Bob Said:
"...If North American companies are going to compete effectively, they have
to
concentrate on providing the type of customer support that brings their
customers back and that encourages those customers to promote their products
and service.  Even if the cost of a product made in the NAFTA zone of
influence is more expensive, consumers will accept that increased price if
the service and support capabilities of the manufacturer and or the retailer
outstrip that available on foreign products..."

"...With the Chinese product invasion poised on the horizon, North
American manufacturers need to forget about maximizing profits..."

Reply:

Bob, great points.  However, it's often not that easy.  When a consumer
purchases, it's typically done based on perceived quality and price (overall
value).  It's not until they've purchased the product do they then encounter
the service element of the sale.  Sure, like you, they won't buy that product
again.  However, they buy the first time, or in your case for 15 years.
That's why it's important to reasearch before you buy to determine whether the
company backs its products.  That's easy to say, but who's going to take the
time for a $50 item or who would suspect a respected name in the industry,
such as in your case Symantic, would be a risk.  The fact of the matter is
that companies are trying to find a way to provide customer support without
impacting the bottom line--not an easy thing to do.  I'm with you though,
customer support is critical to the long term success of any company.

Let me suggest that to your second comment about not be so focused on maximum
profits is one many companies are struggling with.  There are companies that
are very willing to sacrifice margins for volume and customer support.
Unfortunately, even though lower margins on a larger top line will add to the
overall bottom line (profit) number for a company.  The analysis will kill
that company, the share holders will run and the death spiral that results
will probably take the company out.  How sad is that that we simply listen to
the analysis rather than taking a hard look at the company's new buisness plan
that increases market share and profits, but at an overall lower margin.

If we don't change this mindset, we're going to lose.  Always trying to be an
optimist, I guess the plus side is that we'll have one of the cleanest
environments on our Earth; no manufaturing, so no manufacturing related
pollution.

Seriously, this is a significant problem,

Gil

Gil wrote:

If we don't change this mindset, we're going to lose.  Always trying to
be an optimist, I guess the plus side is that we'll have one of the
cleanest
environments on our Earth; no manufaturing, so no manufacturing related
pollution.
Seriously, this is a significant problem,

Gil

REPLY

Ironically  the lure of a "clean"  environment is what draws a lot of
boater, especially those who like to cruise to distant out of the way
places.  Yet the very action of going to these places constitutes the
first small step in the process of polluting the very places we claim to
cherish.

In the final analysis, people are the source and cause of pollution so
the logical solution is to eliminate the source. - people.  < VBG >

Can I interest anyone in a birch bark canoe?

Arild

EH?  Youse guys make fun'f de Kanada, eh?  Whattsa matta you, eh?  Dust
acoss we usded ave a ladder hoo spokum lak dis, ain't know whey dey otta mak
fund of de haccent, eh?  We don't got lotta snow no more, wid all dem ockey
rinks closed eh!  Shudda never let dat Yankee soo-lis-I-tor from Nieuw
Amsterdam bye dat Brooklin bridge from dem Iroquois fer a too-fore and
sumodem shiny beads eh!.  An shudda never let dat Yankee soo-lis-I-tor
nee-go-tee-ate wid dem ockey players eh!  Ee don heven no howe ta skate wen
de hice ees over de waters, eh!  Shudda ad Bob and Doug MacKenzie doit, but
deys uppa da MacKenzie delta wid dem Haida carving totem poles, eh!  Dey
says Toronto is no meeding playces, cos is two ot in da winner eh?.  Dey
godda go back up Nord where is comftable an dey needs der toques, eh!  Bob
and Doug'd done a deel bye nowe an us Canucks gotta back our National passed
time, eh?

Oh Lord.  Time for a good Canadian beer!  Arild and I are going stir crazy
while the lawyers screw up the NHL.  Come on Spring!!  I got a boat to
launch - 8, maybe 9 weeks more of this acid rain that keeps coming up from
the Ohio Valley along with the soot and other pollution.  I'd rather have
the snow.  At least that let's me play with my snow thrower.  All the rain
does is turn the snow black.

Bob Davies

-----Original Message-----
From: Arild Jensen

Ah non!  dey vil be delivered by the Royal Canadian Air Farce otherwise
known as Canadian Gooses.  You know dem! De canuck flying sh*t machines!

<< Snip>>

You guys tink we some crazy Canucks who live in snow all year?
Not true, how you tink we invent canoe in first place.

We sell de snow to some guys drinking inna place called Margarita villa,
they always want more. After we remove de snow and export it to
Margarita villa we find water underneath. Dats how we invent birch bark
canoe.
We notice leaves float on water so we make a big ennuf leaf to float
people too. With snow gone we gotta get round somehow?

Hey!  You like de canoe, have I got a deal for you.
How about a sled complete with dogs. Sorry not house trained!
You do dat yourself.

Your northern buddy from Hongcouver.  <VBG>

Hey Buddy Bob
Ya gotta stops wid de  s s s stu stuttering ina de subjek line. Eh!!

Besides; iffne I wanna good stoogie I don't buy American, I buy a
Havana, much beter ceegar.  Neh!

Buddy Bob ( who live inna da eastside ) he says.
Oh Lord.  Time for a good Canadian beer!  >>>> snip<<<<<<<I'd rather
have
the snow.  At least that let's me play with my snow thrower.  All the
rain
does is turn the snow black.

Response

Hey buddy Bob, how many times I gotta tell you. Itsa not a sno trower.
Itsa called a sno blower. Remember now!!!  blow er  not trow er.
Throw is justa an hexpresion, you gotta blow!  < VBG>

Now about dat boat launching. I tole you to drop da boat onna ice while
you still got some sno. Dat way you cushion the fall an no breaka de
ribs.
Den when the sun comes back she is already sitting ona de ice.

Den wen the sno melts and you got de water onna toppe ofa da ice you
just cut a hole inna ice to let the boat drop thru.
What for you tink dey call dem thu hull fittings? Eh!

Onca you got da boat floating inna de water you can melt it some more by
blowing some hot air thru de fitings. Makesa lotsa bubbles. Remember
now, you gotta  blo not trow!  Capice?

Happy launching day!!

Yer buddy from da wet side. Arild