should work on your site a bit more too. People here know you have great stuff, but for someone don't know you. your site lack of any usable info. You got no product/price list there :D

best of luck ken. hope you guys can catch up fast!!!

ben

Ken, this is Bin, I haven't ordered from you, yet, but who seem like a great guy. To tell you the truth if I were stationed in Cali I'd come and help you out, free of charge. Keep it up man you've got my support.

You need a FB to go with that FC & FD...

Good luck getting caught back up Ken. I still really want that DRY carbon hatch.

This is 100% fact.
I was at shine last week and ken dropped everything and showed me around the whole warehouse for about 45 minutes. Anything I wanted to know about any product he was happy to answer. He even test fitted an item I was picking up on one of his shop cars to ensure that I knew what I was buying. If thats not customer service I dont know what is.

Ken rules end of story, I would never hesitate to do business with him again.

Ken

sorry if this is OT


do u have more pics of that Grey FC? and which of ur mods is on it..

it looks HAWT

i'll help ken out with this one
https://www.rx7club.com/shineautoproject-161/shines-demo-fc3s-exterior-complete-771263/

Ken, I have not purchased anything from your company but I have several of your items on my "to buy" list. A thread like this really goes a long way in my book. For a business owner to be this transparent about the inner issues of his/her business is quite something. And it will definately help install greater customer confidence and loyalty. Just reading through this has definately solidified my intent to do business with your company in the future. Not only that, but I almost just want to fly out there just to see the place and be shown around!! Thank you for being honest, and good luck with your new changes.
-Noah-

I purchased a set of FEED Replica sideskirts from Shine awhile back and was quite happy with the product I received and the manner in which my order was handled. Ken, I am glad you wrote this letter to the community as it really puts your dedication in the spotlight. It is very refeshing to know there are still some companies with standards and I wish you the very best!

One thing I might suggest is the inclusion of instructions or mounting templates with your products. I ended up using the indents in the sideskirts as a general guide and mounting them where I thought they looked best, but it would be nice to know where they were intended to mount.

Again, best of luck pursuing the dream and consider me a satisfied customer.

ken, are you guys still in business? i tried calling, e-mailing, pm'ing and nothing...

Impatient much? lol, He stated plenty of times that "Shine isn't going anywhere".

Ken, I've got a BNIB lip I bought from a guy... Quality looks great. It has Bubble wrap? ;D I haven't done business with you directly, but I wouldn't think twice to do so.
You need to train some seagulls for cheaper shipping... Shipping + Customs kill us Canadians ;D