Re: Key Pad Doors.

["Robert L Bass" <RobertLBass@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"JoeRaisin" wrote:
>
> Judging by my own experience he may only exaggerating...

I didn't exaggerate at all.  They did exactly what I said.

> Not the same as switching a single stage thrower with dual stage
> that likely cost three times as much - several hundred dollars...

No, it's not the same to you or me but apparently it is to them.
Bear in mind that a few hundred dollars one way or the other means
very little to a store that probably sells several million dollars a
month.  They seem to take the attitude (I'm assuming this hasn't
changed though I don't really know) that making you satisfied is more
important in the long run than taking a profit on one sale is in the
short run.  It's a lot like the difference between Bob Campbell and
Jiminex.  Bob will do whatever it takes to keep a good customer happy
and try not to over-charge them in the process.  Jiminex will gouge
them for every nickel while doing the absolute minimum.

> But it is possible that they upped him a step or two...

I'm sure that if there was a model closer to what I bought on the
floor that's what they would have offered.  The customer service
manager (I think that's what he was; might have been an assistant
store manager -- it's been over 8 years since) doesn't pay it out of
pocket.  He makes a decision on the spot that you've got a legitimate
gripe and then does whatever it takes to make it up to you.

In a smaller, mom and pop hardware store this would not happen -- not
because they don't care just as much, but because they can't absorb
an $800 Loss.  I don't recall the exact price but I'm sure it was at
least that much.  FTR, they didn't just eat the difference.  The
lemon was almost certainly trashed so the cost to them was whatever
the wholesale price of that 8HP unit was.  I suspect that had it been
an $1,800 lawn tractor and the only available replacement was a
$2,500 model the result would have been the same.

What I do know for certain is that they have a customer for life.  In
the intervening period I've bought several major appliances, lots of
construction supplies and all kinds of power tools from them.  I've
also recommended them to lots of other people, including my folks who
spent ~$20K on kitchen cabinets and $8K on tile from HD.  I guess
their business model is a good one.  Hope they survive the Bush
recession long enough for the Democrats to get back in power and
straighten out the economy.

--

Regards,
Robert L Bass

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