I placed an order for a new triple clamp for my 2000 Kawasaki W650 project back on May 21. The process requires sending out your original triple clamp so the shop can make the part to the exact measurements and specs as the original — Cognito confirmed receipt of this on May 28. When I inquired about the product's lead time before ordering, John told me it would be three weeks. I figured, three weeks would give me time to get caught up on the rest of my project and leave me with just bar wiring when the new triple clamp gets back to me.
Well, three weeks passed and I heard nothing at all from the shop. On June 24, I wrote asking if there was any progress on the order. John got back to me, saying there had been a bunch of orders ahead of mine, and a problem with the shop lathe, but that it would be shipped out no later than early the following week.
July 10, I followed up again, having again heard nothing. Five days later, I got a response that the part was at plating, and the following week it came in. The finish of the triple clamp is very nice; the accessories included are high-quality, and the packaging was done well. There was just one problem: the part wasn't made to proper measurements.
Yeah... despite having my original triple clamp on hand at the shop, AND despite already having a W650 triple clamp available on their shop, the stem bore was 1.5mm too small. I had to take it to a machine shop in town to get it drilled out at my expense. When I let Cognito know, I got a one-line "Sorry, not sure how that happened" type response.
I want to give Cognito the benefit of the doubt; they are a small shop, performing a niche service, and I really appreciate the work they do for our community. But at the same time, I don't think the communication, workmanship, or customer service was acceptable for any shop, of any size, to be offering to the public. For now, I'm glad to be able to progress in my project and ride my bike for the last few weeks of summer still left, but I would hesitate to purchase custom work from Cognito again under their current practices.
To the guys at the shop: I want to support you and the work you do. Being a small shop means your humanity is front and center; it gives you an opportunity to connect with your customers and the broader community in a meaningful and personal way. It also gives people some understanding when issues come up. But it is always better to underpromise than to set expectations you won't be able to meet. I would have been fine with an eight-week lead time had I known in advance; this would be an easy thing to advertise on your website, or to let customers know at the time of ordering. It's also easy to send an email saying, "Hey, our shop lathe needs repair, or we have a high volume of orders, and so the lead time is doubling," or however you want to say it. But it's a much better feeling as a customer to know the shop is being proactive in their communication instead of feeling like you have to chase them around to get a response. It shows the shop cares about the people they're working with and the product they're making. I wasn't left with that impression based on this experience, and I encourage you to consider making some small changes along these lines for the futuer. And please, double-check your measurements so your customers don't end up having to correct your work themselves. Thank you!
