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I have now been on both sides of this situation. Spent multiple years inside a car dealership, and now I am an automotive vendor. I try my absolute best to respond to customers in a timely manner. Do some people slip through the cracks? Absolutely, but not often. I check my emails, text, and call log hourly HOPING someone has responded.

Here is a funny example-not related to automotive but relevant nonetheless. I had some dental work done last week and realized over the weekend my bite was uneven and would need to go back. I was having a lot of discomfort, so I called the dentist hotline to report the issue on Sunday. I make it to Monday afternoon and realize I had not heard from my dentist. As I am about to call the dentist and give them a piece of my mind, I see I have a voicemail from a number that was not saved in my phone. Low and behold, my dentist called me at 8am Monday morning and told me to come in at 11am. Somehow I missed the call AND the voicemail. Sometimes, even when it is important we miss the mark.

With automotive vendors, customer service and support are paramount. I think some vendors scale too quickly and don't hire enough help, leaving vendor reps with too many accounts to be of any real help. Then there are the OEM partnerships. A lot of vendors are secure knowing that they are pretty much the only game in town. Co-op keeps the dealers chained to "approved vendors" that most dealers love to hate.

Your "why it's time to stop ignoring vendors" thread was super helpful!! Keep up the good work