Some Day My Serotta Will Come

[mwos]

I've been "nickled, dimed again". Shipping date is July 14th!

Some day my Serotta will come
Some day it will be complete
And away across the land we'll go
To be happy forever, I know

Some day when Ottrott is here
I'll dance on the pedals
And spin the shiny gear
And I'll be fast on a bicycle built for me

Some day my dreams will come true
Some day my Serotta will come

Adapted from "Some Day My Prince Will Come" Walt Disney's Cinderella

[wdlewis]

Mine arrived a week or so ago and the reward was well worth the wait.

The 4 months wait is already being forgotten, but the enjoyment of owning and riding a piece of fine art will last and last.

[Smiley]

Kahti , serinity now , serinity now . It will be worth it very soon . What were you a music teacher in Ohio

[mwos]

Originally Posted by Smiley

Kahti , serinity now , serinity now . It will be worth it very soon . What were you a music teacher in Ohio

No, I was an elementary school Library/Media Specialist. Hence, the song from the movie Cinderella.

I'm leaving town Aug. 2 for 3 weeks and was planning on taking the bike with me, then I'm gone again for the whole month of Sept. So, yes, I'm getting nervous.

[mwos]

Wonderful, now it's causing relationship problems. My SO just finalized plans with friends to go to Glenwood Springs. We've been planning this trip for several months. The dates are July 19th-21st and he wants to extend it into the following week.

I said "oh great, that's when the bike is supposed to come, now it'll be another week before I can get it because I won't be in town" He got all bent out of shape and responded with, "well they haven't honored any other dates why do you expect them to honor this one!"

He did relent and said we should go ahead and make plans and come back if the bike is ready. However, motel rooms and the cat sitter are involved. Oh well, I guess that's life!

[terrytnt]

I just received my Ottrott one week ago... with only a 4 day delay. However, I only used clear coat and matt decals on the seat tube and chain stays. Not have a full paint job clearly saved me some time.

I must tell you the riding over the last week as been unbelieveable. The bike (with Record components) is beyond beautiful. It of course stays in my house and is wiped down after evey ride.

Andrew was terrific on the phone, along with my LBS. Make sure you talk with them directly and be patient... the outcome you will savior for years!!!

[Sandy]

I often read posts that say just to be patient, as the bike will be great, and after you start riding it, the long wait won't even matter any more. Perhaps, that is the case, but I think that is not the only significant point to be made. Serotta should be able to reasonably predict the delivery date of a bike. If Serotta is not very sure, because of certain situations, then very conservative estimates should be given. Of course, unforseen obstacles occur in delivery schedules, but it appears as if some delivery dates seem to changed over and over, which really isn't fair to the purchaser.

Repetitive changes in delivery dates of the same bicycle, adding months to actual delivery time, really doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Don't keep giving dates, just to later on change them. Perhaps Serotta's intro of the MeiVici, with its production time problems, greatly negatively impacted the production of other Serottas.

Deliver on time, or at least reasonably so, remain in communication with the purchaser, solve your production problems, or lose credibility, great product or not.


My brother was delivered on Dec. 10, 1940. I was delivered just 4 minutes later. Now that is being efficient. Besides, I was a newer and much improved model! So how long should it take to deliver a bike, even a Serotta??


Baby Brother Sandy

[mwos]

TerryTNT, you shouldn't have told me that, it just makes me more unhappy. From what I'm told the paint only added 4 days, as it is due to be painted this week and shipped on Friday. That doesn't explain the 6 week delay. If there was a shortage of paint I could have changed the colors!

All the delays with deadlines coming and going and no explanation, except carbon shortage, have overshadowed the joy of getting a new bike. The carbon shortage for me doesn't make sense because of the 650c wheels my Ottrott is mostly ti, so I'm using less carbon.

I wonder was too patient? I didn't want to be a "pest". Does a "squeeky wheel" get better results?

And, some forum members waiting for wheels from Jeremy might have had them sooner had he not been so wonderful to me and made sure mine were here the first of June!

My intuition told me to wait until next winter but this bike was already 2 years
in the planning for me so I got impatient and moved ahead.

Oh well, in 4 months it will be ski season and this will all be forgotten!

Kathi

[Sandy]

You are absolutely correct. A 6 week delivery delay with almost no communcation is not acceptable. Seems as if Serotta or your LBS or both didn't adequately do the job.

Would there be such a delay with another custom ti/carbon or custom carbon builder? I would doubt it.

You should expect more from Serotta. Better delivery and much better communication. The responsibility is Serotta's. Patience is a choice.



Sandy

[Needs Help]

I agree with Sandy: your situation is intolerable and confounding. I wonder if your LBS screwed up and is blaming it on Serotta. In any event, your LBS didn't fight for you, and I would not use them again. You should consider contacting Serotta directly to see if their version of what happened matches what your LBS is telling you.

[mwos]

Thanks Sandy,

I hope Serotta learns something about customer service from this since the aviation industry is fueling the carbon shortage and that's something that is unlikely to change.

In business there is often a "sales" date vs "real" date, meaing the salesman gives the customer optomistic news, even if its not true. Sounds like the case here.

Both the shop and I have spent money on components that we could have held off on if given a more realistic date.

To be fair to the LBS they were tied up in June with Ride the Rockies, then closed last Mon. and Tues. for the 4th so I didn't expect them to keep tabs on Serotta. I didn't find out until Thursday afternoon, (almost a week after the promised ship date) that the bike was delayed again.

I agree, Serotta should have taken the initiative to communicate the delay instead of letting the dates come and go without comment and given a more realistic timeline.

Kathi

[mwos]

The LBS was more upset than me, also calling the delay unacceptable. Initally they had 4 bikes caught up in this mess. I didn't ask if the others had arrived.

[Sandy]

I operated a wholesale meat business. I did business with some US military bases. Although I bought most of my product from the Midwest, I had to deliver the perishable product on specific days, and was even told what time of the day by some bases. It could rain or snow or whatever, but I was still required to make timely deliveries.

I did business locally with some stores and carryouts. I had an employee who would tell a customer, that was waiting for his order to be delivered, that his order would be there in a very short time. But after looking at the order of stops on the truck, I would see that the given delivery time was not possible. All the emplyee would do by making up such a story was to put off the customer for a while and then the customer would just get more upset later when the delivery did not arrive when my employee said that it would.

Bottom line- Tell the truth. It is the right thing to do, and it is much better accepted by the customer. I am NOT saying herein, that Serotta is not telling the truth, but the more accurate info the customer is receiving, the better that he or she will accept the siuation.


Honest Abe

[Serotta PETE]

Let me suggest you call Steve or Andrew at SEROTTA and discuss it with them - as well as tell them your time concerns. Just tell them I gave you their name.

I assure you that they bend over backwards in support of customer service.

Pete.