clarionreef
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- San Francisco
Again...my interest in reef life and ocean conservation began in the 70s with public aquariums, magazines, and Cousteau on a fuzzy public broadcasting channel.
Me too.
And then I learned that The Cousteau Society was a business pure and simple and did not engage in the practice of conservation advocacy, action or actual projects.
They stuck to the entertainment format and the slow motion educational benefit that it enabled.
Yes 30 years later...we have a little dividend in increased awareness of the ocean among RDO posters...and during that time the oceans degraded by a huge percentage. I think Cousteau was a businessman and avoided controversy at all cost as Dupont, ARCO and his environmentally unconscious corporate sponsors wouldn't allow it.
They needed an image mak-over and he was their beautician.
No one rushed home as much as I to see the Undesea World of Jaques Cousteau...I loved that stuff. And yet...to now regard his deal with the devil and the corporate whitewash he sold out to, I am very disappointed in him...and for being so naive.
Then again, we were all taken in weren't we?
Steve
PS. With the first training success in the Philippines we got a congratulations letter from the Cousteau Society...
I wrote back asking them to join us...
Me too.
And then I learned that The Cousteau Society was a business pure and simple and did not engage in the practice of conservation advocacy, action or actual projects.
They stuck to the entertainment format and the slow motion educational benefit that it enabled.
Yes 30 years later...we have a little dividend in increased awareness of the ocean among RDO posters...and during that time the oceans degraded by a huge percentage. I think Cousteau was a businessman and avoided controversy at all cost as Dupont, ARCO and his environmentally unconscious corporate sponsors wouldn't allow it.
They needed an image mak-over and he was their beautician.
No one rushed home as much as I to see the Undesea World of Jaques Cousteau...I loved that stuff. And yet...to now regard his deal with the devil and the corporate whitewash he sold out to, I am very disappointed in him...and for being so naive.
Then again, we were all taken in weren't we?
Steve
PS. With the first training success in the Philippines we got a congratulations letter from the Cousteau Society...
I wrote back asking them to join us...
I'll tell ya why I order online sometimes. Because often I get exactly what I'm looking for FASTER. I love my local guy to peices, he's wonderful. And I'm not in a hurry for the stuff I'm currently waiting for, so it's not that big a deal. But I asked him to get a light fixture for me a month ago. When I go to the shop (12 miles away, which didn't used to be a problem when gas was $2/gal), he's not there, the person working has no idea if it's in. If I call first, either he's not there, or he says, yeah, we have it, come on over. When I get there, he's out and the person there doesn't know where he put it, or doesn't have a price for me. OR, he's there and he thought it was on the truck and it wasn't, OR it's not what I'd asked for in the first place. The guy is constantly working int he shop, making house calls, or making airport runs for stock. He doesn't have the time to return phone calls or call me when stuff is available, I understand that. Like I said, I love the guy. I recommend his store to anyone who asks. But if I need something in a hurry and I want the exact thing with no substitutions, I order it online and save time AND money.
I buy my salt, foods, chemicals, tanks, fixtures, supplements, most of my livestock, etc. from local stores, even if it costs more. But sometimes, man, it's a challenge.
I buy my salt, foods, chemicals, tanks, fixtures, supplements, most of my livestock, etc. from local stores, even if it costs more. But sometimes, man, it's a challenge.
Well that just sounds like bad business... I'm busy like your guy is but I'd be stupid not to make a sale like that stick, and follow through.
I special order stuff for people all the time. Often I can get it either in the same amount of time or a bit less than 'online' (ground)... plus they get the value added of after-sales service if they have a question or a problem.
I'm glad to hear your support your LFS despite the quirks
Jenn
I special order stuff for people all the time. Often I can get it either in the same amount of time or a bit less than 'online' (ground)... plus they get the value added of after-sales service if they have a question or a problem.
I'm glad to hear your support your LFS despite the quirks
Jenn
Yep... - Thats something else thats often overlooked by the instant gratification / price hound crowd.. - If something goes wrong, its a heck of a lot easier to take it back to the shop and say, "Look, it borken, no worky. Make it work, please." and the shop can handle it nice and easy for you vs. you trying to track down some unknown Joe Shmoe Blow 1/2 way around the world to give you an RMA #, then you pay shipping (again!) and then wait...
The only time I've ever had issues getting anything was a SCWD a few months back. - No biggy, I already had one, it was just old and finnicky, not flopping back and forth nice and snappy like it used to.
Of course, I'm sure my whole outlook on it would be much different if I didn't have a good, concientious shop in town too... - Thats only 1 out of 3 shops by the way.. And I've only visited one of the other 2 once in the last..... hmm... 4 years!
The only time I've ever had issues getting anything was a SCWD a few months back. - No biggy, I already had one, it was just old and finnicky, not flopping back and forth nice and snappy like it used to.
Of course, I'm sure my whole outlook on it would be much different if I didn't have a good, concientious shop in town too... - Thats only 1 out of 3 shops by the way.. And I've only visited one of the other 2 once in the last..... hmm... 4 years!
You guys are only telling part of the story. If Jenn is ordering in for these customers I would suspect she is selling very close to what they could order it for themselves. A lot of the companies that etail direct only allow the stores around 10% off what they sell direct for. Not only that, but they are not very accomodating when problems occur and products have to be returned. Especially if they set on a shelf for awhile before they are sold. I know I've had to eat the loses on metal halide bulbs that I only made $10 profit on to begin with. If the problem occured immediately after the product was shipped it would be easier to get satisfaction, but the burden (and cost) of boxing and returning the product would still wipe out the profit for sure. For the most part retailers are probably better off to carry and recommend product that allow them better profit margins. BTW did any of you notice MD is running some of Sunlight Supply on sale this month? There are very few manufacturers that are truly helping to keep retail alive.
Mitch
PS
It always seems to be the sale we gave up our profit on that gives us the most problems. The tank you sell at cost ends up leaking, stuff like that. Must be some type of Murphy's law thing. I find it is much easier to buy from the major wholesalers like Loveland and Royal who take stuff back without hassling you too much. You pay for their service but it is generally worth it. I hate to see the wholesale distribution chain get broken down.
Mitch
PS
It always seems to be the sale we gave up our profit on that gives us the most problems. The tank you sell at cost ends up leaking, stuff like that. Must be some type of Murphy's law thing. I find it is much easier to buy from the major wholesalers like Loveland and Royal who take stuff back without hassling you too much. You pay for their service but it is generally worth it. I hate to see the wholesale distribution chain get broken down.
clarionreef
Advanced Reefer
- Location
- San Francisco
I hate to see the wholesale distribution chain get broken down.
Mitch,
If this ever happened, the trade could hardly exist as the minimum kilo rate to get better deals from the Philippines, Bali, Jakarta, Solomons and Tonga are all 1,000 kilos and 500 kilos.
The shippers cannot survive on smaller, picky orders.
Retailers and e-tailers could hardly ever deal with such volume and transhippers need the volume to be high as they work the margin on each kilo to make it worth while.
Ordinary things comprise a lot of the volume as there are never 1,000 kilos of cherry items possible from anywhere. [Shhhh! This is a secret unknown to the new folks that hope to cash in on imagined easy, smaller amounts of high value cherries.
Ordinary things create and enable the economy of scale and yet are not touted as so vital to commerce.
Importers who ruin the market value of non manufactured wildlife by leaking it to the public still need retailers to keep them afloat.
Retailers should not do this.
They should not pave their own way to hell.
In fact, if they boycotted and killed a few of them, the practice may subside.
Steve
Mitch,
If this ever happened, the trade could hardly exist as the minimum kilo rate to get better deals from the Philippines, Bali, Jakarta, Solomons and Tonga are all 1,000 kilos and 500 kilos.
The shippers cannot survive on smaller, picky orders.
Retailers and e-tailers could hardly ever deal with such volume and transhippers need the volume to be high as they work the margin on each kilo to make it worth while.
Ordinary things comprise a lot of the volume as there are never 1,000 kilos of cherry items possible from anywhere. [Shhhh! This is a secret unknown to the new folks that hope to cash in on imagined easy, smaller amounts of high value cherries.
Ordinary things create and enable the economy of scale and yet are not touted as so vital to commerce.
Importers who ruin the market value of non manufactured wildlife by leaking it to the public still need retailers to keep them afloat.
Retailers should not do this.
They should not pave their own way to hell.
In fact, if they boycotted and killed a few of them, the practice may subside.
Steve
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