I don't see how those two extremes have to be the only two choices we have. I really didn't like the way RAH failed to tell me the order would be delayed until I asked about it weeks after the order, failed to reply to other emails, and then refunded my entire order without me asking them to when I suggested they ship the item that was in stock.
But I don't expect instant communication of every step, delay, etc. either.
What would have been acceptable is if I'd placed the order (one rocket, one motor) and within a couple of days gotten an email from them, "We're sorry, the motor isn't in stock but we're willing to either ship the rocket now and motor later, or refund the entire order. Please let us know what you'd prefer." That wouldn't have taken anyone at RAH more than a minute and they would have made more money from me than they did.
I also don't believe (as others have suggested) that this tiny amount of customer service would have required them to raise prices.
I see your point, but ultimately it comes down to how individual folks do business, and who you're dealing with.
For instance, I used to buy a lot of parts at salvage yards for farm equipment and trucks/cars when we were row cropping. There was a salvage yard nearby that had a LOT of older stuff out there, stuff that was hard to find. Basically a cow pasture turned junkyard. There was a guy working there (Robert) who just knew the place backward and forward-- knew virtually everything out there, could tell you where it was, even if the part you needed was still likely to be on the thing and usable or not. He was a great guy to deal with, easygoing and good to talk to, friendly and helpful... UNFORTUNATELY, he didn't own the place. The place was owned by a crotchety old man who was usually PO'd and didn't seem to like anybody, and he'd try to rip you off based on your appearance-- if he liked you, you'd get a good price. If he didn't like you, if he thought he could screw you, he'd do his level best to.... unfortunately, about half the time Robert would have to send you to this A-hole to tell you how much he wanted for something you needed... and more than once I got in my pickup and left because he was trying to screw me over. When Robert set you up to pull the part off and/or helped you get it out, and priced it for you, and sent you to the office to pay the owner's funny-looking weird nephew or whatever who handled the phone and cash box, everything was smooth sailing. When Robert had to send you to the old man to price something, more often than not you were gritting your teeth when it was over, and either forking over more than you figured or stalking off mad to go hunt what you needed elsewhere. Robert MADE that place, and when he left, it was belly up within six months-- the old man NEVER lifted a finger around the place that *I* ever saw, and Robert was an absolute SAINT to put up with the crap I'm sure he had to put up with off that old man... I know how much he crap he gave his CUSTOMERS, so I shudder to think of what an A-hole he was toward his employees...
For good or ill, a business is a reflection of the person running it. If you have good, communicative folks running a business with strong moral character and ethics, you'll see that reflected in how the business is operated. If you have folks with a 'devil may care' attitude just doing what they have to do to get by, you'll see that as well. If you have a pompous, arrogant individual with a "better than you" or "smarter than you" "I know better than you" attitude, you'll see that reflected as well. If you have shady characters or folks of low moral character willing to split with other people's money paid them in good faith, and blow it on their own devices, well, you'll be lucky if you see anything but a withdrawal on your account and an empty mailbox... That's people, and that's just life...
"Woulda, coulda, shoulda" is all well and good, but in the end it doesn't butter any bread. Most folks are going to do it "their way" and basically it boils down to the individual customer "taking it or leaving it" and either buying from them and playing the game their way, or splitting with their money and finding someplace selling comparable stuff for a better price or better service. It's just that simple. IF the vendor in question saw a problem and wanted to change, they certainly could... but evidently they don't see a problem or are quite content how they're doing things and could care less about what anyone else thinks about it. Some folks aren't looking to 'set the world on fire' with their sales figures, and would rather cater to a specific clientele that is comfortable with their preferred way of doing business. Rocketry, being a niche hobby that it is, probably has a disproportionate number of folks who subscribe to this way of thinking... (I can think of two offhand that have as much as said this is their business model, either through words or actions, and one has even stated as much in print!)
SO, while we might decry the "lost opportunities" and wish that a particular vendor would operate by a different mindset, the truth is it's not particularly likely to change... some folks would rather go under than change, probably a lot of folks won't change until they see a drastic fall-off in sales and start wondering "what gives?" and "what do I need to do to improve this situation?" and makes the appropriate changes. Some folks are very pro-active and open minded about it and are constantly seeking to achieve the highest standards they can... sadly enough there's also a few scumbags that prowl around looking for folks to fleece, or who are shady enough that they don't see a problem running like a bandit with other people's money paid in good faith when they hit a snag or the opportunity presents itself... like the rest of the human race, it's a mixed bag...
We had an auto parts place here in town that I used to occasionally deal with who was run by the same type guy... If you were one of his drinking buddies, or went to his church, or whatever, he was just as nice as peach pie... fawn over you and treat you like a long lost brother. If you WEREN'T his buddy, went to a different church, or whatever, he'd treat you like you took a sh!t in his momma's Cheerios that morning... I'd OCCASIONALLY go in there to try to get a part or some supply (usually for the tractor or truck when I was working in the fields in the busy times of the year, preparing to plant, planting, or harvesting) and he'd ignore you while he BS'd with his buddies, and then when you found what you want and stood at the counter waiting to pay for it and get going, he acted like it just ruined his whole day to have to wait on you... Lord forbid if you needed something behind the counter! After awhile I got sick and tired of that UTTER CRAP and decided he could go straight to h3ll and I'd never buy anything there again-- It's five miles to town and fifteen miles to Rosenberg, but heck some days I could have DRIVEN to Rosenberg and been back BEFORE I could go in there, hunt what I needed, finally get him to get around to taking my money, and get back out to the farm... and of course half the time he either didn't have what I needed, or wanted two prices for it anyway.
That "business style" worked for him for awhile... til nothing was left but his "good buddies", some of whom quit farming or went broke or got out of the business, and his sales fell to nothing. He finally sold out to a guy who's halfway decent, so I trade with them SOME now...
Our little "burg" is constantly harping on everybody to "shop local" and such instead of going to Rosenberg, but there's a LOT of people in town with the same sort of mindset as that A-hole-- if you're their buddy they'll take care of you, if not, go hang yourself, they don't care and aren't wasting their precious time on you. Half the places in town charge 50% over what you can get it for in Rosenberg at big box stores, so usually I just go over there anyway.
I refuse to be treated like a second-class citizen because I don't drink beer with some clown... my money's just as green as everybody else's and if he don't want it, doesn't want to provide fair service to get it, fine-- they can go pound sand... I'll go elsewhere that knows how to treat a customer...
Later! OL JR
