I'm just picking up on this incident and all I can say is "too bad". I know Steve K. has a temper, especially when someone is slamming on his company. That thread on the Pirate Peanut Gallery had been going for several days and I think Heather's comments just happened to come at  exactly the wrong time. Hopefully this whole thing will blow over.
 My experiences with Calmini have always been good.

Comments aren't going to destroy a business that doesn't rely on one, small, cheap community.

Man you nailed it right there. CHEAP ASS Zuk owners wanting top quality products CHEAP, is exactly what all of this is about. If someone does not want to wait, buy elseware, make your own, or leave it alone.

Zig

CHEAP ASS Zuk owners

one of my pet peeves

For every 1 person that complains about a bad order or dealing with a company, how many good dealings do we think has transpired? ALOT. When is the last time you ordered a starter from AutoZone, got it the same day, installed it to find out it worked perfectly, and jumped right on line to complement them on their quick delivery and good product? Probably never, for the majority of us. But as soon as we think we were treated wrong we jump on line and tell everybody all about it.

The fact is we have all had god and bad dealings, made comments that were legit and others that should of never should of been made.

The ONLY reason that Steve should of rephrased that comment is because of the business relationship. If it would of been blows between posters, no body would of ever thought any thing about it.

Inside comment for those who know: Why all this stiring shit with Calmini but never a comment about the three letter delay that ended up in bad parts that is still not fixed:-/? That is the #1 reason I quickly replied how I did.

Zig

on Today at 9:41pm, Zukipilot wrote:

CHEAP ASS Zuk owners

one of my pet peeves

I wish it was cheap

Okay, Heres my thoughts.
1) Steve still owes Heather and Nate an apoligie no matter what.
2) I must be of the lucky few that got everything in a timely fashion except for the Swing-A-way Rear bumper.
3)Everytime I bought something, I got a good response
4) If I had a problem, ?.  ( I have no real answer)Lucky for me I didn't have any problems I couldn't solve myself and the help from here. But I have gotten grief from them b-4 (customer service class couldn't hurt)
5)The stiffer than needed front springs were actually a forethought on their (calmini) part.  Many Lift companys will sell you a lift and when you put your winch bumper and winch on, it would sag. Calminis didn't.
6) I have bought dang near everything that Calmini has offered for Kicks,cause thats where thestuff was at I needed.
7)I just don't know.
         I spent an hour+ bouncing between the 2 sites (One I never visit, It's not a Home, It's an orphanage with a bunch of red headed step children) (no offense intended)
Steve still owes Heather and Nate an apoligie no matter what.

#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.

Well, is proof really necessary?  How about some general observations, she's seen.  And maybe others have experienced.

Little/few  new/extreme Calmini products for the newer Suzuki stuff such as XL7s/GVs etc.  (The SAS kit got shelved, at the same time the Nissans got one, remember...)

I think that She see's that the existing Suzuki stuff isn't being produced with any level of priority.  This can be see by all of the angry posters about late/missed shipments for products across their entire Suzuki line.  

She sees that the Nissan boards are reporting that they gettig great delivery times on their stuff.  

These are all things which all makes sense and points to lesser comitment from Calmini on Suzuki products

And to top off the most recent event with the 5.83 gears, all I can really say is when he (Steve) rolls out with a new supply of 5.83 gears, the proof will be in the puddin as they say.

So maybe there is to some truth behind what she has observed, said and wrote.  I and many others don't blame her for it.  (maybe she's the one who should be praised for saying things nobody else has had the guts to say)

#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

 

How can you say she's not a customer.  She has calmini products in her truck, she plans on buying more, she even wears his Calmini sticker on her truck, like a badge on her shoulder.

#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.

"if you look back at last years of postings, you'll are getting arrogant with your posts"
This almost sounds like name calling itself.
Maybe what you are reading is confidence, not necessarily arrogance.  Maybe "I've been there, done that" and have little time to 'nicely' explain things as I see them.  What ever the reason, this type of comment certainly makes me more aware of my 'tone' which I think I've kept in pretty good check all considering.

#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 know what I'm getting into when I order products from Calmini.  If I need something at a given time, I either know its going to happen or not.  I'm not bitching about their lack of responsiveness.  I'm bitching about how they are treating their former/current/potential customers.
We can agree or disagree on weather what Heather said was right or wrong.  I really don't think thats an issue for me.  What bothers me is what Steve said in return.

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

Rumors/facts/myths, what ever the case may be.
Heather knows it, I know it, and I know that others feel the same way.

It appears that Suzukis are low priority for Calmini.
It was all the talk in the mornings at City Market in Moab this past spring.  The Suzuki market is small for Calmini.  

From slow/late orders, poor estimates on delivery/ship dates, not much new product development.  All kind of makes it look like Suzukis are low on the list.  Besides it really doesn't make much sense for them to continue to put much stock in it.  Suzuki's slice in the sport ute market is tiny.

But all of this points to lesser comitment from Calmini on Suzuki products.  If you can't see it, sense it, read about it or haven't heard other people talking about it.  Don't blame her for "Spreading Rumors".  Like I said, I honestly believe she said what she said for a reason besides just spreading rumors.

Unfortunately her expressing this very founded opinion is what has caused this backlash.

And it could have all been resolved by a more civilized reply.

Here is my 2cents......

Heather & Nate have been very close friends to us, for a number of years.  Heather and Nate have never ever tried to hurt anybody intentionally.  From what I read, Heather used her first amendment right and only stated her opinion....  For those of you who read the 4+ pages of the forum, I believe that Heather did not post very much to begin with.  I did not see where Heather's statements could have been preceeved as slander.

What I do not understand, is Why did Steve single out Heather, when there were so many more people that actually made some pretty rude remarks.  I am sure that Steve has Heather's number, and he could have called her talked to her in person, instead of putting his companies reputation on the line.  

Anytime that popular icons/business deal with the public, there is always going to be someone who is unsatisfied with the outcome.  After all look at Michael Jackson.... he has been labeled as a child molester and he is still making money and has numberous fans.  (We feel that he is in the wrong, but that is our opinion.)  

Point is that there is always gonna be mistakes, but that doesn't mean singleing out one person for their opinion and publicly humilating them is very good business public realtions.

(makes me think twice about the vendor). Unless it is all true    

Maybe that is why he did single her out???


And 92kick...... You are one of the biggest hypocrits.... If that is how you treat your friends, then you are nobody that I would do business with!

And 92kick...... You are one of the biggest hypocrits.... If that is how you treat your friends, then you are nobody that I would do business with!

umm what? how do u think so?


just because i voice my oppinion?

"i would have chewed her ass out even more then what he did, if someone was bad mouthing my company"

(your words, not mine)


If this is how you would run your business, I say no Thanks!!!  If you read the forum again, you will see that she did not bad mouth them, but thought that they were more interested in other business.  But you didn't catch that either, hugh?  

That is all I have to say about the subject.

There needs to be more "spin" in Steve's
reply, he could have said, and singled out
Heather, yet not been so harsh, something
like, Heather, that is not true, we still intend
on supporting the Suzuki market, and  .........

Instead it came across harsh and rude, mind
you if you have ever had a meeting with steve,
he comes across harsh, he doesn't seem to take
as much time to listen and reply, I think that's
just his personality, not that it's a good customer
service personality, but it's a good boss personality,
gets things done and moving, more thru fear or
threat than motivation.

I've known people that are like that, and most
don't even think they are rubbing people the
wrong way, so try not to take offence, even if
there is an offensive word written

 Ã‚  If all you guys who buy from Calmini, expecting to be waiting for the parts, know you're going to be waiting for the parts, why doesn't Calmini know this?  Instead they give false delivery dates, over and over again as was the original complaint.  Many Calmini customers who complain about the late shipments WOULD have bought from other vendors if Calmini would have been up front with them about expected delays from the beginning.  Apparently, its all part of Calmini's style of business.  
   Man, that Steve guy needs some anger management training!  Probably along with a few of us!  Seems like its all been said and its only getting uglier the longer this thread goes on (now that I've said my piece  ).  I see this whole thread as hurting not just Calmini but our whole community.  Bad, bad karma.  See, its even sucked me in.   :-/

Natebert, I am with you two when it comes to what Steve said in reply to Heather's response. But You have to understand that her comments can be interpreted as slander. Steve may not be focusing 100% of his efforts in Suzuki, big phuking deal, I can get the numbers on Suzuki's sold compared to Nissan. Suzuki's aren't the #1 selling truck in the world and if Steve want's to put less focus on new products for other platforms that his business. You both may be right if Calmini isn't building any new parts for the GV but maybe it isn't the highest priority for Calmini at this moment.

Again, Calmini customer service needs work, but it's his business so if he says he's not pulling out of Suzuki, then he's not.

so if he says he's not pulling out of Suzuki, then he's not.

until all the zuki parts actually instock leave the shelves.

Natebert, I am with you two when it comes to what Steve said in reply to Heather's response. But You have to understand that her comments can be interpreted as slander. Steve may not be focusing 100% of his efforts in Suzuki, big phuking deal, I can get the numbers on Suzuki's sold compared to Nissan. Suzuki's aren't the #1 selling truck in the world and if Steve want's to put less focus on new products for other platforms that his business. You both may be right if Calmini isn't building any new parts for the GV but maybe it isn't the highest priority for Calmini at this moment.

Again, Calmini customer service needs work, but it's his business so if he says he's not pulling out of Suzuki, then he's not.

Thanks for the very cool response.