Thought I'd share. Don't mean to pick on anyone as I know I can't form a judgment about someone from a 3 minute phonecall, but it's amazing how much difference there is depending on who you talk to and what kind of mood they're in. Sometimes 30 sec of your time can really help someone out.

SO was picking my bike up from the shop and I'm informed one of my cush rubbers is "missing" from my rear marchesini. I'm told "No worries it's like a 2 or 3 dollar part and you can get them anywhere." Yeaaaah....Anyway did some homework online and started calling the US distributors. First I called Lockhart Phillips and the kid was nice enough to take my number down and check for me. He even called me back later, even though they didn't have it. He even apologized. Called another place...didn't have it. Called Dan Kyle, who I hear is a real guru with rc51's. The lady that answered the phone says she'd put him on. She gets back on and says "He said why don't you go back to the person who lost it?!" REALLY? Geez the thought never occured to me. Thanks for your help. Now I'm emailing Marchesini in Italy....Finally I called EMA and spoke to a real nice guy who, although he didn't have it, gave me the info I needed. Said there's only one distributor of Marchesini parts...TAW in Colorado. Called them, they were really nice, and they took care of me. But I find it hard to believe none of the other distributors could give me that info when I asked if they could at least point me in the right direction. With all the folks who race RC51's I CANT be the first to ask for parts. I'll give them the benefit of saying they just didn't know.

 

+1. The way I am received by the CSR determines, to a very large extent, how I respond. A little nice goes a looooong way.

 

oh yeah, customer service is more rare than virgins at the playboy mansion.

 

Customer service disappeared because nobody was willing to pay extra to a place that hires competent workers when they can just order online or haggle with some idiot at a parts counter.

Now all those competent places are either out of business, or "got with the program" and hire anyone who can pass a drug test.

 

And our society breeds ignorance and attitudes. Good help is few and far between. Now I read forums, order online, and perform all my own maintenance. I try to go to my local dealer as much as possible cause they do hook me up with a discount or price match, but half the time they don't have what I want, can't get it, or have no clue what it is.

After your terrible experience, Captain, would you like to part with the Marchesinis? The RC was kicking my butt 2 weeks ago at VIR trying to get her slowed down. She NEEDS some lighter rotating mass!

 

Our society not only breeds attitudes and incompetence - it rewards it.

'Member when we were all kids and we were jumping on the bed - just before it collapsed?

It was great fun right up to the end. Then Nanny got mad.

Nanny's gone and Tim Geitner is no replacement. The result will be the same. The depression in the 30's cost my grandfather two farms to taxes to save the family homestead.

It will be the same undoing again two generations later. The banking model is already in place. They will seize and sell to any international buyer as we are being forced into the streets.

And the czars are the cheif advisers? When did they get internationalized into Czars? Wasn't top adviser, closest council, respected scientist enough?

I am keeping score. No wonder ammo is scarce.

 

I've actually been seeing better customer service in the last few months. A recent example was Supersprox. I called getting an answering machine. It was around their lunchtime, so I didn't leave a message thinking I'd just call back around 1:15. About 1:01 they used their caller ID log and returned my call.

 

When I'm having a bad day the thought of parting her out has crossed my mind, but I haven't quite reached that point yet...I'll keep you in mind though.

 

watch the movie Idiocracy. and behold our future.

 

funny movie with "that little" bit of truth... I could easily see something like it happen to us eventually.

 

just the fact that our intelligence is no longer a necessity for survival. actually these days you have a slight advantage if you're just a little stupid. easier to go with the flow. as soon as natural selection no longer weeded out the people too dumb to run from predators, the stupid began to inherit the earth. and stupid people tend to breed like rabbits because of a lack of forethought, no protection, no common sense, drunk all the time, or they just don't give a ****. smart people are more carefull, but don't produce the numbers. so from the dumb gene pool you get tons of people, from the smart gene pool you get a few. eventually, no more smart people.

 

 

we weed out the smart people. I am not saying that all bosses are idiots, but... If there is a chance that the person on the bottom sounds like they know more about what they are doing than the guy on top, its a problem. Get rid of the bottom guy so know one finds out that your IQ is just high enough to not be considered mentally handicapped. I have seen this with my dad so many times. He is a very smart dude, and has been screwed over so many times. America, greatest nation ever, once upon a time.

 

Thats about better than I would have said it.
Yea, Darwin lives...
Evolution is indeed- in full reverse swing.

 

Well said swordfish. But I figured you for one of the smart ones when you said you had your bike washed "several times".

 

+ 1 billion.

 

with regard to the bikewashes, I don't know how I come off to you guys, but I'll tell ya, when I'm at one, I feel like a friggin genius

 

Best bumper sticker I've seen in a while "I see stupid people."

 

I see Illinoians. shudder!

 

I can believe that...

 

central coaster got it bang on. price trumps service.