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To reply to some of the "Newsletter" talk on the list, we have attached the
following file.
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March 19, 1997
=0D
Dear Triumph People,
=0D
I've been reading most of the postings regarding The Roadster
Factory and related Triumph business. I'm excited by the instant
feedback through the internet, and I look forward to participating
more and more as time goes on. Thanks very much to John du Hart
for his sensitive letter about our current newsletter.
=0D
I do tend to be straightforward about things. The current
newsletter talks about things that most businesses don't talk about
with their customers. I started The Roadster Factory back in 1978
with six-thousand dollars in borrowed money, and I've been out on
the limb ever since. I've always taken a "balls out" approach to
business, and as long as it was successful, everyone, including my
bankers, thought I was a hero. When TRF sales diminished in 1992
as a result of the recession, my bankers abandoned me as far as any
additional help was concerned. Since then, TRF has financed
everything from daily sales. When daily sales are good, we go
along well. When daily sales fall off for whatever reason, we hurt.
=0D
The Roadster Factory and The Coventry Inn are two of the nicest
little businesses that I know of. Yesterday, just after lunch,
John Swauger and I left on an errand, and as we sat in my TR5,
starting the engine, I took a moment to look around. The building
does look as if it were headquarters of a little British car
company in the 1950's or 1960's. Overhead doors were going up and
down. Warehouse people were moving the day's orders into the
shipping bay to be picked up by UPS. People were coming back from
lunch. I built the brick facade of this building in 1983, working
with the bricklayer every day to be sure that he followed my
design. I've worked with these thirty-five people for more than
fifteen years, and I love them as I love The Roadster Factory.
=0D
The Coventry Inn is more of the same. I designed the building,
working along with the architect, and I am working to build the
same kind of staff that I have at The Roadster Factory. The chef
is the center of this new staff, and he is marvelous. He works
seventy hours a week, and his food is always good. Only one floor
of The Coventry Inn is open now, although we use the third floor
several times each week for parties and meetings. There is still
a lot to do, and we are proceeding slowly, but we are also doing
the best possible job with everything, including the food we sell
and the building that we are completing.
=0D
The Roadster Factory also provides good value to its
customers, I believe. For instance, our glove box series of
catalogues provided a list of free premiums available with order
values. The free premiums are all great parts that people can use. =
We didn't have to offer the premiums. We just did it to provide
greater value to loyal customers. The idea of the TRF Car Club as
described in our current newsletter is an attempt again to reward
loyal customers while helping us to maintain cash flows. The
annual dues are $100 by the way. I'm not sure how I managed to
send out a newsletter without this vital number being provided
anywhere. The pay-backs described will provide more pay-backs
throughout the year in every catalogue and newsletter published. =
And, don't forget that you get your first year's dues back in the
form of a parts credit when you join for the second year. This
process will repeat in each successive year, based again on the
idea of building customer loyalty.
=0D
The truth is that The Roadster Factory has had a tough couple
of years, based on being overextended in every direction at a time
when the market went soft around 1992. We need your business, and
we do have lots of inventory in stock to sell. About 2.5 million
at cost. If we don't have it in stock when you order, and you
don't want to back order, we understand. We are still working very
hard to build up our stocks again after our Winter Parts Sale. =
This is happening as quickly as possible with weekly air freights
from England, but it will take a few weeks to get some items into
stock and longer to receive some interior components which take a
long time to manufacture.
=0D
There was a question posed about who will receive the new
Spitfire catalogue when it comes from the printer. We stated in
the newsletter that everyone on our permanent mailing list will
receive the catalogue. You can put your name on our mailing list
by FAXing or calling on the phone. We leave all names on the list
for eighteen months even if no purchase is made.
=0D
By the way, for those who are interested in TR2 and TR3 Parts,
I have, over the past week, returned to work on a complete
catalogue that I started last summer. This will be a very big
project with hundreds of sections, very much like our current TR6
Spare Parts Catalogue and Engineering Parts List. To get
information into customers' hands quickly, we may publish it in
loose-leaf form, and provide sections as they are completed. Any
thoughts on this?
=0D
That's about it for this time. I'm interested in what you
have to say, and I appreciate any parts business that you can send
my way.
=0D
Best regards,
=0D
Charles
=0D
P.S. TRF has a great Triumph TR8 for sale. This is a 1980 model
with original carbs. The car is original in virtually every way. =
Original Poseidon Green paint with some stone chips. Original
interior in golden tan plaid. TRF mechanics have gone over the car
to insure that it is mechanically sound. Mileage is less than
18,000. Firm selling price at $14,000.00. =
=0D
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