Goodbye Polk!

dromunds

Many people are stupid. And inconsistent. They'll buy cheap crap made overseas for the short-term savings and are unwilling or unable to consider the long-term consequences. But they also want customer service. They don't look at it as choosing between cheap prices and customer service. They want their cake and they want to eat it too. Bad customer service will result in pissed off and lost customers. And once they're pissed off and lost, they aren't coming back. Poor customer service is false economy. Its that simple.

daddyjt

meucci2977 wrote: »

...For families who are barely treading water to keep the lights on they have no choice to buy the cheapest socket set from lowes when they need to fix the family truckester to get back and forth from work...

I agree with this to a certain extent - However, I’ve seen more than a few of these “treading water” folks that have/do one or more of the following: Smoke, hit the bar every weekend, get a new cell phone every year, spend hundreds on car/truck accessories (rims and tires being #1), or go out to eat multiple times a week. Dropping any one of these habits/indulgences would free up hundreds of dollars a month...

BinKY188_5

daddyjt wrote: »

meucci2977 wrote: »

...For families who are barely treading water to keep the lights on they have no choice to buy the cheapest socket set from lowes when they need to fix the family truckester to get back and forth from work...

I agree with this to a certain extent - However, I’ve seen more than a few of these “treading water” folks that have/do one or more of the following: Smoke, hit the bar every weekend, get a new cell phone every year, spend hundreds on car/truck accessories (rims and tires being #1), or go out to eat multiple times a week. Dropping any one of these habits/indulgences would free up hundreds of dollars a month...

Don't forget tattoos.

meucci2977

@daddyjt Lol so true and my dumb **** brother is one of them, goes out to eat 7 days a week ( says its cheaper) smokes and only has worked cash jobs the past 20 years with nothing towards social security or retirement . Ok guys I will give it a rest now as I have think I have veered of the intent of this forum. Not sure though because im a new member? Thanks for all your comments and it is interesting to see your guys opinions on customer service and product quality.

polrbehr

meucci2977 wrote: »

@daddyjt Lol so true and my dumb **** brother is one of them, goes out to eat 7 days a week ( says its cheaper) smokes and only has worked cash jobs the past 20 years with nothing towards social security or retirement . Ok guys I will give it a rest now as I have think I have veered of the intent of this forum. Not sure though because im a new member? Thanks for all your comments and it is interesting to see your guys opinions on customer service and product quality.

Be prepared for a knock on your door when your brother realizes he's done working.

It's all good, we have opinions on just about everything... just ask us!

By the way, I have to ask - are you a pool player?

Joey_V

I’m always a Polk fan.

Sad to see we lose another.

meucci2977

@polrbehr Yes for many years lived and breathed pool. It was my passion. I rarely play anymore and sold all my cues except for the first decent cue I ever had a Meucci. And yes I have thought about that knock on the door from him from time to time.

daddyjt

meucci2977 wrote: »

@daddyjt Lol so true and my dumb **** brother is one of them, goes out to eat 7 days a week ( says its cheaper) smokes and only has worked cash jobs the past 20 years with nothing towards social security or retirement . Ok guys I will give it a rest now as I have think I have veered of the intent of this forum. Not sure though because im a new member? Thanks for all your comments and it is interesting to see your guys opinions on customer service and product quality.

No worries - this has been a healthy and respectful conversation about customer service (more or less). I appreciate everyone’s input, and I hope Polk comes to their senses with regard to service.

dromunds

I have to say that when I've had the occasion to call Polk customer service I have always been treated respectfully and they've made everything good. So, hopefully the incidents such as the OP's are the exception and we just don't hear about the incidents where customer service satisfies the customer.

Kex

Let’s not forget the Apple model:

• $700-1,500 phones made in China to a meticulous U.S. design, second to none. (Many parts still come from the U.S.A.)
• Excellent customer service, by phone or chat, with the option to visit a Genius Bar in person if necessary, all based in the country of sale, U.S.A. or otherwise.
• OEM quality options to repair phones (phone screens, batteries etc.) that are 5 years old,... or older frequently replaced with a (literally) like new refurbished replacement.

More expensive products (like the Mac Pro) can be made in the U.S.

Kex

Therefore:

• U.S. manufacture does not mean quality per se.
• Overseas manufacture does not mean a lack thereof, per se.
• Overseas manufacture does not mean poor customer service.

dromunds

But it does mean loss of US jobs often due to lack of environmental regulations and child labor or other employment issues. Not to mention restraints on the sale of our products to protect their industries.

BjornB17

Wow what the heck is going on in this thread

nooshinjohn

We could tell you but then TonyB would need to get back into the concrete business...

Kex

dromunds wrote: »

But it does mean loss of US jobs often due to lack of environmental regulations and child labor or other employment issues. Not to mention restraints on the sale of our products to protect their industries.

I could not disagree more. Once again, the wealth and jobs, created by Apple in the U.S.A. is simply enormous, far surpassing the wealth and jobs created in China to manufacture iPhones and iPads, or elsewhere.

Were those products manufactured in the U.S. they would cost far too much, and would not be successful. Quite simply: Apple is responsible for TWO MILLION jobs in the U.S.A., across all states, including 80,000 employed directly by Apple. This is only possible because it is so successful.

Derm

treitz3

We have a saying in my line of work. We can offer you three things. Price, quality or speed. Whatever preference one chooses will directly affect the two others.

You want quality and speed? Price goes up.

You want nothing but the best price? Speed and quality may suffer.

You want top notch quality? Speed may slow down and price will go up.

Tom

tonyb

Kex wrote: »

dromunds wrote: »

But it does mean loss of US jobs often due to lack of environmental regulations and child labor or other employment issues. Not to mention restraints on the sale of our products to protect their industries.

I could not disagree more. Once again, the wealth and jobs, created by Apple in the U.S.A. is simply enormous, far surpassing the wealth and jobs created in China to manufacture iPhones and iPads, or elsewhere.

Were those products manufactured in the U.S. they would cost far too much, and would not be successful. Quite simply: Apple is responsible for TWO MILLION jobs in the U.S.A., across all states, including 80,000 employed directly by Apple. This is only possible because it is so successful.

Maybe so, but still doesn't validate the use of child labor to support their products.

What if we let car companies do the same....or any other big company. No doubt those companies would thrive using cheaper labor. What about the people here though ?

.....and btw, who says you can't make it today without a college education. Ever hear of the trades ? They pay darn good....and they are always in need of more.

daddyjt

tonyb wrote: »

.....and btw, who says you can't make it today without a college education. Ever hear of the trades ? They pay darn good....and they are always in need of more.

Amen. 3 years of trade school will net you a far greater earning potential than a 6-year masters degree in 18th century English poetry.

I have a neighbor that’s an industrial electrician. I’d be shocked if he pulls down less than 125k a year. His company is booked out 18 months for jobs. He’s also a total history buff, and I asked him once if he’d ever thought of going to college when he was younger and getting a history degree. He looked me square in the eyes and said “what? Why would I pay all that money when I can just read the books on my own?”

A lot of people lately seem to try and conflate their hobby with their job. Hey, if you can get someone to pay you to do what you love, more power to you. But I don’t think that should be the expectation.

Kex

tonyb wrote: »

Maybe so, but still doesn't validate the use of child labor to support their products.

There is no credible proof that child labor is used to produce Apple products (other than anecdotal). Furthermore, nearly ALL of the competing products are also made in China, so what should we do? Stop using mobile phones?!

Nightfall

Apple and Foxconn themselves have admitted to finding factories in China employing child labor in excess of 40 hours a week.

2017
https://www.channelnews.com.au/apple-admits-to-using-child-labour-to-build-iphone-x/

2010
https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/apple-admits-using-child-labour-26636720.html

2018 - Children as young as 7 mining cobalt
https://www.newsweek.com/apple-faces-child-labor-scrutiny-it-looks-take-charge-cobalt-mines-815981

etc. etc. etc.

daddyjt

Kex wrote: »

...so what should we do? Stop using mobile phones?!

Now THAT would be a good thing:-)

Kex

Nightfall wrote: »

Apple and Foxconn themselves have admitted to finding factories in China employing child labor in excess of 40 hours a week....

Yes, and the problem was not widespread. Also, it has been addressed since it was discovered. It was never an implicit part of the production strategy. If we are to use such examples as a metric, then we need to address child sex slaves in the United States, not to mention employees with no healthcare, retirement prospects, or paid vacation.

Cobalt mining is a totally different problem, since Apple has no direct control over that. Are we to stop using any product that uses lithium ion? Then throw out your laptops as well.

This is a straw man argument in any case. The fact is, Apple employs 2 million people in the U.S. either directly, or indirectly. If iPhones were made in the U.S. they would employ thousands at best, and that’s assuming they had not gone bankrupt twenty years ago.

Nobody makes such devices in the U.S.A. Nobody. Period.

halo71

I hear Ozzy's Crazy Train playing in my head after reading this thread....

polrbehr

daddyjt wrote: »

tonyb wrote: »

.....and btw, who says you can't make it today without a college education. Ever hear of the trades ? They pay darn good....and they are always in need of more.

Amen. 3 years of trade school will net you a far greater earning potential than a 6-year masters degree in 18th century English poetry.

I have a neighbor that’s an industrial electrician. I’d be shocked if he pulls down less than 125k a year.

I see what you did there

meucci2977

Well folks im out of here . After reading through many posts on
different subjects.I realized that I really don't have any thing constructive to add to most of these
topics.Im simply not interested in it at the level I see in the posts.Thanks for humoring me guys and letting me derail the forum totally off topic.

rooftop59

meucci2977 wrote: »

Well folks im out of here . After reading through many posts on
different subjects.I realized that I really don't have any thing constructive to add to most of these
topics.Im simply not interested in it at the level I see in the posts.Thanks for humoring me guys and letting me derail the forum totally off topic.

What do think most people around here do?!? 😂

BinKY188_5

meucci2977 wrote: »

Well folks im out of here . After reading through many posts on
different subjects.I realized that I really don't have any thing constructive to add to most of these
topics.Im simply not interested in it at the level I see in the posts.Thanks for humoring me guys and letting me derail the forum totally off topic.

I don't have much to add either, but I plan on hanging around.

mhardy6647

. . . . .

gp4jesus

Well... I have and will either enjoy helping another and/or appreciate someone helping me.

Yeah, ultimately the decision rested w/me and, consequently the results or lack of.

Much earlier in my membership, I had dozens(?) maybe hundreds as a sounding board and I’d be selfish if I boogied. 😊