Hearthlist Digest #242 - Thursday, December 3, 1998 lead time by "Grant Darrow" <[email protected]> seeking for info by "John Billwiller" <[email protected]> Too Much Heat from Heat N Glo by "Craig Issod" <[email protected]> Insanity wins again. by "Roger Sanders" <[email protected]> Religion, Politics and the list by "Craig Issod" <[email protected]>
(back) Subject: lead time From: Grant Darrow <[email protected]> Date: Wed, 2 Dec 1998 21:21:03 -0500 Its called lead time. As a Chimney sweep, installer and once a week retailer I always have a handle on the 'lead time' and I always make this clear to a customers before I invest a ton of my precious and limited time in selling them on a product. The value I add to the product is simply enhanced with such honesty. I know, this is pure heresy and my reps are cringing At the best times of year I asked for two weeks lead time and after July 4th I ask for 4weeks. By the time labor day hits its 6-8 weeks. Hearth products sales and service has been this way since the 'Fish people' invented God. (sorry I couldn't help myself). My competitors businesses always do well this time of year because I always first ask a customer, 'when do you want this stove installed?. If they answer ASAP, or before X-mas I say 'Sorry, it'll be next year before I can install this.' Quite simply, I'm saturated, why over sale the products you represent? Why kill yourself at a time of year when family time is so important? Someones lack of planning, or unwillingness to plan, does not constitute an emergency for me, sure theres big money to be made by responding to these customers but in the end what kind of customers are they going to be and what kind of install are they getting if the installer is slam dunking to meet the demand. My most productive emergency calls are fixing my competitors customers. Whats been interesting this year is how much lead time is being consumed waiting for stoves and accesories. Are manufacturers catching up with me? willieweep, last of the climbing sweeps
(back) Subject: seeking for info From: John Billwiller <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 10:32:20 -0500 Hi. I'm a "'newbie' to the forum. I am seeking info on parts for pellet appliances that no longer are being produced,more specifically the various manufacturers in the Pacific NW of the USA. My home-based business is in Grand Forks, B.C. and most of the older appliances are from WA. I've got a particular problem at the moment that I would like to resolve for my customer so she could have reliable heat again. The appliance manufacturer was 'Horizon Research Inc.,17905 Bothell Way SE Bothell, WA ' and model of appliance is ' Eclipse Destiny - HR-2 ' This free-standing heater used a counterbalanced burn pot; as the burn pot filled with pellets, the counterbalance rod lifted and released a micro- switch from its 'closed' position, thereby shutting off the fuel feed. This microswitch is now unreliable (burnt contacts probably as the heater is now 8 yrs old) and I need to find a replacement switch - either OEM or a unit I can adapt to work for this application. If anyone has input to help resolve my customers problem, I would be most appreciative of your help.Radio Shack (Canada) does not offer a switch I can use as a repla- cement unit so that option is out. On another topic, anyone who has a servicing problem with 'Pellet King', mfd by Welenco Canada Inc, I may be able to help. I have a unit here for resale and I know of two others in Grand Forks that could be for sale. I also have the wiring diagram for this unit, if that would help anyone. I would also like to thank Craig I. for offering this opportunity for we interested businesses to communicate. Regards, John B.
(back) Subject: Too Much Heat from Heat N Glo From: Craig Issod <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 14:56:03 -0500 I promised my customer that I would ask. A cutomer, who also happens to be the Police Chief in town, bought a few Heat n Glo 6000's DV for his new business, a SPA and massage (the good kind) business. He wanted the biggest view he could get, while having the smallest output. They were installed in two small massage rooms, about 12 x 16 feet, with closed doors (of course). It's way too much heat. They can hardly be used at all, even through the customers are naked or nearly so. He has asked me if there is anything I can do to get rid of heat. The units are about two year old, so it's B4 Heat and Glo had the "heat dumping" option. Some of the answers are obvious, but I'd like to get some opinions: I thought of installing through the wall fans above the units, but the noise might ruin the massage experience. 1. Any modifications to the units, done by the dealer or a professional, that would help with less heat oputput. 2. If we had to replace the units, are the new "heat dumping" units the exact same size with exact same venting and gas hookups. Any other suggestions? Help.... he has lots of guns and troops are his disposal (but he's a nice guy) ------------------------------------------------------ Craig Issod HearthNet at http://www.hearth.com [email protected] Everything your Hearth Desires ------------------------------------------------------ Buddha says "avoid error" ------------------------------------------------------
(back) Subject: Insanity wins again. From: Roger Sanders <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 16:41:57 -0500 A Very Sobering News Item: The NSPI (National Pool and Spa Institute) has just announced to it's members that they have filed for bankruptcy, thanks to those trial lawyers. NSPI is a large, older trade association, similar to our HPA. They were found at fault in a personal liability law suit involving a 1991 quadriplegic injury (in a swimming pool installed in 1965). They now have a $6.5 million judgement against them. So what? Well, there is a serious lesson to learn here and a clear political reality to understand. Retailers, manufacturers, distributors, reps, the HPA and anyone with assets, needs to know that they may be even more vulnerable than the NSPI to absolutely incredible trial lawyer abuse. Part One: We all have huge personal lability exposure. So just what did the NSPI do that was so bad? They were the sponsor of swimming pool �Safety Standards� back in the 1960�s. Amazing! In their work to improve national swimming pool safety for millions of Americans, they apparently missed something. That something was successfully established by a trial lawyer (certainly not seeking the big bucks) in 1998. This kind of sickening judicial precedence is now overwhelming in our court system. Like it or not. What if the fireplace you manufactured, sold or installed is in anyway related to a major health problem or accident, 25 years from now? This NSPI case clearly shows that you will loose, period! It doesn�t matter how good you were trying to be, how much time has gone by until an incident occurs, or anything else. You will loose! This is the lessen to learn. If you haven�t believed it before, now is the time to start believing it. * Do you sell products that you are not confident in, just because customers want them? * Do you sell products that customers can easily misuse? * Do you ever modify or install something different than the installation manual, to make your customer happy? * Could you or your employees ever make a mistake? If there is ever an incident, the trial lawyers will get you. Part Two. Here is the political reality and the cause of it all: The trial lawyers are gigantic contributors to the Democratic party and in return, the trial lawyers are allowed to really stick it to those dirty capitalists that have assets, regardless of any common sense. The Democrats say that these trial lawyers are �a socially conscious force� and are doing the work of the people. They believe that trial lawyers are a great way to force those dirty capitalists to be more socially responsible. The trial lawyers operate like a Democratic party mofia for social engineering. Sometimes they social engineer for $billions in fees (like the big tobacco settlement that will take $ billions from the poor) and sometimes they just pillage (like this NSPI case). Occasionally, they have done something of good social value, but so did Hitler. Check out the largest Democratic contributors during Clinton�s elections (excluding the Chinese Communists). Also, check out how much trial lawyers are making vs.what you are making and decide if they are worth it to our society. If you still believe that our Democratic party is the party of the poor, you�ve got a real big suprise coming. No other country in the world allows trial lawyers to run wild like we do. Our Republican party has for years, tried to legislate against this trial lawyer insanity. Republicans have tried to put caps on this kind of litigation. They have tried to revise the �deep pockets� laws. They have tried to establish that plaintiffs also have significant responsibilities. Our Democrats and their trial lawyers have consistently stopped the anti trial lawyer legislation because they say that we need trial lawyers to �protect us�. Aren�t they so nice. They really care don't they. Are trial lawyers what we need more of? We dirty capitalists do have a choice when we vote. Sorry that you had to read Part Two, Craig. Roger Sanders "Not the James Carville of anything"
(back) Subject: Religion, Politics and the list From: Craig Issod <[email protected]> Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 16:54:09 -0500 Roger said: "The trial lawyers operate like a Democratic party mofia for social engineering" First of all, it's Mafia with an a and a capital - you better show some respect! or I'll send Vito after your ass. The last few days have shown religion and Politics introduced as topics to the list. With all due respect, these topics are not the point of this list and could send us down a slippery slope. For instance, if I told Roger that the Republicans were responsible for killing and bombing Abortion Doctors and Clinics and protecting the low cost of oil with 100's of thousands of human lives, would he feel like carrying his GOP card in his wallet any more? The sad truth is that both parties are just as bad as each other. They are money driven, whether for oil, bank (the GOP led S and L crisis) or the trial lawyers. Let's be active in our own lives and communities in these issues, but leave this list as a sort of political and religious "middle ground". Not that a mention here and there is so bad, but I don't want to start burning Christians at the stake, having Witch Trials or impeaching the Pres here. Very important lesson in Rogers post about liability. I think the real solution is to teach yourself and your children to avoid the temptation to sue somebody for everything that goes wrong in their lives. My family members (like most people) have been involved in car accidents over the years..and have resisted any of those commmon lawsuits. As you can tell, I'm proud of this record. I'm 45 years old now, and have not sued anybody in my entire life - another badge I like to wear...life is too short. We cannot easily change the ways of the world, but we can start small..by working within the scope we have in our business and personal lives. ------------------------------------------------------ Craig Issod HearthNet at http://www.hearth.com [email protected] Everything your Hearth Desires ------------------------------------------------------ Buddha says "avoid error" ------------------------------------------------------