Notice to Diamond of no longer delivering pool tables.
- Thread starter realkingcobra
- Start date
SJDinPHX said:Why didn't you respond to Justin or Incardona ? /QUOTE]
Read them again, I do belive I responded to both
Glen
realkingcobra said:I don't think I'd call it a bargaining position really, I guess I'd consider it trying to work with Diamond and other billiards technicians to get Diamond to the next level, faster deliveries, more trained technicians, and better customer relations, something I'm not the best atI don't think it would be out of line at some later date for Diamond to have maybe 5 to 10 box trucks and trailers showing up at the factory weekly picking up for distribution to the public. I think something like this would serve the whole billiards industry nation wide. I mean think about it for a second. A truck leaves the Diamond dock, loaded for say, Houston, TX. Drops off the tables, installs them, then starts the return trip empty...except stops in Dallas, TX to pick up a table being moved to say, Louisville, Ky...on the way back. THANK YOU DIAMOND would be in order, as well as a few extra bucks to the mechanic/driver...on the way back! Use your imagination, the driver could be moving someones household belongings just as easy, THANK YOU DIAMOND!
Glen
Why not purchase the 5-10 box trucks and trailer then since you're the sub-contactor. Raise your delivery and installation charge to cover this acquisition expense. Diamond may not want this door-to-door distribution resposibility for obvious reasons, insurance and liability. And since you're the one who has full control over the performance of these duties then you should be solely responsible for such. You do charge just compensation for your services rendered right?
It is just sad to see that one of the last US equipment manufacturers in this sport who supports the sport even during tough economic times should go through this.
My understanding of the situation is that DIAMOND needed to address door-to-door distribution and set-up of their product. And, I'm assuming that you got wind of this and offered to do it but their problem with this was that they don't want to deal with the related requirement and liabilities (insurance and possible lawsuits arising from accidents or incompetence). So nix on employment and associated training expense and OSHA? requirements but go with sub-contracting. At the start, you used your personnal vehicle/equipment as it should be but soon such became inadequate due to the increased demand (=added workload and wear and tear on equipment). This situation then required higher capacity equipment for you to maximize your potential but weren't financially ready for this. To somewhat plug that "hole-in-the-dike" DIAMOND offered an acquisition plan, they lease you make lease payments. Aside from that, you got them to agree to paying for major repair of the vehicle since it was their need to upgrade (inadequate upgrade plan IMO). *This lease-sublease arrangement also rendered the purpose, of the sub-contracting arrangement, as useless because this identifies DIAMOND's ACTIVE involvement in the performance of these paid services should a lawsuit arise from such.
Well, the band-aid solution didn't work so you guys need to sit down and REALLY address this issue. IMO, Supplying the truck is your responsibility but if you aren't financially capable yet then form a company and ask DIAMOND to invest in it. Use that to purchase the needed equipment. I'm sure DIAMOND owners doesn't want to expose DIAMOND Corp. to the liabilities inherent to the door-to-door delivery and set-up part as evidenced by the sub-con arrangement or so they thought.
I know not of a lot of what went on but the above "guesswork", based on supplied info in this thread, may be close enough.
JMO
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Hey Glen just when you think it's all bad listen to Adam Sandlers song...
" My piece of sh$t car "
heres a link ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBxjgTHQdLo
have a good day.
" My piece of sh$t car "
heres a link ....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBxjgTHQdLo
have a good day.
I did not read the entire thread, just the first few pages of it.
I'm sorry about the truck and the condition of it, but I've known Mark Griffin almost ten years and it's hard to believe that he wouldn't listen to anything you had to say. My experiences with him on a professional level have always been pleasent and as long as I've known him, he has always been a good listener even if he didn't agree with what was being said.
There are other ways to handle this type of situation besides on a public forum which everyone can read. If I were a future employer and read this thread I would be hesitant to hire you (even though I hear you are an excellent table mechanic).
Good luck to you in your future endeavors. Hope you get a truck that works.
I'm sorry about the truck and the condition of it, but I've known Mark Griffin almost ten years and it's hard to believe that he wouldn't listen to anything you had to say. My experiences with him on a professional level have always been pleasent and as long as I've known him, he has always been a good listener even if he didn't agree with what was being said.
There are other ways to handle this type of situation besides on a public forum which everyone can read. If I were a future employer and read this thread I would be hesitant to hire you (even though I hear you are an excellent table mechanic).
Good luck to you in your future endeavors. Hope you get a truck that works.
realkingcobra said:My Diamond truck, and my home on the road. Yes, I live in this truck as well, as that's the only way I can get my job done. It's not like when I'm off work delivering pool tables, I can go home and eat a home cooked meal, when I've only been home about 5 weeks now in the last 16 months
Glen
Glen, I can't believe you live in that truck. You need to get a hold of these guys.
http://www.cmt.com/shows/dyn/Trick_My_Truck/series.jhtml
Alright, lets get down to explaining some facts to all you "would be employers" Lets say you're Diamond for a minute here...OK? Now, your factory is located in Jeffersonville, Indiana. You have a customer call in from Phoenix, AZ that is interested in buying a brand new Diamond 9ft ProAm, talks to Brian about it, and gets a very good deal of a price on it. Gets the table, light, chair unit...the whole ball of wax...OK. Now, it's time to quote a delivery charge, Brian calls me up and asks me for a quote to deliver this table to Phoenix, AZ. I ask him what is the zip code for the delivery, he tells me it's 85374, so I quickly look up the zip code for the drop off and determine it's 1,768 miles to the location the table is going, from the factory...so I quote Brian $1,768.00 for the delivery, and another $150 for the set up, for a total of 2,018.00 dollars for my services. What do you think the customer is going to say to that?????...Now let me break it down for you, my truck gets about 9 miles per gallon of diesel, and at $4.109 a gallon, that's .46 cents a mile in just the fuel cost alone, now...as a driver, I charge .38 cents a mile, that brings it to .84 cents a mile, I also have to account for maintaining the truck, that cost is another .24 cents a mile...that brings it to $1.04 cents a mile to make that drive...but wait, I'm loosing out by .04 cents a mile, so let me back that out of my drivers pay, dropping it down to .34 cents a mile. Now there's only one problem with all of this.......I'm in Great Falls, Montana installing a pool table there!!!!...so now in order to take the job of delivering the pool table to Phoenix, AZ...I have to drive from Great Falls, Montana to Jeffersonville, Indiana to pick up the table in the first place...so that's another 1,669 miles I have to drive, at MY cost of fuel and maintenance of .70 cents a mile, so I have to spend $1,168 dollars out of my pocket, to get a job delivering a pool table to Phoenix, AZ paying a total of $2018.00 dollars, with an additional cost of .70 cents a mile for that trip as well, being another $1,237.00 dollars!!!!!!! When the job is all done and everyone's happy...because Diamond got the sale, the customer got his Diamond table....I not only didn't make a dime...I'm in the hole!!!...One MAJOR problem with all this that all you would be employers fail to understand in all this, and that is.....show me someone in Phoenix, AZ willing to pay $2018.00 dollars to get a Diamond table delivered and set up!!!!!!!!hilla_hilla said:
And your NEXT great idea is going to be to suggest to just ship the pool table through a regular trucking company!!! WRONG, no trucking company will take a 1,230lb pool table on wheels!!!...OK, for your next idea of crating the table and shipping it that way...GREAT, then the home owner is going to have to RENT a forklift to get the table off the delivery truck...and figure out how to get it into his HOUSE, and set it up.
Now that I've laid out the facts to all you would be employers....YOU solve the problem of delivering the pool tables, if you think you're so smart!!!
Glen
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I would hire Josh Ulrich or Josh Palmer to move tables and Steve L or Ernesto Dominguez to set it up
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Do you think they're going to drive to Indiana to pick up the table, then transport it to Phoenix, AZ for less than it costs me?....what a joke! In the first place, it's real easy to HIRE someone without talking to them first...you should take some time and do that, I think you'd be suprised at the answer you'd gethilla_hilla said:I would hire Josh Ulrich or Josh Palmer to move tables and Steve L or Ernesto Dominguez to set it up
As far as Steve or Ernesto goes...I work across the whole United States, not just a few little areas like they do Glen
SJDinPHX said:
Can we get an AMEN!
I've been too pissed to post but you guys have said it and I'm on the boat with you.
Glen you have the dubious distinction of having posted the ugliest thread in AZ history. Reaching out to try and hurt the folks at Diamond was just wrong. You had a long-term profitable relationship with them and when you didn't get what you wanted you went out of your way to try to hurt them. Truth is you only hurt yourself.
realkingcobra said:Do you think they're going to drive to Indiana to pick up the table, then transport it to Phoenix, AZ for less than it costs me?....what a joke! In the first place, it's real easy to HIRE someone without talking to them first...you should take some time and do that, I think you'd be suprised at the answer you'd get
Glen
I think both of these guys have been across the country more than a few times
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Post your phone number, when I'm broke down again, I'll be sure and call you to come and get meJimS said:
Glen
For your damn information, I idle out about $700.00 a month in diesel every month at night because if I shut this truck off, I can't get it started again, not without someone turning the key over, and me spraying ether in the intake..until it warms up enough to be able to stay runing on it's own AND STILL pay lease on this truck...every month!!!JimS said:
Glen
Who's hurting who here Jim????
realkingcobra said:
I had a hunch that there is a deeper reason and not the truck. Basically, you want Diamond to fork over part of the "dough that they're rolling on" from the sale of the table to pay for the gasoline expense.
The West Coast Manufacturing or warehouse idea is sounding real good. Otherwise, no West Coast sales or manufacture overseas to cut the capital expense.
Edwin <<<<sees a longer US unemployment line
I've only shut this truck off a total of 8 nights since before Thanksgiving of LAST year, you figure out how much PROFITS I've spent at an average of $25.00 a night! Maybe YOU'D like to spend the $6000.00 to replace the enjectors and glow plugs in this truck, which were already bad when I first got the truck in March of last year! The only reason I keep doing this job, is for the customers, not Diamond
Glen
Glen
I've never asked Diamond for one dime of the sale of the pool tables I deliver to offset the cost of delivering pool tables to the customers...not once, and never wouldbandido said:
Glen
Say something now Jim!
realkingcobra said:I've only shut this truck off a total of 8 nights since before Thanksgiving of LAST year, you figure out how much PROFITS I've spent at an average of $25.00 a night! Maybe YOU'D like to spend the $6000.00 to replace the enjectors and glow plugs in this truck, which were already bad when I first got the truck in March of last year! The only reason I keep doing this job, is for the customers, not Diamond
Glen
I'm not saying at all that you or DIAMOND are bad guys. I've approached this positively thus my post contents. Both you and the DIAMOND people are doing good for the sport, its related industries and its enthusiasts. Where there was an inadequacy of judgement is in figuring in a normal business stage, "growth". I'm sure that you and DIAMOND are aware now that the "band-aid" solution is inappropriate or not at all proportional to the manufacturing and marketing decisions and implementation done by the company. I agree with you that distribution needs to catch up but just you having a new truck but with the same delivery and installation system is just another "band-aid solution".
Edwin<<<really likes to see people with good products and great talent succeed
realkingcobra said:I've never asked Diamond for one dime of the sale of the pool tables I deliver to offset the cost of delivering pool tables to the customers...not once, and never would
Glen
To want and to have are 2 different things Glen. Bottomline is, the current system that you guys are using now is inadequate and disproportional.
What's your solution?bandido said: