It's been brought to my attention that I have been AWOL (not to name names-Cam Beck)... so a short post to let you all know that I am back "safely" and that I still love you all.
On the flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles, just an hour out of LA, I developed either a case of food poisoning or severe stomach flu/ virus. I managed to not lose it during the final descent, but it was close. Then the final leg from Los Angeles to here, I clung to the barf bag for the entire flight. I just barely managed to get in my car and drive home and went straight to bed. Between the jetlag and major case of the ickies... it wasn't pretty. I tried coming to work yesterday, but it just wasn't physically possible. After getting lots of sleep and not eating anything, I am wobbling around here today... lightheaded but awake. Since I haven't eaten anything in 48 hours, I'm a little loopy.
I'll post more pictures soon though...
Tim
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
I'm still alive... if barely.
It's been brought to my attention that I have been AWOL (not to name names-Cam Beck)... so a short post to let you all know that I am back "safely" and that I still love you all.
On the flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles, just an hour out of LA, I developed either a case of food poisoning or severe stomach flu/ virus. I managed to not lose it during the final descent, but it was close. Then the final leg from Los Angeles to here, I clung to the barf bag for the entire flight. I just barely managed to get in my car and drive home and went straight to bed. Between the jetlag and major case of the ickies... it wasn't pretty. I tried coming to work yesterday, but it just wasn't physically possible. After getting lots of sleep and not eating anything, I am wobbling around here today... lightheaded but awake. Since I haven't eaten anything in 48 hours, I'm a little loopy.
I'll post more pictures soon though...
Tim
On the flight from Tokyo to Los Angeles, just an hour out of LA, I developed either a case of food poisoning or severe stomach flu/ virus. I managed to not lose it during the final descent, but it was close. Then the final leg from Los Angeles to here, I clung to the barf bag for the entire flight. I just barely managed to get in my car and drive home and went straight to bed. Between the jetlag and major case of the ickies... it wasn't pretty. I tried coming to work yesterday, but it just wasn't physically possible. After getting lots of sleep and not eating anything, I am wobbling around here today... lightheaded but awake. Since I haven't eaten anything in 48 hours, I'm a little loopy.
I'll post more pictures soon though...
Tim
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Taiwan- heading home in a few hours...
Time to head off to bed and get a few hours sleep before the big flight back to California.
Thank you to all my friends here- old and new- and to the country of Taiwan itself. I am leaving full of great experiences and a renewed respect for the people, culture and country. It'll be nice to sleep in my own bed and to my family though. Hopefully the night goes quickly and the flights are smooth.
Goodnight... (it's 11:32PM Sunday night here)
Tim
Thank you to all my friends here- old and new- and to the country of Taiwan itself. I am leaving full of great experiences and a renewed respect for the people, culture and country. It'll be nice to sleep in my own bed and to my family though. Hopefully the night goes quickly and the flights are smooth.
Goodnight... (it's 11:32PM Sunday night here)
Tim
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Taiwan- photos and more...
Tomorrow is our last day and night in Taiwan. Though I have had an adventure I will never forget, I am anxious to get home to my wife and children... maybe even the dog too.
I really can't find the right words to describe this place. The city of Taichung is the second largest city in the country, behind Taipei (home of the big bike industry tradeshow in March). It's pretty much everything you hear about it and yet a whole lot more. I was told to be prepared to hate it because it is just so different from "home". As it is, it turns out that I really like this place. It lives up to it's bad reputation (the noise, the smells, the unfamiliar food, etc), but it is such a wondrous world of beauty (sometimes very strange) and amazing people. I can honestly say that I have made friends here during this trip that I sincerely hope I will keep for many years. I have met some of the warmest, friendliest and most sincere people you can imagine. Some of them I will never actually do business with, just because of fit or other things, but they are still amazing people who have been so very welcoming and generous. The bike industry is a very small industry and everybody pretty much knows everybody, so it is a big community of people who are interconnected one way or another. Folks here in Taiwan have been a major part of the bike industry for many years now, so they understand how important relationships are and that sometimes you just don't have a way to do business with people you like and respect. I met many vendors like that this week- people who know that the fit between our companies isn't right, but they are still likely to remain friendly and generous no matter what.
Taiwan has gotten a bad reputation for no good reason. I can honestly say that I have no regrets about coming or coming back. To all of my many new friends here; thank you, sincerely, for your gracious hospitality and friendship.
Ok, on to the pictures...
Anything can, and will be, done via scooter in Taiwan.
This is hands-down one of my favorite buildings I've seen so far- it's a day spa around the corner from the hotel. It's completely covered in bamboo and is really cool.
Probably the coolest big koi pond I have seen in Taiwan, at the Wellgo pedal factory. (That factory tour was amazing too. I will cover that some other time...)
There are two black/grey koi in that pond that look big enough to eat a person (I couldn't get them in the picture because of the black pond bottom).
I am assuming the chicken is good at Chicken Bomb.
The kind of thing that makes a product guy's heart sing! Yep, they're Masi...
I'll be back with more... many more... but I gotta get some sleep now. It's 11:00PM Saturday night here and my internal clock still thinks it is 7:00AM.
Tim
I really can't find the right words to describe this place. The city of Taichung is the second largest city in the country, behind Taipei (home of the big bike industry tradeshow in March). It's pretty much everything you hear about it and yet a whole lot more. I was told to be prepared to hate it because it is just so different from "home". As it is, it turns out that I really like this place. It lives up to it's bad reputation (the noise, the smells, the unfamiliar food, etc), but it is such a wondrous world of beauty (sometimes very strange) and amazing people. I can honestly say that I have made friends here during this trip that I sincerely hope I will keep for many years. I have met some of the warmest, friendliest and most sincere people you can imagine. Some of them I will never actually do business with, just because of fit or other things, but they are still amazing people who have been so very welcoming and generous. The bike industry is a very small industry and everybody pretty much knows everybody, so it is a big community of people who are interconnected one way or another. Folks here in Taiwan have been a major part of the bike industry for many years now, so they understand how important relationships are and that sometimes you just don't have a way to do business with people you like and respect. I met many vendors like that this week- people who know that the fit between our companies isn't right, but they are still likely to remain friendly and generous no matter what.
Taiwan has gotten a bad reputation for no good reason. I can honestly say that I have no regrets about coming or coming back. To all of my many new friends here; thank you, sincerely, for your gracious hospitality and friendship.
Ok, on to the pictures...
Anything can, and will be, done via scooter in Taiwan.
This is hands-down one of my favorite buildings I've seen so far- it's a day spa around the corner from the hotel. It's completely covered in bamboo and is really cool.
Probably the coolest big koi pond I have seen in Taiwan, at the Wellgo pedal factory. (That factory tour was amazing too. I will cover that some other time...)
There are two black/grey koi in that pond that look big enough to eat a person (I couldn't get them in the picture because of the black pond bottom).
I am assuming the chicken is good at Chicken Bomb.
The kind of thing that makes a product guy's heart sing! Yep, they're Masi...I'll be back with more... many more... but I gotta get some sleep now. It's 11:00PM Saturday night here and my internal clock still thinks it is 7:00AM.
Tim
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
No more meetings!
I have been enjoying myself here in Taiwan, but I have to confess that I am feeling a little burned out on the meetings. Our schedule of meetings comes to something like 27 vendors in just 5 days. And then dinner afterwards each night, but it's been great. I really do enjoy Taichung and the people I have been with. It's been a great experience for me and I am very glad I am here.
But my next appointment is here and I am heading into the meeting...
Tim
But my next appointment is here and I am heading into the meeting...
Tim
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Taiwan photo essay part Two...
These are going to be random images from all over, so bear with me...
This is the view from my 11th floor window. It's a really cool little playground between high rises. Next to the playground is a preschool/ kindergarten.
And here is the view of the room itself; my "home" for 10 days.
And here's the lobby... getting ready for Chinese New Year.
These wooden statues, which were amazing, were lined up in front of a building that was little more than a shed that looked like it would fall over in a breeze.
This picture doesn't really do justice to the power of the scooter in Taiwan. They are, literally, everywhere. As our great guide Michael pointed out; Taiwan is a country with a population of about 23 million people and there are 8+ million scooters in Taiwan. That means there is a scooter for every 3rd person in the country! That is an astounding number.
The scooters may outnumber the cars... but the cars still win in a fight. It's like this one exploded... but it didn't.
(More pictures later...)
Taiwan is a series of contradictions and incomprehensible conditions. Taiwan has a reputation for being crowded and busy and dirty and smelly and all kinds of things that are not exactly flattering. However, I can honestly report that the people have been unbelievably warm and friendly and caring. They have been so very eager to share their world with us and to help with anything. I have been floored by the kindness and generosity of the people I have met in the companies and factories I have visited, but also by the average person on the street. I kind of stick out like Godzilla here, being nearly 6'3" tall. I'm a lot bigger than the average Taiwanese person and I get a lot of stares, but I also get as many smiles and waves as I walk around. The people here are amazing and proud of their country. Many of the people I have spoken to know their countries less than pretty reputation of course, but they live with the ugly and the beautiful side by side. Sure, I don't know if I could live here, but I know that visiting isn't a problem. Yes, it's dirty and smelly in places at times, but at the same time the people erase a lot of that perception with their personality. I have been so blown away by the weird amazingness of the country and people- I mean, where else are you going to find the massive industrial/ factory infrastructure with thousands of Buddhist temples sprinkled in and around them?
Ok, time for bed now, since it is after 11:00PM local time and I have another day of 5 visits tomorrow.
I'll be back with many more pictures and stories...
Tim
This is the view from my 11th floor window. It's a really cool little playground between high rises. Next to the playground is a preschool/ kindergarten.
And here is the view of the room itself; my "home" for 10 days.
And here's the lobby... getting ready for Chinese New Year.
These wooden statues, which were amazing, were lined up in front of a building that was little more than a shed that looked like it would fall over in a breeze.
This picture doesn't really do justice to the power of the scooter in Taiwan. They are, literally, everywhere. As our great guide Michael pointed out; Taiwan is a country with a population of about 23 million people and there are 8+ million scooters in Taiwan. That means there is a scooter for every 3rd person in the country! That is an astounding number.
The scooters may outnumber the cars... but the cars still win in a fight. It's like this one exploded... but it didn't.(More pictures later...)
Taiwan is a series of contradictions and incomprehensible conditions. Taiwan has a reputation for being crowded and busy and dirty and smelly and all kinds of things that are not exactly flattering. However, I can honestly report that the people have been unbelievably warm and friendly and caring. They have been so very eager to share their world with us and to help with anything. I have been floored by the kindness and generosity of the people I have met in the companies and factories I have visited, but also by the average person on the street. I kind of stick out like Godzilla here, being nearly 6'3" tall. I'm a lot bigger than the average Taiwanese person and I get a lot of stares, but I also get as many smiles and waves as I walk around. The people here are amazing and proud of their country. Many of the people I have spoken to know their countries less than pretty reputation of course, but they live with the ugly and the beautiful side by side. Sure, I don't know if I could live here, but I know that visiting isn't a problem. Yes, it's dirty and smelly in places at times, but at the same time the people erase a lot of that perception with their personality. I have been so blown away by the weird amazingness of the country and people- I mean, where else are you going to find the massive industrial/ factory infrastructure with thousands of Buddhist temples sprinkled in and around them?
Ok, time for bed now, since it is after 11:00PM local time and I have another day of 5 visits tomorrow.
I'll be back with many more pictures and stories...
Tim
Taiwan photo essay part One...
As promised, here are some more pictures... we'll see if the hotel wireless will actually upload it all...
Car is parked and it's time to go to the airport...
The puddlejumper flight to Los Angeles...
Dorks on a Plane- coming out this summer! (Sorry Jill...)
All I got to see of Japan was from the air (very cloudy/ foggy) and in the airport- which is really cool by the way.
Another way to tell you are in Japan is the Sumo wrestling on TV...
Tim
(More later...)
Car is parked and it's time to go to the airport...
The puddlejumper flight to Los Angeles...
Dorks on a Plane- coming out this summer! (Sorry Jill...)
All I got to see of Japan was from the air (very cloudy/ foggy) and in the airport- which is really cool by the way.
Another way to tell you are in Japan is the Sumo wrestling on TV...Tim
(More later...)
Monday, January 22, 2007
Taiwan photo essay part One...
As promised, here are some more pictures... we'll see if the hotel wireless will actually upload it all...
Car is parked and it's time to go to the airport...
The puddlejumper flight to Los Angeles...
Dorks on a Plane- coming out this summer! (Sorry Jill...)
All I get to see of Japan was from the air (very cloudy/ foggy) and in the airport- which is really cool by the way.
Another way to tell you are in Japan is the Sumo wrestling on TV...
Tim
(More later...)
Car is parked and it's time to go to the airport...
The puddlejumper flight to Los Angeles...Dorks on a Plane- coming out this summer! (Sorry Jill...)All I get to see of Japan was from the air (very cloudy/ foggy) and in the airport- which is really cool by the way.Another way to tell you are in Japan is the Sumo wrestling on TV...Tim
(More later...)
Daily Drive- Taiwan!
Ok, I'm gonna try and post this and hope it works. The internet service here in the hotel has been very bad so far, but signal is ok this morning. It is just after 6:00 AM local time Tuesday and you folks are still in the middle of your afternoon on Monday... weird, isn't it?
Here is the drive Monday to the beginning of our day of factory visits;
Ok, so me you recognize... Jill Hamilton (ATB Brand Manager) is the head behind me, Pat Crosby (Adult Product Manager- ATB) next to her, Wayne Doran (Adult Product Manager- Masi/ATB) next to him, and the shoulder at the far right is Michael (whose last name I can't remember) from our host. *Michael gets special mention for graciously driving us around all over the place and for pointing out things of interest to us... and for not getting us killed on the streets of Taiwan.
I didn't get a shot of my socks, but they are SockGuy and they are the Masi socks. What else would they be?
Ok- gotta run for now. I will be back if possible. Gotta get breakfast before the next round of visits. More pictures- if the connection holds up...
Tim
*Update- Michael Tai is our fantastic escort, driver, translator and friend here. Many, many thanks friend.
Here is the drive Monday to the beginning of our day of factory visits;
Ok, so me you recognize... Jill Hamilton (ATB Brand Manager) is the head behind me, Pat Crosby (Adult Product Manager- ATB) next to her, Wayne Doran (Adult Product Manager- Masi/ATB) next to him, and the shoulder at the far right is Michael (whose last name I can't remember) from our host. *Michael gets special mention for graciously driving us around all over the place and for pointing out things of interest to us... and for not getting us killed on the streets of Taiwan.
I didn't get a shot of my socks, but they are SockGuy and they are the Masi socks. What else would they be?
Ok- gotta run for now. I will be back if possible. Gotta get breakfast before the next round of visits. More pictures- if the connection holds up...
Tim
*Update- Michael Tai is our fantastic escort, driver, translator and friend here. Many, many thanks friend.
Sunday, January 21, 2007
I'm huge in Taiwan...
Hey folks, here in Taiwan. Internet connection is very funky here in the hotel, so this is a short post to prove I am still alive...
Here's the view from a simple Taichung side street...
More later...
Tim
Here's the view from a simple Taichung side street...More later...
Tim
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Daily Drive
Even later than usual this time... but I have a good excuse; I'm really busy*!
Ain't she the cutest though? I swear...
SockGuy sock dujour;
Very special Kryptonite socks... you KNOW you're jealous.
Sometimes, having important friends is a good thing...
I could tell you what this means, but then I'd have to kill you. So you'll just have to wait. HA, HA, HA!
Tim
* Busy = today I finalized all of the colors for the new bikes, so now it is time to create all the graphics. You will be very, very happy with the colors- I promise. Great new colors, repeats of old favorites and some really cool things tucked away up my sleeves. You guys are so lucky.
Ain't she the cutest though? I swear...
SockGuy sock dujour;
Very special Kryptonite socks... you KNOW you're jealous.Sometimes, having important friends is a good thing...
I could tell you what this means, but then I'd have to kill you. So you'll just have to wait. HA, HA, HA!
Tim
* Busy = today I finalized all of the colors for the new bikes, so now it is time to create all the graphics. You will be very, very happy with the colors- I promise. Great new colors, repeats of old favorites and some really cool things tucked away up my sleeves. You guys are so lucky.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Daily Drive
2 degrees warmer this morning...
SockGuy sock dujour;
Blue Royale... comfy too.
I know I've talked about Taliah Lempert many times, but I love her artwork and she kicks ass on top of it. Right now, one of her paintings is for sale on eBay... and it happens to be of a Masi, so go buy it! Don't make me come after you!
Tim
(FYI- Shimano translates to "sushi"... in case you were wondering.)
SockGuy sock dujour;
Blue Royale... comfy too.I know I've talked about Taliah Lempert many times, but I love her artwork and she kicks ass on top of it. Right now, one of her paintings is for sale on eBay... and it happens to be of a Masi, so go buy it! Don't make me come after you!
Tim
(FYI- Shimano translates to "sushi"... in case you were wondering.)
Helping a friend; Jax 4 Joe fundraising ride
Once in a while I get an email from a friend who'd like a little help with something. Sometimes it's a cycling buddy looking for some help locating a bike or a part, maybe it's one of my industry friends looking for a little extra distribution of a company press release, etc. And some times it's friend helping a friend and looking for a little extra help for a good cause. Well, this is all about that last category.
My good friend at Shimano, Daniel Limburg, sent me an email about a fundraising event happening on Saturday, March 17th (St Pat's) for Joe Schraff, who is the service manager at the Jax Huntington Beach store. I've never met Joe, but if Daniel tells me he's a good guy, I believe him. Besides any person who gets a bunch of support rallied behind them when they need help is clearly a good person.
Joe has cancer and is battling for his life. He also works in the bike industry and that doesn't exactly come with large bags of money. On top of it, the treatments he needs to pay for are not covered by his insurance (I won't even go into that in this space, but I have some real thoughts on that...). Anyway, Joe needs our help to be able to get the treatments that will hopefully keep him alive so he can continue to be a part of the cycling community in Hungtington Beach. So I ask you to read the flyer here and do whatever you can to help out- it's what we do.
Click image to enlarge.
My good friend at Shimano, Daniel Limburg, sent me an email about a fundraising event happening on Saturday, March 17th (St Pat's) for Joe Schraff, who is the service manager at the Jax Huntington Beach store. I've never met Joe, but if Daniel tells me he's a good guy, I believe him. Besides any person who gets a bunch of support rallied behind them when they need help is clearly a good person.
Joe has cancer and is battling for his life. He also works in the bike industry and that doesn't exactly come with large bags of money. On top of it, the treatments he needs to pay for are not covered by his insurance (I won't even go into that in this space, but I have some real thoughts on that...). Anyway, Joe needs our help to be able to get the treatments that will hopefully keep him alive so he can continue to be a part of the cycling community in Hungtington Beach. So I ask you to read the flyer here and do whatever you can to help out- it's what we do.
Click image to enlarge.Joe- if you happen to read this, I'm pulling for you man. You'll beat this thing, again, and the miles will keep adding up on your odometer! My thoughts are with you buddy.
Thanks,
Tim
Thanks,
Tim
Monday, January 15, 2007
Daily Drive- Late...
Yes, I'm wearing a Dickie's chore coat because it was freaking cold this morning!
38 degrees, sitting in my car getting ready to pull out of the driveway...
... and on 31 degrees on the freeway! I'm telling you, I don't care who or where you are- 31 degrees is COLD!SockGuy sock dujour;
The ever-popular Big Rooster.And for all those wondering... I got more where that came from!
Tim
Friday, January 12, 2007
Special thanks to my friends; they don't like Saturn either!
I know I said that I would stop talking about my Saturn issues and I meant it, really... but...
I'm not going to talk about the issue myself, because these great friends have taken up the torch themselves;
Gavin Heaton at Servant of Chaos posted not one, or two, or three , but four different posts!
Sean Howard at Craphammer (man I love that name) chimed in too.
Paul McEnany with Hee-Haw Marketing also jumped in, during his breathers from going after Kohl's.
Then Becky Carroll from Customers Rock! picked up the ball and ran with it.
And the icing on the cake is my buddy Ted who not only posted a little note, but he changed his blog header title to "Saturn Sucks!!!!"
I want to thank each of you for really helping to brighten up a crappy experience for me. Many other friends have commented and added their voices as well. I thank each of you too.
In moments like this, I am profoundly reminded about the close friends I have made through blogging- thank you all.
Tim
(Man am I glad I'm not Sam Mancuso, the Director of Marketing at Saturn, right about now..)
I'm not going to talk about the issue myself, because these great friends have taken up the torch themselves;
Gavin Heaton at Servant of Chaos posted not one, or two, or three , but four different posts!
Sean Howard at Craphammer (man I love that name) chimed in too.
Paul McEnany with Hee-Haw Marketing also jumped in, during his breathers from going after Kohl's.
Then Becky Carroll from Customers Rock! picked up the ball and ran with it.
And the icing on the cake is my buddy Ted who not only posted a little note, but he changed his blog header title to "Saturn Sucks!!!!"
I want to thank each of you for really helping to brighten up a crappy experience for me. Many other friends have commented and added their voices as well. I thank each of you too.
In moments like this, I am profoundly reminded about the close friends I have made through blogging- thank you all.
Tim
(Man am I glad I'm not Sam Mancuso, the Director of Marketing at Saturn, right about now..)
Daily Drive- Evening Edition
Yes, yes, yes... I know I'm late yet again. It was a spastic busy day today, so you'll just have to deal with it. Plus, I'm solo as Daddy with Masiwife out of town. Give an idiot a break already...
Damn, Masidaughter is cute! Today was "Dress like a Pirate Day" at her school.
This was the best Daddy could do on short notice. She said she wanted to be a nice pirate, not a mean one. Hence the pinkest pirate on the planet. I don't know how many other pirates ever had their ponytail held back with a Hello Kitty hair tie.
SockGuy socks dujour;
Nice tall, custom Haro socks. Comfy on a cold day!
Tim
Damn, Masidaughter is cute! Today was "Dress like a Pirate Day" at her school.
This was the best Daddy could do on short notice. She said she wanted to be a nice pirate, not a mean one. Hence the pinkest pirate on the planet. I don't know how many other pirates ever had their ponytail held back with a Hello Kitty hair tie.SockGuy socks dujour;
Nice tall, custom Haro socks. Comfy on a cold day!Tim
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Daily Drive- Happy Birthday Donna Tocci edition...
Ok, first things first; as your Supreme Leader of Bike Dorkville, I command you to go say Happy Birthday to Donna Tocci. She's clever enough to not tell me when the birthday was, but I know it happened already. So go say Happy Birthday to her... get going... NOW!
Got the Booger-Cam going today- clear skies, no bats in the cave...
It's not a SockGuy sock this time, it's a Save Our Soles (SOS) sock. My buddy Soup-or-Wookie sent them to me. MBMA rocks! Weiners or not... they rock!
Tim
Got the Booger-Cam going today- clear skies, no bats in the cave...
It's not a SockGuy sock this time, it's a Save Our Soles (SOS) sock. My buddy Soup-or-Wookie sent them to me. MBMA rocks! Weiners or not... they rock!Tim
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Daily Drive
The face you see here... (not the cute one)
Doesn't happen without the face you see here... (sorry to burst the bubble for you).
I've moved to 30WT due to the season change...
SockGuy sock dujour;
Brown wool Royale... warm and toasty and comfy... my feet love'em!
The Spokesmen Podcast episode #10 is up now, so go listen and enjoy... NOW!
Tim
Doesn't happen without the face you see here... (sorry to burst the bubble for you).
I've moved to 30WT due to the season change...SockGuy sock dujour;
Brown wool Royale... warm and toasty and comfy... my feet love'em!
The Spokesmen Podcast episode #10 is up now, so go listen and enjoy... NOW!
Tim
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Readers- Thanks for your support. Saturn- I wish it was better...
First, I absolutely have to thank all the readers here for their support. Masiwife snuck in a post in the early hours of Monday morning, updating everybody on our Saturn VUE issues. That post generated a lot of traffic here and the comments of support have been very heartwarming. Masiwife commented later in the day;
Masiwife sort of out jumped me and posted this before I could get my thoughts together and come up with my own post. So now I want to clarify, make corrections, set the record straight and apologize. (This might be long...)
1) I feel the need to apologize, in a sense, for getting as "emotional" and upset about this as I have. I don't apologize for being mad, but I apologize for not acting like the smart, savvy marketer some people graciously give me credit for being. I know that sounding intelligent and articulate make a far better impact than flying off the handle and attacking somebody. I got a little carried away and didn't think clearly before posting some of my thoughts and feelings. However, that said, since my family was placed in jeopardy by the incidents, I don't think many folks would disagree with how I acted.
2) Here are the final facts of what happened:
As Masiwife mentioned, after the expensive repair, the car died again the very same night. It died because it turned out that the dealership plugged the new computer wiring in the wrong way/ incorrectly and the bad connection caused a short that blew a fuse. Once that was fixed, the problem was gone (I really, really hope).
Saturn paid for me to have a rental car while my car was being serviced, after I insisted that I expected to have a car to drive.
Once the final repair was completed, the dealership didn't charge me for the final "fix"/ correction of their mistake.
Saturn Corporate offered me 4 oil change coupons or one $100 service voucher as their apology for the inconvenience. The service voucher/ oil change coupons would be good at any Saturn dealership and I would not have to visit the same dealership, since I have no faith in their service department anymore (I think with good reason).
3) I picked up my car and turned down the coupons and voucher. I did this because I no longer wish to support Saturn and their retailers. If I need to have the car serviced, I will go to the independent repair center that my wife has taken all of her cars to in the past. He's always been cheaper than anybody else and his service has always been perfect. He gets my business again- he worked on my Volvo in the past as well.
Now, after the last failure of the car, I swore to Saturn and the dealership that there was no way I was ever getting back in the car and that I expected to be driving something different- but not the same car. I also demanded that my repair cost be refunded since the car failed again right away (before it was found to be a simple "mistake"). After dealing with the Area Manager from corporate in Tennessee, I found that was not going to happen. I misunderstood the fact that they were not going to charge me to fix the mistake as they were going to refund the cost of the repair- this was in no means true and was my misunderstanding. It also became clear that there was no way that they were going to get me into a different car (new or used). The cars only come with a 3 year/ 30,000 mile warranty and my car is an used 2002 with a bit over 90,000 miles on it now and no extended warranty was purchased. So, Saturn was adamant that they had fulfilled their end of the deal and that any further repairs (including the faulty fuel gauge system) would be my sole responsibility.
I am torn on this actually. It is a used car and it doesn't have any warranty. That is all very true. However, my sticking point continues to be the string of bad service I have gotten from the dealership and then the apparent willingness of Saturn Corporate to support them.
Remember, before this string of incidents I was a big supporter of Saturn and my car; nearly all of my Daily Drive posts have taken place in that car. I bought in to the cult of personality that Saturn has developed and was very happy with my purchase. I confess that part of my "hurt" over this has been the shattering of a dream and an ideal. Even as a smart and savvy marketer, I am still just a regular person who can be just as emotional and even irrational as anybody else. I know that I handled this poorly initially and for that I do apologize because I should serve as a better example to others. My behavior has not exactly been "exemplary"- it just proves that even somebody who makes a living as a Marketer and with a past deep in Customer Service can succumb to passion (and a dose of fear).
If you feel that I have been wronged and want to offer your support, then send an email to Saturn Customer Service at e-mail@saturncars.com (this is the only Customer Service email address I was able to find and is the one that I received replies from). If you want to reference my claim, the number to use is- SR: 1-22516385. Ask them to forward your email to Sam Mancuso, the Director of Marketing for Saturn. I doubt it will happen, since I asked them to forward my previous emails as well, but maybe they will... who knows.
If you prefer to call, you can call the 800 # I called: (800) 553-6000 (prompt #3 for customer service issues).
A very special thanks to my great friend in Sydney, Gavin Heaton, for his post on this topic as well. Thanks mate- I am very touched. Gavin has great suggestions as well- figures, since he's freakin' brilliant.
I don't know if this will do anything, but since a bunch of people have asked me how they can help, this is all I could think of. Outside of that, just consider my tale before you buy a car.
Now, I am done talking about this unless something else dramatic happens. I am going to return to great pictures of the kids, talking about my bikes and my lunch rides, posting pictures of my socks and generally getting back to better topics of discussion.
Again, thank you all very much for the support. This community of friends is one of the greatest "possessions" in my life.
Tim
(PS- Sorry this was so freakin' long.)
masiwife said...She's right; thanks.Thank you all for your words of support and understanding. I know to some it sounds like pointless whining about an every day occurrence that happens to all of us. Please don't think we don't know the difference between inconvenient and unfair. We live with a teenager - we define the terms DAILY. When you pay more for repairs in the first year of ownership than you pay on your car loan, you have bought a lemon. Masiguy LOVED his Saturn Vue and that enjoyment has been destroyed. To all of us out there in the world of consumerism, let this be a learning experience: Be gentle with your customer. They may just be your last.
Masiwife sort of out jumped me and posted this before I could get my thoughts together and come up with my own post. So now I want to clarify, make corrections, set the record straight and apologize. (This might be long...)
1) I feel the need to apologize, in a sense, for getting as "emotional" and upset about this as I have. I don't apologize for being mad, but I apologize for not acting like the smart, savvy marketer some people graciously give me credit for being. I know that sounding intelligent and articulate make a far better impact than flying off the handle and attacking somebody. I got a little carried away and didn't think clearly before posting some of my thoughts and feelings. However, that said, since my family was placed in jeopardy by the incidents, I don't think many folks would disagree with how I acted.
2) Here are the final facts of what happened:
As Masiwife mentioned, after the expensive repair, the car died again the very same night. It died because it turned out that the dealership plugged the new computer wiring in the wrong way/ incorrectly and the bad connection caused a short that blew a fuse. Once that was fixed, the problem was gone (I really, really hope).
Saturn paid for me to have a rental car while my car was being serviced, after I insisted that I expected to have a car to drive.
Once the final repair was completed, the dealership didn't charge me for the final "fix"/ correction of their mistake.
Saturn Corporate offered me 4 oil change coupons or one $100 service voucher as their apology for the inconvenience. The service voucher/ oil change coupons would be good at any Saturn dealership and I would not have to visit the same dealership, since I have no faith in their service department anymore (I think with good reason).
3) I picked up my car and turned down the coupons and voucher. I did this because I no longer wish to support Saturn and their retailers. If I need to have the car serviced, I will go to the independent repair center that my wife has taken all of her cars to in the past. He's always been cheaper than anybody else and his service has always been perfect. He gets my business again- he worked on my Volvo in the past as well.
Now, after the last failure of the car, I swore to Saturn and the dealership that there was no way I was ever getting back in the car and that I expected to be driving something different- but not the same car. I also demanded that my repair cost be refunded since the car failed again right away (before it was found to be a simple "mistake"). After dealing with the Area Manager from corporate in Tennessee, I found that was not going to happen. I misunderstood the fact that they were not going to charge me to fix the mistake as they were going to refund the cost of the repair- this was in no means true and was my misunderstanding. It also became clear that there was no way that they were going to get me into a different car (new or used). The cars only come with a 3 year/ 30,000 mile warranty and my car is an used 2002 with a bit over 90,000 miles on it now and no extended warranty was purchased. So, Saturn was adamant that they had fulfilled their end of the deal and that any further repairs (including the faulty fuel gauge system) would be my sole responsibility.
I am torn on this actually. It is a used car and it doesn't have any warranty. That is all very true. However, my sticking point continues to be the string of bad service I have gotten from the dealership and then the apparent willingness of Saturn Corporate to support them.
Remember, before this string of incidents I was a big supporter of Saturn and my car; nearly all of my Daily Drive posts have taken place in that car. I bought in to the cult of personality that Saturn has developed and was very happy with my purchase. I confess that part of my "hurt" over this has been the shattering of a dream and an ideal. Even as a smart and savvy marketer, I am still just a regular person who can be just as emotional and even irrational as anybody else. I know that I handled this poorly initially and for that I do apologize because I should serve as a better example to others. My behavior has not exactly been "exemplary"- it just proves that even somebody who makes a living as a Marketer and with a past deep in Customer Service can succumb to passion (and a dose of fear).
If you feel that I have been wronged and want to offer your support, then send an email to Saturn Customer Service at e-mail@saturncars.com (this is the only Customer Service email address I was able to find and is the one that I received replies from). If you want to reference my claim, the number to use is- SR: 1-22516385. Ask them to forward your email to Sam Mancuso, the Director of Marketing for Saturn. I doubt it will happen, since I asked them to forward my previous emails as well, but maybe they will... who knows.
If you prefer to call, you can call the 800 # I called: (800) 553-6000 (prompt #3 for customer service issues).
A very special thanks to my great friend in Sydney, Gavin Heaton, for his post on this topic as well. Thanks mate- I am very touched. Gavin has great suggestions as well- figures, since he's freakin' brilliant.
I don't know if this will do anything, but since a bunch of people have asked me how they can help, this is all I could think of. Outside of that, just consider my tale before you buy a car.
Now, I am done talking about this unless something else dramatic happens. I am going to return to great pictures of the kids, talking about my bikes and my lunch rides, posting pictures of my socks and generally getting back to better topics of discussion.
Again, thank you all very much for the support. This community of friends is one of the greatest "possessions" in my life.
Tim
(PS- Sorry this was so freakin' long.)
Daily (Double) Drive
Ok, today's Daily Drive is a two-fer since I didn't post one yesterday. We'll start off with yesterday's drive;
Once again the Masidaughter steals the show.
Masiguy is buying a gun... a very big gun... so don't get any ideas, would-be suitors.
In this picture you can see the scars left on my face from the hit and run from a few years ago. The dark color along my jaw and neck are caused by the oils on the road surface- kind of like a tattoo. The chin took seven stitches. What you can't see is the scar in the center of my upper lip and the two scars inside my mouth where I nearly bit through both lips. Both lips are now "thicker" from the scar tissue and have given me the tiniest bit of a lisp (really, I'm probably the only one who will ever notice it). My vocal chords where also damaged; I actually am physically unable to scream now.
Today's drive;
Did I mention I'm buying a very big gun?
Notice the kickass blue coffee mug? Here's a better shot...
Thanks to the bestest (or is that more betterer?) editor of a marketing website in the entire world- Ann Handley. I'm a contributing writer on the wonderful marketing site Marketing Profs Daily Fix and I am so very, very honored to be listed in the same Contributors List as many of the brightest minds in marketing. I'm way, way outgunned by these folks, but they let me come play with them anyway. I think it's a pity thing personally, but they are pretty nice to me anyway. Ann only makes me get her coffee a couple times a week and I only have to pick up her laundry on Fridays (most weeks). All kidding aside, Ann is awesome and the Daily Fix is an amazing assembly of talent and I am really honored to be a member of the group. Thank you for the mug Ann- I love it.
I was gonna add my SockGuy images, but Blogger and Firefox seem to be fighting with eachother right now. Yesterday I wore the green Royale and today was the Dopers Suck socks. Sorry I can't put the pictures up...
Tim
(PS- We recorded another episode of the Spokesmen podcast this morning, so it should be available either this evening or tomorrow some time.)
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