ROOF

Thank you for visiting the Routemaster Owner and Operator's Forum (ROOF). Please feel free to use this forum for the mature discussion of any issues of interest and relevance to Routemaster owners. Please do not use this board to publicise your feelings about individuals, National or Local Government or TFL policy. Owners of other London bus types in service during the 1950s, 60s and 70s are also welcome to contribute to this forum.

Please note, the ROOF website no longer exists. The link from the Forum does not work anymore.  Useful information and links from the website has been posted to the Forum.

Please do not respond to abusive posts but notify ROOFmoderator 1@outlook.com.


ROOF
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
Cummins Parts

I am delighted to have just received a letter from Cummins UK dated 15th October informing me that as an IMPROVEMENT to the service they offer, with effect from 7th October they will no longer be supplying smaller customers with parts direct. Instead all smaller customers must purchase from their dealer network.

This will doubtless have an impact on price, carriage costs, availability, delivery timescale and particularly the amount of shelf life remaining for certain products.

Re: Cummins Parts

Speaks volumes about the customer service ability of whoever wrote and/or sanctioned that edict. One out of touch idiot can destroy in a few words the loyalty of small scale customers who may have regularly been spending vast amounts over a very long timescale. Nat West did something similar to small business customers (myself included) three years ago and set out their `improvements` in a letter that beggars belief for the upbeat style in which it was written as if their vast changes and equally vast account running cost increase would be something to embrace. At least I could easily change banks (and got a much better deal in so doing) but if your business is significantly tied to this particular manufacturer I can understand your frustration if you have to now put up with a way of doing business that causes a lot of personal inconvenience.

Re: Cummins Parts

Dynex and many companies did this years ago, it reduces distribution costs.
Parts go from their supply centre to their agents, same as a lot of firms in the Automotive industry.
It doesn't mean any reduction in the availability of spares or signify an increase in prices.

My bus number (if any): RTL 960, RM 1585, RML 2667 and several RTs

Re: Cummins Parts

I totally disagree with your assertion about availability and price Brian. Wellingborough central stores hold large quantities of parts which means that not only are they available to ship the same day but the turnover means that those items which have a shelf life are constantly being rotated. Wellingborough not only offered a good discount but shipping over a set minimum figure was FOC and importantly next day delivery. The dealer network is not Cummins; it is a variety of individual companies, nowadays primarily concerned with power generation applications rather than automotive, since Cummins moved out of the sector in Europe some years ago. The individual dealers will set their own criteria regarding discount and the stock items and level they want to carry. The volume nationwide of parts will stay roughly the same, but items which were next day from Wellingborough will now be next day into the dealer, with onward carriage by numerous different carriers at whateever rate transpires. 'Perishable' items will sit on dealer shelves longer so what is dispatched will have a shorter time remaining for the ultimate user. The likely outcome is that older automotive parts requests will be met with a reply stating that they need to go on x number of days stock order or VOR at full price, collect ex dealer 20 or 30 miles away both in the wrong direction.

So how happy will you be Brian when the invoice now comes through with no share of discount but including 60 van miles plus 2hrs travelling added on?