Warning: Do not do business with ICEof San Diego for AC stuff!

[mma@Rt66.com (Mark Aaldering)]

	Last week I noted that the Sanden rotary compressor kit was
available from International Conditioning Ent. in San Diego CA
(619-338-9051). I called them last Wednesday morning and ordered a
Sanden Rotary Compressor for an 87 5000 CSQ. I did this as my
compressor has finally died, and the car is in the shop waiting for a
replacement.

	They took all the relevant data (name, phone, shipping &
billing address, visa card #...) and requested two day shipping
directly to my mechanic, since I'm not going to drive without AC here
in the high desert of Albuquerque. They said it would take two days to
prep it before they would ship. So I figured they'd ship it by Friday
at the latest, and it would arrive no later than Tuesday PM. I'd have
no problem making that 1000 mile drive the following weekend from
Albuquerque to San Jose, CA.

**	In the meantime, things got busy around my house with the
addition of an 8lb 3oz baby boy (our first) Saturday morning <glow,
glow>! **

	Today I checked with my mechanic (Bill Willis at European
Automotive if you ever have problems passing thru Albuquerque), and
the compressor had not arrived!

	So I called ICE, and was told to call back and speak to
Gilbert. I called again, and Gilbert flatly told me "Oh, we don't
offer that kit any more - we can't get the mounting bracket for that
vehicle." So here I was waiting for it - had given them everything
they needed to let me know if they had any problems - and they just
flat blew me off! 

	Now, I currently run the Applications and Software development
effort for Philips Complex Programmable Logic Devices - and in our
business helping customers successfully implement their designs is
critical to being a player in a highly competitive chip market. My
guys & I live and die by making people happy with not only the
product, but more importantly the service behind it. Even if the
answer is not positive - people have things they are counting on
getting done based on getting the feedback. And to simply blow off an
order without so much as a whisper truly sucks!

	Fortunately, Bill at European had ordered a Nippondenso for
me, and not returned it when I called and told him I wanted to try
this new rotary compressor - so it looks as though I'll have the car
running Thursday, 2 days before the big trip I've got to make (talk
about extremes of the service spectrum...).

I'd add ICE to the list of vendors *not* to do business with!

- mark


Mark Aaldering
mma@rt66.com
Mark.Aaldering@abq.sc.philips.com