posted 01-25-2009 01:18 AM                      

quote: Tim Reed

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Not that you are guilty of this, John, but it hurts me to hear the badmouthing and the childish name-calling of my company by some on this forum..

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posted 01-25-2009 01:55 AM                    

quote: John Hawkinson

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I certainly don't mean to bash Strong, but Tony: UPS 3-day Select is good customer service? Umm, not over here it's not. And in this industry that uses next-flight out shipments as frequently as it does.

(I'm spoiled. Our FedEx discount is such that FedEx priority overnight is less than a dollar more than FedEx Express Saver (3-day). After all, if it goes on a plane, it's not as if it is in the carriers' interest to warehouse other people's stuff).

--jhawk

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John, with all the trouble I'd had with Strong in the past I was pleasantly surprised that they did do 3-day. UPS' rate for a package that big (and heavy) is really steep, and I know for a fact that you are spoiled with your Fed-Ex deal, as there is a HUGE price gap in UPS' rates for Next-Day and 3-Day services.

quote: Steve Guttag

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Now as to $400 pullies....are you a dealer? Really. I've never had a problem with that one and we are MOSTLY a reel-to-reel installer. On Simplexes, the pulley has been a zero cost option too...not $400...after all the pulley lists for under $100 and the is the only part that is added (plus short set screws to affix it).

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Yep, that was the standard charge for the take-up kits added to the 5-Star at the factory. I was not the dealer, so maybe it was the deal (such that it was) that my dealer had at the time. I do know the charge was from Strong, not my dealer.

Tim, I'm glad you see the posts here in the context of our individual experiences with Strong, and not any reflection on you personally or your working with Strong.

I for one do lament the fact that for whatever reason, there are those at Strong who have made decisions that have had very negative effects on their customer service, and to some extent, the quality of their products.

As Mark has pointed out (in some other threads), there has been some positive things they have done (for example, the porosity issue with the XL projector head castings, I do agree that the main casting is better than the old ones, but whoever came up with that hideous framing handle needs to be shot), but there have sadly been more negatives than positives from them.

As for the old black switchers, I have found them to fall into three categories;

They flame out within the first few hours of operation;
They last for quite a while, but when they did fail and Strong repaired them, they kept failing over and over again;
or like the one I now have on my own projector, they run seemingly forever. Mine has maxed out the little "mercury" hour meter and it's still going, well Strong.

When it dies I'll be sending it to Mark.