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Is anybody using MFG.com?

ChrisP

Aluminum
Joined
Mar 3, 2012
Location
Hutchinson, Kansas
I searched through here looking for MFG.com information and only found old posts. Out of the blue yesterday, I got a call from MFG.com asking if I was still interested in trying them out. I had set up the "practice" account about 5 years ago, but never paid any money to them. I grilled him very hard about what MFG.com was doing now and got almost the same answers I got back then. They still charge, $3,000 or $6,000 per year with a one year contract. The amount you pay is dependent upon how much tech support you want, a little up front and then you're on your own or throughout the year. They are a worldwide RFQ platform. All the negativity found in reviews is from people who didn't understand how the platform worked, but have come back to MFG.com and are now having great success.
I asked for a list of successful companies I could contact, he said he would email me one. It was the same list of companies that were sent to me 5 years ago:rolleyes5:. He also sent me a long "report" of what industries were using what types of products. I didn't make it past all the pretty charts and graphs.

I'm not going to pay them for their services this time either. I was just curious if anything had changed with them.

Chris
 
They are a worldwide RFQ platform.
That means everybody you quote against will be in China, and the customers only care about price.

All the negativity found in reviews is from people who didn't understand how the platform worked, but have come back to MFG.com and are now having great success.
LMAO. Search more here and across the 'net. Not many companies have "hate sites" dedicated to them.
 
Jim,

According to this guy, "You can set your preferences to USA only." And, "I have seen all those reviews and websites blah, blah, blah......." We talked for about 30minutes, 30 minutes I'll never get back, at the end he was still puzzled why I wouldn't sign up right there on the spot. I hope after the stern "Remove me from all your lists" comment I made to him, he will get the point.

Chris
 
I still get a call from Dorothy Farmer once a year. She is also puzzled as to why I wont sign up. I just don't see any possible gain from this. You can quote parts till the cows come home, but doesn't mean you will get anything. So you pay some ungodly high price for potentially nothing, Yeah, sounds like a great plan to me. If you needed to throw away some money to show on your taxes, I think its probably the way to go. If you want to go that route, donate to cancer or something.

Josh
 
If you talk with them they will give you a 6 month contract . I found 1 good customer last year where I've ran about 20k worth of work for at fair prices (still a great working relationship (net 15)) but that was it. I did a lot of cold calling and emailing and 0 quoting(Somewhere around 50-100 emails / calls a week). If I was slow I'd sign up for another 6 month contract and do the same. Basically go through all the good RFQ's where they have low # of bids (and quality parts to run...none of this $10 dollar material $10 dollar labor bullshit) and either shoot the buyer an email or call if they have a number listed.
 
If you talk with them they will give you a 6 month contract . I found 1 good customer last year where I've ran about 20k worth of work for at fair prices (still a great working relationship (net 15)) but that was it. I did a lot of cold calling and emailing and 0 quoting(Somewhere around 50-100 emails / calls a week). If I was slow I'd sign up for another 6 month contract and do the same. Basically go through all the good RFQ's where they have low # of bids (and quality parts to run...none of this $10 dollar material $10 dollar labor bullshit) and either shoot the buyer an email or call if they have a number listed.

Not a bad return on your investment. :D

I've been a member for the most part since 2005. Our biggest customer was found using the site back in 2006. We have three other customers from mfg.com who do business with us on a yearly basis as well, all outside the service itself.

For me to go out for just one afternoon or spend the day cold calling easily pays for the service for an entire month and all I do is sit at my desk. My time is money, and it doesn't take much time to chew up $300!

I don't know what they charge for the yearly contract to new accounts, but I only pay $3,600.00 a year ($300/month). Literally a drop in the bucket for the returns I get......just from repeat work from customers originally found on the site, from 8 yrs ago. I like the fact that anytime I want, I can see who's needing work done either across the country, or right in my backyard, and for the most part have my notifications set to a 300 mile radius.

I quote exactly the type of work I can do with exactly the types of material I want to work with and exactly what I charge for a shop rate. If I get the job, great. If I don't.....no big deal, I'm not in this game to be the cheapest shop on the block.

Works for me.......and that's all I care about. Your results may vary! ;)

Best Regards,
Russ
 
Wrustle, you appear to be the only MFG success story found on the web that isn't an obvious shill. You must have a very specialized skill set that 99.9999% of the world does not have.
 
i think the problem with what you read about MFG.COM is two fold. first off, it is allot of money. especially for a little guy (like myself). so when he lays that cash out, and doesn't get immediate results, it puts a bad taste in his mouth. and the smack talk starts. and second. i think allot of people are lazy and don't put the time in quoting everything they can that fits their capabilities. you know, only quoting 10 jobs a month, instead of 100 or more. and again, they get no immediate results. bad taste, smack talk. i could be wrong but that's how i see it based on everything i have read. i have actually considered signing on, on a temporary basis myself to see what happens. i have an idle machine, and no work to even quote.
 
i think the problem with what you read about MFG.COM is two fold. first off, it is allot of money. especially for a little guy (like myself). so when he lays that cash out, and doesn't get immediate results, it puts a bad taste in his mouth. and the smack talk starts. and second. i think allot of people are lazy and don't put the time in quoting everything they can that fits their capabilities. you know, only quoting 10 jobs a month, instead of 100 or more. and again, they get no immediate results. bad taste, smack talk. i could be wrong but that's how i see it based on everything i have read. i have actually considered signing on, on a temporary basis myself to see what happens. i have an idle machine, and no work to even quote.

I was a member for a few yrs a long time ago.

I never quoted many jobs, and I have a completely opposite outlook on that issue than you. I would not bother quoting something unless it was inside my niche'. There are hundreds (thousands?) of other guys all looking at the same RFQ's, how could you ever make a profit against all of them if it was not RIGHT UP YOUR ALLEY?

If you are on the site, you are (or at least you used to be) able to see the high and low bids, and then get an idea where you were in the foodchain. I quoted my niche', and I was almost always 1/2 of the mean pricing. One particular job that was kind of "out there" and yet had some bigger volume to it - looked good, but in the end - they went overseas. (I wonder if they got nearly the quality/tols they were asking for or not?)

The only work that I got off of the site was one that had 2 bearing bores, and I only noticed one on a REALLY busy print. I didn't notice it untill I was programming and finally found THAT DIMMENSION and thought "great..."

I actually ended up running two (?) sister parts with it, and I still have some around here. (rusting) and they have up to 3 bearing bores each. They were air tool bodies.


No - after seeing how many guys would quote prices that are 4x higher than mine, again and again - I have no clue why they spent the time on it. They should know their most competative zone, and should learn to stay there when quoting in such a high traffic area. If you land a job that is NOT up your alley, you WILL lose your ass_ets!

I think that one-offs and short runs are most likely to be OK jobs to quote.
Production qty was NOT something that had any margine in it!


--------------------

Think Snow Eh!
Ox
 
it appears to me that you disagreed, to agree with me LOL. if you read closely I stated "quote everything that fits in your capabilities". capabilities - niche'. same - same, in my book. I'm good (and fast) with aluminum. you wont see me quoting many 4140/30 jobs. at least not mill work. lathe, sure. but my mill is tooled for aluminum, so that's what I quote. not to say I can't, or wont, work with other materials. I actually work with quite a bit of stainless at my "real" job. but my mill is tooled for aluminum.

and I feel your pain on that sneaky dimension. I have been bitten by that once before. all you can do is eat it.
 
I just wanted to share my exp with them so far. I was interested at first, until I read all the feedback about them on various sites, including this one.

Once I told the Salesperson that I was no longer interested due to the feedback I've seen, he got very petty with me.

Emails below (read bottom up), if you wish to judge for yourself... just my exp so far. I can say that I personally will not use the company now.

Cheers,
-Tad





And look at that…ironically enough we had a nice machining job get posted from a buyer in Cypress, TX today. Im assuming that’s where you’re from


Elliot Twomey
Senior Sales Consultant
Direct: 678-384-6367
[email protected]
Get the latest info on the hottest RFQs at http://twitter.com/mfghotrequests!
CLICK HERE and listen to actual customers tell about their experiences with MFG.com
Do you use the Internet? That's exactly what buyers do! Everyday they are using the Internet to find new suppliers, and that's where we fit in..

From: Elliott Twomey [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2014 9:50 AM
To: Tad
Subject: RE: Welcome To MFG.com!

Oh, you mean the anonymous blogs that were written during the recession when 70% of machine shops closed their doors? Or the blogs that are written by disgruntled competitors of ours?

You have no idea about our company or what we do. We’ve been in business 15 years and work with 80% of the fortune 1000 companies. I think if we really were a scam, we wouldn’t be in business still.

That’s fine though, have a good one. I’ll go ahead and shut off your account.


Elliot Twomey
Senior Sales Consultant
Direct: 678-384-6367
[email protected]
Get the latest info on the hottest RFQs at http://twitter.com/mfghotrequests!
CLICK HERE and listen to actual customers tell about their experiences with MFG.com
Do you use the Internet? That's exactly what buyers do! Everyday they are using the Internet to find new suppliers, and that's where we fit in....

From: Tad
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2014 10:47 AM
To: Elliott Twomey
Subject: RE: Welcome To MFG.com!

Thank you for the follow up, however after reading online about your company, I’m no longer interested.

From: Elliott Twomey [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Monday, July 21, 2014 9:36 AM
To: Tad
Subject: RE: Welcome To MFG.com!

Tad,

Give me a quick call when you get a chance. I need you to look at some prints so we can determine where you fit in our marketplace. I’ve got some great CNC work available everywhere right now so you may want to take a look.

Best,
Elliot

Elliot Twomey
Senior Sales Consultant
Direct: 678-384-6367
[email protected]
Get the latest info on the hottest RFQs at http://twitter.com/mfghotrequests!
CLICK HERE and listen to actual customers tell about their experiences with MFG.com
Do you use the Internet? That's exactly what buyers do! Everyday they are using the Internet to find new suppliers, and that's where we fit in....

From: Tad
Sent: Friday, July 18, 2014 10:01 PM
To: Elliott Twomey
Subject: RE: Welcome To MFG.com!

What is the cost of a regular membership?

From: Elliott Twomey [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: None
To: Tad
Subject: Welcome To MFG.com!

Welcome to MFG.com!
Welcome Tad,
Your MFG.com "Test Drive" account is verified. With this, I'd like to personally welcome you to the most precise lead generation tool for the manufacturing industry! It's not who you know, it's when you know them.
Your free "Test Drive" account will give you a feel for the tremendous volume of sourcing (leads for you) that is happening on the platform daily. The leads that come in associated with RFQs are just one of the many ways MFG.com can drive precise leads to you.
You can log-in anytime at CNC Machining, Injection Molding and Metal Fabrication Marketplace.
MFG.com is unique and the only service that can put you in front of your ideal customers at the exact moment they need your services. How does MFG.com do this?
• RFQs (hot leads) intelligently matched to the type of work and customer profile you specify
• Search engine optimization (SEO) of your MFG.com profile so it ranks at the top of all the major search engines when potential customers search for the services you provide
• Inclusion in MFG.com's supplier discovery database relied upon by sourcing professionals worldwide
• Inclusion in the supplier discovery database embedded in Enterprise sourcing, supplier relationship management (SRM) and ERP systems used "behind the firewall" by many leading companies
• Inclusion in MFG.com's syndicated supplier content that is embedded in other websites and applications
Bottom line - Your future customers use many different channels to identify suppliers. Only MFG.com can position you in all of those channels.
To get the most out of your MFG.com account NOW, I suggest you take the following steps:
1. Update your search filters to make sure your RFQ inbox is collecting the right leads for your business
2. Complete your FREE online profile to properly showcase your capabilities
Feel free to contact me anytime at +678-384-6367 or email me at [email protected] to upgrade your account so we can get the leads to start dynamically flowing to you.
And again, welcome to MFG.com!
Best Regards,

Elliott Twomey
Senior Sourcing Consultant
2700 Cumberland Parkway Suite 500 Atlanta GA USA 30339
telephone > +678-384-6367
[email protected]
 
Sounds like your sales person was having a bad day. I probably wouldn't have posted that here or at least redacted his name. Having his full name posted here with those remarks is the type of thing that could cost him an opportunity at another job. I'd cut him some slack.
 
"I think if we really were a scam, we wouldn’t be in business still."

I mean, come on, BobCad could use the same line.

On the other hand, We have won some work that guys on MFG.scam messed up.

A sucker is born every minute.
 
Sounds like your sales person was having a bad day. I probably wouldn't have posted that here or at least redacted his name. Having his full name posted here with those remarks is the type of thing that could cost him an opportunity at another job. I'd cut him some slack.



Why?

Customer service is a large part of what people are looking for.... For a professional salesman to EVER talk to a customer or potential customer like that is unacceptable.

I say air it out, post it on every other machining forum, too.

If I was about to drop a large chunk of change on a product like this, I'd sure like to know what awaited me.
 
Why?

Customer service is a large part of what people are looking for.... For a professional salesman to EVER talk to a customer or potential customer like that is unacceptable.

I say air it out, post it on every other machining forum, too.

If I was about to drop a large chunk of change on a product like this, I'd sure like to know what awaited me.

I know I've sent some snarky emails when I was having a bad day that I wouldn't want posted on the internet and following me around for the rest of my professional career. It's one thing to leave the company name in there, but I think the salesman's name should be redacted. People make mistakes.
 
I know I've sent some snarky emails when I was having a bad day that I wouldn't want posted on the internet and following me around for the rest of my professional career. It's one thing to leave the company name in there, but I think the salesman's name should be redacted. People make mistakes.

Please, direct evasion of a question ("How much does it cost?" - "Oh, give me a call sometime, we'll talk") is crappy salesmanship.... Don't people here piss and moan about machine dealers not listing prices, or not making them easily available? How's this different?

Then the snark...

Not once, but twice. Sure, maybe he had a bad moment, sent off an angry email. But then he took the time to send ANOTHER snarky email, he had to get the last word in/rub it in. That's childish.

Having his full name posted here with those remarks is the type of thing that could cost him an opportunity at another job

Maybe a job in sales isn't the best for him, anyway. But you can rest easy, you can google his full name, his name + mfg.com, his name + machine, his name + machining, and I'm sure many other things, and this forum doesn't appear in the first three pages of results.
 
Yep, ever hear the saying "anything you say can and will be used against you";).

If you don't want what you say made public, don't say it.
 
Many years back when there were a few of these guys around. I said maybe it would be a good service if you categorized your work in different specialties. That way a shop could get set up for the work he liked to do.
If the shop has to do all kinds of work, they can never become efficient at any of it.

They didn't understand so I through a "rock" at them, and never looked back. I then set up my shop for miniature parts. "Fill the table full of parts, push the button, go to lunch." My motto.

Regards,

Stan-
 
I used them for a little while, but closed the account.
WAY too much money for way too much work for slim pickings in the profits.
Not worth the hassle.
You're better off taking a box of business cards, getting in your truck and driving 8 hours in any one direction.
I did out of frustration and wound up with a good paying customer.
 








 
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