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Bimini Tops??? Ford Mesh vs Ford Canvas (my22) vs aftermarket

Bestop_Team

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Just a quick note that @Bestop_Team reached out to me. While it would of course be better never to have had to write the post in the first place, kudos to Crystal to wading into the blast radius with an open mind and a friendly approach. Please keep your powder dry while we give the @Bestop_Team advocate assigned to support us on 6G the opportunity to review my case. Yes, Bestop customer service could have--and should have--taken the same approach Crystal has. But we're at least lucky that, as part of 6G, Bestop has someone to hear us out.

And maybe, by broadcasting at full volume, and having Crystal act as our repeater, some product manager at Bestop will figure out that I'm likely not the only one to have this problem and will reconsider not making this $.05 part available to the rest of the folks struggling through the same issue as I am. Thanks again, Crystal
@Darcyjs14 You're most welcome! I have a meeting at 10am MST this morning to discuss what we emailed about so I will be talking to you later this afternoon!
In addition, thank you, I appreciate your kind words, I am here to help you and anyone else in Bronco6G with their Bestop products! Most should have my email, but for those that don't, feel free to email me with any questions, comments, suggests, etc, [email protected], I'll do whatever is within my means to help out, always!
~Crystal@Bestop
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Darcyjs14

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To close out my post, I must say I'm impressed with the support I got from our @Bestop_Team 6G advocate. The fact that Bestop funds the headcount to listen to users here almost makes up for all the stuff that Crystal had to fix on my behalf. That said, she took the approach I would have taken. She solved my problem and then she made sure that she solved the problem for anyone who might come after me with a similar problem.

1) She identified that Bestop had a process problem. Biminis bought via Ford are, in theory, supported via Ford (so Ford supports me, Bestop supports Ford). Except in my case, we proved that isn't true or how it really works. My Ford parts guy tried to figure out how to get this bimini supported, spent two weeks in back-and-forth with Bestop, and what Bestop told him was 1) that I would need to call them directly (for a product I purchased through Ford) and that I could address it with warranty (again, through Bestop). The process failed because both times I spoke with Bestop customer service (once in November, once earlier this month) they couldn't (or wouldn't) help me. They also didn't tell me I needed to go back to Ford, either. They just said, the part isn't orderable (the subtext? sucks to be you, dude). Only my Ford guy was able to figure out, from Bestop, that it was under warranty and I could submit it myself to the (non-responsive) warranty organization. Crystal processed all this information, and started sorting out whether things had failed, and drove changes through her own organization to make it better for us, the Bestop customers

1) That middling little plastic part will be made orderable. It will be available in a few weeks. Crystal got Bestop to create SKUs for it, and now customers can call in and will be able to get replacements. If you're under warranty, whether you bought it from Ford or direct from Bestop, you'll get your parts through Bestop. After your warranty period is over, if you lose or break that part, you'll be able to buy just that plastic widget, again from Bestop That alone is a good outcome for buyers of the Bimini top for Bronco (and any other bimini top unfortunate enough to use this setup with the little plastic inserts)

2) I submitted my warranty request, via the Bestop website, following the instructions posted there, twice, each a week apart. While I did get a confirmation of success both time on the webpage after submission, I never received any other email with a case number, or any further communication from Bestop's warranty team. Crystal is tracking down whether those submissions actually get routed to the team correctly, etc. etc. Fixing broken workflows isn't sexy but it does make the difference between customers and former customers. Again, their borked process is not our problem but we can be grateful that Crystal is here to help us when they can't get out of their own way.

The point of my close-out message is that mistakes happen and it's the response we should judge. Businesses are made up of humans, just like us. Some people do their jobs and clock out, others like Crystal stick at it until the problem is solved. Whatever your personal opinions are about this product, the fact that Bestop has someone _in_ the 6g community listening, and then --most importantly--taking action and making change happen, is unusual and impressive. This week I bought $600 worth of stuff from a roof rack vendor who offered up a discount code that didn't work and then a link to instructions on their website that aren't actually posted there. Another vendor, from whom I've been trying to buy LP6 lights and a custom harness for my Swarfworks triple mount light grill and replies, at best, to 1 in every 10 messages, often weeks apart (and all I'm trying to pay for this order and get it shipped.) A company I bought overhead molle from shipped me the wrong part, and also didn't ship all the components in my order. When I pointed this out, they didn't apologize for their error, or for wasting my time (I opened up my rig for an install which I couldn't complete), they simply replied with a shipping confirmation. The company cerakoting my Braptor grill and trail sights? They seem unwilling to tell me when I can expect to receive my parts back, or even tell me anything about the state that project at all. Will I see my parts again? My recent experience has been that some of the companies selling to us in the Bronco economy seem to be awful at basic business execution. All the premium dollars for supposed on-shore craftsmanship and quality, and yet lacking in even basic customer service.

So consider my perspective that Bestop is better than the herd, because at least they have someone dedicated to hearing us out and trying to fix things that do go wrong. The other vendors (not named so as not to shame) appear comfortable ignoring customers and prospective customers. I put Bestop on blast and Crystal responded in a friendly, professional way and solved my problem. Other than wishing it never had to be this way in the first place, this is the best possible outcome for me, as well as for anyone else who will encounter the same problem in the future, because Crystal has done the root cause work.

Thanks @Bestop_Team
 

JTopsUSA

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To close out my post, I must say I'm impressed with the support I got from our @Bestop_Team 6G advocate. The fact that Bestop funds the headcount to listen to users here almost makes up for all the stuff that Crystal had to fix on my behalf. That said, she took the approach I would have taken. She solved my problem and then she made sure that she solved the problem for anyone who might come after me with a similar problem.

1) She identified that Bestop had a process problem. Biminis bought via Ford are, in theory, supported via Ford (so Ford supports me, Bestop supports Ford). Except in my case, we proved that isn't true or how it really works. My Ford parts guy tried to figure out how to get this bimini supported, spent two weeks in back-and-forth with Bestop, and what Bestop told him was 1) that I would need to call them directly (for a product I purchased through Ford) and that I could address it with warranty (again, through Bestop). The process failed because both times I spoke with Bestop customer service (once in November, once earlier this month) they couldn't (or wouldn't) help me. They also didn't tell me I needed to go back to Ford, either. They just said, the part isn't orderable (the subtext? sucks to be you, dude). Only my Ford guy was able to figure out, from Bestop, that it was under warranty and I could submit it myself to the (non-responsive) warranty organization. Crystal processed all this information, and started sorting out whether things had failed, and drove changes through her own organization to make it better for us, the Bestop customers

1) That middling little plastic part will be made orderable. It will be available in a few weeks. Crystal got Bestop to create SKUs for it, and now customers can call in and will be able to get replacements. If you're under warranty, whether you bought it from Ford or direct from Bestop, you'll get your parts through Bestop. After your warranty period is over, if you lose or break that part, you'll be able to buy just that plastic widget, again from Bestop That alone is a good outcome for buyers of the Bimini top for Bronco (and any other bimini top unfortunate enough to use this setup with the little plastic inserts)

2) I submitted my warranty request, via the Bestop website, following the instructions posted there, twice, each a week apart. While I did get a confirmation of success both time on the webpage after submission, I never received any other email with a case number, or any further communication from Bestop's warranty team. Crystal is tracking down whether those submissions actually get routed to the team correctly, etc. etc. Fixing broken workflows isn't sexy but it does make the difference between customers and former customers. Again, their borked process is not our problem but we can be grateful that Crystal is here to help us when they can't get out of their own way.

The point of my close-out message is that mistakes happen and it's the response we should judge. Businesses are made up of humans, just like us. Some people do their jobs and clock out, others like Crystal stick at it until the problem is solved. Whatever your personal opinions are about this product, the fact that Bestop has someone _in_ the 6g community listening, and then --most importantly--taking action and making change happen, is unusual and impressive. This week I bought $600 worth of stuff from a roof rack vendor who offered up a discount code that didn't work and then a link to instructions on their website that aren't actually posted there. Another vendor, from whom I've been trying to buy LP6 lights and a custom harness for my Swarfworks triple mount light grill and replies, at best, to 1 in every 10 messages, often weeks apart (and all I'm trying to pay for this order and get it shipped.) A company I bought overhead molle from shipped me the wrong part, and also didn't ship all the components in my order. When I pointed this out, they didn't apologize for their error, or for wasting my time (I opened up my rig for an install which I couldn't complete), they simply replied with a shipping confirmation. The company cerakoting my Braptor grill and trail sights? They seem unwilling to tell me when I can expect to receive my parts back, or even tell me anything about the state that project at all. Will I see my parts again? My recent experience has been that some of the companies selling to us in the Bronco economy seem to be awful at basic business execution. All the premium dollars for supposed on-shore craftsmanship and quality, and yet lacking in even basic customer service.

So consider my perspective that Bestop is better than the herd, because at least they have someone dedicated to hearing us out and trying to fix things that do go wrong. The other vendors (not named so as not to shame) appear comfortable ignoring customers and prospective customers. I put Bestop on blast and Crystal responded in a friendly, professional way and solved my problem. Other than wishing it never had to be this way in the first place, this is the best possible outcome for me, as well as for anyone else who will encounter the same problem in the future, because Crystal has done the root cause work.

Thanks @Bestop_Team
Glad Bestop is taking care of you that is the right way to conduct business. But please don’t lump all aftermarket vendors in one bucket. I spend countless hours helping customers on this form and in most cases within minutes of their requests.
Mike/JTops
 
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Darcyjs14

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I certainly don’t want to lump all vendors or all small vendors in the same bucket. I noted that a handful I’ve dealt with just don’t seem to get these basics right. And Bestop didn’t get the basics right either, but at least they have a mechanism in our forums to catch process failures. But either i have the worst luck at selecting companies to buy from or there’s a opportunity for some of these companies to examine how they do quality, communicate and, when they make errors, own it and make it right.

Like i said, i wasn’t here to name and shame the others, just to recognize that Bestop saw the problem of their own creation and then took thetime-consuming and unglamorous steps to understand and make it right. That’s laudable and I’m recognizing them for the outcome that serves me and other customers in my situation.
 

EJP-OB

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Glad Bestop is taking care of you that is the right way to conduct business. But please don’t lump all aftermarket vendors in one bucket. I spend countless hours helping customers on this form and in most cases within minutes of their requests.
Mike/JTops
Amen to that. Mike from Jtops has been very good with getting things done, even with something small like making sure I received the samples I ordered.
This is a great forum for both the end users and vendors, especially the reputable ones.
 

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mC.242

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I had the Bestop access bimini on my 4dr for over a year. Rarely took the 2nd row panel off, and it was kind of a pain to attach/detach the front header when taking off the front panels. The front doesn't attach that well either, and flaps a bit. I ended up removing it this week when I got my Sunrider and probably won't use it again. Otherwise the fit was pretty good with no sag. If it were easier to attach the header when in use and didn't flap at the front I'd probably keep it on for the shade, but with the ease of the Sunrider I don't want to have it in the way.
 

JTopsUSA

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I certainly don’t want to lump all vendors or all small vendors in the same bucket. I noted that a handful I’ve dealt with just don’t seem to get these basics right. And Bestop didn’t get the basics right either, but at least they have a mechanism in our forums to catch process failures. But either i have the worst luck at selecting companies to buy from or there’s a opportunity for some of these companies to examine how they do quality, communicate and, when they make errors, own it and make it right.

Like i said, i wasn’t here to name and shame the others, just to recognize that Bestop saw the problem of their own creation and then took thetime-consuming and unglamorous steps to understand and make it right. That’s laudable and I’m recognizing them for the outcome that serves me and other customers in my situation.
Thank you for your response. It is frustrating how many vendors don’t understand that customer service is the most important product they can provided.
We are always available to help, even if it’s not about our products. We love to share our 10 years of experience on any subject.
Mike
 

Bestop_Team

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To close out my post, I must say I'm impressed with the support I got from our @Bestop_Team 6G advocate. The fact that Bestop funds the headcount to listen to users here almost makes up for all the stuff that Crystal had to fix on my behalf. That said, she took the approach I would have taken. She solved my problem and then she made sure that she solved the problem for anyone who might come after me with a similar problem.

1) She identified that Bestop had a process problem. Biminis bought via Ford are, in theory, supported via Ford (so Ford supports me, Bestop supports Ford). Except in my case, we proved that isn't true or how it really works. My Ford parts guy tried to figure out how to get this bimini supported, spent two weeks in back-and-forth with Bestop, and what Bestop told him was 1) that I would need to call them directly (for a product I purchased through Ford) and that I could address it with warranty (again, through Bestop). The process failed because both times I spoke with Bestop customer service (once in November, once earlier this month) they couldn't (or wouldn't) help me. They also didn't tell me I needed to go back to Ford, either. They just said, the part isn't orderable (the subtext? sucks to be you, dude). Only my Ford guy was able to figure out, from Bestop, that it was under warranty and I could submit it myself to the (non-responsive) warranty organization. Crystal processed all this information, and started sorting out whether things had failed, and drove changes through her own organization to make it better for us, the Bestop customers

1) That middling little plastic part will be made orderable. It will be available in a few weeks. Crystal got Bestop to create SKUs for it, and now customers can call in and will be able to get replacements. If you're under warranty, whether you bought it from Ford or direct from Bestop, you'll get your parts through Bestop. After your warranty period is over, if you lose or break that part, you'll be able to buy just that plastic widget, again from Bestop That alone is a good outcome for buyers of the Bimini top for Bronco (and any other bimini top unfortunate enough to use this setup with the little plastic inserts)

2) I submitted my warranty request, via the Bestop website, following the instructions posted there, twice, each a week apart. While I did get a confirmation of success both time on the webpage after submission, I never received any other email with a case number, or any further communication from Bestop's warranty team. Crystal is tracking down whether those submissions actually get routed to the team correctly, etc. etc. Fixing broken workflows isn't sexy but it does make the difference between customers and former customers. Again, their borked process is not our problem but we can be grateful that Crystal is here to help us when they can't get out of their own way.

The point of my close-out message is that mistakes happen and it's the response we should judge. Businesses are made up of humans, just like us. Some people do their jobs and clock out, others like Crystal stick at it until the problem is solved. Whatever your personal opinions are about this product, the fact that Bestop has someone _in_ the 6g community listening, and then --most importantly--taking action and making change happen, is unusual and impressive. This week I bought $600 worth of stuff from a roof rack vendor who offered up a discount code that didn't work and then a link to instructions on their website that aren't actually posted there. Another vendor, from whom I've been trying to buy LP6 lights and a custom harness for my Swarfworks triple mount light grill and replies, at best, to 1 in every 10 messages, often weeks apart (and all I'm trying to pay for this order and get it shipped.) A company I bought overhead molle from shipped me the wrong part, and also didn't ship all the components in my order. When I pointed this out, they didn't apologize for their error, or for wasting my time (I opened up my rig for an install which I couldn't complete), they simply replied with a shipping confirmation. The company cerakoting my Braptor grill and trail sights? They seem unwilling to tell me when I can expect to receive my parts back, or even tell me anything about the state that project at all. Will I see my parts again? My recent experience has been that some of the companies selling to us in the Bronco economy seem to be awful at basic business execution. All the premium dollars for supposed on-shore craftsmanship and quality, and yet lacking in even basic customer service.

So consider my perspective that Bestop is better than the herd, because at least they have someone dedicated to hearing us out and trying to fix things that do go wrong. The other vendors (not named so as not to shame) appear comfortable ignoring customers and prospective customers. I put Bestop on blast and Crystal responded in a friendly, professional way and solved my problem. Other than wishing it never had to be this way in the first place, this is the best possible outcome for me, as well as for anyone else who will encounter the same problem in the future, because Crystal has done the root cause work.

Thanks @Bestop_Team
@Darcyjs14 Thank you, I appreciate your kudos and your updated outcome post. I'm always here (except on weekends lol) and always happy to help you the folks on Bronco6G!
~Crystal@Bestop
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