What the hell is going on with all the FS bashing?? I thought we are all working together in the indy to improve it for all of us. I am the first to help out a local shop and the last to bash one. When a customer comes in the shop complaining about a shop I ALWAYS try to defuse the issue. Even after looking at the wiring I usually tell customers that it was a faulty conector. As pros, when you start bashing shops in front of a customer all you are doing is bashing the indy. My advice is get to know your local shops, this can help you in the long run.

 

Yeah I know, but somehow and recently all I ever read is how the HACKs at Future Shop are killing the game.....am I a Hack???? How many people out there know me????? Just becuse I work for a big box that makes me a hack???? All over this site I see people just slag FS/BBY, why??? You worked for FS, Tim worked for FS, Murley worked for FS, Muxlow still works for FS as do I. What the hell does it matter where you work? I would a better Installer if I worked for Visions or AB?? When jerk offs ask for advice and them proceeds to slag it maybe we should just kill the thread or remove it as my last thread about looking for Techs happened. As for Managers with no clue I can name about 20 from the old AB days....People are stupid not the company and I try to work within it. Believe me, the grass is not always greener on the other side. Most people on this site believe that the independents are the indrustry, trust me when I say that if we do not work together it will only get worse. People that really know me know that I will always try and help out as much as I can, regardless where you work.

[ December 12, 2005, 01:48 AM: Message edited by: Claudio Piccolo ]

 

well put claudio

 

Claudio, you need to know too.....these are not attacks and or comments against you..........it's the company in general.................you and me have had many conversations about how FS decided to low ball something right out of the gate, SAT radio install for one.................like you said we all need to work together and that is so true when it comes to pricing, we need to maintain margin and quality install but it seems that FS, Bestbuy, A&B and Visions is not interested in each sale and making money on each sale, all they care about is the amount of sales at the end of the month and if they hit targets or budgets........

You also mentioned installers (including myself) that have worked for Future Shop................have worked............and we left for the same bull$hit reasons that you gave your notice over awhile ago.................your not the problem and your dept (company wide) is not the problem...............it's the produce people working in the cubicles that have lost severe touch with the real world........


I noticed that GM and Ford this year are following suit with Toyota and Saturn............fixed pricing........the price on the car is the price you pay....................well Toyota is still the number one selling brand in the US........................the car companies saw what they were doing to themselves...........now if only the electronic companies would do the same.........................I mean do you think that if a half dozen or so companies said they were going to fix the retail price that everyone else wouldn't follow ? Even if the members of CEDIA or MERA did it.................wow........

 

I understand what Dave is talking about but wait.

I few days ago we had a customer come with an install from a local shop yelling about how they messed up the car. I called the shop and found that the only thing they did was the Deck install and NOT the amp. Guess what the issue was???? What I would like to see when I say "working together" is NOT slagg other shops. I really do not care what the company does as long as I can be fair with my dealings with other shops. Dave, if I worked by your shop at FS and needed a kit, would you sell it to me if I called you? I would, if fact I sell kits to all the local shop with a trade discount, why? Because when I need a kit I can only hope they would grant me the same respect. That is what I am talking about "working" together, RESPECT, Respect for the People. I understand that buissness is biz...BUT we do it no favours by slagging each other and we all know that a little compition is good. Remember, product is product and can be bought ANYWHERE now, but SERVICE is the key. Dave, people who come into your store, come to see you or the store? I would guess you, and I would guess they would follow you if you moved to a different location, right?

Tim, I know what you are talking about and you are right. I do not always agree with the pricing practises but you know full well that it is out of our hands. It is so simple when you are on the fronts lines to see they way the indy is going, and again you are right. I believe some people have lost "the way of the shop" but you of all people know how much it bugs me to hear people slag other people. Just because you would not install it "that way" doesn't nessesacrily mean it's wrong. Funny, I go to shows to see how people do things, to get ideas, to see the Installs through thier eyes. Personaly I do not care much for Harleys, but I can really appreciate the work and pasion that went into building it, and that is what I see when looking at someone else's car, bike, boat, etc...(I know Murley, BLUE PILL).

Sorry to rant off and thanks for your patience with it Guys,

[ December 12, 2005, 12:13 PM: Message edited by: Claudio Piccolo ]

 

We keep a standing trade pricing on anything we sell to FS, and in return, they do the same. It is rather nice, convenient, etc. We like them like that. The local Visions is of the opinion of "we'll sell it to you for full retail. You are a customer, and we want to make the same off of another shopas a customer" Not cool, and rather a PITA. We try not to have to get anything from Visions.... and frankly, I don;'t like to sell them anything.

I do believe there should be more training done with the noobs though. I get a lot of interesting phone calls from the shop here. Nothing overly major (well, a couple times... but hey, no one is perfect). Couple guys with at the most a total of a year experience between them shouldn't be the only ones in the bay. There should be someone that has at least 5 years of solid experience overseeing the young 'uns. Just an observation.....

Gus

 

Thanks Paul, for a sec I thought I was losing me marbles [img]graemlins/freak.gif[/img]

[ December 12, 2005, 03:46 PM: Message edited by: Claudio Piccolo ]