A Manufacturer's Response
Hi, there -
I'm sorry our tongue-in-cheek commentary got you riled up. It's really just because we're two guys that recognize that no matter what we do, we can't make everybody happy and, more specifically, we're human and make mistakes too. It's also just our goofy sense of humor. We don't take ourselves too seriously, although we do take the models and our service seriously.
I'm guessing that this is the comment you didn't like:
"What's that? Something in a picture is wrong? A lot of the pictures are preproduction samples. But hey, we'd love to hear from you if you spot something we need to correct. Especially before we finish the models!"
This particular comment was written due to a very specific circumstance. Several years ago we released the CN 8-hatch reefers. We had a sample sent to us, took it to train shows, had pictures on our website and Facebook, and a lot of people saw it (and told us it looked great). Unfortunately, due to an error in our research, it was painted gray instead of silver. Nobody said a word. Furthermore, after the model was released, somebody specifically posted something to the effect of:
"I didn't order them, because their sample was gray instead of silver and I wanted to make sure they corrected it before I bought it. I'm glad I didn't."
Instead, we reran the shells at a considerable expense to us, and sent them out to the dealers to replace at no charge to the dealers or the customers. That was an extremely expensive mistake. It could have been avoided if that individual (or any other) had pointed out it was wrong before we completed the project.
I have numerous models from numerous manufacturers that have incorrect paint schemes, even though they have a reputation of accuracy. And in none of the cases I can think of did they replace those models/shells. Instead, the expectation is that I'll buy them on the next run with the correct scheme. In some cases I did, and in others I did not. I can't say we're the only manufacturer that has done this, but it's certainly not common.
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The fact is, the manufacturers in the hobby are of several different types. There's the Athearns of the world, who are a division of a large business, and have staffing and the money to run it quite efficiently.
We, on the other hand, are a two-man operation at this point, one of us in Canada and one in the US. So we'll spot check the shipments to make sure things look and test well, and then have to address issues as they arise. There seems to be a fairly constant complaint about the cost of models, the desire for more accurate (and more variations) of a given prototype, and more features. All of these increase potential points of failure.
Most are between these two extremes, but probably leaning toward the small side.
You might be surprised, but It's not really a fiercely competitive business. At least not from my perspective. Because modelers are more educated and interested in more accurate models, in most cases you only have one manufacturer making that prototype. In addition, most of the models nowadays are produced to order. Manufacturers don't typically carry inventory any more. If there are enough orders, the model is produced, and shipped upon arrival.
On the other hand, it's a very (very) expensive industry to be in. The entire cost of a model is paid before the model is shipped, so tens of thousands of dollars (even $100,000+) are usually tied up in a project until dealers pay up to a month after delivery. Manufacturing costs are on the rise, and there are myriad hidden costs that many don't consider (such as the 20-30% premium we have to pay due to the exchange rate as a Canadian company because the factory expects to be paid in US dollars). One failed project, or even one that's delayed too long, can put a company out of business. For us (and many like us) the "bottom line" is to be able to produce the model and stay in business. I can categorically say the "bottom line" doesn't extend to my income from the business.
We expect the factory to live up to the terms of QC in the contract, and we check some of the models to verify. In some cases that means we touch and test every single one, but in most cases that's just not practical and we don't have the time to do it. Whether we check them ourselves or not, the percentage of problems has remained fairly consistent over the years (notwithstanding the major problems like the color of the reefer). Some problems happen during shipping after we test them ourselves, for example.
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What it really comes down to, is that we (and other manufacturers) do their best to provide the models you want and that they'll work properly out of the box. There will always be some percentage that don't. But it's also important to remember that we're all human. For us, that means that while the expectation is that we'll provide the same quality and service as an Athearn, we're having to squeeze the business in around multiple other jobs just to keep the doors open.
On the flip side, as a modeler you only have so much free time and money on your hands too. And when we do something that impacts that, I can understand the frustration. It sounds like we were able to help you with your caboose. I can't speak for other manufacturers, but I know for a fact that we're missing the mark far more than we should. We're working on some pretty major changes in the hopes that we can address that (and many other issues, like the delays in our projects). So more to come.
Happy Modeling!
Randy
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