Recently, I’ve seen numerous instances where product quality and customer service have completely flown the coop. The latest example is the United Airlines debacle, created by their “reaccommodation” of passengers to make room FOR THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES. Only when the backlash began did Munoz change his tune from initially supporting/backing the action and procedure, to feigning mortification and sorrow with the result. With the amount of market cap lost by this fiasco, UAL could have bought each of the 4 “reaccommodated” passengers their own aircraft and still been ahead of the game. Some will argue that the plane wasn’t oversold, but the arcane industry practice should be brought to an end. Imagine if Yankee Stadium, Lambeau Field, or MSG had 100,000 tickets sold for games or concerts, where seating capacity is only a portion of that amount—there would be torches and pitchforks at the gates, yet this is acceptable in aviation. There is a finite, known quantity of seats on an aircraft, and once every seat is filled, there are no more available. Period. Once bought, it is incumbent on the traveler to utilize the purchased ticket, else they forego the purchase price. That way, the airlines have no argument for losing revenue with unsold/unfilled seats. Can you expect to get a replacement ticket for the ’18 Super Bowl if you bought a ticket for the ’17 game and couldn’t go? Don’t really think so, but give the NFL a call and see how far that will get you.
Even in our fun little corner of the web we call SMF, it’s seen on an all-too-frequent basis where we’re simply willing to roll over when quality and service have fallen by the wayside. There’s seldom a day goes by where someone’s electric smoker doesn’t have an issue cited. Another example was a member had spent a large amount of his hard earned dollars on a brand new rig, only to have it delivered to his door beaten and dented, as if it had been dragged down the highway, and the shipper was taking no responsibility for their missteps. Yet another member had again dropped a large sum for a new smoker where paint was peeling off in mass, both inside and out. The manufacturer’s rep insinuated that it was the owner’s fault for not properly seasoning the unit, told the member to pressure wash the interior flaking paint off and coat with oil, and to sand the exterior and spray paint the faulty areas. Another had bought a cover for his smoker, only to find that the inferior quality of material used was tearing upon the member’s first use. There are countless others—just look around.
It’s truly sad that true product quality and true customer service have become dinosaurs in today’s marketplace. It’s time that we, as consumers, quit accepting this as "business as usual". If something doesn’t work or fit, lacks integrity, is damaged or broken, speak up. Take it/send it back. Voice your displeasure with the retailer. Contact the manufacturer. Let others know, including consumer advocacy groups, local and state agencies, and media outlets. We need to stop taking this as, “Oh, well, that’s the way things are today.” If an inferior product is knowingly purchased after seeing negative reviews or having information that details a product’s faults, well, that’s on the buyer. Buying something and having to do a bunch of ridiculous rigging and alterations should not be a regular occurrence: if there are known problem and the item is still purchased, there is zero reason to complain when “redneck fixes” required straight out of the box don’t work. We also need to stop looking at the right way of treating a customer as being the exception, instead of the rule. Cranky Buzzard recently wrote about what is “the best”, and how subjective that can be, yet it is infrequent we see “the best” in play in our daily experiences. We should all demand better and quit putting up with the inferiority that seems to permeate the marketplace today.
Even in our fun little corner of the web we call SMF, it’s seen on an all-too-frequent basis where we’re simply willing to roll over when quality and service have fallen by the wayside. There’s seldom a day goes by where someone’s electric smoker doesn’t have an issue cited. Another example was a member had spent a large amount of his hard earned dollars on a brand new rig, only to have it delivered to his door beaten and dented, as if it had been dragged down the highway, and the shipper was taking no responsibility for their missteps. Yet another member had again dropped a large sum for a new smoker where paint was peeling off in mass, both inside and out. The manufacturer’s rep insinuated that it was the owner’s fault for not properly seasoning the unit, told the member to pressure wash the interior flaking paint off and coat with oil, and to sand the exterior and spray paint the faulty areas. Another had bought a cover for his smoker, only to find that the inferior quality of material used was tearing upon the member’s first use. There are countless others—just look around.
It’s truly sad that true product quality and true customer service have become dinosaurs in today’s marketplace. It’s time that we, as consumers, quit accepting this as "business as usual". If something doesn’t work or fit, lacks integrity, is damaged or broken, speak up. Take it/send it back. Voice your displeasure with the retailer. Contact the manufacturer. Let others know, including consumer advocacy groups, local and state agencies, and media outlets. We need to stop taking this as, “Oh, well, that’s the way things are today.” If an inferior product is knowingly purchased after seeing negative reviews or having information that details a product’s faults, well, that’s on the buyer. Buying something and having to do a bunch of ridiculous rigging and alterations should not be a regular occurrence: if there are known problem and the item is still purchased, there is zero reason to complain when “redneck fixes” required straight out of the box don’t work. We also need to stop looking at the right way of treating a customer as being the exception, instead of the rule. Cranky Buzzard recently wrote about what is “the best”, and how subjective that can be, yet it is infrequent we see “the best” in play in our daily experiences. We should all demand better and quit putting up with the inferiority that seems to permeate the marketplace today.
