GSF website revamp :(

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 14 May 2011, 20:21

Hi guys,

Ive not visited the website myself as i tend to know what we sell however i had noticed the logging in screen which im used to as its the same in branch when we log into our webcat programs. For you guys though clearly its a sticking point.

Have I noticed a change in attitude towards GSF since they reinvented themselves? I can only speak for my branch which is Yes, but for the better. Overall however i dont know.

I will send an email tonight with the link to this thread through to my area manager and the head of IT at GSF. Customer feedback is everything and if nothing else i should be able to shed some light on why the site is set up that way....

The time to leave is when your local branch is no longer helpful and friendly and offer you good value for money. GSF's "thing" has always been its staffed with people like us who mess with cars and are on our wavelength. Cant say ive found that at any other factors....

Vince

Deanxm · Unread post by **Deanxm** » 14 May 2011, 20:58

Gsf in branch is great, only been a few times as i live on the island but yes very good person to person.

The website however seems to have become less and less usefull each time its upgraded, i want to buy parts and find them easily not sign up and mess about.

D

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 14 May 2011, 21:12

Biggest issue I have if accessing a ballpark figure for items I may
be interested in and always referred to GSF and recommended
others did too - usually if the price looked good I'd happily buy without
further web trawling. Now hidden behind the bouncers and member's
only I'll immediately try ECP or as Dean says eBay so the registered
to view catalogue has created a real barrier to one off or casual use.
I'm not a garage that has an account so why should I start now?

As an additional consequence of being unable to view part numbers
it's like the painful process usually encountered at a Citroen Mian Dealer
Prats counter where you know more about the car and item required
than the guy behind the counter who's never even heard of your type
of Citroen and has to run the time consuming process of hacking their
way through their catalogue instead.

This while other customers grow impatient and the phone rings off
unanswered. Big mistake as in the past I'd be in ordered and away
in minutes fore-armed with the part number. Not any more and I'm
inplaccable about joining up. I usually tend to spend at least 50-80
quid a month there which isn't bad for a DIY private motorist but
snapping me out of my habit and driving me elsewhere will be my
and their loss. Now ECP is literally 100 yards away in a new shop in
Swansea, it's not such a loss for me though.

rory_perrett · Unread post by **rory_perrett** » 14 May 2011, 21:23

Not noticed this thread, just been on GSF website to price up some parts and hit the new rubbish and left. To be honest, I doubt the £500 or £600 per year I've spent with them over the past ten years or so is of any significance at all if I don't want to register my details, which I don't.

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 14 May 2011, 21:29

Yes, but if almost all of us stop spending 500-600 a year as we can't be arsed
to deal with them, cumulatively they're going to see their precious revenue
drop however large or small - guess over time that'd be less spending money
for webshite designers although that may just force them to employ cheaper
even worse ones...

red_dwarfers · Unread post by **red_dwarfers** » 14 May 2011, 21:41

There are a couple of multi branch factors based in the south west who have never had much of an online presence, it really can't turn that many people away as year in year out you see them offering more parts, new branches and branches moving to bigger premises.

Maybe its just how I'm feeling at the moment but I can't understand the logic behind using a different supplier just because of a change in the website, surely thats not the only reason you use GSF over another factor?

If I ever need anything, I phone up GSF Exeter using the number stored on my phone and I can get an accurate price there and then along with a whole raft of details, alternatives and if the price is too much an offer to spend time sourcing a cheaper alternative. I could get that done, discounted and ordered before clicking around even on the old site.

Xaccers · Unread post by **Xaccers** » 14 May 2011, 21:44

They just need to go back to having an open online shop, alowing purchaces without registering but giving people the option to do so should they wish to have their details remembered.

As I said, for important parts gsf are my first choice as I've never had a problem with the quality of them, unlike ecp.

andmcit · Unread post by **andmcit** » 14 May 2011, 21:58

That's my point, the Swansea branch of GSF is 100yards from ECP.

Thus far I've had only good dealings with the new ECP and the guys who
work there have off/on served me over the years at various shops and are
great guys to deal with.

If I can get the price, availability and part number in just the one and need to
go 5 miles in the precious 30minutes lunch break I get every day guess which
one I'm going to call into if there's sod all else different between them?

rory_perrett · Unread post by **rory_perrett** » 14 May 2011, 22:12

Its not about changing supplier just because they have changed their website and I'm not suggesting anyone should or would. I know how I work and I don't assume everyone else is the same hence my comment about the insignificance as me as an individual customer. If I needed a part I used to go onto the GSF site, search for what I wanted and then turn up at branch with a list of parts. It was never about price comparison etc. Saves everyone time and money. When I needed to register and didn't want to I went to ECP site, which didn't used in the past because GSF was better and got the parts list and prices from there because it was easier.

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 14 May 2011, 23:52

Vince, as the token Aussie I am allowed to be blunter and more offensive than you genteel Englishfolk.

Your employers need to know the revamped website is disgraceful.

How do suppliers feel about losing sales through a retailer's incompetence?

JohnD · Unread post by **JohnD** » 15 May 2011, 11:06

I live mid-way between a GSF and a ECS. In the past I've checked both websites before deciding which store to visit. Having seen the new setup at GSF, I just couldn't be bothered with it. So for the last three buys it's been Euro Car Spares - with delivery included - although the instore price is sometimes less.

tim leech · Unread post by **tim leech** » 15 May 2011, 21:14

I used to use them alot, Ive joined online 3 weeks ago, and as yet I have had no log in info, so sod um, whoever devised the new system should be shot.

To be honest they are pretty poor anyway, get the orders wrong more times than they do right and if you try and send stuff back it takes an age.

vince · Unread post by **vince** » 16 May 2011, 16:35

Guys, GSF hierarchy have taken your comments on board and are looking into the problems as i type. A response will no doubt be posted up soon.

In the meantime i am more that happy to speak to you guys and get your parts right (Tim)

So if you want just give me a call on 0151 525 1764 i can price up your bits and give you the part numbers you need

You can then order them.

By the way GSF also run an ebay site for those who like ebay

Hang in their guys....the wheels are turning.

Vince

Unread post by **myglaren** » 16 May 2011, 17:17

Well done Vince.
May be a promotion in it for you for rescuing GSF from certain death

jcw · Unread post by **jcw** » 16 May 2011, 18:17

I think i could get a complete pasting for this... but here goes...

So, the new GSF website... well, it was myself and a couple of other guys who decided nearly 3 years ago that our old website was no good - mainly because it had no up to date products on it. In fact, little past 2003 was listed. What we wanted to achieve was a website which listed everything we sell, gave live availability, gave live pricing and was live to buy. We also wanted the same site to be applicable to trade customers, club customers and the like. We worked up a number of ideas as to how we'd go about sorting out the site and... well, the result of a lot of work is the new site which you hate!

I spent quite a lot of the weekend reading some forum posts. Not the best weekend's reading!

The main things i'm getting is having to register So, can i say a couple of things without getting shot down!

Ok... it's not ideal. Most transactional websites ask you to create an account once you've browsed and decide to buy. Or often you don't have to create an account. Originally, we went with what most of our online competitors have done and tried to set up a simple(ish!) tabulated style browser - like if you're selling theatre tickets... And this requires no account to browse - you have X number of performances with Y number of seating arrangements and Z number of dates. The problem with this was that when the parts data was returned (like available seats) you just kept having to work out which part your car fitted (and this can be harder than choosing which seat you want)! Seeing that parts fit cars and not the other way around, we had to tie the code more closely to each individual car. What we've come back with is a pretty complicated bit of kit in the background - and, yes, it's annoyed some people because of how it behaves in the foreground! But what our online catalogue does is tie your reg number pretty damn tightly to our parts inventory without too many loose ends. Often on competitor websites you get a match but it's wrong or you get a huge number of matches which you then have to retro-categorise to your vehicle. In most cases, we've put together something which eliminates this. It's quirky... like asking customers to register to use it... the main reason is that it's not a standalone bit of online kit. It's got a complicated engine which requires (at this stage!) individual accounts. Look, other than this the only reason is so that we have your details ready in case you make an order. We're not going to use them for marketing stuff.

Look, cataloguing is difficult! The catalogue that sits on our website is pretty much the same thing we use in store. We add bits of other snap-on software to check finer details but, basically, it's the same thing. What we're trying to do is make the most accurate parts return to your enquiries that we can. We don't believe our competitors always do this - however simple their catalogues are. You might say we've compromised simplicity for accuracy. Lastly, lots of bigger companies want to enter the car parts market but they can't work out what fits what or how to work it out for that matter...

We do want to make this work and we will get it better in the coming weeks and months. Will make sure we keep you updated.

Be good to hear any views/rants on this!

Jonny

French Car Forum

GSF website revamp :(

Promoting Vince for promoting GSF?