Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Message for Mark Gulbrandson...

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Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 02-11-2001, 11:24 PM:

Mark, your email must be down. Could you please send me the despatch details for my shipment? (tracking no. and date it was sent etc.?)

Thanks.

------------------
"It's not the years, honey...it's the mileage". Indiana Jones

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-12-2001, 09:10 AM:

Hi John,
Have not gotten anything from you at work lately. Don't know whats up but I will get back to you with the tracking data later today or first thing in the AM. Am leaving on calls now and I will leave a not for our bookkeeper to leave the number on my desk.
Thanks!
Mark

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-19-2001, 05:42 PM:

Hi John,
Due to the unsightly delay in your shipment you will receive an extra quart of Filmguard on your next order.
Kindest regards,
Mark @ GTS

Posted by Paul G. Thompson (Member # 655) on 02-19-2001, 07:22 PM:

I am sure Brad will just love this - but my bottle of Film-Guard smells like a mixture of Mr. Kleen and projector oil. But it does a very good job... Did I discover Brad's Secret 7 Herbs and Spices?

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 02-22-2001, 04:51 PM:

Mark said...>>Hi John,
Due to the unsightly delay in your shipment you will receive an extra quart of Filmguard on your next order.
Kindest regards,
Mark @ GTS<<

That's mighty kind of you Mark...but what I'd really like is the information I asked you for. That's all...it's not too much to ask...is it?

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-23-2001, 04:09 PM:

Hi John,
I will get back to you tommrrow when I go into the office. I am just back at home from several days in Idaho. Selling new seats to one theater and two emergency calls that had to be taken care of to get customers back on the screen at other locations. It was a great trip as I picked up a couple more clients too.
See ya tommrrow,
Mark
P.S. Somehow you are now e-mailing me at home, not at work. You should use mark@getgts.com , not the other. That could be causeing a delay in my responding as I don't get on the computer at home every night(especially if I'm not home!). I do check my work e-mail from the road though where ever possible.

Posted by Per Hauberg (Member # 529) on 02-24-2001, 06:08 PM:

Hi, Mark !

-Guess that's answer for me, too.

If You havn't heard from me on e-mail
-may you would mention it here....

/p.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 02-27-2001, 05:47 PM:

Hi Per,
I did e-mail you back but it bounced back for some reason or other.
I'd be happy to supply you with a Kelmar cleaner. Can you send me an e-mail to mark@getgts.com and I'll reply back with prices and shipping information.
kindest regards,
Mark @ GTS

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-02-2001, 12:01 AM:

Mark

Could you please send me the tracking info on the new shipment? I hope you aren't trying to infer that my emailing you once or twice at home (as opposed to almost 30! to your work email) is the reason for the delay.

I have now lost my patience with all of this.

I thank you for finally responding (albeit one month after I started asking) and admitting that the package had never been re-sent at all (otherwise you would have had documentaion to that effect, right?)

Fact is...you've been paid for this shipment in early December. There was obviously some problem with the addressing of the package as it came back to you (!) but like I said, your company has been paid for these items back in December (I've seen the credit card
bill) but here we are in MARCH and still nothing.

Put quite simply...I think your service from you and GTS leaves a lot to be desired. Basically, it sucks.

I've tried to be patient but I could have strapped the package to a tortoise and trained him to walk backwards and he would have delivered the package by now. What could possibly be your excuse? We are on the other side of the world to you but it only takes 4 - 7 days to receive a package by air to Sydney from mainland USA...and we DID pay for air...

There's no point trying to butter me up (interesting that you added that little 'free filmguard on your next order' a little less than an hour after I first emailed you that I had spoken to Brad about bringing this all out in the open here, don't you think?) as there's no way in the world I would ever be using you again. What's the point? I would be better off and saving time just setting fire to my money.

So here's the thing...and you have heard me say this before... I would like one of two things...

A) A tracking number for the package.
or
B) Confirmation that you have refunded all monies taken from our company credit card.

I don't care who gets the information to me...you or someone at the office...I just want it. It IS a business, right?

I have been more than patient with you Mark...but time's up. I have been telling you for weeks I was going to do this but still I have nothing...no information and no package so you have left me no choice.

...and seeing as you are here on a daily basis...I know you are getting to see this.

--------------------

"It's not the years honey, it's having to resort to this sort of crap to get others to honour their agreement. We pay...you deliver...it's a pretty simple process." -

Indiana Jones

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-02-2001, 05:29 PM:

I have edited the above post and so am adding my angry face to bump it back up to the top.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-02-2001, 07:00 PM:

Hi John,
First off sorry for using up all your patience on this. Its unfortunate that thats the road that this took, but sometimes thats life. I did finally find your original package too!! My offer on the extra bottle of Film GUard still stands.
Here is the tracking number

. EF242543754US It should arrive in 3 days or so

.
Let me kow when it arrives

. You can leave the post up if you want to. Doesn't bother me that everyone else knows that we are extremely busy here in SLC

. Next time around you may want to consider that special deal we offered you on the larger quantities so you don't run out

. If you are not interested, we have another party that is and you would then order locally(at least in Austrailia) from them. At least it would be locally for you then

. Also feel free to e-mail me at home at any time.
Thanks,
Mark

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-02-2001, 07:18 PM:

Thank you for finally getting me the information I requested. This way only took 91 minutes...

Thank you also for your offer, however I will not be employing your services again.

------------------
"It's not the years, honey...it's the mileage". Indiana Jones

Posted by John Eickhof (Member # 323) on 03-02-2001, 09:25 PM:

The 'old saying' as I remember it is.....
'You're never TOO busy to take care of a customer' I learned that at a Standard Oil
service station training school back in the mid 70s, and it is a motto I wish more poeple would remember!

------------------
John Eickhof President, Chief Slave
Northwest Theatre Equipment Co., Inc.
P.O.Box 258
Wendell, ID. 83355-0258
208-536-5489
email: jeickhof@nteequip.com

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-02-2001, 09:33 PM:

John,
I guess thats why some of your customers are now calling us

???
Mark

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-03-2001, 08:43 AM:

Brad:

Does this thread really belong in this forum?

I can appreciate public flogging as well as the next guy but it has nothing to do with "Film-Handlers". While it is cinema related and involves booth equipment...perhaps Film-Yak would be more suited to this sort of thing. Or just have it be on the usnet groups (not that you control them).

To take it a step further, I wish you could MOVE this thread (not just lock it) to Film-Yak.

Thanks,

Steve

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-03-2001, 10:37 AM:

Steve,

This thread deals with the booth and does not belong in Film-Yak. Film-Yak is a forum for "non-film topics and general yaking". That is noted quite clearly on the intro page. The thread will not be moved.

I don't recommend having to take something like this out in the public, but when John told me it had been over 2 months since he placed an air order for an item and had not received it nor could he get any sort of reply, it is like a dead-beat Ebay seller. While he is asking Mark directly for answers, if Mark cannot take care of one simple air mail order (which he has already taken money for) due to his high volume of business, that would take him all of 5 minutes to do or could be delegated to another employee , then there needs to be more people hired to work in the office to assist him. Not responding to a customer after accepting money, even if it is for something as trivial as a roll of splicing tape, is uncalled for. I think most people will agree.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-03-2001, 11:17 AM:

Brad,
Let me make a couple of things clear on this for your own and everyone elses well being.
I think bringing this up on the forum here is an excellent idea. And resolving it is very important to GTS, myself, and my customer.

1st, The first time around, the package was promptly shipped out within 48 hours as we do with all mail orders. GTS by some misfortune, had the wrong mailing address on file for John. Apparently he had moved. He faxed in his VISA number but I don't remember there being an address on it. So we used his file address as we normally would.

2nd, Delivery time to Austrailia is 2 to 3 days and it arrived in three. However,it took the package quite a while to make its way back after spending in excess of another week in Austrailia for delivery attempts, plus transit time back which was pathetically slow. John was aware of the wrong address on the package and in spite of his attempts to deal with the Post Office down under, he was not able to corrall the package to his address.

3rd, I have been out of town more than I have been in town the past few weeks. And during my trips the package got mixed in with a bunch of boxes of lighting equipment that was for another job. Hence we thought it had been lost or tossed out by accident. It was however discovered when the items for the lighting job went out a few days ago.

4th, It takes allot more than 5 minuites for me to drive to the Post Office , stand in line and ship a package overseas, however I ahve always been willing to do this as a courtesy for our customers. You all know how wonderfully slow the P.O. is here in the states. Sometimes I have to stand in line for an hour or better. John wanted it shipped this route. I could have done it via UPS, Fed-Ex, or Airborns in 5 minuites time but the cost is higher and John declined to go these routes due to the expense. It is simply not worth having an accouont with the P.O. just to ship a few packages a month overseas. We usually use UPS for this.

5th, GTS is growing rapidly, with over 15 employees now and we are constantly in search of more employees that are properly qualified to handle some of the work that I have had to double up on. Unfortunately that is a good thing and a bad thing. I am very lucky to have a 2nd trade to work in at the same place of employment. I doubt that many of you do. In 15 years when some of you are no longer running film and installing and servicing equipment I will still have a very specialized technical job, and to me that is important. Unfortunately, the bad aspect of being doversified was shown here on this thread and John has my sincere apologies for this mishap. I would appreciate getting another order from him in the future so that I can make good on this to him!

6th, I did answer all of John's many e-mail's before the order and after the order as fast as I could. I always have my laptop when I travel on the road, however I am not always able to use it at some of the outdated Hotels that are in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana where I have been doing allot of work lately.

7th, John was offered a special deal on larger quantities of Film Guard and Media at his request, at a very good price without having to spend more than a few hunderd dollars at a time. This was so he would not run out of supplies and so there would be time for another order to arrive in Austrailia. He declined on this offer.
Regards,
Mark Gulbrandsen
Motion PIcture Sales Manager
General Theatrical Supply
2153 South 700 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84106 www.getgts.com
mark@getgts.com

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 03-03-2001, 11:49 AM:

>> Film-Yak is a forum for "non-film topics"...<<

Then why call it FILM-yak, why not just "Yak" or "General yak" etc etc...?

-Aaron

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-03-2001, 01:37 PM:

Mark, no one here knows any of the absolute specifics, so any comments to this point are being made from what is available on the thread. I have no intention of getting actively involved any further past my one comment above. However, the bottom line still does stand that John has not received merchandise that he has paid for in December. The events that lead up to that are another story, but keep in mind the bottom line here. Heck, John even started this thread 3 weeks ago without receipt of the merchandise yet.

Aaron, sorry if you don't like the name of the Yak forum. It was the only name for it that surfaced as being something somewhat decent. If you've got another suggestion that isn't horribly cheezy, I'll gladly change the name of that forum. However, the description of Film-Yak is still very clearly marked on the entry page regardless of where anyone else thinks this thread belongs.

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 03-03-2001, 01:51 PM:

Brad:

You and I will have to disagree on this one. And since it is your web site, you win!

I don't consider shipping and handling (or even mishandling) a "booth" topic...just because that which is in the box is used in the booth. About the only shipping and handling booth issue is the build up and tear down of prints/trailers. IMO

Steve

PS I do agree that there SHOULD be a forum for this sort of situation though.

------------------
"Old projectionists never die, they just changeover!"

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-03-2001, 02:13 PM:

We can agree to disagree on the above. A forum for problems would be good, but I would also like for it to be a place where people can also praise the work, transaction, or quality of goods of companies as well. Do the Film-Techers want it?

Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 03-03-2001, 02:21 PM:

Okay public pillaring or maybe drawing and quartering :-)

Posted by Rachel Carter (Member # 693) on 03-03-2001, 02:26 PM:

Brad, that is a great idea. Giving film techers the chance to express there opinions about people that supply them.....although there would have to be some guidelines

------------------
"Blood is thicker then blondes" - From the movie, Save the last Dance.

FUNNY!!!!!

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-03-2001, 02:49 PM:

Credit goes to Steve. I will start a new thread about a possible new forum. Please post any further responses there and leave this thread to it's original topic.

Posted by John Eickhof (Member # 323) on 03-03-2001, 10:51 PM:

Hey Mark! I really did not mean that post to be offensive!!! I just related the other guys dismay to the old 'busy' excuse!! We all have been busy from time to time and I know as well as most how things can get overlooked, and stuff beyond our control happens, so, relax! By the way, my old age has taught me to say NO to customers sometimes! And, I am not afraid to refer customers to my 'competeition' (as I have done with GTS and several other independent dealers for many years before you were employed by them) So, lets call it even at this point and I do apologize for any misgivings, as you should know by now, I work along with your company a lot better than your competitor in SLC!! I live by another old saying too....'There is enough room for many, and no room for a monopoly' So ease up! See ya at Showest! John

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-04-2001, 01:11 PM:

Hi John,
Appology accepted. We have known each other for too many years to go at each others throats. We have actually gotten allot of buisness away from those other guys here in SLC. Apparently they have too many dissatisfied customers around here as well as up north. I have also learned to say no to customers over the years as well. If you are not somewhat selective about who you service it can really make your life like hell! I recently turned down a huge 16 screener, plus a giant screen here in SLC because of crappy equipment that was installed there. Having to find parts for the now obsolete equipment they have alone would disrupt things around here too much.
See you at the Show!
Mark @ GTS
Mark

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-06-2001, 10:27 PM:

As my server has been down now since Saturday, I am now posting this from an internet cafe...

I have now received my shipment. Thank you Mark for fixing this up. I apologize to all for having to go this route to achieve satisfaction but suffice to say I deemed it necessary and waited three weeks after I first mentioned to both Mark and Brad that I intended to do this...three weeks...and the end result is that 4 days later...I have my product.

I also do not see the need for a separate forum for this sort of thing. Hopefully it will prove a once off problem and will not be necessary again.

But I will point one thing out...I didn't move. I simply gave my home address in January instead of the cinema's address.

Mark, as I've said my server is down and as such, so too is my email so please accept this post as notification of its arrival with thanks.

Steve, sorry mate.

I am now going to work to watch my prints come up sparklingly clean before my very eyes.

End of story.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 03-07-2001, 10:14 AM:

"But I will point one thing out...I didn't move. I simply gave my home address in January instead of the cinema's address."

John, If the home address is good then there is no reason that the original shipment should have come back to us at GTS. Glad it arrived this time though. That box has literally been around the world!
Mark @ GTS

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 03-08-2001, 05:46 PM:

Mark, the home address is good. I know January sounds like it was the start of this ordeal, but it wasn't. The original package was sent to the cinema and you said it was received back at your office 'insufficiently addressed', so I suggested you send the next package to my home.

I really cannot believe your arrogance at actually trying to infer that in some way this delay was my fault! How rude!

Poor form, Mark...very poor form indeed.