Speaking Sunday with someone from straightrazorplace that I can only refer to as ‘gugi gugi’ (repeated queries as to she/he’s given name were, like much else, summarily ignored), I attempted to instill the genesis of the most basic tenet I live by within she/he. That tenet is “Always Question”. ‘gugi gugi’ declared me a compulsive liar, and pointed to a litany of evidentiary “proof” which unequivocally confirmed her/his suspicion. I told ‘gugi gugi’ that we’d had 3 random customers complain to us about threads they’d started in which they mentioned a product competing with the website’s retail ownership’s own products being deleted without explanation, and cited a few other curious issues I’d witnessed over the years that seemed to indicate an unequivocal bias over there at their forum towards those not commercially aligned with their sponsor retail shop (which is their right as a for-profit enterprise). ‘gugi gugi’ confirmed, through her/his examination of their records, that no such deleted things ever existed, and nothing else of merit I’d asked of showed, either, and thus the only possible explanation is that I am the pathological liar she/he knew me to be from the onset. Still carrying faith in her/his earnestness, I asked ‘gugi gugi’ if it were possible for other site operators to have had control the chain of custody of such “evidence” at any time unbeknownst to her/him. “That is not possible”, ‘gugi gugi’ confirmed, as “it is against policy, and I would know.” Well, there ya go! Rather like a UN overseer of the neutrality of an election asking N. Korea about their landslide reelection of their dear leader; no doubt DPRK (like ‘gugi gugi’) have an official who can confirm the democratic bedrock of their system of governance with complete arbiter neutrality. If were up to me, all would see their actions as a kangaroo court’s prosecutor celebrating with her/his compatriots over their unblemished record. But I want you, the reader, to question MY claimed honesty, as WELL as theirs, with an EQUAL and JAUNDICED eye towards all of EACH parties’ claims. In that vein, I focus on that which neither side disputes. We can agree that all their evidentiary proof that I am the pathological liar they decree originates solely from a domain in which they have complete authority over the chain of custody of evidence, and in which no checks or balances of any kind can be proven or refuted, and in which it is impossible to refute the notion that possibly-exonerating evidence was simply eliminated. I suspect we can also agree that the two sides did not have great animosity towards one another until a thread from approximately January, 2011. This stuff’s real old news to most shaving enthusiasts, but in the thread (which received a prolific quantity of viewership) a customer of ours identified themselves as a first time straight razor user, complained that our shop had mailed them a dull razor, and admitted they had never tried to contact us to “make things right” since receiving their dull blade. The forum’s operators can, and will, certainly offer contrary opinion here, but in this opinion, having seen these types of threads many hundreds of times over the years on their website and many others like it, I submit that in these threads most parties perceived as neutral will first suggest one of two things; either that their complaint first be directed toward the vendor in question so that that vendor may be given their fair chance to please the customer, and/or that they lend some credence to the notion that new users have an overwhelming probability to be the limiting factor to shaving comfort even when given a “shave ready” blade. I am certain that the original poster identified us by name, and that several moderators responded, and that none of them did either of the two things above. I am also further certain of this most key point in that thread - “Lynn”, a competing straight razor vendor and prolific professional honing-for-hire “~Godfather”, offered condolences towards the original poster’s frustration, told him to ‘hang in there’, and offered to re-hone our customer’s blade at no charge. “Lynn” did not suggest that the original poster could be the limiting factor, and did not suggest that the poster should contact us. Given that at the time our shop was greatly struggling to sustain as a business, having personally invested a personally-incredible 3500 in-office hours in 2010 for a net income of below $40,000 for a family of four, I was a desperate man greatly angered by an action from what I perceived to originate from a vendor I presumed to be far more financially successful, and I responded accordingly. To this day, 4.75 yrs on, it remains the only example of an unprofessional act from a competitor I’ve seen. Overtly interceding oneself in a competitor’s professional transaction and offering for free a professional service they routinely charge others $20 + return shipping for while fully aware the competitor in question had never been contacted…well, why is THIS particular person be given something for free? If the motives altruistic, why not everyone for free (like many forum enthusiasts offer)? In reading many similar threads on their site, some where other shops advertising on their site or advertising that they buy the man’s honing services were mentioned and others where no shops were specifically mentioned, Id seen “Lynn” respond several times but had not seen such an offer (though I do tend to doubt I was the first). The above story came up in Sunday’s conversation with ‘gugi gugi’. I asked ‘gugi gugi’, on several occasions, if she/he thought that the moderators’ reactions would have been the same if the shop named in the thread described above was advertising on their website or advertising that “Lynn” performed the honing of their razors. ‘gugi gugi’ refused to answer the question on principle, because it was hypothetical-and that’s her/his ethical right. I also asked, on several occasions, if ‘gugi gugi’ would provide evidence of the thread. ‘gugi gugi’ ignored the question in several replies, but ultimately did verbally decline to provide the thread for anyone to see. I asked ‘gugi gugi’ if he thought Lynn’s actions were acceptable, and she/he replied “Ive personally fixed peoples razors which were sold to them by vendors with chips (yes under the magnification I can see that it poor honing not chipped post honing). This is something that happens on SRP all the time -people are being helped with whatever issues they have.” I mentioned to ‘gugi gugi’ that she/he was not, to my knowledge, a vendor, and therefore the analogy irrelevant because there existed no conflict of interest. To this, ‘gugi gugi’ replied “…I told you that I have fixed razors because thats what people do on SRP,including Lynn. This is perfectly acceptable from any member including Lynn, and I am not going to prohibit vendors who participate in the forum from offering free help. SRP is a community, and its sites like it that have made your business possible - if you have to handhold the hand of every one of your customers who needs it youll still be eating ramen.” Finally, I asked this lengthy ~question of ‘gugi gugi’, which she/he ultimately never addressed it; “Dont u have some sort of real job, gugi gugi? Did u ever make a living performing some service or making something for public consumption? How would you feel if someone was disappointed with your professional goods/services, but complained publicly while never coming to you first to give a chance to correct, & then someone making your same good or performing your same service offered what they do for $ to this particular person for free??? I cannot fathom how any human could find the actions of the other professional there or the consumer as acceptable; why on earth should that particular person get free honing work when others pay $20, can all merely state theyre unhappy with their honing from us for free work? It is absurd.” This is the last time I’ll write of them and theirs; they’ll likely write whatever they wish upon the for-profit forum upon they solely control hereafter, and if people wish to believe them, that’s their decision. After 5yrs in business I would like to think that most people can determine whether they find us to be a “bulls&*ter” or “straight shooter”, each of which is a more polarizing style of marketing than being a “vanilla ice cream” down-the-center type of place. If even one person reading this changes their actions based on the old tenet of business etiquette of first taking your dissatisfaction to your vendor or service provider to give them a chance to satisfy you before complaining publicly without the vendor or service providers knowledge, it will all have been worth it. That was taught to me by my father before I even had my first job, and it makes me sad that in the internet age it has somehow become acceptable manners to ignore it.
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 23:49:39 +0000
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