Toptul's Web Site: Why No Prices?

[Joelfke]

KenS what you say is valid and true, but i still dont understand why its so difficult for anyone to look through the site, make a list, and call up mike or email him with a list of items and say "hey mike could i get prices on the following...ect" Prices were on there until VERY recently and any time i had a question i would just shoot an email and i would get a response very quickly. I don't know why patience is such a hard thing to come by...

 

[nissan_crawler]

never mind

 

[Joelfke]

never mind

.........?

 

[PistolWhip]

Have you ever heard of Luis CK? Google "everything is amazing nobody is happy," watch the video on Youtube.
Listen to what he says, laugh because the **** is funny and then apply what you learned to the complaints in this thread. Inconvenience is gaged individually, but individuals make up the masses. It really is amazing how lazy the internet has made the American consumer.

 

[Nik_95Cobra]

Haha Luis CK is a genius, always funny! I Love when he talks about the people in airplanes.

It really is amazing how lazy the internet has made the American consumer.

Absolutely. But I'd also like to add...Greedy, and experts in their own minds.

 

[Merkava_4]

What I've found to be very effective is to have the subject of the PM the Toptul part number. Then at Mike's convenience, he'll PM me the price. It's usually less than 24 hours and he'll have me the price. What's so complicated about that?

 

[expatriated]

I find Mike and his website to be light years ahead of Sears.

(And, presumably Sears has more than 1 employee, although given my experience during recent visits, that's a point open for discussion.)

 

[Joelfke]

I find Mike and his website to be light years ahead of Sears.

(And, presumably Sears has more than 1 employee, although given my experience during recent visits, that's a point open for discussion.)

agreed....patience is obviously not a strong point for some, and mikes product is light years ahead of sears as well

 

[Merkava_4]

The pages load way too slow for me - I don't have the patience for that Sears website.

And another thing, I can't understand why some of these guys get so exited about a Sears sale.

 

[Joelfke]

The pages load way too slow for me - I don't have the patience for that Sears website.

And another thing, I can't understand why some of these guys get so exited about a Sears sale.

because then they get toptul prices for craftsman stuff

 

[Merkava_4]

because then they get toptul prices for craftsman stuff

Is that supposed to be better than Toptul prices for Toptul stuff?

 

[Stuey]

Without pricing information, how is wrenhandtools.com any different than a copy-paste of toptul.com?

I hardly think I'm a lazy consumer for agreeing that a retailer should post prices up front.

Whoever you are, what have you done with the real Merkava?!! =P

 

[rhandwor]

If you look at the site it isn't completed and clicking on an object won't bring it up.

 

[KenS]

What I've found to be very effective is to have the subject of the PM the Toptul part number. Then at Mike's convenience, he'll PM me the price. It's usually less than 24 hours and he'll have me the price. What's so complicated about that?

You've answered your own question with three words: "...at Mike's convenience."

If a business is really customer service oriented, shouldn't it be: "...at the customer's convenience?"

That's my point.

 

[Merkava_4]

I just now clicked on the [Product Specs] button for "3/4"Dr. Impact Accessories" and a nut driver page came up.

 

[Stuey]

That's not necessarily Mike's fault, but the people he hired for the site's development.

 

[KenS]

That's not necessarily Mike's fault, but the people he hired for the site's development.

If you hire someone to fix your transmission and they don't, what do you do?

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

I think People need go easy on Mike ! He seems to honest, customer service , And he is trying .

It's simple if you want his tools , buy them ( I plan to) , If not , don't Kick the man for Trying .

Bob

are you this guy's cousin or a major stockholder ?
thanks noob

 

[ATTappman]

This shows the importance of carefully managing expectations when running a business. "Under promise and over deliver" should be every business owner's core principle.

Compared with the kind of homicidal rage I feel every time I go to Sears or Harbor Fright, I can tolerate the minor frustrations caused by the lack of functionality on Mike's web site. I placed two small orders with him and he shipped both the same day. Meanwhile, some clerk at Sears stole my credit card number, and the work-release program cashier at HF put on the most elaborate display of eye-rolling/sighing I've ever seen when I asked her to rescan an item because she scanned it before I had time to get my coupon out. Just about all retail experiences are unsatisfying to some degree nowadays. It helps to keep things in perspective.

Two weeks ago I ordered some Knipex pliers from Amazon.com, and used super saver shipping. The US post office delivered it on schedule, just not to my address. Amazon immediately placed a replacement order, but the pliers are out of stock until July. Amazon's web site is nearly perfect. But there's always a weak link in the chain somewhere.

 

[wrenhandtools]

To be frank, filling current orders, from current customers is ...not to put too fine a point on it.....about a million times more important than getting the website better. And let me tell you know, I know it ***** 100% not to be able to find a price QUICKLY. Hell, my prices are the 2nd biggest selling point and I want them on there more than you!!! Trust me!! So the people who criticize me for the website truly are 100% correct, but when I have an order, it is the ONE thing more important than the site. So, it's a balancing act....and right now filling orders is at the sacrifice of probably increasing new orders for this moment in time. No way around it.
I will tell you that having the shoppoing cart also makes my job 100% easier.....you'll be able to send me a priced list of what you want and then I can just respond as to availability....I won;t have to endlessly communicate via excel sheets. I will be able to respond and fill an order in one half the time that it takes currently.
There was also a post that said my business model was to gather orders together and then place an order from the manufacturer.........this is wrong. I only did that for the "wish lists" at the beginning of the year. I 'may' do it again but it won't be for awhile. And if I do, it would probably be for for one area in particular...like tool boxes.
I have a TON of inventory right now and will be placing another order in about 3 weeks time......so there will be constant improvement.

Also there was mention that I am doing this for profit.........well duh....hell yes I'm doing this for profit. My career for the past 20 years has been in a Wall Street type of job, but this is what I would like to do 100% of the time, for the rest of my life. So I am starting small and smart...not over extending in the beginning, where most fail. And I plan to grow very large and want to be able to visit car clubs on a regular basis giving out free samples. Hmmm Sounds like a damn good career for a car nut if I can make it happen!!

 

[geaugafletcher]

Mike's customer service is excellent. The customer service at any number of websites with prices all over the place may or may not be. In any case, the personal attention given by the owner as well as the products' tremendous value are well worth the very minor inconveniences.

 

[KenS]

The initial question: Toptul's Web Site: Why No Prices?

The initial observation: I think by far the experiences here with Toptul have been pleasant and I know Mike Wren has earned respect and support.

The response by Mike: To be frank, filling current orders, from current customers is ...not to put too fine a point on it.....about a million times more important than getting the website better

How dumb could I be. Coming from Wall Street immediate profits are always a million times more important than fixing what needs to be fixed.

I can't believe I was so ignorant.

Thanks for showing me the error of my ways.

 

[hobie1dog]

harbor freight makes products that shouldn't legally be allowed to be sold due to their poor quality

I drove down to the local HF store ( 20 miles) to buy a laminate trimmer, and got down there only to find out that everything on it, was plastic, so the height adjustment clamp proceeded to bend and distort so bad I thought it was going to break....I walked out....don't know if I'll ever buy anything there again.

 

[stroh]

Commonsense would be to take care of your current paying customers who placed orders first. I would not stereotype Mike as your typical wall street suit. If that was the case the website would be done and the customer service would be horrible, that is typical wall street.

It has been said many times on this board and I'll repeat it. Mikes customer service is excellent, doesn't B.S. you, and the tools are an excellent value. Nuff said.

Stroh

 

[KenS]

Mikes customer service is excellent, doesn't B.S. you, and the tools are an excellent value. Nuff said.

Stroh

Thanks for reinforcing what I already said.

 

[wrenhandtools]

Ken, you wrongly assume the aim to fill current orders is to maximize profits.
The true aim is to make current customers who have placed faith in me.....happy.
Or said from the other side, the true aim is to try not to make a current customer mad!!
I know some HAVE to be frustrated in my reponse time to filling their order......

ANd I've even said you were right to criticize my site for not having prices. I don't know what else I could say other than "yes...you're right".

As for the Wall Street crack, I don't even know what to say.......
I can tell you that ANY human that has ever OWNED and RUN their own business will tell you it is much better and more important to keep the current customers that you have before you go and try to get more customers. This is true for the mom & pop business and for the large international conglomerate.

I'm a car and tool guy at heart, not some "suit". I'm here because I want to be and it's fun dealing with you guys.

Sincerely,

 

[The Rusty Gear]

Ken, you wrongly assume the aim to fill current orders is to maximize profits.
The true aim is to make current customers who have placed faith in me.....happy.
Or said from the other side, the true aim is to try not to make a current customer mad!!
I know some HAVE to be frustrated in my reponse time to filling their order......

ANd I've even said you were right to criticize my site for not having prices. I don't know what else I could say other than "yes...you're right".

As for the Wall Street crack, I don't even know what to say.......
I can tell you that ANY human that has ever OWNED and RUN their own business will tell you it is much better and more important to keep the current customers that you have before you go and try to get more customers. This is true for the mom & pop business and for the large international conglomerate.

I'm a car and tool guy at heart, not some "suit". I'm here because I want to be and it's fun dealing with you guys.

Sincerely,

Mike beat me to it:

Keep your existing customers happy before you look for new customers (ie website)

I can't remember the study, but it said that it costs 10 times as much to gain a new client or win back a lost one than it costs to keep existing customers happy. I'm sure the paying customers are happy that Mike is filling their orders rather than trying to get the website working.

 

[Joelfke]

And I plan to grow very large and want to be able to visit car clubs on a regular basis giving out free samples. Hmmm Sounds like a damn good career for a car nut if I can make it happen!!

make sure you find your way into jersey...

 

[KenS]

Mike and Guys,

My question was really simple: Why are prices not on the web site?

When I wrote that I had a Visa card in hand ready to order a 3/8 flex-head rachet and some metric swivel sockets having just finished an alternator install on a 2000 Maxima where I could have really used them. (FWIW, you have to pull the airconditioner compressor to get to the alternator-- it's a miserable job that the dealership wants about $150 for just for labor.)

After all the good things I heard about Mike and Toptul here, I decided it was the perfect time to buy some tools from him. I go to the web site to begin ordering, and every "Order" button I click takes me to the phone number. I immediately remember that sometime a few months ago I had downloaded an Excel spreadsheet with pricing on it. But where did I put it? Then back on the site I see a $5 shipping charge per item which means the swivels start getting expensive real fast-- especially since I don't know their price to begin with.

As I look through the site some more, I see a few other tools I will need for upcoming projects, for instance a strut spring compressor for an Odyssey (the Odyssey has heavy front strut springs and a lot of compressors won't handle them safely). Again the tools look wonderful but not a price in sight. I don't usually have a lot of free time to shop, but this particular afternoon I did. I admit that I shop for both price and quality. So at the same time I'm looking at the Sears, Northern, etc. sites, all of which offer instant pricing and shipping information.

Since a year has passed by, and since Mike and Toptul are often the subject of posts here, I feel that asking my pricing question is fair. In fact, it's my hope that it prods Mike into getting his shopping cart working so I can spend some money with him.

In my initial post I plainly point out Mike's excellent reputation and later mention that I'm ready to spend money. But somewhere along the line posters begin to react as if customer service is somehow under fire and Mike needs character references and defending. The tone becomes: "How dare anyone have the nerve to raise such questions!?!?!"

All this because of a very simple question.

I'm not trying to put words into anyone's mouth, but it appears the response to my question is: We're trying to fix the web site shopping cart, but with the amount of orders we're processing, we're not in a position to devote our full resources to it. We don't yet have an estimated time frame in which it will be fixed.

I'm fine with that. From the testimonials here, I feel Mike offers first-class customer service and his tools are an excellent value.

I still wish he would get the dang prices up on his web site.

My asbestos suit is going back into the locker.

Love you guys.

p.s. To Mike: Consider the "Wall Street" quip touche for handing me back my "To be frank, ..."

p.p.s. Please PM me the price of a 3/8 flex-head rachet and a set of metric swivel sockets (chrome not impact). I can't seem to find the prices on your web site.

 

[Diesel_Crawler]

. Please PM me the price of a 3/8 flex-head rachet and a set of metric swivel sockets (chrome not impact). I can't seem to find the prices on your web site.

Its to late to kiss @ss now, look at all the trouble you caused the man on this thread!

But i am sure Mike would love to still have the business!

 

[ManCave]

I also went to the site last night with the intent of making some purchases. I was unable to do so because there were no prices. Calling and asking for a price doesn't work because part of the decision process I go through is comparing different options and then factoring in the price and deciding what I want. Not something that is very easy to do when I might have 10 or 15 items I'd like to know the prices on.

I share the above because my next suggestion to Mike is to hire someone to help finish getting the prices on the site. I'm sure you can find someone for $7 or $8 or even $10 an hour to sit there and enter prices. I know because I've hired part time help to do just that. The little bit of cost can be justified against the lost sales due to not having the prices. I think its a win win for everyone and would take some stress off of you as well.

I only saw metric sockets on the site. I'm not sure if I didn't look in the right place, but can you tell me if you have the U.S. socket sizes in stock too?

Best of luck to you.

 

[swduncan]

I have to agree with ManCave that for recreational tool buying prices are a major part of the shopping experience. I disagree with finding someone to enter prices - they should be available in a format suitable for importing. Sites like this are usually database driven, and the pricing should be in the database with everything else. Long term, when inevitable price changes come, it should be a matter of deciding what product groups get a change of x%, not changing individual prices, unless the business owner wants to hand tweak them for some reason.

For my part, I just start to feel guilty about asking for prices on many items when I'm really just going through the process of positioning Toptul in my mind as a brand, and deciding when and how I'll start buying their products.

 

[pipehack]

I e mailed him over a month ago about a complete bit socket set and never got an e mail back.

 

[Taylor J.]

Has anyone tried the torque wrench?

 

[wrenhandtools]

Diesel...you're funny!!!

Pipe...I MUST have screwed something up ...sorry. Usually when I mess up that bad I send something free.....try me again if you care to. If not I totally understand.

 

[Merkava_4]

Hey Mike,

The [Product Specs] button for the star sockets doesn't seem to be working. When I click on the button, it just sends me back up to the top of the page.

 

[GSteg]

I have the same problem. It's really frustrating trying to shop on that site because often times I like to compare prices on the spot. I dont mind emailing but I usually buy on an impulse. By the time I receive a response, the 'moment' would probably have passed.

 

[ATTappman]

If lack of immediate pricing information is causing people to buy other brands besides Toptul, that implies there's other brands that have similar quality for the money. What are those brands? The interesting thing about Toptul tools is that they seem to offer higher quality than other comparably priced tools. In my opinion their sockets are higher quality than Craftsman, but less expensive. If I thought I could get the same quality as Toptul at the same or lower price by buying some other brand with a better web site, I'd do it. I haven't been smart enough to find it. Can somebody make a suggestion?

Here's a specific example: hose gripper pliers. I have a Harbor Fright set that isn't worth the $8 I spent on it. I can find Gearwrench and Toptul pliers that look like what I want, but my experience with Gearwrench sockets vs. Toptul sockets leads me to believe Toptul pliers might be better. Is there some other brand of hose gripper pliers that provides Gearwrench quality at lower-than-Gearwrench prices? This isn't a rhetorical question - I'd really like to know.

 

[pipehack]

Diesel...you're funny!!!

Pipe...I MUST have screwed something up ...sorry. Usually when I mess up that bad I send something free.....try me again if you care to. If not I totally understand.

O.K. all is cool... You're busier than me. That's for sure. Otherwise I wouldn't be on the computer all day.... LOL

 

[geaugafletcher]

I have a couple torque wrenches due to arrive Friday.