Bite my tongue?

[Mark Kircher]

Allen and others,

I could give you a very good play by play of my experience. But that is really not the point of my post. The details of my particular experience while important to me are not intended to be the focus of this discussion. Please forgive me if that was not conveyed.

The point I attempted to make (and I recognize I may not have written it properly) was along the lines of...... If we are only in the habit of leaving positive feedback about our repair/refurbish experiences on this forum - we could be leading our forum friends to believe all repair/refurbish experiences with a given shop will be positive. This was the point my friends the repair specialists I mentioned earlier were making. If there is a difference in quality between shops, but no one feels comfortable saying anything negative, even if a job did not goes as intended, and they were 'ultimately disappointed" with the results, how is the group properly informed.

Please understand, I actually empathize with this and every other Gunshop. Yes, I was/am disappointed. But I too, own a small business. We fix trucks and transport refrigeration machinery. I tell you that only to tell you this...... My company has disappointed our fair share of customers too. Lack of help, too much work at a given time, poor management in a given store..... the list is endless.....but recognize when that happens in my world, we are called out. The industry, like all of us, is connected through forums and social media. When we drop the ball, we hear it, and I believe it makes us stronger and drives us to not drop the ball.

I am friends/aquaintances, as many of us are, with many of the owners of the prominent repair shops we usually refer to on this forum. They are all good people, with families and problems and ups and downs just like the rest of us. I don't personally begrudge any of them. They have all worked hard to build up their business and become prosperous. We all attempt to do the same. With that said and understood I hope to stay big picture focussed with this thread.

The big question remains....should I/we say something on this forum if we are "ultimately disappointed"? ....or is that better left unsaid - an let the buyer beware?

Thanks all for the thoughts and feedback.

[winplumber]

I think we are kinda beating around the bush here guys ! JMHO

[Bruce Day]

The PGCA membership is composed of
1. Collecting individuals
2. Collecting individuals who are also occasional seller/ dealers
3. Gunsmiths
4. Gun repair materials suppliers
5. Gun store dealers

And I’m sure other categories.

So, you’re asking some members to start having public squabbles with other members? Nice
public name calling and squabbles on this PGCA owned communal forum that represents the entire Parker varied interest and business community ?

[Big D]

I view the forum as a place where folks can learn about this hobby (obsession?) that we have. It seems that we are more than willing to compliment someone for good work, so the community learns that, at least in that one instance, the poster was satisfied. Why shouldn't the saw cut the other way?

[Kirk Potter]

Originally Posted by John Dallas

I view the forum as a place where folks can learn about this hobby (obsession?) that we have. It seems that we are more than willing to compliment someone for good work, so the community learns that, at least in that one instance, the poster was satisfied. Why shouldn't the saw cut the other way?

Yeah I’m not sure I understand why people seem so hesitant to post about a negative experience they’ve had.. This doesn’t seem to be an issue anywhere else. Maybe people just don’t feel as comfortble because several well known gunsmiths are members of the PGCA?

[Bill Anderson]

Originally Posted by Kirk Potter

Yeah I’m not sure I understand why people seem so hesitant to post about a negative experience they’ve had.. This doesn’t seem to be an issue anywhere else. Maybe people just don’t feel as comfortble because several well known gunsmiths are members of the PGCA?

That is one of the eventual flaws, over time, of any type of group gathering. Objectivity is lost, giving way to always being polite, but not necessarily truthful.

Bill

[C.O.B.]

There are good gunsmiths on this forum who reap the benefits of being good smiths and being on this forum and PGCA members.

I seem to recall a previous post asking for feedback both good and bad about a particular company and those thoughts were shared by various members of this forum.

If you have a bad experience with a service provider either in the work contracted for, communications, problem solving ecetera then by not sharing the trials and tribulations your dealing with in regards to a certain shop then the rest of us may continue to regard shop X as a positive resource.

By sharing the problems your experiencing with shop X if someone wants to use their services they will have the upfront knowledge of your (or anyone else) bad experience and can address their concern and then decide if they want to move forward with that particular provider.

[Dean Romig]

That's part of it I'm sure Kirk - the other part is that not everybody (in fact, very few) have had negative experiences with (a particular) gunsmith and to post his name on a public forum paints his reputation with a very broad stain that may be impossible to undo even when the problem is remedied. It can be very damning to someone's livelihood.





.

[Kensal Rise]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

... - the other part is that not everybody (in fact, very few) have had negative experiences with (a particular) gunsmith and to post his name on a public forum paints his reputation with a very broad stain that may be impossible to undo even when the problem is remedied. It can be very damning to someone's livelihood.

Dean is very near the essence here.

In fact, the entire rationale for the original post baffles me. If YOU have a bad experience, man-up and deal with it. Don't post your trepidations on the PGCA forum, secret the shop's name, and thereby cast a shadow of doubt on scores of good 'smiths, who might now suffer because of your urge to share indecision.

If you want to point fingers, or cast aspersions, do it on that other BBS, well known for its sewage.

PGCA should remain above all that.

[BRDHNTR]

If this were a 'clothes collectors' forum and someone had a bad experience with Macy's, would there be hesitation to share the experience? Or is this more about not wanting to impact a small business owner (who may or may not be a member of the PGCA)