Failed Pedal Lines and Companies

[Ugly Nora]

FWIW, I had a neutral to good experience with Infanem when I had a pedal repaired from what I remember. That said, most jobs and industries are hard especially if you go the small business entrepreneurial route.. That's no excuse for not responding to your customers. That also said, I wouldn't go so far as to wish something bad to happen to them, but I also wouldn't give a flying calimyrna fig if it did.

This post is making me hungry.

[UglyCasanova]

Hyperboles don't translate well on the page. I obviously don't hope she's miserable, but there are limits to how much slack you can give someone. I sent her polite messages once every two months over the course of almost a year asking if she'd help me fix a pedal she built that arrived DOA. She read the messages, but couldn't bother writing a single line back. There's empathy, compassion and patience, then there's being a person unable to run a business. I used to buy Seppuku pedals for crying out loud. I know how to wait and not ask for big business customer service.

[infamousalien]

I have zero compassion or sympathy for some one who starts a business, takes people's hard earned money, and then provides shitty customer service. You made the choice to start the business. Starting a business in every industry is hard so that's no excuse. Hands down the shittiest customer service I've ever dealt with has been in the "boutique" pedal industry.

[odontophobia]

Hyperboles don't translate well on the page. I obviously don't hope she's miserable, but there are limits to how much slack you can give someone. I sent her polite messages once every two months over the course of almost a year asking if she'd help me fix a pedal she built that arrived DOA. She read the messages, but couldn't bother writing a single line back. There's empathy, compassion and patience, then there's being a person unable to run a business. I used to buy Seppuku pedals for crying out loud. I know how to wait and not ask for big business customer service.

Hyperbole is fine when you’re saying something like, “yeah, so I sent 25,000 messages and never got a response,” vs “I hope a piano falls on ‘em.”

[UglyCasanova]

Agree to disagree. If I said I wanted to kill her or something, I'd agree.

[Jwar]

Man. I get the frustration as a customer, but this industry is really fucking hard. Being one person doing all things in a company is really fucking hard. Some people just give out. I am glad she got out and hope she is doing well somewhere.

I really wish that people on here (and everywhere) had a little bit of empathy and compassion.

This is why I stopped Acid Splash. Demand overwhelmed me and I started to slip up in quality. None of my customers understood that because why would they? They had the impression I was not a one man show. I was just making boxes too! I can't imagine the other side. I stopped rehouses after a few years because of unrealistic expectations (not saying that's the case with Infanem) but man, people do bum me out too.

[Jwar]

Hyperboles don't translate well on the page. I obviously don't hope she's miserable, but there are limits to how much slack you can give someone. I sent her polite messages once every two months over the course of almost a year asking if she'd help me fix a pedal she built that arrived DOA. She read the messages, but couldn't bother writing a single line back. There's empathy, compassion and patience, then there's being a person unable to run a business. I used to buy Seppuku pedals for crying out loud. I know how to wait and not ask for big business customer service.

Just out of curiosity, when you say DOA, what do you mean?

[BetterOffShred]

Probably didn't work at all when it arrived.. just a guess

[rustywire]

Something like 9 out of 10 small businesses fail within 3 years, commerce is hard and gets harder. Households simply do not spend what they once did on non-essential durable goods across most industries. I don't have figures handy but if I had to estimate trends, an average of 15-20% overall reduction in clientele and 15-20% reduction in per capita customer spending compared to a little over a decade ago. The luxury goods and niche economies never recovered to pre-2008 spending as wages have stagnated, savings deplete and debt balloons while everything gets more expensive. Debt burdens are crippling. Most of us were already feeling the sting of spiking fuel/energy/food/medical costs post-Katrina. Once literal trillions in value evaporated/transferred upward, It's been a buyer's market in most every market for a decade, and very few people have been able to take advantage. People with money in hand feel its power (that's capitalism!) as it amplifies all the best and worst aspects of an individual's character (or lack thereof) like a magic wand. It takes great discipline to not be consumed by it all. If you've been people watching in a service industry you've likely noticed more antisocial, less civilized behavior.

A casual reminder: when Jess Oliver saw the writing on the wall & Oliver Sound Co stopped building amps, he settled every last customer account, as well as his supply and distribution debts. That is how you leave a legacy and lead by example. If only everyone who pays cheap lip service about preaching for better treatment of others-- was prepared to take dear steps walking the walk, paying it forward. Not bad for a so-called crotchety old timer with rep for being less-than-thrilled by rock music. It's almost like how you actually treat others is what leaves a lasting impression. RIP to a legend

[JonnyAngle]

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[Confuzzled]

Hyperboles don't translate well on the page. I obviously don't hope she's miserable, but there are limits to how much slack you can give someone. I sent her polite messages once every two months over the course of almost a year asking if she'd help me fix a pedal she built that arrived DOA. She read the messages, but couldn't bother writing a single line back. There's empathy, compassion and patience, then there's being a person unable to run a business. I used to buy Seppuku pedals for crying out loud. I know how to wait and not ask for big business customer service.

That's just bullshit. If you're getting a read receipt and a person can't bother to respond... No excuse. She's never had a problem stirring up shit or going on posting tirades. For all the grief she gave dwarfcraft and the subsequent whining over distributors not trusting or giving her a chance it's so obvious why.

I put Rhys in a different category. He's (if he is a he) a total mystery. I sometimes imagine him being a shoeless wanderer who leaves his home for months on end. comes home, makes some pedals, gets money then wanders off. Possibly on the spectrum? Or has another artistic calling and uses pedals for the occasional revenue? Big foot? Who knows?

[jrfox92]

That's just bullshit. If you're getting a read receipt and a person can't bother to respond... No excuse. She's never had a problem stirring up shit or going on posting tirades. For all the grief she gave dwarfcraft and the subsequent whining over distributors not trusting or giving her a chance it's so obvious why.

UC was talking about INFANEM, not Devi.

[Chankgeez]

Guilt by association? INFANEM was a disciple of Devi.

[Inconuucl]

[coupleonapkins]

So what's the longest anyone has waited for a pedal delivery that was paid for?

Received one after 36 months and still waiting for another one and it's been 50 months. I kinda gave up on this type of stuff afterwards. If it's not in stock, I don't tend to buy it but never say never!

Can't ever 4get

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llkmYnl3I6s[/youtube]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llkmYnl3I6s