  A Short Story In this business and hobby of ours there are numerous jerks and yes, I’m being kind and mild. By jerks, I mean both players and especially the cue makers; the classless, ignorant, lowlife cue makers; the scum of the crop. When you order two custom made cue blanks for a customer in May and your customer renegs or changes his mind, that’s not our problem two months later! Yes, a well-known cue maker ordered two high end blanks (I believe it was) in May and in July, almost 2 months later he calls and asks us if he can return them for a refund. Where do these people come up with the nerve, the gall to even ask that question! Classless! We’re a business and not an approval service. We’re also, not Walmart. So, just when you think it can’t get any worse, the very same cue maker’s customer orders 4 shafts from us. The shafts get shipped to this well-known Michigan cue maker. The cue maker examines the shafts under 400% magnification and phones us that 2 of the shafts have minor mineral spots. OK, no problem as it was a reasonable amount of time after the shafts were received. We ask him to return all 4 of the shafts. The shafts came back to us. I examined them and yes two had some minor mineral which would have probably cut out. However, in our infinite wisdom to satisfy a customer, we agreed to replace the two shafts and return the two that were ok. I also included an additional shaft (a $25 value) out of the kindness of my heart to make the deal right. So, just when you think it can’t get any worse… The same cue maker calls and tells me he has one of the shafts down to final (they were like 550 when we sent them) and a crack magically appeared at the ferrule end of one shaft. This is from the same cue maker who meticulously examined the original shafts (to see the insignificant mineral spot) so it’s safe to assume that he examined them again and there was no crack in it when he received the replacements. I say there is no way on God’s green earth we will replace the one shaft. Cockpit error! So, just when you think it can’t get any worse… The cue maker who probably cracked the shaft cranking it up on the lathe or by drilling and tapping it tells the customer that the big mean and nasty supplier, (CueComponents and Joe Barringer) would not replace the shaft we sent. So, what does the moron customer do? Well, he posts to the idiot forum to call Guido about Joe Barringer and CueComponents customer satisfaction. And, that my friends is a true story of how a lowlife cue maker won’t step up to the plate for his mistake and blames everyone else in this lousy business. And this my friends, is even with the extra free shaft we sent! It's because he has no money of his own to replace the damn shaft in the first place and/or wants more free stuff. Sorry Guido, I’m not Bernie Sanders! I'm freaking disgusted with cue makers, repair men who blame everyone but themselves when they make mistakes or a tip falls off, etc. It's never their fault and always the supplier or the tips fault. The bottom-line -- if you can't replace your mistakes, get out of business, get a real job as you don't deserve to be in business. Blaming others for your mistakes seems to be the norm in this wonderful lowlife business we call cue making; especially when you have to deal with lowlife broksters who don't have two nickles they can rub together. You see, it's always someone else's fault because they don't have the money in the first place to make it right so blame someone else. And yes, I feel better now as this has been a long time coming. I'm disgusted and tired of dealing with scum who can't step up to the plate for something that is clearly their fault and who need to blame others. Lastly, I'm disgusted with the idiots who have to make everything public without getting the other side of the story. Little whining faggots! This entire business revolves around dealing with too many morons! I apologize to the many wonderful clients we have but I'm certain you understand my diatribe as you've no doubt run into these pinheads yourself at one time or another. If you haven't, you're blessed but watch out because you will! |