[modeleng] Re: Suppliers (again)
- From: "Andy A" <AndyA@xxxxxxxx>
- To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 14 Dec 2004 23:04:52 -0000
Hi All
It seems to me that the service we get from our suppliers is very variable.
Person A gets great service from supplier X, yet person B never has anything
but problems from the same supplier. I think you are right Tim in that most
of the retailers are model engineers first and don't have the skills to deal
with customers in a society that is becoming ever more demanding. I'm guilty
of being demanding myself on occasions and get annoyed when the parts I want
aren't in stock or are ordered in time for the weekend but then don't turn
up till the following week. Taking it out on the supplier though wont get
you anywhere.
Not having worked in a manufacturing environment I have difficulty
understanding the pricing structure of some items and the wildly different
prices that some suppliers like to charge for similar items. Last time I
compared a set of driving wheel castings for a 5" gauge B1 between two
suppliers there was over 100% difference! That cant just be down to raw
material cost!
Traditional model engineers are as you say notoriously difficult to prize
money out of. The increase in the younger generation with a larger amount of
disposable income, getting involved in the hobby has a generated a lucrative
market in either kit form, or complete models. A quick trawl of the auction
sites and comparison of the dealers will show some large mark ups, but that
is business.
I'm 35 and was only taught basic lathe work at school so lack a lot of the
skills necessary to machine cylinders and valve gear, fortunately my father
is a model engineer and he has helped fill in the gaps in my knowledge but
even now I don't expect to produce award winning models. This only really
leaves me with the option of buying part built so at least I can use the
limited skills I have to finish a model off. What is more worrying is that
this situation is only going to get worse as kids these days aren't taught
practical skills at all. Craft, design and technology to kids would appear
to be marketing, packaging and materials!
Saying that as and when I get my range of model parts launched I shall
employ a 16 year old who doesn't understand the hobby to package them market
them and rake it in for me!
I didn't see anything wrong with your driving Tim otherwise you wouldn't
have had a go with my engine! q:-)
Andy
From: "Tim Rickard" <the_viffer@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, December 14, 2004 9:07 AM
Subject: [modeleng] Re: Suppliers (again)
I've often discussed the problems of suppliers with my friend Nigel Stanley.
We have both had careers in the service industries. Nigel relatively
recently swapped and became an electric mouse supplier
(www.nigelstanley.com).
We think that part of the problem is that many suppliers are principally
modellers and second to that business people. Lack of experience in the
service industries and with pricing, delivery and customer service issues we
think causes many people to have difficulties. It is hard to learn on your
own if you come to it from a completely different background with a hobby
that just grew. Having said that it would be pretty pointless to have
general retailers trying to muscle in on the business: not only would they
find it difficult to know what goods would satisfy the market but also it is
famously difficult to seperate the traditional model engineer from his money
(Morning Terry! Or our late friend Dick Clements who spent so long saving
money making nice tooling that he died before he got far with the loco he
was building using the nice tooling).
I haven't decided if it is Thatcherism or New Labour thinking but we are
inclined to the thought that they don't make traditional model engineers any
more (I doubt anyone under 40 was taught how to use a lathe at school: I
lived in the metalworkshop at school. Until I discovered sailing and girls I
lived there. Break time, lunch, after school you name it.) We think the
target to aim for is the younger person with perhaps more disposable income
and a lack of skills (like my driving on Sunday Andy?) and confidence to
face the somewhat forbidding side to model engineering. It seems to us
therefore if you are prepared to do what you say in terms of delivery, have
some decent presentation and be generally reliable and accessible it ought
to be possible to fairly seperate people from their money and indeed to
charge a premium.
Maxitrak have been doing it and good luck to them. It is a shame that Winson
drove many of the potential market away.
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