Microtech Shop?

[Big G]

I know exactly what you're saying about customers Darren. Our business is natural gardening so a completely different target audience, but our customers demand those things too.

We offer free P&P for orders over £50 (slightly above our average order value) the P&P costs us £4.50 or something around there so that comes straight out of our profit margins.

Then you get those people who think because the total of their order is £51 they can then send half to 1 address and half to another. so that would be £9 of P&P we'd have to pay. they then get upset when we tell them can't do that.

[Mike Parker]

Just been reading through this thread, I'm very sorry to hear about Microtech's situation and yep gotta feel for the guys involved no matter what the reasons are behind the closure. Although I've used them sporadically over the years I have nothing but positive experiences using them.

From personal experience when me and my old man had our shop back in the late 80's early 90's we supported all the local meetings and regionals, it was never a strictly '9 to 5' job by any means - a lot of hard work was involved and it was tough back then even before www. started taking effect. One thing I would say when it comes to internet shopping is support your local shops where ever possible.

Good luck guys for the present time as well as the future.

Mike.

[Darren Boyle]

Originally Posted by BagofSkill

If it was business issue, that's a real worry to me personally. If someone like Microtech couldn't survive, (as a shop only, given that DMS is also a distributor) then who can?

Now you see why we turned to distribution too to add another string to our bow......

[Jan Larsen]

Live stock levels are not that hard to maintain. The initial setup of it is a bitch, but once its going, it really maintains itself. The store (non rc related) I used to work in had the barcode reader thingy setup to manage stock levels both in our own system aswell as the website whenever goods were run through it, both inbound and outbound. Dunno about the cost of it since it was run elsewhere at HQ.

That said; shame to see Microtech go, one of the UK shops I used the most

[MatJohnson]

The running of the live stock does cost as well though, you still need a method/person to get the levels in, enter new stock, monitor prices around the web etc. This can be a full time job, so year on year you have an outlay of 12k for someone to maintain this.

[Big G]

we have live stock on our system is it's rarely actually true. people moving stock between our 2 warehouses or getting it from 1 and posting it from another without transfering it. accepting stock into the wrong warehouse, etc

[stoff]

Originally Posted by DMS Racing

Customers do sadly expect "everything" (as some would say they are entitled to) they do want the very best prices, everything in stock in surplus quantities, delivery at the speed of light (plus they want the postage for free of course), they want to return items after any time scale just because they "dont want them now", they want the website to be smart looking and easy to navigate, plus they want a full time stock level checker (all of which costs money to put in place), they want knowledgable/experienced people to man the phones for help and advice for as many hours in the day as possible (7 days a week too if it could be done), they want a shop full to the brim from floor to ceiling of £1,000's and £1,000's of items they can came and browse at, warranties that run on for years upon end, they want you to be at trackside with your full shop at every race meeting around to supply them that £2 urgent spare parts that they have broke on the car they did not buy from you.....etc etc (I think you get my drift)
...

I work in retail for the RC trade and this is 100% true and a right PITA!

[JCJC]

Very sad to see Microtech go, we lost Dom in Evesham a few years ago, lots of helpful knowledge, Raceplace went last year and now Microtech, from Oxford these were our local shops, we were minor customers to all of them and to DMS & MK.

All the very best to Kevin & Keith

[sldmodels]

Originally Posted by BagofSkill

I shouldn't speculate- but, I'm dubious about it being a business issue. There was no promotional sales, there was no steady drying up of stock and credit, and surely they had great turnover. There was no move to web only sales to delete the overheads of the shop- it all just stopped, suddenly and effectively overnight...

Going web only means you can lose certain distributors who will only supply bricks and mortar shops, I can understand this, but I'm also aggrevated by this, especially in the current financial climate. It's something I've done within the past 6 months, and I'm having to be more imaginative how I get my stock, but maintaining a website is less money, and more time consuming.

[dasbo]

Its such a shame to hear about Microtech. I have used them for most of my stuff since I got back into the hobby in 2008. Absolutely nothing but praise for them.

With some manufacturers now selling direct, it must be even harder for local shops. I must admit, almost all of my car spares now come direct from the manufacturers. (Schumacher and Durango) But I still buy most of my electrics through online UK shops such as Microtech. (I have no "local" shop)

[qatmix]

Yup, gutted always found Microtech to be excellent. Our club races on Gecko tyres so a lot of us used them frequently. (on a side note I hope someone else starts distributing geckos!!).

It is sad to see a proper hobby shop go, there are a few that I still use, (DMS / Demon) and I try to buy from the UK if possible. However for Tamiya it seems that you get the parts quicker if you buy them from Japan or HK than if you order them from supposed UK stockists.

From a price point of view, its not much different atm, in fact with some of the new kits (like the HB2010) its cheaper to buy them in the uk.

[Conrad]

Carlsberg don't do model shops, but Microtech did!
Customers do sadly expect "everything" (as some would say they are entitled to) they do want the very best prices, everything in stock in surplus quantities, delivery at the speed of light (plus they want the postage for free of course), they want to return items after any time scale just because they "dont want them now", they want the website to be smart looking and easy to navigate, plus they want a full time stock level checker (all of which costs money to put in place), they want knowledgable/experienced people to man the phones for help and advice for as many hours in the day as possible (7 days a week too if it could be done), they want a shop full to the brim from floor to ceiling of £1,000's and £1,000's of items they can came and browse at, warranties that run on for years upon end, they want you to be at trackside with your full shop at every race meeting around to supply them that £2 urgent spare parts that they have broke on the car they did not buy from you.....etc etc (I think you get my drift)

Simply the best.................. Damn!

[DaveG28]

Originally Posted by Chrislong

When it was RRP'd in $ it would be costed for being put on the shelf in the USA, but convert it to £ and sell it on a shelf in England, there are a whole heap of other costs for the UK shops to consider - such as shipping, duty, higher cost in running a shop, not forgetting the insane cost of fuel for the lorry to drive it compared to in USA.... but for anyone to buy from USA is shortsighted just to think "because it is cheaper", UK can't lower the prices without going out of business, and so you shop abroad - still UK shop goes out of business.... then there are no shops... its the consumer that causes it. Pay the extra and support UK hobby shops guys!!!! This is why the UK is on its knee's, it is happening in all other industries, UK consumers are not loyal to UK stuff!!!!!!

Same for stuff made in China and costs peanuts, compared to stuff made in England and costs more but not much different... We all buy the cheapy China stuff, and wonder why we are redundant from our jobs! (Im thinking generally, not just RC)

But...where would we be if all blindly bought British? Most UK manufacturing died because the product was awful, nothing more or less. We're great at ideas but don't try hard enough to consider the customer/competition. I've worked in manufacturing and the number of people who think they are owed a living is amazing. I was told in one place to "stop worrying abou wasting money, the owner (foreign by the way) will just keep giving us more money to fund the losses", amazing!? UK customer service is appalling compared to abroad, full stop!

Example, I've tried 4 times to get stock status recently of items from 3 different uk places, with a total of 1 response! And they then ignored the follow up.... Only ever had one email ignored when asking abroad, even when asking foreign language only sites, and even when they can't help, they always reply!

I have also NEVER had a us store claim something as in stock which turned out not to be, whereas here....

Sorry, but don't blame the customer

Still, sorry as I guess this isn't the place, just winds me up sorry mate

The sad part is Microtech seemed like they had the good service/stock accuracy etc, real shame for them, sorry to see them go!

[truggy lover]

sorry to here this but wish i had of known before my order was taken on tuesday of this week explains why nothing has turned up yet and doubt it will now

any one know what will happen regaurds the peeps that still have orders out standing ???

[Xizor]

If Microtech were a bank they would have been rescued by now and the directors would be giving themselves big fat bonuses!!

One other thing. I bet we won't see anyone from Microtech coming on here moaning about their customers. Jeez!

Does anyone know what really happened?

[jim76]

gutted. I was a loyal customer of theirs before they kindly offered to support my racing. Their website was by far the best in the UK, and really nice chaps too.

will be greatly missed

[dorris]

Very sad.... Microtech was my first port of call for anything I was after.

Their service was top notch and will be sadly missed by me.... and many, many others by the looks of this thread.

[racingdwarf]

sad to see another shop go, and prob not the last.

I have to admit running a company of my own, I have no Idea how my local shop keeps going with all the overheads they have to meet these days. The one thing that I have come to accept is if I need parts for eather my B4 or my MP9 I give them a ring and they get them in, as they simply can't afford to keep the stock on the shelf these days. In years gone by I have bought from over the water as the saving just had to be done,BUT only with a few parts for the B4 that between 3 cars we broke quite a few of, but those savings are not so good these days.

Thing is most shops just can't afford to keep the quantity of stock required by our hobby. Those that try must find it very hard.

[Darren Boyle]

Originally Posted by Xizor

If Microtech were a bank they would have been rescued by now and the directors would be giving themselves big fat bonuses!!

One other thing. I bet we won't see anyone from Microtech coming on here moaning about their customers. Jeez!

Does anyone know what really happened?

Your first comment is so true..

I hope your second comment wasnt aimed at what I wrote, since I did say it was a generalisation of what people expect nowadays and not aimed at anyone or any party directly, least of all my own customers...

I think at this stage the ONLY people who know what has happened is Keith and Kevin who I am sure just want to put it all behind them as quickly as possible at present I would guess.....

[the man from delmonte]

I could say something to make you all bite like piranhas, specially Chris Long lol