Bob Foster
Member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2006
- Messages
- 8,870
A manufacturer that has the intestinal fortitude to willingly come to us with products that are early in their product development cycle because they value our input has my respect and gratitude. Its about the equivalent of having a root canal without local anesthesia; highly painful yet very beneficial. Those manufacturers that don't participate on the boards are doing a disservice to themselves and us.
In spite of a few people that should have been told to F off for being childishly unreasonable, supplier and manufacturer interaction with end users issues are one of the most valuable things on these boards. That is, next to the latest drama and bitch fight.
If you want to be critical of some of the manufacturers that deserve it look at the arrogant insecure company product managers, service managers, sales managers and CEOs who deliberately avoid the bulletin boards, particularly Mikey's Board. Look around at some of the most major manufacturers in the business and see if you can find even one of their corporate people (not their distributors) that posts on the boards. Many of them are expressly prohibited to participate by the highest management in their companies. Now that's chickenshit and their loss. The forward companies in this business have chosen to do the exact opposite in spite of it being an unpleasant and frustrating experience at times in what initially appear to be no-win and unreasonable exchanges with people.
And to be clear this business does not revolve around bulletin boards. And for those that think that manufacturers have survived quite will without them so far, you might want to look around and see who's not manufacturing any more or who's brands are losing market share. I'm not saying their lack of customer interaction on boards is the reason but its interesting that there appears to be a correlation.
I'm more than willing to accept a product flaw from a manufacturer that shows sincerity in improving the product and admit their mistakes. I don't really have any use for a manufacturer who wont interact with their end user with honest open discussion on the boards. However in all fairness, the first place to resolve an issue is with the company that you bought the item or service from and not the president of the manufacturing company by calling him names. Sometimes you have to take an issue public and that's OK too.
Often the discussion on the boards is very stacked against manufacturers but its their loss in not making the effort to overcome this. This can be accomplished by demonstrating their honesty and sincerity to the people who should be the most important people to them, the guys using the products and services.
In spite of a few people that should have been told to F off for being childishly unreasonable, supplier and manufacturer interaction with end users issues are one of the most valuable things on these boards. That is, next to the latest drama and bitch fight.
If you want to be critical of some of the manufacturers that deserve it look at the arrogant insecure company product managers, service managers, sales managers and CEOs who deliberately avoid the bulletin boards, particularly Mikey's Board. Look around at some of the most major manufacturers in the business and see if you can find even one of their corporate people (not their distributors) that posts on the boards. Many of them are expressly prohibited to participate by the highest management in their companies. Now that's chickenshit and their loss. The forward companies in this business have chosen to do the exact opposite in spite of it being an unpleasant and frustrating experience at times in what initially appear to be no-win and unreasonable exchanges with people.
And to be clear this business does not revolve around bulletin boards. And for those that think that manufacturers have survived quite will without them so far, you might want to look around and see who's not manufacturing any more or who's brands are losing market share. I'm not saying their lack of customer interaction on boards is the reason but its interesting that there appears to be a correlation.
I'm more than willing to accept a product flaw from a manufacturer that shows sincerity in improving the product and admit their mistakes. I don't really have any use for a manufacturer who wont interact with their end user with honest open discussion on the boards. However in all fairness, the first place to resolve an issue is with the company that you bought the item or service from and not the president of the manufacturing company by calling him names. Sometimes you have to take an issue public and that's OK too.
Often the discussion on the boards is very stacked against manufacturers but its their loss in not making the effort to overcome this. This can be accomplished by demonstrating their honesty and sincerity to the people who should be the most important people to them, the guys using the products and services.
