Like any gearhead, I love buying parts just as much as turning a wrench, but the same roadblocks keep me dissatisfied when shopping at certain retailers. Free shipping often comes at a price, long hold times are the only way to get support, and returns usually involve a tiring back-and-forth. Has FCP Euro cracked the code for customer satisfaction?
Returns
I have never liked having to justify to a company why I need to return a part. The quality of aftermarket parts can vary widely in this industry, and when something isn't up to snuff, I know right away. Why should I have to wait on-hold just to get an RMA number to be able to return it? What if the company doesn't like my reasoning? The returns model used by most businesses is not consumer-friendly, souring the customer from making future purchases. Who do you blame when a part fails prematurely? In most cases, it's the retailer.
Eliminating this entire process has been one of FCP Euro's greatest milestones in recent years. As a loyal customer, I continue to shop with complete confidence that if anything is even a little bit off with my order, I'll get the correct parts in my hands ASAP. Downtime sucks, and anyone who owns only one vehicle for getting to work can attest to that.
FCP Euro's new return policy is often regarded as too good to be true because the customer comes out ahead, every time.
How good, you ask? The following examples are stories from FCP Euro's sales team that prove this warranty is no joke.
The Lowering Kit
A customer e-mailed us through an online forum showing me images of a damaged bushing on a control arm as part of a suspension kit he purchased from us back in 2009. The bushings in the provided images were cracked and damaged, however he only had put in 35k miles on them.
I reviewed his images and noticed he was using performance shocks and struts, as well as lowering springs causing strain on the control arm outside factory tolerances. I explained the strain and stress this kind of change would impact on his control arms & bushings. He was glad to have a knowledgeable explanation, but was unhappy to have not known this earlier before purchasing. I explained our lifetime warranty covers the units he has so I presented him a few options for replacement.
This pretty much floored the customer, as he was not expecting to be able to warranty anything and was simply presenting us with a problem he was having. He was not anticipating us to do anything about the arms he had nor that we would offer him better units after 6 years for free. He was happy to be able to get such a quick and cost effective remedy. -Mike R.
Mike's customer was using aftermarket parts but still remained eligible for FCP's Lifetime Replacement Guarantee. The following situation outlines a similar experience, only caused by the normal wear & tear of our harsh Northeast Winters.
The Rusty Exhaust
"A gentleman who purchased an exhaust kit from us about 6 years ago was driving and unfortunately his muffler fell off on the highway and could not be re-attached due to rust. This gentleman was not aware of our lifetime replacement promise and was calling to ask me if it was possible if he could pay for a new exhaust kit in installments because he was retired on social security and could not afford the complete price.
I advised him that we stand by all of our parts which come with a lifetime replacement guarantee. We were happy to replace the exhaust for him. He broke down crying he was so thankful; It was one of my proudest moments at FCP!" -Max R.
Brake pads too dusty? Check. FCP Euro's flexibility and ease of communication is second to none in this industry, and it's hard for me to recommend any other retailer when I'm fixing and maintaining my family's fleet of European vehicles.
