lousy customer service

[Paul Stannard]

Hi guys,
I have avoided the forum for a while now and this morning read this post. Although I appreciate the kind words about the SH service I disagree. I spend 95% of my time on other things rather than SH. My phone message clearly states that it may take me several days to return a call. Emails sometimes take several days to return also so my "customer service" is not what the folks in this fast paced internet " I have to have it yesterday" would want or expect. I have had SH for 32 years and that is long enough.When we started it was for fun and never ever was a business in the sense it paid the mortgage or put food on the table. I incurred a huge amount of debt by making new products with my heart and not my business mind. It is easy to see to see the past few years that things have changed in the Hodaka world that I knew and loved. My focus was and is the history and the people like Ed,Curt,Jim,Harry,Chuck, Wilma,Mildred etc..
Now I see that the focus is on price and how fast someone can get their parts. Over the past few years I am worn out from that aspect.Do not need it anymore and that is why I have stopped retooling on some expensive to make parts.
I am worn out with complaints and bad emails or bad calls and the feeling that no matter how hard you try you are failing someone.

Look guys Dan Jennings is one of the most hard working,honest, caring guys I know. Dan took over helping Bill Cook when Bill could not or did not want to deal with the same day to day problems with selling Hodaka parts and pieces.That is why Bill also did not have a phone number to call because he was worn out.Now along comes Dan who is a friend of Bills and a friend to Hodaka and wants to help.
So he tries and tries very hard to serve the public while taking care of his three Subway sandwich shops and his family. Forget about taking care of himself because there was no time left for Dan.Dan did this for over five years. I will not bore anyone with the rude letters sent to Dan or to myself which we shared.But we are speaking of 50 year old motorcycles and it should be fun.For both Dan and I it was not fun anymore.Dan was a competitor of mine in a sense but also one of my very best trusted friends and I personally know and feel the hardships he was going through by trying to please everyone when there was not any time to please yourself.

When Terry and I had lunch one day and he told me he was buying Hodaka Parts I was excited and very happy for Terry but as I told him I was over the moon happy for Dan as he now had this stress of trying to keep up but feeling like he failed now over with. I hope that none of you have this feeling because it SUCKS! The internet can be such a useful tool but also can be used as a weapon.

I strongly support Terry and his team on their journey.I will do whatever I can to help Terry and advise him if needed. I think that he is the right guy at the right time. Terry will be someone that is honest and has the best interest of Hodaka in his mind.No matter where I go or what I do with my parts be it sell or be it just lock the door one day I will be fine and happy. DO NOT wear Terry down with the trivial complaints or expectations that exceed what is possible to do. These are fifty year old bikes and no one is chasing a worlds championship so please chill and enjoy the ride as it can be fun.

I have made some of the best friends of my life through Hodaka and even though I am stepping down and stepping back they will always be my friends. The parts business is a thankless job and you can never please everyone no matter how hard you try.I truly hope that Terry is able to pace himself and will take the time to enjoy the ride he is about to embark on. I know for a fact that he will be reinvesting into making tools and parts that cannot be sourced unlike the guys on eBay who are just selling parts to make $$$$$$ nothing wrong with that but will those eBay guys reinvest into Hodaka to make and produce parts that cannot be sourced? I do not think so..

[matt glascock]

Great to hear from you Paul!! You have directly helped me pull 14 Hodaka motorcycles from the scrap bin onto the dirt. Amazing!! Through your love of the brand and, equally or perhaps more so, of the people involved with the original enterprise, you have taken a footnote in the history of motorcycling and turned it into what is likely the best and most thoroughly supported vintage (defunct) marque on the planet. That is a laudable accomplishment. No one here will forget that. Unfortunately your effectiveness and successfulness is a sword with two very keen edges; The other being facilitating the sense that ordering a replacement part for a 50 year old motorcycle made by a brand dissolved since the late 70's is no more a hassle than heading down to the local bike shop for a part for a 2016 Kawasaki KX250-F. Along with that came the expectation that you, as a small business owner likely spending a lot of time "in the red" when it comes to the Hodaka arm of your enterprises, have the depth and reach of an east coast version of Rocky Mountain ATV/MC. You've been so successful in this endeavor that, once again, Hodaka is in de facto competition with the "big four". Commendable indeed. Hopefully, we won't blow it with our current parts suppliers and leave them with the sense that they too are being hoisted by their own petards.

[taber hodaka]

Thanks for sharing that Paul. I kinda came back into Hodaka late in the game. It is hard for me to witness a public flogging and yet I don't like seeing disagreement. To me there always a opportunity to be positive, you can build one up, but you do not have to tear one down. This should be a place to make friends and enjoy everything about Hodaka. Here is to the new year filled with friendships and sharing. ------------Clarence

[Al Harpster]

Paul's comments are very helpful.

They tell the rest of the story.

Paul's done more to promote Hodaka than anybody on the planet.

I'm sorry to hear that some have failed to respect his hard work & passion.

[Paul Stannard]

Guys it is all good !!!!!!
No problem not to worry.
I failed no one else did. On me to think we could make a difference.
It was fun at one time and I have the best of the best memories from those years. Hodaka Days 2006. Australia with Ed and Ken. The Hodaka Book.
All I am saying PLEASE is to be patient and take things with Terry easy and appreciate what he is doing.
Bill Cook, Dan Jennings and myself were all worn out from the expectations put onto us by ourselves and by others.
All we want is for Terry to succeed!! Terry has been up front and straight with me.Trust is very important for the success of Hodaka and Terry has my trust and I have his that is why I am happy and excited for him. I am doubtful that at this stage of his life he needs to do this and I wish him the best! The Hodaka parts business is not like Western Power Sports or Parts Unlimited there is a limited amount that can be produced with the funds available.

I could not be in a better place in life right now than I am. Knowing that the pressure of SH is coming off and seeing success in what I do in other areas including my grandson's is the best. I feel free again of the day to day stuff associated with the parts business and so does my friend Dan Jennings

[rough rider]

Its been awhile since I posted something but working with the public is one of toughest jobs I know. I worked at Disney World for twelve years and was ready to leave it. They call it the happiest place on earth...well they didn't talk to the employees either. LOL Then add the fact that you are not working for someone else but rather you own the business and are responsible for everything takes on a whole new meaning. Shortly after receiving Terrys email, I mailed him back thanking him for taking over the business and was very happy for him and the new opportunity. I am very thankful for Paul, Bill, and Dan for their business and keeping the Hodaka brand alive and well. Yes we have been very spoiled with the new golden age of Hodaka. I could never afford the time and money that gone into the R and D of the Hodaka parts. Yep, the prices have gone up, so has everything else in this world. I will continue to build and ride Hodakas because I love them, enjoy them and still have fun with them as I did back in 1975. Thank you to all the talented people who rebuild, service, and sell the Hodaka brand. Richard

[viclioce]

I remember getting great service from Bill. When Dan took over, I couldn’t call him.

Now that Terry has bought them out, I expect big things from them again! I recently saw a FB post where Terry showed & stated that he found boxes & boxes of pistons & rings, which were not shown as available when Dan was running the show.

Give Terry some time & I am sure the communication will open back up when the shop does! Let’s not blame a new owner for a previous one’s failure to adequately communicate. ; D Victor

[hieb]

Having the same problem they don't answer numerous email's and no phone number to contact them with! I have had a order in with them since Dec 10th and it has already been paid for! but no Info from them in return and still no shipping Info Whats going on ???

[willoughby]

Their website says "All orders placed after Dec. 10th will be shipped the WEEK of Jan. 2nd so your parts are probably in transit

[Bill2001]

Great post, Paul.

The 'Net is wonderful, but has brought the baggage of a sense of instant gratification. Place the order, get the confirmation, get the shipping notice and it arrives in two days. 1-2-3-4, and if it gets out of sequence, people get edgy.

[Paul Stannard]

Hi Bill,
You have been a great Hodaka customer of mine over the years for that I thank you!
Sometimes orders cannot go out right away do to unforeseen circumstances. Like here in VT we had a huge storm yesterday which shut us down. Then today I have spent three hours plowing the driveway so Jess and Mike can get to work. I hope that the orders placed several days ago will go out today and will try very hard.
I am so far past this sense of the internet's immediate gratification and what can be said on the internet as being gospel.
Just read yesterday something that was so so untrue about a rare Hodaka bike but the people reading it will believe it as being true.

As for Terry at Hodaka Parts he is busting his ass to move the parts to his home and get them organized and inventoried so he can get them where they need to be. I also spoke to Dan yesterday who used to distribute for Hodaka Parts and he is so relieved and happy to be out of it! Loves Hodaka's but the past five years could not find the time to ride his as he was serving others first. Had all the parts in the world but could not find the time to use them for his own projects.

Guys please give Terry a chance to get going as he is the last line of defense for you!!! If he feels the same way that Bill Cook felt, Dan Jennings feels and I feel then game over. All the eBay guys in the world will not produce what is needed for the long term.
I know that a lot of guys do not get it nor will they ever but anyone who has owned their own business and or managed a business understands what I mean. Some talk the talk but I know Terry well enough that he will walk the walk.
I am looking very much forward to ending this SH business and just finding the time for Dan and I to just go riding on our Hodaka's together.

[tudor8055]

Racing motocross in the seventies.
Transmission breaks, need two gears and a shift fork. Call dealer long distance, 12 min on hold. Parts not in stock
must pay for parts to order. Drive to dealer (in another county), order parts. Seven to ten days later dealer calls, parts are in.
Drive to dealer (in another county), pick up parts.

Mark

[squid on a 300]

"I also spoke to Dan yesterday who used to distribute for Hodaka Parts and he is so relieved and happy to be out of it! Loves Hodaka's but the past five years could not find the time to ride his as he was serving others first. Had all the parts in the world but could not find the time to use them for his own projects."

Paul
A friend of mine ran one of the top Sherco dealerships in the country out of his garage. He decided to retire, fold the dealership and move to FL. I was also planning on an early retirement and, at a party, my wife got into a conversation with him about folding the dealership. She looked at me and said "Lets buy it....Your retiring and will enjoy it." My friend looked at us and said "there is no better way to absolutely ruin a HOBBY you love than to turn it into your BUSINESS."...All his time was spent working with bikes instead of riding them and enjoying them.

Bob

[Paul Stannard]

Bob well stated!
I have enjoyed this for many many many years. Times have changed though and I am a dinosaur in this new technological world. I will have fun with it again but it will be after SH. Already making some serious plans this year to travel a lot which I could not have done with SH.
Terry is a couple of years older than I am and he is willing to give up a lot of time and freedom to help the Hodaka world. He deserves a huge amount of credit and respect. If he gets worn down like most of us selling Hodaka parts it will not be the same.
I cannot say this enough but Hodaka's are supposed to be fun. They are thirty nine to fifty three years old most people would be happy to just to be able to find the parts needed or the information like this forum to help. There are a lot of good folks out there willing to help I hope that everyone shows them the respect they deserve and allow them to have fun too.

[2Brothersvmxracing]

Good evening Hodaka Community, I usually don't respond to posts like this, but I feel that Erick has stated some very serious claims here, so I would like to address them. I am Terry Larson, new owner of Hodaka-Parts Inc. and the owner/manager/racer of the 2Brothers VMX Racing Team. I just recently purchased HPI to preserve the Hodaka brand for years to come. Just ask Paul, Bill, Dan, and Bruce, it's not going to make me a millionaire, but it is my passion, my love of the Brand that goes back to when my Dad had a Hodaka Dealership in 1972. My wife said when I approached her with this idea she said " Your 60+ years old and your suppose to be retired, not working fulltime again", but she knew I wanted to do this.
Dan shut the business down December 10th, to allow me the time it would take to move the business and get it up and running for January 1st. Lot's of people said it couldn't be done, but with the help of my family, friends, Dave & Deb Rozier, Bill & Chris Cook we were able to get it moved and in somewhat of a working order. It took me five trips (I am still not done), with two enclosed 30 foot car trailers most times, over 300 miles each trip to bring the merchandise to my building. Then it had to be put on my shelving. We have had Christmas, New Years, and below zero weather conditions in those few weeks along with snow. So, I posted on the HPI website that any orders placed after December 10th, would not be shipped until the week of January 2nd. Which we have been doing this at a blistering pace, considering we had over 40 orders to pull, bag, pack, and ship. We are almost caught up, but I still have a few to send out and I apologize for that. Unfortunately for Erick, he placed his order December 12th. and this was in that time period that we were not shipping.
I have gone back into the computer system and I have not seen any emails from Erick, so I am not sure what email he was sending his messages to. If it was to Dan, his email was turned off as it wasn't fair to him to receive emails from a company he no longer owned. We have a email listed on our website TechSupport@ Hodaka-parts.com at the present time (again, none from Erick here either) and I will have a direct email for me posted shortly. This, like the phone number (which will be posted soon) was a business decision I made not to publish until I was caught up. I felt that getting orders pulled and not talking on the phone was more beneficial to the customers that have placed orders at this time. I am in the process of trying to answer the emails that are in the computer as of today.
I want to Thank all the people who have posted replies to this post and a Big Thank You to Paul for his responses. I just hope my customers will be patient. Give us a chance, we will try and do our best.
So if this is "Lousy Customer Service" Erick, I am sorry you feel this way and I apologize. Your order was shipped yesterday, here's the tracking number 9405803699300571821608 via USPS Priority Mail.

[matt glascock]

Terry, ever since Bill Cook sold (hell, he practically GAVE me a complete Ace 90 - now a beautifully running example of the type), I have been a dedicated customer of HPI and will continue to be a loyal customer of yours and Paul's as long as I continue to draw a breath. I wish you the very best in this new endeavor. I can tell you without reservation that I'm the subject of much envy coming from a good friend of mine who restores Ossas and Jawas and who necessarily accepts that searching for parts may be a matter of months, years, or forever as opposed to a week or so for me. You can shut down the complaint department as far as this Hodaka addict is concerned.

[Bill2001]

Paul and Bill and Dan and Bruce have set the standard for Hodaka parts customer service and they are a hard example to follow. It looks like Terry is stepping into those shoes very nicely.

Best of fortune to all of us. On both sides of the "Counter".

[Firehawkmph]

I havent done any restorations since my wombat about five years ago. Paul and Bill Cook were a big help on getting the right parts. I remember back then Bill telling me he was getting swamped with phone calls that would take up way too much of his time to run the business. When I started getting email sales flyers from Dan, I was worried in the back of my mind that something had happened to Bill. Glad to hear he is doing alright. Started working on a Combat of mine last summer. Have a couple of engines tore apart and have to get a rebuilt crank. That's where I stopped as I was very busy with taking care of my mother and her failing health all last year. Looking forward to dealing with Terry and appreciate the fact that he's willing to put out the money and effort to help keep these old bikes going. For the naysayers, try and be more patient, and if you still can't wait or it bugs you, then go elsewhere, that's your choice.
Mike Hawkins

[RichardMott]

I placed a big order with Terry before Christmas. He got back to me soon after and told me the orders would be coming around Jan 9. The parts came before that. He also refunded me the shipping costs of the second order when he combined them. The parts came with a great list of parts and schematics on clear plastic folders. Better than I could have hoped. He also sent me a great Hodaka coffee mug free.