Pure Irony

[statjunk]

I just got off the phone with the Oatey Technical Support. After talking with the first person I asked to speak to the most experienced installer that they have. This is regarding pan liner install btw.

They put me on the phone with Rob. Out of curisoity I asked Rob how many pan liners he has done. He responded with well I wrote the instructions. I asked him, well specifically how many have you done? His answer, I've never done one before!

Our country is on the verge of destruction.

Tom

[Sponsored Links]

[Davestone]

:lol1: Tom, have you checked our liberry.

[Dave Taylor]

:lol2: Yep.... that is funny. Scary when carried to extremes like landing a 747… but funny.

[Chris the Rep]

I can understand your frustration, but let's be realistic. Tech service phones are rarely staffed by people with hands on experience in the field. Why would an experienced tile or plumbing professional sit and answer a phone for $10 per hour when they could be out actually doing it for 3 times the money?

I know a lot of very savvy technical people in this business who have developed some pretty innovative products, (and written some very good data sheets) but they couldn't lay a course of bullnose across the wall on a formica vanity top.

Conversely, I've met a lot of true artists/master tilesetters who couldn't speak two or three complete sentences without sounding like a complete idiot.

Comes down to economics...

My opinion,

Chris

[jerrymlr1]

Did he have an Indian accent and could you hear others in the background? :yeah:

[Davestone]

Chris the Rep...HOW DARE YOU DERAIL A THREAD THIS FUNNY! :yeah: Yeah, we know, but cmon, ya gotta laugh...and as far as pro'
s not being able to compleeehre a sentemoif....i'm tellin Opie! :yeah:

[Chris the Rep]

Tell him, I dare you...If you do, I'll tell mom about the time you.........

[statjunk]

Hey Chris,

After you tell your Mom on Dave, I'd like you to consider the economics of this issue from another perspective.

Oatey isn't poor. They can afford to pay a guy that is both an ex-expert-installer and able to write enough to put together the instruction manual. In addition they should also consider that when a consumer calls to speak to the top dog about a shower drain that they would actually have done one.

This reminds me of the time I called Milwaulke Tools to ask the torque rating of one of there drills. The first person didn't know what I was talking about. The supervisor new what I was talking about but said they didn't have info. So then I asked the Super what is the largest diameter hole I can bore through wood with this tool, she says 3/8". When I explained to her that is the arbor size she argued with me that no the largest hole you can open with this drill is 3/8". Basically that was the last Milwaulke tool I would ever consider buying.

There are two sides to this economic view.

I really do think this country is going to hell in a hand basket or at the very least to India for instruction and China for crap.

Tom

[ddmoit]

Tom,

As an amateur student of economics, I'm going to have to side with Chris's economic analysis in this case.

If Oatey does in fact have a lot of money, it is due to their success in balancing a high sales volume with a decent profit margin. As a manufacturer of plastic and metal parts, I suspect that they face ever increasing global competition. Any money that they spend must go torward the goal of increasing sales or increasing the profit margin or both. I doubt many of their customers ever come in contact with customer service. I also suspect that a good number of their customers are price sensitive. I just don't see the additional cost of hiring tradesmen to man the phones resulting in an increase in sales or margin.

In your Milwaukee example, you may have to consider the possibility that you are an unusual customer, and your choices are not predictive of most other customers (I've accepted that fact about myself. Believe me, it would be a vastly different world if my consumer behavior was the norm.) You say that you will not buy Milwaukee again. You may also have to consider that you might if the price (or some other factor) was right. Consumers are notorious for saying one thing, and doing another (If everyone with a "Buy American" bumper sticker actually did, we wouldn't have houses filled with Chinese goods).

[Dave Taylor]

Atta boy Tom....... :clap2:

Tom said: I really do think this country is going to hell in a hand basket or at the very least to India for instruction and China for crap.

I deal with this very issue on a regular basis and....... my sentiments xactly' :---)

Sounds lika' MUD box issue though.

[statjunk]

Dan,

I agree with you on every point. That doesn't make me all that happy.

While nobody is attempting to take me off the soap box, will add one more thing that burns my buscuits. I was home depot the other day and I see one of those bumber stickers that has the American Flag on it with the statement that these colors don't run. You know the one I'm talking about.

Well the colors were faded and running and wouldn't you know it, had a made in China stamp right at the bottom. My only regret is that I didn't get a picture of it on my camera phone.

Tom

[Mike2]

First of all, I have no problems with the content of this thread whatsoever. However, advice for newbies it is not. Thus I'm moving it out of the General Advice forum and into the Mud box here where y'all can take to the next level, wherever and whatever that might be. :D

[Dave Taylor]

We have obtained MUD box status. Now kin' I write what I realy, realy think huh, Mike Mike.... kin' I, huh, Kin' I?

Ok.... here goes..... most of my favorite local beer halls are bein' bought up by folks from somewhere south of the Republic of Ubakastan or somewhere....
and while I'm sad former owners feel it necessary to sell out as such..... what goads me is when I drop in to the local "Dew Drop Inn" and order me a beer..... I gits' this blank stare and..... "beer... well.... we are presently out of stock but will gladly put an order in for you. Would you prefer ground shipment or otherwise?" :noid:

Proly' has sumpin' to do wif' 'just-in-time' inventory.

[kate42]

Mike :wave:

I love that name. I'm impartial to Mike's ( my son's name and my dog's name (a long story)). Anyway thanks for moving this thread for me to find. :clap2:
I know it's hard to do, but if a product says "made in China", don't buy it. :shake: But, people want to save money, so they buy the junk made in China and it falls apart. So, how did they save money? You get what you pay for. I do realize it's hard to avoid all products made in China as many of our consumer products have "made in China" componets in them. I avoid as many Chinese made products as I can.
I am not saying that all foreign imports are junk. I own a Hyundai and I'm very happy with it. It's economical, very comfortable, and most important - very reliable. :yeah:

[ddmoit]

I don't understand the buy American mentality. Why should I favor the welfare of one person I don't know over some other person I don't know, simply because one of them happens to have been born within the same politically drawn borders as me?

I don't understand the everything from China is inferior mentality either. I suspect most product differences have more to do with price than origin of manufacture. I realize that a $20 hammer probably has some superior attributes when compared to a $3 hammer, but I bet they're both suitable for pounding nails, no? And, if the Chinese were to offer a $20 hammer (they usually don't), I bet it would be every bit as nice as the locally manufactured hammer. Perhaps it would be nicer, since less money likely went into the labor component of its production cost.

[kate42]

Dan :wave:
Why should I favor the welfare of one person I don't know over some other person I don't know, simply because one of them happens to have been born within the same politically drawn borders as me?
That's what's so great about this country. You do things your way, and I can do things my way. :)
I've had too many bad experiences with foreign made inferior products. Yes there are American made products that are inferior. My recent experiences have been with products made outside this country, and not just products made in China.
I don't understand the everything from China is inferior mentality either. I suspect most product differences have more to do with price than origin of manufacture.
Again, it goes back (at least for me) to what my experience is and was with products made in China and other countries. It hasn't been good. :shake: