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Rick Mayer MIA...has MY seat and MY money

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SteveAikens said:
What surprises me is, people don't seem to do any research on who they want to do business with. The internet is a tremendous resource to draw from - especially in case/services/products like this that are custom made for the consumer.

No one I know of argues that Rick Mayer can't make a damn good saddle. However, he's a terrible businessman and has a verified history of piss-poor service and significant delays in providing the product.

This is now the start of the riding season for a lot of folks. Anyone that has sent their pan off to him is very likely sitting and waiting for something to ride on - and will continue to do so.

Sad.
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In my case I had done my research of seat builders (Bill Mayer, Russell, Corbin) all evidence pointed to Rick as the best choice including a lengthy phone conversation with him. Fortunately I had a spare saddle I could use during the 2 months longer than promised build time. He got rather irate with me when I made a demanding phone call to his shop 2 weeks after promised delivery. What arrived two weeks after that was disappointing to say the least.

"Over promise and under deliver" should be his motto.
 
piperjim said:
I know there are a lot of talented folks here in BMWMOA, many retired, too. Folks with lots of experience....maybe not experience in building custom motorcycle seats, but folks that could volunteer to help out a few days in the shop. Maybe just clean up and take out the trash, or organize tools and inventory, or set up a spreadsheet for orders and track progress; or maybe contact customers and give them some info; or maybe just take him to lunch and let him know that folks care and give him encouragement.
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Why should it be up to ANYBODY but his employees to help him out? Why should I (or any other rider) volunteer to help somebody with a long track record of poor customer service fix his business? If he wanted a spreadsheet to track order progress, he'd have one (and he might, for all we know). If it was important to him to contact customers, he'd do it.

The best way people can help out is by voting with their wallets. Keep sending him business or stop doing it. That's how you help somebody fix their business.
 
chiba13 said:
Why should it be up to ANYBODY but his employees to help him out? Why should I (or any other rider) volunteer to help somebody with a long track record of poor customer service fix his business? If he wanted a spreadsheet to track order progress, he'd have one (and he might, for all we know). If it was important to him to contact customers, he'd do it.

The best way people can help out is by voting with their wallets. Keep sending him business or stop doing it. That's how you help somebody fix their business.
Click to expand...

Have to agree. He apparently has time to communicate with his advertisers and material suppliers...why not his customers?
 
Motodan said:
Have to agree. He apparently has time to communicate with his advertisers and material suppliers...why not his customers?
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The one that has to help him out - is himself. He's the one that has to recognize his shortcomings, poor business practices and berating customers when he's long since failed to meet the delivery dates he set.

Again, I've seen and had a chance to ride his saddles - he does damn good work. The problem is his attitude toward customers he has failed to complete work for.
 
Rick Mayer seat experience

very sorry to hear all of this. I had a very good experience with the R1100S seat he built for me, and it was mail order.
 
I've had more than one instance where I didn't get shipping info until the day after the shipment. Maybe it went out today and you just won't get the info until tomorrow. Good luck with that anyway.
 
k75s said:
very sorry to hear all of this. I had a very good experience with the R1100S seat he built for me, and it was mail order.
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+1 on the sorry...I did a ride in and got the best custom seat ever owned. Did a bunch of research before placing my order, after seeing a lot of valid complaints about continuing problems with long distance buyers, I went with him anyway. A bit more distressing personally, since I've given a few laudatory reviews here and on the Pelican Parts R1100S site (with caveats). Also allowed him to use pix of my bike seat on his website.

I know he's had some very severe personal problems of late, but that's no excuse for such abhorrent treatment of his mail order customers. Hope he can get his *stuff* together soon for the riders he has pissed off.

'Nuf said....
 
chiba13 said:
Why should it be up to ANYBODY but his employees to help him out? Why should I (or any other rider) volunteer to help somebody with a long track record of poor customer service fix his business? If he wanted a spreadsheet to track order progress, he'd have one (and he might, for all we know). If it was important to him to contact customers, he'd do it.

The best way people can help out is by voting with their wallets. Keep sending him business or stop doing it. That's how you help somebody fix their business.
Click to expand...
No kidding. I'm getting older every day,kids live far away & busy with their own careers & real hard to find casual labor these days for many farm related jobs but I don't expect "people I don't know" to line up to help "git er done" either.
A poorly operated business should fail?:scratch
 
chiba13 said:
Why should it be up to ANYBODY but his employees to help him out? Why should I (or any other rider) volunteer to help somebody with a long track record of poor customer service fix his business? If he wanted a spreadsheet to track order progress, he'd have one (and he might, for all we know). If it was important to him to contact customers, he'd do it.

The best way people can help out is by voting with their wallets. Keep sending him business or stop doing it. That's how you help somebody fix their business.
Click to expand...

What can I say....I have compassion for a fellow human being. Don't know the man, never met him, never done business with him. My stock seat is fine for me. But, the subject of this thread has posted on this forum regarding his current problems (post of 3/20/14) and asked for "some degree of compassion, and understanding..." If having compassion for a person going through some difficult times is a crime, I'll plead guilty all day long.
 
piperjim said:
What can I say....I have compassion for a fellow human being. Don't know the man, never met him, never done business with him. My stock seat is fine for me. But, the subject of this thread has posted on this forum regarding his current problems (post of 3/20/14) and asked for "some degree of compassion, and understanding..." If having compassion for a person going through some difficult times is a crime, I'll plead guilty all day long.
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I believe compassion, for some, ends at the 3rd or 4th year of this 11 years long history of excuses and poor customer service. With the internet, you shouldn't have any problem in offering him help, be it inventory control, customer notifications, ordering supplies, returning deposits, ad design and so on. Great to have compassion, even greater to actually act on it. Go for it.
 
Motodan said:
I believe compassion, for some, ends at the 3rd or 4th year of this 11 years long history of excuses and poor customer service. With the internet, you shouldn't have any problem in offering him help, be it inventory control, customer notifications, ordering supplies, returning deposits, ad design and so on. Great to have compassion, even greater to actually act on it. Go for it.
Click to expand...

Perhaps we can just say we have different values and leave it at that. I'll do what I feel is right, others should do the same.
 
piperjim said:
Perhaps we can just say we have different values and leave it at that. I'll do what I feel is right, others should do the same.
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+1.
Rick is a good guy. I have had 3 seats built by him (R11S, F8GS, KLR), all mail order, 2 have been redone- no concerns at all, always quite pleased. Saddens me to hear the negative comments, but they do sound to be "earned". Pity.
 
motodan said:
i believe compassion, for some, ends at the 3rd or 4th year of this 11 years long history of excuses and poor customer service. With the internet, you shouldn't have any problem in offering him help, be it inventory control, customer notifications, ordering supplies, returning deposits, ad design and so on. Great to have compassion, even greater to actually act on it. Go for it.
Click to expand...

Amen!
 
piperjim said:
Perhaps we can just say we have different values and leave it at that. I'll do what I feel is right, others should do the same.
Click to expand...

I'll agree, our values apparently do differ. I expect truth and honesty from those I've given my trust. If they fail to show that (especially multiple times), I sever the relationship...some people call it "tough love". It actually tends to help the less trustworthy look inward and find their own "needed" higher values.
 
In Rick's response on the previous thread in March (where he asked for compassion and understanding) he also promised the seats overdue for shipping would go out in the next month.

Didn't happen. Hasn't happened.

Another worthless promise. Kind of hard for me to find any compassion in view of that.

Anyone live in the Redding CA area? Maybe go by the shop in Red Bluff and see it the guy is still alive?

Al in NC
 
what does compassion have to do with a business transaction? courtesy yes but compassion?screw me once shame on you,screw me twice shame on me!
 
I dunno, but when your own brother (Bill Mayer) and a top employee (Seth Laam) distance themselves and in the case of Bill, won't talk to him or even mention his name there's a problem. BTW, both Bill and Laam have outstanding reputations on other motorcycle forums.
 
Hodadd said:
I dunno, but when your own brother (Bill Mayer) and a top employee (Seth Laam) distance themselves and in the case of Bill, won't talk to him or even mention his name there's a problem. BTW, both Bill and Laam have outstanding reputations on other motorcycle forums.
Click to expand...

The brothers have been at odds since their dad died - couldn't agree to continue the company together - and generally dislike each other and have for many years - good years and bad years.

Corbin doesn't say much about Russell or Sargeant now, either, does he?
 
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