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Car Forum / Antique and Collectibles / Studebaker / October 2004What's up with SASCO?
I ordered a grille from them and a month or so later, when no grille arrived, I emailed twice and was eventually told they're out of stock. Okay. I emailed again asking about any availability but have'nt been answered. This is uncharacteristic to how I've been delt with in the past. Wierd. I had to order a steering box 3 times, I'd better have a heart to heart with Dennis. I know things are not going well business wise, but poor service won't help. > I ordered a grille from them and a month or so later, when no grille arrived, I > emailed twice and was eventually told they're out of stock. Okay. I emailed > again asking about any availability but have'nt been answered. This is > uncharacteristic to how I've been delt with in the past. Wierd.  SignatureJP/Maryland Studebaker On the Net http://stude.com My Ebay items:http://www.stude.com/EBAY/ 64 Challenger (Green Wrapper) 63 R2 4 speed GT Hawk (keeper) 63 GT Hawk 63 Avanti R2 (sold) 56 E12 Pickup Follow the polls: http://electoral-vote.com/ (Kerry guy page) http://www.electionprojection.com/ (Bush guy page) I've been getting the usual stellar service - always prompt, always right. > I had to order a steering box 3 times, I'd better have a heart to > heart with Dennis. I know things are not going well business wise, but [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > again asking about any availability but have'nt been answered. This is > > uncharacteristic to how I've been delt with in the past. Wierd. SignatureRemove xxx to email. Somwhere in Texas, a village is missing its idiot. John; I have said it before. Dennis does not know how to take care of his inventory, market what he has, and had missed many vital opportunities in the past. Perhaps you should approach Dennis on becoming 'General Manager', move back to South Bend and be done with it. Everyone would come out the winner. Having virtually a repeat scenario of parts still getting rained upon, because of missing windows and the like, is just one of many examples. Too me, it is like doing a 400 point restoration on a convertible, then parking it outside year around with the top down... Oh, and put a forsale sign under the wiper too, after the rubber eventually falls off, but keep raising the price. KK In response to: > I had to order a steering box 3 times, I'd better have a heart to > heart with Dennis. I know things are not going well business wise, but > poor service won't help. In defense of Dennis and SASCO, a few years ago I came up with a motto, slogan, saying. We are too small to be this big, and too big to be this small. If he is like me he is a one armed paper hanger in a windstorm. There are only x amount of hours, and I am not sure about Dennis, but I spend from 8am to 9 pm everyday trying to get orders out, get the Turning Wheels ad the next month done, Trying to overcome a cashflow problem when no orders have come in and your buying on spec. I have never been to SASCO, but based on the amount of parts I imagine he has, pulling orders together must be a nightmare. For examplewe have have shirts that are called Authorized Service and Modern Service. Howevre both have the word authorized in it. There are times where the woring shirt ios pulled to ship. We get behind, and I mean behind, and it coulod be for valid reasons or dumb reasons, like writting down an order on scrap paper becasue your not near your desk All I can say is Dennis is human, he has a lot of materilal under his control, and all it takes is one o two days of nonproductivity to delay things by weeks. Bill http://bondobilly.com/#stuff TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW SHIRTS.....THEY ARE NEAT > In defense of Dennis and SASCO, a few years ago I came up with a motto, > slogan, > saying. > > We are too small to be this big, and too big to be this small. A lot of business have a one-liner on their wall, "If you are not satisfied, tell US! If you are satisfied, tell others!" Last week, I was the high bidder on a SASCO item, and got the order today in good shape. Dennis will get a 'Praise' on Ebay from me when I do my Feedback. There are probably more deeply rooted problems in South Bend than just what you see here. Could you imagine having to do business in a hostile environment like Post-Studebaker South Bend? I'm sure Dennis had to put up with his share of "corporate ostracism" with the local business association in his community, with no one coming to his aid to lobby on his behalf such as when the city forced him to move. Craig. I did apply for a position when it was still N & A about 20 years ago when I was reprocing some parts myself. My proposal was to be the reproduction parts manager. I would research the market, source the vendors and walk each part through from concept to production. I would present the parts proposal to Jeff with tooling costs, projected sales and the rest. If and only if, they accepted the proposal, I would get a small percentage of all sales. I thought it was a risk free deal for him, but I was turned down flat. > John; > I have said it before. Dennis does not know how to take care of his [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] >>heart with Dennis. I know things are not going well business wise, but >>poor service won't help. SignatureJP/Maryland Studebaker On the Net http://stude.com My Ebay items:http://www.stude.com/EBAY/ 64 Challenger (Green Wrapper) 63 R2 4 speed GT Hawk (keeper) 63 GT Hawk 63 Avanti R2 (sold) 56 E12 Pickup Follow the polls: http://electoral-vote.com/ (Kerry guy page) http://www.electionprojection.com/ (Bush guy page) The problem basically is that the old N&A became a political football after the building was sold and while the solution saved the parts, it did not provide a solid business solution. In retrospect, I think that the inventory should have gone to the museum that in turn would have operated the parts biz under its tax free status as a fund raising apparatus. Dennis could have been hired to manage the inventory and day to day operation but the headaches of paying taxes, possibly losing the real estate due to a negative sales picture (from a commercial point of view) would not exist. But then... what do I know??? No one ever listens to me... JT > I did apply for a position when it was still N & A about 20 years ago > when I was reprocing some parts myself. My proposal was to be the [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > http://electoral-vote.com/ (Kerry guy page) > http://www.electionprojection.com/ (Bush guy page) SignatureJT Just tooling through cyberspace in my ancient G4 You said some good things and had some good ideas, but there are some additional things. The sheer size of the inventory and the inventory turn rate would make it impossible to run the business if the floor space costs are anywhere near today's market value. So, that makes running it like a normal business irrelevant. The cheapest available (in this case only available) floor space involves dealing with some flaws, but the nature of the business mandates using that space. Other vendors have the opportunity to choose their inventory and tailor their stock to demand and available space. That chance did not exist in this case. Who of us would want to have to make the choice to keep or not keep, where many items are irreplaceable, and of no value until someone wants it? It amazes me that purchasing and inventory control practices rarely make the list of reasons why Studebaker had trouble producing a profit out of South Bend. Tell me any other business that could have survived with a 40+ year supply of so many spare parts. Granted, some of the items there would have been used in production if it had continued. But how many parts still around don't have 64-66 applications? As far as the City running the operation, have you ever had to do business with a municipality? And you mentioned politics as a problem too. > The problem basically is that the old N&A became a political football > after the building was sold and while the solution saved the parts, it [quoted text clipped - 53 lines] >> http://electoral-vote.com/ (Kerry guy page) >> http://www.electionprojection.com/ (Bush guy page) > I had to order a steering box 3 times, I'd better have a heart to heart > with Dennis. I know things are not going well business wise, but poor [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >> again asking about any availability but have'nt been answered. This is >> uncharacteristic to how I've been delt with in the past. Wierd. Twice I have contacted Dennis directly regarding the availability of parts and never got a reply. One was a reply to a message I had seen when they were pushing door panels and seat covers and such. I emailed him and asked if they had anything for our 63 cruiser in either red or rose mist, never heard back.. Guess he's really busy but should have someone monitoring his emails from his website.... John I was at SASCO in late July and was really concerned about the operation there. It had rained fairly hard the night before and water was leaking down through the ceiling onto the parts in the main sales area. They had put up a few tarps to deflect the water, but it was still dripping down in a few places on the NOS parts, this was not a good sign. I can only imagine what was happening on the upper floor and in the back areas. I'm not necessarily point the finger of blame at Dennis, I can imagine the cost of fixing the roof of the building would be well beyond what the business can afford give the current cash flow, however if SI and SA can make a living at selling Studebaker parts SASCO should too. Frankly they need a more positive marketing strategy; put out a catalog, go to the Studebaker shows and run some specials (not the same parts in TW we've seen for the part 10 years.). Sorry for being blunt, but as I see the largest Studebaker part inventory in the world is at serious risk. > I was at SASCO in late July and was really concerned about the operation > there. It had rained fairly hard the night before and water was leaking > down through the ceiling onto the parts in the main sales area. I think he got a raw deal from the city when the got rid of the old building to make room for the new jail. Expropriation can be an awful thing. Craig. > > I was at SASCO in late July and was really concerned about the operation > > there. It had rained fairly hard the night before and water was leaking [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Craig. Wasn't the old building a leaker too? SignatureJT Just tooling through cyberspace in my ancient G4 > Wasn't the old building a leaker too? I don't think a bad, but at least he owned that one. This one is leased from the city. Craig. > > Wasn't the old building a leaker too? > > I don't think a bad, but at least he owned that one. This one is leased > from the city. > > Craig. I'm aware of that but this building (I believe) is mostly concrete and steel ain't it? If so, the city should be responsible for the roof. In my experience, unless it is absolutely flat, repairs are reasonably simple and not all that expensive. SignatureJT Just tooling through cyberspace in my ancient G4 I have been visiting and buying from SASCO for years, what has been apparent to me is that the simple lack of a catalog such as NA published, has led to a loss of inventory control, and to the loss of a great many potential sales. I can use the SEARCH function on their website, and be told "no record found", yet when I visit, I can many times locate entire pallets and gondolas full of the parts I was trying to purchase online! however attempting to purchase these parts is something else, go to the counter, they enter the stock #, and "no record found" therefore that part is unavailable, why? it is unlisted, therefore no pricing is available. I would say, that personally, the lack of an up to date catalog has reduced my purchases from them by at least 80% or more, from back in the days when I could browse the NA catalog, now-days the bulk of my Studebaker parts purchases are from E-Bay, or from other vendors on the net, where I can find both pictures and valuable information to make my purchase decisions easier. I would rather be buying from SASCO, but the fact is most home based E-Bay sellers are doing a far more professional and better job of showcasing their wares, In my view SASCO desperately NEEDS a salesman like JP to survive much longer. > I have been visiting and buying from SASCO for years, what has been > apparent to me is that the simple lack of a catalog such as NA [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > showcasing their wares, In my view SASCO desperately NEEDS a salesman > like JP to survive much longer. Any attempt at inventory control needs: A thorough initial inventory count Marked locations Descriptions Interchanges Stock numbers (Hopefully matching old p/n's) To do this, the business (the first time that it is done) must shut down for a few days so schedule is very important. A staff (I suggest volunteers that are trustworthy) must be assembled. Clear goals must be established. A database must be in place. (FileMaker suggested) Of course, this won't fix a leaky roof and there is always that other nagging issue of loss prevention. I don't know how intense these issues are, but both contribute to the secure maintenance of any given inventory. This is all of the top of my pointy head. Others may have additional suggestions so please fire away! SignatureJT (who would not mind volunteering for a few days but NOT during the winter!) >Descriptions >Interchanges >Stock numbers (Hopefully matching old p/n's) I am not sure of how manyof you out there remember Tony Caralla? He was one of the few out there who almost memorized all the part numbers and their interchanges. After 70 odd years of working with the parts he was a walking library and amazing parts finder. When he past, he and his daughter had just finished an inventory 4 months before. They guestimated they had over 1,000,000 parts instock, now before you go oh yea right.. figure that every screw and fastener had a part number, and he might have 1000 or so of each screw or fastener. Now the inventory they did was on card catalog sized library card. Each part instock was numbered, both for the part, and the sub-group, plus the location of each part. If you needed a vibration damper the card would state qty on hand, the part number, what it fit, and where. The where part was the best. Vibration damper 47 Cmdr early, inside 55 gallon drum, old laundry room. Oil pressure line, 47-50 18 in ammo box under steps. When you went to the ammo box, not only was there the oil lines, but other parts that over the years were subgrouped numerically Not only was it a labor of love, it was great business practice as he could have a customer on the phone and he could pull the card file and say if he had it in stock. whenone was sold, the card go a note sold one 10-18-83 whata atask to undertake. http://bondobilly.com/#stuff TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW SHIRTS.....THEY ARE NEAT > >Descriptions >>Interchanges >>Stock numbers (Hopefully matching old p/n's) > > I am not sure of how manyof you out there remember Tony Caralla? > Now the inventory they did was on card catalog sized library card. Each > part [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > he had > it in stock. whenone was sold, the card go a note sold one 10-18-83 Keeping a running inventory like that is now a lost art, for sure. In most parts places you rely on the computer for 'quick codes' for lookup and/or scanners to locate something that has an assigned bin location. Not to mention monthly cycle-counts that was a part of business in the pre-computer era. One had to rely on sheer memory, or a more accurate description than what you can get away with now. At one time, you could conduct business during a power failure if there was enough ambient daylight, certainly not the case nowadays for most businesses... > whata atask to undertake. > http://bondobilly.com/#stuff > TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW SHIRTS.....THEY ARE NEAT I quit memorizing part numbers around '74 or so.. I learned that part numbers change, so memorizing them is futile. But then again, Studebaker numbers are frozen in time, so futility must be preserved <g>. Teaching an Acme visible card system today would be lost today's youth. They can only click boxes on screens. Jeff (parts is parts?) Rice "Bill Glass" wrote... > >Descriptions >>Interchanges [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > http://bondobilly.com/#stuff > TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW SHIRTS.....THEY ARE NEAT I still miss the card catalog in the libraries. Jeff (clicker of boxes) DeWitt <G> > I quit memorizing part numbers around '74 or so.. > I learned that part numbers change, so memorizing them is futile. [quoted text clipped - 50 lines] >>http://bondobilly.com/#stuff >>TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW SHIRTS.....THEY ARE NEAT I definitely remember him, bought a few things from him that weren't available out of SASCO(old) anymore, never did get by their store tho. Whatever happened to him and the stock? -- wf. > >Descriptions > >Interchanges [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > have a customer on the phone and he could pull the card file and say if he had > it in stock. whenone was sold, the card go a note sold one 10-18-83 > never did get by their store tho. >Whatever happened to him and the stock? After 30 years at their location, they were basically evicted, and the last night of their being open was a Manhattan Chapter meeting held there.....like a putz, I forgot, but found out a week after, that whatever you could carry was yours, like his old cash register, some signs and other neat stuff. They moved the entire operation from University Avenue to Bronxwood Ave. Tony's apartment house. They put stock in vacant apartments, and in the enite cellar and a bomb shelter like area in back of the apartment building. After he was gone, Louise Morris, his daughter tried to run it, but it was way too much for her to handle. As I understand it, and I can be wrong. Packard Farms bought a lot of inventory and a few others bought some stuff. Some stock of everyday items and some rare parts were kept to keep Louise's son Wayne in stock when he opened his service center in Mamaroneck NY Ellen and I with a bunch of the chapter members went to the wake, and I am not sure if the stuff was intombed with him or not, but many rare parts adorned his coffin. Also in the casket was a painting of a road, comic book style and two billowy clouds, with a lightning bolt going thru one cloud and the caption from one cloud to the other cloud was, the door handle for a 59 Lark is 567235. Billy G http://bondobilly.com/#stuff TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW SHIRTS.....THEY ARE NEAT |
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