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Hi brande!
I could'nt agree with you more!!!
Way back in the early eighties when I was working for an "Indy" welding distributor located in the borough of Queens in New York City, I was running around almost the entire metropolitan area selling the old "Linde/Union Carbide" and Thermal Dynamics 50/100 amp plasma cutters which at that time were selling like "hotcakes". Anywho,
the customer's biggest complaints were that the tips & electrodes in the torches were'nt lasting as long as they wanted, and the costs for replacement were in their own words: "Going thru the roof"!!!
Previously the company where I was at the time working for had already sent me to Florence,SC for the "Equipment Repair course" for Linde's welding and cutting equipment... They specifically covered these similar complaints now being generated by their own distributors...I'd say they covered the issues fairly well. So when I got back from Florence, I knew exactly how to address these complaints... Most of the customers made the necessary changes and so did their complaints...
However, there was that tiny minority of customers that just plain ignorant, I mean Stubborn as heck!!! I even took some of the one that agreed to visit the customers that resolved these issues based on the recommendations that were given to them and it did'nt matter!!!
One customer thought for sure that we paid this other customer to make these claims to no avail!!! We even offered to buy and install the equipment gratis for them with the understanding that if they did stop reordering so many tips & electrodes for the torches, we would then only charge them our costs for the components and nothing for the installation!!! These few still balked at the idea!!! Finally, with the factory reps present, we were allowed to install the equipment to resolve this issue!!! Some of the customers threatened to drop our gas business with them so, when we demonstrated the correct fix to their complaint, they were embarrased beyond belief!!! They offered us free lunches at exclusive restaraunts, temporary elimination of our price discounts, you know - stuff like that... We took advantage of htese offers to the fullest as result of their ignorance!!!
Btw, did you get the flyer from our AWS section regarding the Metallurgy short course that was already offered and conducted before I received the flyer in the mail... Hey, eventually they'll get the mailing right soon enough! I already knew about the course being offered at the Steamfitter's local. I did'nt attend because it was just too basic for me!!! Gotta get some teeth pulled out so, speak to you soon!!!
Respectfully,
SSBN727 Run Silent... Run Deep!!!