Help me help you

KRyan

KRyan

Pre-takeoff checklist
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Jun 29, 2011
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Piqua, Ohio
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KRyan
OK, first of all, let me start out by saying I REALLY hesitated to post this, but I think it needs to be said.

I work in a Product Support department for a major aircraft component supplier. I get e-mails, phone calls, and sometimes even faxes asking for assistance. Most of my contacts are positive, but the ones that really get my goat are the people that call up asking for assistance and can't provide me basic information.

When you call a company, they don't know what widget you have installed on your aircraft based on your tail number, or aircraft serial number. Think about it for a bit. If you have an item that was installed on your aircraft in, say, 1967, and I'm talking about a "wear" item now, like say a magneto, propeller blade, vacuum pump. . . you get where I'm going, there's no way in heck I'm going to know what you have now. It even gets worse the older the aircraft is. Add STC's and field approvals into the mix, and you get a rats nest, and let's not even talk about the experimental guys.

Here's what I'm asking. If you have a problem, either go look in your log book, or better yet, actually go look at the part number/serial number or whatever on the widget before you contact me or any other support person. It really helps.

Maybe it's just because of my job, but whenever I have a problem with something, I go looking for the data plate, sticker, or whatever and write everything down before I call.

Let's say you have a problem with your....washing machine and you call Maytag. They aren't going to be able to help you much without at LEAST a model number. Why should your aviation part be any different?

Believe me, I really love my job, and I really want to help you, but don't call me up with "I have this problem" with nothing but your tail number, or aircraft serial number, and sometimes not even that. I've even had customers call me because they THOUGHT they had our product on their plane and they had a another product installed.

I know that sometimes I'll need some info you haven't thought I'd need, such as engine model (hint: "360 Lycoming" doesn't get the job done) or an STC number (I know that's tough alot of times). That doesn't bother me, but if you are calling me about MY product, at least get the numbers, it will be more productive for both of us.

Thank you for your time.
 
I know what you mean. When I worked at an auto parts store. Some people would come in. I'd ask them year/make/model. They would give me a blank look and say something like " ah....the kind with 4 doors..."
 
I actually had a guy call me one time. I asked him "what kind of plane is it?" He said "a blue one."

I said "well, it's got to have some kind of logo, or data plate on it (he had inherited it). He said "all I know is that is blue and has a nekkid woman on the nose."

This is a true story.
 
KRyan said:
OK, first of all, let me start out by saying I REALLY hesitated to post this, but I think it needs to be said.

I work in a Product Support department for a major aircraft component supplier. I get e-mails, phone calls, and sometimes even faxes asking for assistance. Most of my contacts are positive, but the ones that really get my goat are the people that call up asking for assistance and can't provide me basic information.

When you call a company, they don't know what widget you have installed on your aircraft based on your tail number, or aircraft serial number. Think about it for a bit. If you have an item that was installed on your aircraft in, say, 1967, and I'm talking about a "wear" item now, like say a magneto, propeller blade, vacuum pump. . . you get where I'm going, there's no way in heck I'm going to know what you have now. It even gets worse the older the aircraft is. Add STC's and field approvals into the mix, and you get a rats nest, and let's not even talk about the experimental guys.

Here's what I'm asking. If you have a problem, either go look in your log book, or better yet, actually go look at the part number/serial number or whatever on the widget before you contact me or any other support person. It really helps.

Maybe it's just because of my job, but whenever I have a problem with something, I go looking for the data plate, sticker, or whatever and write everything down before I call.

Let's say you have a problem with your....washing machine and you call Maytag. They aren't going to be able to help you much without at LEAST a model number. Why should your aviation part be any different?

Believe me, I really love my job, and I really want to help you, but don't call me up with "I have this problem" with nothing but your tail number, or aircraft serial number, and sometimes not even that. I've even had customers call me because they THOUGHT they had our product on their plane and they had a another product installed.

I know that sometimes I'll need some info you haven't thought I'd need, such as engine model (hint: "360 Lycoming" doesn't get the job done) or an STC number (I know that's tough alot of times). That doesn't bother me, but if you are calling me about MY product, at least get the numbers, it will be more productive for both of us.

Thank you for your time.
Click to expand...

You're probably preaching to the choir here. I get the sense this is where the conscious, proactive, and those that walk upright in the GA community hang. The people you're looking for are the mopes on Barnstormers selling their jalopies, 15 years out of annual and asking 20% above current market value.
 
You must do business with my FBO. They got the "wrong part" shipped to them twice so far this week! :)
 
Thank you for pointing this out. I agree fully that people need to provide sufficient info to get any help. I used to get some crazy requests at Leakengines. One was a guy wanting to know about the TSIO-540. "Ok, we don't make those." "Turbo 540" "Yes, TIO-540. Which one?" "They're all the same." "..."
 
Oh come on! I should be able to ask for a magneto or brakes for a 1943 J3 Piper cub and you should know!!!!!!!


Totally joking! I don’t even trust a parts catalog let alone many of the component manufacture’s application charts...


BEYOND annoying when an owner ordered a part that doesn't fit because they had no clue where to look for real hard evidence that it is the correct part #.

That's why restocking fees exist.
 
Good point. So, where do you look for the part numbers for your aircraft?
 
PPC1052 said:
Good point. So, where do you look for the part numbers for your aircraft?
Click to expand...


There is no simple answer because no single book covers the entire airplane.

If it's not on the part then possibly the parts manual which might be wrong because the part was installed under an alteration of some kind such as an STC, Field Approval or even a service bulletin that wasn't incorporated into the parts manual.

Sometimes the component manufacture changes the part and superceded the part # you have.

Sometimes the part #'s in the parts manual are simply superceded.

Sometimes the "useable on" codes in the parts manual are messed up so they tell you the wrong part is applicable to your airplane.

Engine parts manual, airframe parts manual, prop parts manual help, but won't solve everything.

It comes with a lot of experience, especially hardware.
 
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