bull shit, he had every right, that comment could have killed his company

He could have set the record streight without that type of negative imagery towards Heather and Nate. This would have been a Help for his Companies image.  Unfortunately I am leaning towards Heathers opionions anyways. Maybe Calmini is making Suzuki products but Does Steve Really care? That is the real question.  After reading the posts on Pirate, I would hope he still does. He has been with suzuki for so long it would be ashame if he didn't.  

Calmini had been a big sponsor for Gonzookin the last 2 years.  This year Steve chose not to because of bad publicity like this. I think Steve is just not fealing respected by us as a comunity anymore.  Maybe we shouldn't be complaining so much and start thanking him for some of the great products that they did the original R and D on and have now become the Norm.

So maybe instead of not buying from Calmin maybe we should Call Steve and tell Him Thanks for the great products.

bashing the company IS a far cry from contacting them with product ideas or pressuring them into making more stuff for zukis... this is probably the fastest way to turn Calmini off of zukis, possibly "burning our bridge" so to speak...

Eric,
can you please lock this thread, it is getting out of hand. :-/

stu

Eric,
can you please lock this thread, it is getting out of hand. :-/

stu

I'm not going to lock it but I'd would ask that everybody take a deep breath and think about what is being typed. I would like to ask all to consider being more courteous and gracious with each other.

Thank you, -Eric

Wow, take a day off from coming in here and look at all I miss.  
All I can say after jus spending a half hour reading all the posts and replys both fromthe Pirate and over hear, is simply this.  I deal with the general public every day.  And If I EVER talked to a customer that way, it would DEFINITELY cost me my job.  There really was no reason for those replys.
   Second thing, before the Tracker I had an Isuzu Trooper, and being around a lot of other Isuzu owners, I heard a  number of complaints about a ver company (Calmini).  When I first started looking in on this board and others about Suzukis, it used to be that a lot of people were saying nice things about the company and their products.  I've heald back from ever saying anything about them, just because of this, I figured it must just be the Isuzu guys, and that they really must not be all that bad to deal with after all.......Well, my personal opinion has changed, and believe you me, when the time comes that I'm looking to lift my Tracker, (once its paid for)  I can tell you in which direction I won't be looking towrds.  

    That's just no way to treat a good customer,  Dave

Wow, take a day off from coming in here and look at all I miss.  

Took the words right out of my mouth

I don't completely agree with the old customer service saying "the customer is always right". Sometimes some customers are just not worth keeping at the end of the day and no matter what you do it will never be good enough but having said that I now know why customer service at Calmini isn't always the best. The corporate culture is set by the boss and when you see a boss respond as has been seen here what do you expect from others in the organisation too. Sometimes though things need to come to a head for a change to occur and hopefully one will. If not, Nature abhors a vacuum and someone else will fill the role as has been seen by other vendors developing products.

If not, Nature abhors a vacuum and someone else will fill the role as has been seen by other vendors developing products.

For example?  Last I checked, CALMINI came out with more new and innovative products than all other "vendors" combined.  Hell, they created the Suzuki aftermarket.  Without them, no one else would exist. Someone had to make all the parts first before the other guys could copy and slam the originator.  To date they are still the only company that actually produces a performance suspension system for the Kicks, not just coils and spacers.  Does anyone actually compare the parts that are available or just spout off at the mouth with what they heard from their buddy?  

For example?  Last I checked, CALMINI came out with more new and innovative products than all other "vendors" combined.  Hell, they created the Suzuki aftermarket.  Without them, no one else would exist. Someone had to make all the parts first before the other guys could copy and slam the originator.  To date they are still the only company that actually produces a performance suspension system for the Kicks, not just coils and spacers.  Does anyone actually compare the parts that are available or just spout off at the mouth with what they heard from their buddy?  

I don't know the full history of who created what and when and yes I currently have a Calmini 3" suspension on my rig but it is modified as it isn't what I'd call 100% as it comes from them. I have had OME suspension on mine, there has also been Procomp and BDS suspension options I believe, I can buy a SAS kit locally and I have ARB lockers and bars and snorkels and none of its from Calmini. I also have crawler gears (not Calmini) and there are other manufacturers to choose from too (and Calmini wasn't the first to do them). There are OTT's Kickers and Sky's Idler arms and Trail Tough has a rear disc conversion and bodylifts and sliders etc. can be also bought from others. Calmini aren't the be all and end all that some seem to think they are but they do provide options and some things that others don't eg. 5.83 R&P's(OOPS! sorry sometimes  ) but seriously they do develop products and that is a good thing and we don't want to lose vendors like that but they aren't the only game in town and poor customer service/relations is just bad business practice.

i have read the post,

I have been on this planet long enough to know that rumors can ruin somone.

When i hear rumors about local companys around here such as mechanic shops, 4 wheel drive shops and transmission shops, from hearing these rumors i dont go to these places, therefore the companys are loosing buisness, just like what could to happen to calmini's suzuki section if peopel are spouting off rumors about them.

i have delt with calmini and their service SUCKS this is a FACT. they LIED to me, this is a FACT. and i will never have a good thing to say about this company EVER !
the repily steve gave on pirat was the same addituide i got whenever i called calmini.
i think if he was really conserned about the suzuki market and his company he would have responded a lot differenty to the whole thread ,and furthermore he should chime in hear and set the record straight .
their are a lot of unhappy people with calmini.

well h#$l i might as well chim in too

i think everyone already knows how i feel, great products/bad sirvice.  my family has owned 3 buisness that did very well, and you never talk that way to a customer.  you say, sorry you feel that way, have a nice day, blah blah blah....

but think of this too.  if today calmini disapeared and tomorrow you bought a track/kick that you wanted to mod.  it would be alot harder for the average zuker to do some stuff.  do-able but harder.  thats all my 2c. :-/

WOW! I've never ordered from Calmini, the only time I tried they put me on hold for so long I just gave up.

Bashing or not a business owner should never talk to customers in such a manner, especially a lady as nice as Heather. State your opinion, own up to your shortcomings and move on.

A local friend/fabricator is working on my stuff at this moment With an attitude like Steve's and the track record of his company I doubt if he'll ever get any of my money. No offense intended toward anyone, just my opinion.

i think what steve said to heather and nate is uncalled for, and must be followed up with a heart filled apology.

that being said, i've never had a problem with calmini. my last shippment was a month overdue, but they didn't charge my credit card untill it shipped. the product is of top quality. sometimes in bussiness you can't always meet production deadlines, and the sales staff will say things to buy time. patients is a virtue, when wanting something badly.

i'm not trying to defend steve for the stupid remarks said about others. but i'm not going to condem a company because one of the reps suffers from foot in mouth disease from time to time.

not trying to sound like the voice of reason here but others not directly involved should not do any band wagon jumping.

sam  

I'm a business man myself and all i can say is that you dont have a business without customers and you dont have customers without respect
what steve did is wrong and a appology is in order
the only thing he accomplished is pissing a lot of people off, makes no business scence to me :-/
what does he expect to accomplish with this action?
you dont treat any human being that way customer or not PERIOD
karma will get ya
my .02

jason(never bought from calmini)

Well, I don't know which is sadder;

Being involed in this topic.

Having gotten everybody else involved in this topic.

Having put people like Eric B and the resources of this website in the middle because of the banner at the top of this page.  


Having seen some of the ugliness from Steve, myself and others involved really makes this a crappy thread.

And to top it all off, nothing will have come of it except bad blood, bad feelings, broken trust and a few more well educated people.

Personally Brian,
I have a few questions for you.  No answer needed.
#1) Do you feel that Heather is 'stupid'?
#2) Do you expect the vendors whom you do business with to talk about their customers, publically I might add, this way?

#3)Do you feel that Heather and I are phoney as a 3 dollar bill?
#4)Again would you like to do business with a company who talks about their customers this way?

Granted it might have been wrong for Heather to 'add fuel to the fire', however she may genuinely feel, may have heard and wanted to express her opinions about Calmini.

For this, about all we can do to genuinely assist in 'solveing the problem', would be for us to ask questions from, and guide the misguided.

#1- No I do not think Heather is stupid. But to rephrase the question to; do I think her comment on pirate was stupid, yes I do. It had little relivance to the thread it is was obviously a cheap shot at continuing a rumor heard on line (or elseware) that had ZERO proof to back it, a 100% false statement that should of nerver been stated.

#2 If I were in his shoes I HOPE I would of handleded it differently, BUT in this situation Heather was no longer a customer, but from the appearance of the post an X customer that jumped right on the Pirate band waggon trying to bash Calmini, right along with the other nedless BS posts in that thread

#3 No I do not feel that you are phony, maybe a bit arrogant, but not phony. You'll have done a great job developing your ride into a one of a kind ride, and I have always respected you'll for that, but if you look back at your last years of postings, you'll are getting arrogant with your posts, and the comment made in that post WAS a phony week ass statement aimed at only stiring up more shit on pirate.

#4 I will continue to do business with Steve and his company as long as they continue to deliver the top notch products they have ALWAYS delivered. As far as the speaking to their customers like that, If I was bashing their company and spreading false rumors about them just to stir up shit, I would expect to hear comments like that (but it should of been done in private) even though it appeared that he was replying to NON-customers or x customers that had jumped on a bitch fest about items they could of easily changed with only TWO phone calls(1 to Calmini to cancel their order and the next to order it somewhere else)

I do feel it was wrong for her to add fuel to the fire, especially in a fight that she had no involvement in, and I do agree that the misslead needs to be informed (WITH FACTS NOT RUMORS and bitchy people that complain on line before they ever voice a problem with the vendor. Every bit of this continuing debate and bitch fest could of been avoided by one person voicing is opinion on Calminis handling of his order and simply cancling the order and buying form one of the many other vendors available for the same parts.

Zig