The Thread ~ Epilogue
We hope you have enjoyed our presentation
of "The Thread." You could probably
tell that we weren't kidding when we said
it could be a bit unpredictable!
Since this scenario was completely out of the ordinary, we wanted to share it for a variety of reasons. We feel the advice shared by Damselblue's fellow hobbyists can be very beneficial to many others. And, Damselblue's experience may be able to help others in ways that she was not able to imagine.
We feel that this story shows the importance of working together in resolving any issues that may arise. And, it also illustrates what can happen when a customer falsely accuses a company publicly ... it makes it much more difficult to arrive at a solution.
For instance, at the very beginning of this event, we were actively making arrangements for Damselblue ... we had requested a specially-packed half-box of live rock from Fiji ... but when we discovered that she was not telling the truth on the message board (claiming we told her "too bad"), we cancelled it.
Damselblue was not working with us in solving her problems, whether perceived or real ... she was actually working against arriving at solutions by confusing the issues and being dishonest ... honesty is crucial when trying to solve problems together.
Once an alternate solution was offered, the relationship had diminished to such a point, that even the solution was rejected. Then, an amiable solution was out of reach. The door to problem solving must swing both ways ... it takes give and take on both sides to arrive at a fair solution together.
The message boards are a wonderful way to share experiences and knowledge. Unfortunately, in this particular case, the message board was being abused.
Using public opinion of a company as a means of threatening a company's reputation, and continuing to air negative feedback when they say they are being threatened would most likely be terrorizing to any company. The customer in this type of case, is not being fair or reasonable to the company when they publicly display hostility as a means of manipulation ... the slander may sometimes be "under cover innuendo" in this type of case, but it is nevertheless a type of slander, as Damselblue repeatedly stated that the company could not be trusted.
We'd like to sincerely thank those hobbyists who realized what was occurring in this situation and voiced their opinion.
We personally feel that the message boards should not be used to leverage negotiations with companies if everything did not go exactly as planned or expected. Further, when a thread is started about a company, the company should be notified by the message board.
In this case, people who gave positive review on one thread, jumped to this thread and gave negative review and the thread starter wasn't being honest with the information they were posting.
Our belief is that the message boards serve a much more beneficial purpose to hobbyists, old and new, as is the intent of the online communities. (See "footnote" at the bottom of this page.)
Although Damselblue claimed to have been in contact with us in private for two weeks before posting to the online community, she actually posted one day after receiving her live rock. If she had been in contact with us directly, it is quite likely that there would have been no reason to air any complaint at all in public ... it would have already been solved.
Starting a reef tank can be a challenge for new hobbyists, but it's a fun one that takes patience and creativity. That is part of the fun of it. Creativity with a positive attitude often nurtures and produces positive results. Remember ... learning how to have patience and be creative is also a positive experience.
We hope Damselblue's experience can help others and that the lessons learned spill over into other areas of the reader's lives ... we believe she taught us all a little something to take with us, so now we would also like to thank Damselblue, wherever she is.
Thanks for your visit to this customer relations section of our website ... we hope it has been a fun experience for you!
The End
Good Night.
Since this scenario was completely out of the ordinary, we wanted to share it for a variety of reasons. We feel the advice shared by Damselblue's fellow hobbyists can be very beneficial to many others. And, Damselblue's experience may be able to help others in ways that she was not able to imagine.
We feel that this story shows the importance of working together in resolving any issues that may arise. And, it also illustrates what can happen when a customer falsely accuses a company publicly ... it makes it much more difficult to arrive at a solution.
For instance, at the very beginning of this event, we were actively making arrangements for Damselblue ... we had requested a specially-packed half-box of live rock from Fiji ... but when we discovered that she was not telling the truth on the message board (claiming we told her "too bad"), we cancelled it.
Damselblue was not working with us in solving her problems, whether perceived or real ... she was actually working against arriving at solutions by confusing the issues and being dishonest ... honesty is crucial when trying to solve problems together.
Once an alternate solution was offered, the relationship had diminished to such a point, that even the solution was rejected. Then, an amiable solution was out of reach. The door to problem solving must swing both ways ... it takes give and take on both sides to arrive at a fair solution together.
The message boards are a wonderful way to share experiences and knowledge. Unfortunately, in this particular case, the message board was being abused.
Using public opinion of a company as a means of threatening a company's reputation, and continuing to air negative feedback when they say they are being threatened would most likely be terrorizing to any company. The customer in this type of case, is not being fair or reasonable to the company when they publicly display hostility as a means of manipulation ... the slander may sometimes be "under cover innuendo" in this type of case, but it is nevertheless a type of slander, as Damselblue repeatedly stated that the company could not be trusted.
We'd like to sincerely thank those hobbyists who realized what was occurring in this situation and voiced their opinion.
We personally feel that the message boards should not be used to leverage negotiations with companies if everything did not go exactly as planned or expected. Further, when a thread is started about a company, the company should be notified by the message board.
In this case, people who gave positive review on one thread, jumped to this thread and gave negative review and the thread starter wasn't being honest with the information they were posting.
Our belief is that the message boards serve a much more beneficial purpose to hobbyists, old and new, as is the intent of the online communities. (See "footnote" at the bottom of this page.)
Although Damselblue claimed to have been in contact with us in private for two weeks before posting to the online community, she actually posted one day after receiving her live rock. If she had been in contact with us directly, it is quite likely that there would have been no reason to air any complaint at all in public ... it would have already been solved.
Starting a reef tank can be a challenge for new hobbyists, but it's a fun one that takes patience and creativity. That is part of the fun of it. Creativity with a positive attitude often nurtures and produces positive results. Remember ... learning how to have patience and be creative is also a positive experience.
We hope Damselblue's experience can help others and that the lessons learned spill over into other areas of the reader's lives ... we believe she taught us all a little something to take with us, so now we would also like to thank Damselblue, wherever she is.
Thanks for your visit to this customer relations section of our website ... we hope it has been a fun experience for you!
The End
Good Night.
Footnote for discerning readers...
Regarding statement made by Birdfish ...
"We send people away all the time who are
looking for small pieces."
And, by Mrs. Birdfish ...
"If we had known that you wanted SMALL pieces,
we would have told you that we do not carry them,
as we have to many people who
come asking us for smaller sized rocks."
Here's a real-life example, taken from pages of www.reeflounge.com ...
Has anyone got liverock from livestockusa.org?
Inquiry - I am thinking about buying some rock for my 24g Aquapod. If you have dealt with them before, let me know how good the rock was, how big were the pieces and was it delivered on time.
First Reply - I got 255 lbs. of Tonga Deepwater, Eva, and Uaniva rock for my 90 and ended up selling 60 lbs. or so. Pieces were huge, but were show quality and shapes. Arrived on time. They are great people to deal with. You won't be sorry. If you do end up ordering let Mitch or Kathleen know to get small pieces. If you have any questions feel free to ask me or them.
Second Reply - I talked to someone at livestockusa and they said they can't promise the pieces will be small enough to fit in my 55 gallon. They actually recommended I go somewhere in my area where I can pick them out.
Note: In the past, smaller pieces were not available, as they are now.
All clipart, to our knowledge, is in the public domain and are not copyrighted materials.
"The Thread" is copyrighted material and may not be used without permission.
To Ride "The Thread" Again ...
"The Thread" - Introduction
The Thread ~ Act I - Scene One
Here's a real-life example, taken from pages of www.reeflounge.com ...
Has anyone got liverock from livestockusa.org?
Inquiry - I am thinking about buying some rock for my 24g Aquapod. If you have dealt with them before, let me know how good the rock was, how big were the pieces and was it delivered on time.
First Reply - I got 255 lbs. of Tonga Deepwater, Eva, and Uaniva rock for my 90 and ended up selling 60 lbs. or so. Pieces were huge, but were show quality and shapes. Arrived on time. They are great people to deal with. You won't be sorry. If you do end up ordering let Mitch or Kathleen know to get small pieces. If you have any questions feel free to ask me or them.
Second Reply - I talked to someone at livestockusa and they said they can't promise the pieces will be small enough to fit in my 55 gallon. They actually recommended I go somewhere in my area where I can pick them out.
Note: In the past, smaller pieces were not available, as they are now.
All clipart, to our knowledge, is in the public domain and are not copyrighted materials.
"The Thread" is copyrighted material and may not be used without permission.
To Ride "The Thread" Again ...
"The Thread" - Introduction
The Thread ~ Act I - Scene One