Caterham South call back.

[Chrisp5782]

BertBert said:

Has always been so. That's what happens when the cars are in demand. Crap sales people are employed. There are usually one or two good guys who know how to get a deal done with the customer feeling good about it.

Hey ho. At least they don't sell their cars using a Facebook group

Maybe they should - other dealers are having success doing just that.

Given that BC is soon to have a "Traders Forum" and banner advertising I dare say they'll be selling via the club site.

Technology eh, who'd have thought this interweb thing would catch on?

Edited by Chrisp5782 on Wednesday 27th May 09:25

[Grubbster]

JasonRIx said:

REALIST123 said:

During my build my contact was Derek Howlett. He always answered my mails within an hour or so except when he was on paternity leave when it might take 3 or 4 on occasion. Not only for parts also clarification of the manual etc.

That's good to know. Thanks.

Derek is helpful but that kind of misses the point really - if they shipped kits with all the right bits in and wrote assembly guides that worked you wouldn't need to keep going back to them during the build.

[ghibbett]

As an Engineer in the Automotive industry I would relish the chance to go into Caterham, sort out the build manual and sort out the kitting. I reckon it would take 3-4 (busy) months to do it properly, but surely it would pay for itself within the year...?!

[Grubbster]

I'd love to come and help you do it!

[KN02LEY]

I'm also an Engineer and some of what I see with Caterham puzzles me a bit. The build manual needs sorting (and apparently has done for some time). The online spares set up is so out of date its almost worthless, (perhaps because it has to be updated mandraulically?). Stock inventories seem to be low and orders go out on the 'just-too-late' principle.

Honestly, Caterham looks like a company where the Accountants are in control and the Engineers are just tolerated...

[anonymous-user]

Grubbster said:

JasonRIx said:

REALIST123 said:

During my build my contact was Derek Howlett. He always answered my mails within an hour or so except when he was on paternity leave when it might take 3 or 4 on occasion. Not only for parts also clarification of the manual etc.

That's good to know. Thanks.

Derek is helpful but that kind of misses the point really - if they shipped kits with all the right bits in and wrote assembly guides that worked you wouldn't need to keep going back to them during the build.

Absolutely, and it does appear that I had less missing than others have had. I agree with the other poster too, it would seem like a dream challenge to sort out these issues, though I think 3 or 4 months might be a bit optimistic.

One thing that puzzles me is why there are regular model changes and additions when the basic thing doesn't change. That seems to unnecessarily complicate matters. I appreciate e.g. if engines go out of production a change might be necessary but for a total output of 15(?) cars per week, the model range seems a bit excessive?

[mickrick]

"Caterham looks like a company where the Accountants are in control and the Engineers are just tolerated..."
Well you're bang on the button! That's who took over the reins when that Ansar fellow left.

[BertBert]

mickrick said:

"Caterham looks like a company where the Accountants are in control and the Engineers are just tolerated..."
Well you're bang on the button! That's who took over the reins when that Ansar fellow left.

Yes, but if the accountants were really in control, there wouldn't be a plethora of new models (or parts bin specials as GM referred to them as )

[KN02LEY]

Ah, marketing...

"Marketing is a very good thing, but it shouldn't control everything. It should be the tool, not that which dictates." Nicolas Roeg

7s sell themselves. Why bother investing in improvements to the product or support infrastructure when minor product relaunches can keep them in the news? An accountant's argument if ever I saw one.