Hearthlist Digest #239 - Monday, November 30, 1998 Re: Hearthlist Digest #238 - 11/29/98 by "Jim Butchart" <[email protected]> tip toeing around cfm by "MIKE & JANICE MARTON" <[email protected]> RE: Bar Code by "John Crouch" <[email protected]> Y2K & other thangs by "Paul Scott" <[email protected]>
(back) Subject: Re: Hearthlist Digest #238 - 11/29/98 From: "Jim Butchart" <[email protected]> Date: Sun, 29 Nov 1998 21:18:11 -0500 >Subject: Hearth Industry Bar Code Standards >From: Mark Robinson <[email protected]> >Date: Sat, 28 Nov 1998 20:44:25 -0500 > >Please direct me to where I can get these specifications for bar code >standards in the hearth industry. If possible I need them in electronic >media (email or disk - WordPerfect format preffered). Please email >[email protected] > >Thanks for your efforts. Mark, there are currently no bar code standards specifically for the Hearth Industry. There are, however, standards for bar coding in general. Before I get carried away with a lengthy dissertation of bar coding, are you asking as a end user or as someone who wants to add bar code to a product? It makes a huge difference. Pilgrim Hearth Wares spent in excess of 6 figures implementing a bar code labeling and tracking system which included all the hardware and programming. The Information Technology Committee looked at developing standards for the industry and came to the conclusion that the first priority we have is getting our industry computerized before we would have much success implementing standards for the few in the industry that are ready for them. Jim Butchart [email protected] Chairman - Information Technology Committee [email protected]
(back) Subject: tip toeing around cfm From: "MIKE & JANICE MARTON" <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 10:02:29 -0500 Hello everyone: I love reading the e mail I get on hearth net. It is a great forum. Like you I read it ,listen and learn. Never felt the need to write until now. I am a Majestic retailer. Loved the new product in St. Louis. being careful did the early buy based on new product only. In past hearthnet e mail I have read things like "is anyone having problems getting product from a company that just bought 2 US companies" Well I (and probably you know were talking V.C.(OK Vermont Castings there I said it) and Majestic a Indiana company (home of the Dan Quayle museum) if I spelled that wrong remember Dan and potatoe. Well then there was another e mail about is that big Canadian company who bought the US Company doing OK (a dealer like me was having supply problems) Well once again no one wants to mention the name (CFM) In fact someone wrote back (and you know who you are master) Thats "wish I had their stock" Well folks its on TSE.COM and my fellow dealer who had the nerve to mention it 2 months ago was right the stock was at its lowest ($10.00 CANADIAN ABOUT 7.00 US) Now I ignored all that and went and put 7 to 10 burning units in my 3 stores(they have a 75% co-op deal) What I really did was shoot myself in the head. Here is my story: We displayed and sold hundreds of these new Insta flame Majestic RHE series Inserts with the all new logs and burner V>C>bay fronts and all sorts of neat add ons. Here is my problem. We sold too much in fact the only stoves I got were the demos for my stores and my 2 big fairs. As far as product to fill orders forget it. Now I do not blame my distributor. In fact my rep worked his ass off selling at the big fair setting up the stores. Well our selling efforts were way successful. The best in years, I mean the stuff we all dream about. Then we woke up. Our distributor could not fill our orders. The solution Majestic opened up 2 new distributors in our area to sell to anyone. Allright you say since protected market just went out the window(I wont even talk about big box stores because thats a whole different story that you guys freak about) lets just fill our orders and next year we will find a new line (now remember I just committed over 25 burning floor models) Well guess what the new distributors had less than my main guy..Heck I would buy a bay window from one distributor' a panel surround from another and this stove from the third. Now of course the discounts varied but who cares Im just trying to take care of the hundreds of customers who want heat(you know the drill) We sub out all our installs the subs make all their money during the season.Now picture this, they schedule they show up I dont have the stove.Now they dont get paid because they have nothing to install(one of my subs to date has lost over $15,000 in just 6 weeks.Another guy who did gas and wood stopped doing our installs because he could not count on us to have his installs ready,so now my woodstove customers are canceling. My main distributor (who now he has 2 others to compete with) tells us its on the truck from Majestic. So for the last 8 weeks we tell our customers its on the truck.Well guess what? The truck never comes and when it does its way short. In fact my distributor does not know what is on "the truck" until it shows up. Imagine telling your customer after 6 or 7 weeks "well Bob my distributor tells me its on this weeks truck" Old Bob says I have heard that bull for 3 weeks Give me my money back (and thats being polite) Fast Forward:We have refunded over $20,000. Had our reputation slammed into the ground.Saved deals by giving away $90.00 remotes and free liner kits, and splitting install costs for folks who have waited up to 8 weeks for a stove.(how would you feel?) They come to our stores yelling & angry while new customers are shopping not to mention the BBB and A.G. complaints. Enough griping you have the picture.In the middle of the best stove sales in years my salespeople dont want to answer the phone cant sell what they believe in other words my business is frozen and held hostage by things I cannot control. I lie to my staff every week about their customers stoves based on the lie IM told by the distributor based on the lie they are told by their majestic rep So here is the bottom line: My distributor comes in for the BIG MEETING makes his apologies for Majestic and I understand it is not his fault (and trust me thats hard to keep a clear head when my days are hell from people who just want what they paid for) So I ask 1 question "What is Majestic doing for you? Its obvious to me that your business is suffering from all this.Whats our compensation? His answer :"your right were sorry but we are not getting anything from them and we are not in the position to do anything for you but sell you Osburn or Heat & Glow.WE truly are sorry we feel your pain but were stuck too. OK I can relate so Will you still buy from them after they took V.C. from you and opened to distributors? His answer YES.. Sorry there is no happy ending to this way drawn out e mail other than it reminds me of a dealer who wrote about competing with big box stores.He said lets all buy together.Nice thought wont work.Greed always dominates. In closing dealers Big and small will read this reflect and life goes on.I feel you can make a difference.If you have similar problems than voice it. There is a old story of the customer who gets even buy just saying no..Its hard to bury our need and love of money but together we can tell the big dog to go back north to feed (thats right slim pickens there look at their stock) MY ending: IM going on vacation gonna spend some time away from the phone. and so it goes.... Happy Holidays Mike Marton
(back) Subject: RE: Bar Code From: "John Crouch" <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 13:07:38 -0500 Re: Industry Bar Code Standards From: John Crouch, HPA Mark, Our HPA Information Technology Committee explored the issue of Bar Code Standards for our industry two years ago and found VERY LITTLE enthusiasm for the amount of effort it is going to take. Interestingly enough, one of the models we looked at was the Landscaping supply industries ad-hoc bar code committee. My guess is that the other parts of your business benefit from this effort, and you naturally want to expand this productivity tool into the other parts of your business. When the committee explored this idea we heard everything from..."it's easy, it's already done", (which is not true, just the framework is outlined by the ANSI committee, each industry is establishing their own subcommittees to flesh out their own details); to ... "....it's way to hard, it would be impossible to get all the manufacturers on the same sheet of music, on this or any other issue", (I don't buy this either, the irrigation supply industry pulled it off, granted they had one major player who wanted to make it happen - Rainbird). So, what's a retailer to do? SPEAK UP!, Tell your manufacturers that we have to get with the program! Preach the benefits of bar codes to other retailers! Most of the people in our business who use bar codes, Dura-Vent and Pilgrim are just two that come to mind right away, have discovered important productivity gains once they got over the agony of introducing the system. But most of our companies tell me that none of their customers are asking for them. I can tell from your web site that you carry a number of the leading brands in the business. I suggest you preach to your suppliers. I would like to hear from other retailers/distributors who are ready to take this next step up, or will be by 2001 (which is probably the earliest we could pull it off). John Crouch Director of Government Relations Hearth Products Association 7840 Madison Ave, suite 185 Fair Oaks, California 95628 916.536.2390 voice 916.5362392 telefax www.hearthassoc.org
(back) Subject: Y2K & other thangs From: "Paul Scott" <[email protected]> Date: Mon, 30 Nov 1998 13:09:15 -0500 You know this Y2K thang is almost as interesting to read about and hear what others feel about it as the "Gloop" over the ventless gas logs. The "Fish people" (Christains) are the ones that are blowing the Y2K gig way out of proportion,I figure the evangilists on tv will soon ask for donations for there soap opera style programs in exchange for one and all to be born again or to guarantee your place in heaven when the Year 2000 finally does arrive and God returns . But then again the fish people have been tring to predict that since Christianity was invented. As for buying a wood stove or other heating appliance to prepare for the "Grid Grind" baffles me Gotta say I own a generator that automatically cranks up once the power has been interupted after 20 seconds I am back on line. Now staying warm is important But electricity is much more important to me,,,,Of coarse to most of you it sounds like staying warm is the only thing that matters. Cant wait to see how many of you folks will be up and runing even if half of what is supposed to happen does What will you power your computers and phones with? As for people dying because it is cold and I would say thease folks must be of a breed that do not own a Winter coat or maybe they dont even were clothes because how could they even leave there dwellings to venture out in to the world each day with out such things,,,,,,Go Figure. Guess what ? Did you know that the natural gas pipe line is computer controlled so if your selling gas logs to prepare folks for Y2K-rap then if there is a grid or puter shut down they will be useless anyway. Enuff Said Paul Scott