Who's the customer? Who?

["Owen" <renarac@domain.elided>]

First some REAL IH discussion. Skip the 2nd part if your tired of GUS
discussion. Please foreward Part 2 to Rod.

Part1:
I'm looking for someone in Western WA that can turn and reweld axle
housings. Not some hairlip, but someone that does it quite frequently.


Part 2:

    The dillema for IH vendors is that their most valuable product is their
own knowlege. Anyone that has messed with IH for a resonable ammount of time
realizes that most parts on the Lite Line will interchange with parts from
GM, Mopar, Ford, AMC, or Navistar. The trick is knowing what goes where.
This an immense task to figure out by trial and error. A time consuming task
with a set of cross reference books and physical confirmation(what the IH
vendors did to figure out a lot of it). An easy, but unconfirmed method is
to use word of mouth information. This info may be from a buddy down the
block that had IHC's for years, a local IHC club, or just a reccomendation
from your local parts counterman.  You have to weigh this last form of info
and consult with other contacts before attempting it if you want to filter
out useful information.


The threat is that on the internet, there is a grand scope of "buddies down
the block". There are a half dozen "local IHC clubs", and even a few "Parts
countermen".  In this simmilar case, you still have to get multiple opinions
to filter out the useful information. It just doesn't take as long to get
ahold of a bunch of people.
Sure, someone might get badmouthed. Don't you hear that from face to face
meetings with other IHC enthusiasts from time to time? Haven't you even done
it yourself about a place you were less than satisfied with the service
from? I doubt anyone can say no.

So when we say negative things about a vendor when he equates us to
blathering, slandering, hair-lip mechanics, ready to try anthing if it
sounds *cool* and *cheap*, we should be repentant for scaring him away?

Wait a second. It seems as if we "Need" vendors and should be greatful for
them gracing our presence.  Who has the choice? We do. If some vendor wants
to cop an attitude, even the slightest, I don't have time for it.

And why should I? I can ask a huge number of internet "buddies down the
block" for the number to another vendor.

-----Original Message-----
From: Suprscout@domain.elided <Suprscout@domain.elided>
To: ihc@domain.elided <ihc@domain.elided>
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 1998 6:19 PM
Subject: Digesting the digest & Rod of GUS


>
>
>Yes, Rod does not participate in the internet, and may never after reading
>some of the out of line comments that have been made about him on this
forum.
>Some of you missed the boat completely; I could not beleive what I was
>reading.



>
>As a favor to Rod if I come accross any postings (Good Or Bad) to do with
GUS
>I will print them and fax them to Rod.
>He received the entire Weatherstipping thread including the comments that
>started it all: "Giddum up Scout wants $100      for everything......IT'S
>RIDICULOUS!!!!"  If this comment(s) would have been made about SSS I'm sure
I
>would have had to reply in some manner more or less. Rod was free to
comment
>on his own and I agreed to post it at his request.
>Rod has received all comments from then on - He may or may not choose to
>comment futher.  If you were take his opinion (free speach eh?) of the
>internet out of his statement I wonder if certain folks would have caught
his
>message and the problem of a subject being blown up & twisted? I have to
agree
>with Rob Marks "KNOW YOUR IMPACT" comment; so much of what is said on the
>internet good & bad has an effect on many things, business, & life in
general.
>If someone makes a rash comment can it be taken back? or is the damage
caused
>by this able to be repaired? If a party recommends some improvement that is
>not so good & causes problems or worse who pays for it?  I believe the
Digest
>and the Binder Bulletin to be a great source of information and enjoyment
for
>most people; but just like most things in life its not perfect.  I am new
to
>this computor stuff also and I am learning - If we want to encourge "old
dogs"
>such as Rod to get envolved with internet should we blast him (call Em a
>"Redneck" etc) when he does comment or should we say : Oh I'm sorry you
feel
>that way about the internet - could I or would you help to change this in
some
>way?   Why are some folks so defensive when someone expesses something
>negative about the internet? There is more to life I hope.
>
>Just Some thoughts and I could be wrong.
>
>John Glancy of  S.S.S. Inc.
>