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Rip off the customers.

I mean in the automotive industry. My neighbor has a friend who worked for ford or GM or something, where they tested parts... they got 100,000 "starts" from a part, and they'd send it back. They wanted 50,000 before it broke down.


My dad's friend who got into engineering... they built parts that would last a lifetime at the same price of parts today. But, the CEO's said no. They didn't want that.


I'm sure if you know anyone in the industry on that side, you'll hear about this... being in Michigan (WHoo Automotive...state... ...with cereal.... ... >.>)

I can't STAND that they do that, then try to guilt the public into "BUYING AMERICAN". Honestly, if they built quality cars (High gas mileage, lasted a long time/etc. etc.) I'm sure people would buy them over foreign cars.

But no. They want you to buy the parts to their cars over and over, for THEIR profit. MEANWHILE, thousands upon THOUSANDS of people are losing their jobs because American motor companies are starting to lose in the market. Innocent people who are just trying to make a living. Of course, many people who KEEP their jobs must take a 50% or worse paycut ... etc. etc.


Why this topic came up? My starter in my car (good car, Saturn, '94 (SE 2? Twin Cam, something rather), went out... a starter is 135$ before tax. . . HOWEVER, we got a part from my neighbor (the motor part of it? I guess), and he only wanted 10... we gave him 20$. But they talked about that. How parts on a lot of cars are DESIGNED to give out. This car isn't so bad.
But the FORD we have, luckily my dad spent the extra money on the EXTENDED warranty, because otherwise they'd have paid WELL OVER 10,000 to keep it fresh. And I mean, not little things falling off the doors, I mean the s**t that keeps your steering right and whatever else.


~~!~!~!~@~!~!~@!~

Sorry. Ranted. But. Thoughts? Any of you hear things like this? I mean, I wouldn't mind keeping jobs and the money in America, per se, but the guys at the top are the ones benefiting the most while everyone else suffers from their decisions to rip us off.

egh.

Was it Ghandi?

"Be the change you want to see in the world."



I honestly believe that if you make a company that's extremely honest and tries to give customer long lasting things, they'll all come back to you, especially if you don't overprice.


I can only think of immediately of two places in my hometown. A battery specialist place (for motor vehicles of assortment) and a tire specialist place.

Battery guy tested everything for me, and tried to get the car to start by simple things first (Whoever had the car before me ran a thick wire directly from the battery to the back) and thought that it may let my car start if it was taken off, etc. etc.

Finally it was resolved that it was the starter. I get home, we take a part from another starter (neighbor had a car almost exactly like mine that was scrapped for parts, scooore), and it worked perfectly.


The other place, they will repair your tire for cheap, and rarely EVER tells you that you need a new tire. Over the years (From working on the house/shingles/etc.), we end up with lots of nails and things in our tires. I think we've only bought one tire since... (the SUV had 3-4 things in it before, so they repaired it each time, and the last time we went it had one in the side wall and another in the bottom)..
They'll tell you what's in it and give it to you if you want (for proof, no big deal)

But, yeah. That tire was done for. lol.

Weee.

But BOTH of those places have A LOT of business. WORD OF MOUTH goes MUCH farther then "good deals" and advertisements.

It's my theory, and it seems to work for those who actually apply it.

I've worked in retail on and off for many years...

I understand...
customers...
and ridiculousness...

._.


The thing about trying to be "nicer" than other companies is that some people will try to take advantage of it and ruin it. >o

Well, see, the honesty and lower prices is what I'm basing my ideas around. However, being extra "nice" leaves you open for attack.

ie, letting people return stuff WITHOUT a receipt *happens at our store all the time... buy it somewhere else, return it here for more money. Stupid.*

Just. There has to be ways to stop people from destroying your honest-built company.


Sneaky, greedy people exist on both ends. Just have to find the one that can offer honest people honest deals.

I agree. Everyone tried to make things seem so good in stored, but once you walk out of the place with a $500 + hole in your wallet something goes wrong with what you bought. Then, you try to return it, and then they say that you didn't buy a warranty. So after what seems like hours of arguing with the people, they sucker you into buying ANOTHER phone, and a warranty. Customer service? I think not.

The main reason why the American populace is in debt is because they're never satisfied. Actually, that's a general human trait...
But my point is, even if it is "forever", or long lasting, people will want something new/fresh/cleaner/nicer looking then what they've had for years. Sure, there's many people (like me) who rarely ever want everything nicer (exception: Computers and anything related. *wink*)...

So if you work with that idea, because it's true, people will come back and buy from you if it's still working, and probably junk/sell the older model (depending on the product, right?).


I mean, the *MAJORITY* of TV's last forever. I have not heard of any TV company that sells TV's that need to be serviced/replaced every few years. But people are out buying newer, bigger, high definition, etc., TV's.


Sooo... I mean. People are never satisfied. That's where that logical flaw can be overlooked.

Hey, I interviewed with them in February. d00d u got mi job no fairz

Actually I'm pretty happy with the job I got instead. I make a bit less than I would have at csnstores, but it's a great little environment and we drink beer in the office on Friday afternoons. The stress levels are sky high in the busy seasons, but there are 2 of those a year for a couple of weeks each.

But it's also a ripoff setup - I mean, we do for kids what they could very easily do for themselves, just a lot of them are too lazy. So we're the solution for lazy or dumb kids.

The thing about cashiers and sales clerks and the like is it's almost all part time, you're never going to work more than eight hours baring amazing exceptions, and if they give out the same shitty schedules that they give out at retail stores around here, even working every week it's still going to take you well over a year just to get that first raise. And most places already have a certain thing for breaks even for non-union.

My real thoughts on the matter, if it's a job that requires no training (other than what is really an orientation) then there is no reason it needs to be a union job. Frankly, if any 16 year old can do it, there's not much good a union is going to do other than make it harder for the business to compete which is what has all the grocery stores around here frantic as s**t and the unions spending all my hard earned money on their anti Wal-Mart campaigns. I'm sorry, but I really don't think that, given the amount of un-skilled labour out there in terms of teenagers wanting jobs, that anybody should be paid 18 dollars an hour to stock shelves. Granted you've worked your life there to get it, but it certainly depreciates the value of skilled labour and definitely hinders the ability of businesses to compete since they can't just stop giving you hours for no reason. Retail sales can't compete if they have to pay that much an hour to a stocker or cashier.

There's some unions I can see, especially in construction, but the fact that baggers at grocery stores have a union? Come on...