Notice to Diamond of no longer delivering pool tables.

realkingcobra said:
Think about this for a second..."WE MANUFACTURED 300 TABLES THIS WEEK!!!!!!!!!!!!! but we only got 50 delivered...because there isn't enough mechanics out there that have their OWN trucks and trailers to deliver OUR pool tables to the buying customers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Glen
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So you're in a bargaining position. Why not start your own company to distribute and install these tables? Is the cost to do business in such prohibitive? Can't people be trained? Does unemployment pay more than an honest job there?
 
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bandido said:
So you're in a bargaining position. Why not start your own company to distribute and install these tables. Is the cost to do business in such prohibitive? Can't people be trained? Does unemployment pay more than an honest job there?
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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 at:D I 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
 
bandido said:
So you're in a bargaining position. Why not start your own company to distribute and install these tables? Is the cost to do business in such prohibitive? Can't people be trained? Does unemployment pay more than an honest job there?
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To answer your question about training technicians, yes, I've talked to a lot of mechanics around the country, and everyone I've talked to would like to be very much involved in the Diamond tables, as well as the ones they already work on, but I think distribution needs to be on sort of a franchise level so to speak meaning each mechanic has their area of service and delivery, not to be overlapping with someone else's. Then all Diamond would have to say is...Hey Joe, we've got tables going to your area, when can you pick them up?...and now you have mass distribution capabilities, as well as table movement across the country.

Glen
 
bandido said:
Glen,
As I understand from reading this thread:
I guess that the truck was considered a requirement to be a Diamond sub-contractor but since its a major expense Diamond had to assist you in leasing a truck or let you go because you feel that your Ranger was already inadequate for addressing the work volume. Were they just being nice to co-lease the truck or lease it under their name, for what ever reason, sub-lease to you and assist in repairs even though it, the truck, is suppose to be a sub-contractor's supplied equipment? I understand that this equipment and its maintenance is a major expense for either party and both your profit margins in this industry can get a sizeable chunk tied -up. I'm sure that there are some inside agreements between you and Diamond, regarding this truck, that we are not aware of. Don't get upset as I'm just trying to understand this part.

Since you say that you've been consulted for one of their products, deliver and install their brands and them not having a West Coast dealer/distributor/product warehouse. Why not sit down with them and discuss a manufacturing plant in the West Coast with you running it?

Being a co-founder of the new pro pool organization here in the Philippines, it was brought to my knowledge about Diamond's desire to send a 7&9footer for market exposure. I have since then tried to contact them about this and making Diamond the official table of BMPAP events with Diamond dealership fascilities nationwide and possibly regionwide. Now I know why I never got a reply other then a computer generated one stating that they're out of the office at the moment.

This is quite frustrating to the point that pushed me to research and find suppliers of one-piece slates and talk to other manufacturers and local cabinet shops.

You guys need to resolve your problem.

Edwin<<<no wonder America's manufacturing sector is suffering
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Look at this for a minute. When I leave Vegas, I'm heading to Tucson, AZ to pick up a Brunswick headed for Boston, MA. But before I leave Vegas, I'm picking up 2 Brunswicks and taking them with me, one is heading to Dallas, TX the other to Kentucky. On my way to Tucson, AZ...I'm stopping in Phoenix, AZ to set up a Diamond table Carlos bought from Bigtruck in Texas...LOL Once in Tucson, AZ after loading up the Brunswick heading to Boston, I'm setting up John Leaches table that is replacing the one he sold, installing new cushions, tightening up the pockets and all. Then his neighbor who also bought new cushions and cloth for his table, gets the same treatment, OK...done. Now I'm off for Dallas, TX to drop off the Brunswick. Table dropped off, now I'm heading down to Houston, TX to pick up 8 Diamond 8ft tables, one of which is heading to Tulsa, OK to be dropped off and installed. I have one more heading somewhere else in TX but I can't remember where...LOL...then 6 of the remaining tables are heading to West Verginia to be dropped off. While in WV I'm training the room owner and his mechanic how to recover 6 Diamond 7ft Smart Tables, and one 9ft Diamond Professional. I mean...I still have tables being moved out of Florida, tables being moved from Chicago to Florida, I mean...I can't even keep track of what I'm doing...or where I'm going:D and it's because of Diamond, their truck, and their pool tables that makes me so much in demand. I'd have to look at my notes to see everywhere else I'm going, I know I'm heading to NY, MD, NJ, AL, IL, back to TX for Billy Incardona. I don't even know anymore:D

Glen
 
realkingcobra said:
Look at this for a minute. When I leave Vegas, I'm heading to Tucson, AZ to pick up a Brunswick headed for Boston, MA. But before I leave Vegas, I'm picking up 2 Brunswicks and taking them with me, one is heading to Dallas, TX the other to Kentucky. On my way to Tucson, AZ...I'm stopping in Phoenix, AZ to set up a Diamond table Carlos bought from Bigtruck in Texas...LOL Once in Tucson, AZ after loading up the Brunswick heading to Boston, I'm setting up John Leaches table that is replacing the one he sold, installing new cushions, tightening up the pockets and all. Then his neighbor who also bought new cushions and cloth for his table, gets the same treatment, OK...done. Now I'm off for Dallas, TX to drop off the Brunswick. Table dropped off, now I'm heading down to Houston, TX to pick up 8 Diamond 8ft tables, one of which is heading to Tulsa, OK to be dropped off and installed. I have one more heading somewhere else in TX but I can't remember where...LOL...then 6 of the remaining tables are heading to West Verginia to be dropped off. While in WV I'm training the room owner and his mechanic how to recover 6 Diamond 7ft Smart Tables, and one 9ft Diamond Professional. I mean...I still have tables being moved out of Florida, tables being moved from Chicago to Florida, I mean...I can't even keep track of what I'm doing...or where I'm going:D and it's because of Diamond, their truck, and their pool tables that makes me so much in demand. I'd have to look at my notes to see everywhere else I'm going, I know I'm heading to NY, MD, NJ, AL, IL, back to TX for Billy Incardona. I don't even know anymore:D

Glen
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LOL! You really need a new reliable and comfortable truck, trailer towing your Ranger and an assistant for the other branch-out jobs along the way and meet up somewhere later. Good Luck to you Glen!
 
Sounds like you could or should buy your own truck, looks like you have lots of work and no end in sight. Good Luck and drive safe.
 
realkingcobra said:
That would probably be a HACK working for the IRS too:D A mechanic is one step above a hack in my opinion...there, I said it again:D A technician is a specialist at what they do as far as I'm concerned, meaning...they can do it all:D "IMO"...
Click to expand...

LOL! I knew a roofer who used to call himself a "cedar shake mechanic." :D :D :D

Me, I'm a computer transcript specialist. :p

JAM
 
Reading Glen's vesion of things

NateSchoepf said:
Sounds like you could or should buy your own truck, looks like you have lots of work and no end in sight. Good Luck and drive safe.
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Nate,

Just reading Glen's side of the story with no input from Diamond I see that (a) he is doing a lot of other work out of a truck that Diamond largely subsidizes. (b) He either doesn't know how or doesn't care about keeping up the truck. (c) He is almost certainly running outlaw ignoring DOT regulations on total working hours according to his claims putting Diamond at risk. Of course I have to wonder how busy he really is. 65,000 isn't a lot of miles to put on a truck in thirteen months running the way he says he is. I regularly made a 750 mile run in 12.5 to 13.5 hours in my eighteen wheeler with lots of two lane involved.

If his statements are true it is time for him to buy and maintain his own truck. If he can't do that, perhaps it is time for him to look at his real benefits that he receives from Diamond. He pays a small lease but they pay insurance and major maintenance, even for his lack of maintenance while he runs the truck for business other than theirs. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me. I'm not trying to lean on Glen too hard here but if he tries to say that a water pump shaft broke sitting idling with no prior warning I have to call BS. I have owned trucks of all sizes up to eighteen wheelers and had a fleet of about a dozen one to ten ton trucks for years. The only way to snap a water pump shaft at idle in a pump that has been working fine is if the bearing has been bad for quite awhile.

It actually sounds like the deal between Glen and Diamond is much more of a two way street than Glen wants to admit in most of his posts. It also sounds like Glen doesn't want to quit, he just wants to use this forum to pressure them into getting him a newer truck to run for his business. If I were Diamond I would sit down and look at numbers. I think they would be smarter to adjust payments to Glen and let him get his own truck to care for and pay insurance on.

Hu
 
Glen,
There is no reason you can't do your work and get paid well enough for it to own your own truck and fund a nice little retirement account. Cherry pick those jobs that pay well, double your rates for starters. I have seen the quality of your work first hand. Many people will pay more to get the job done right the first time. Especially with something that requires the precision of a well playing pool table. What good is a $6K pool table to an enthusiast that rolls off on one end or pops the seams every 6 months?

If you aren't willing to help yourself than you don't have anyone to blame but yourself.
 
doesnt really matter

All in all it doesnt matter.......If glen would have just quit delivering diamond tables in may, then in june come on here and say that he no longer delivers tables for diamond, someone here would have asked him why, be it a pm or whatever, he would have been asked probably 1000's of times why, so instead of replying to 1000 pms individually he would have posted something in this forum to answer everyone all at once... maybe this way he will get what he needs/wants.
 
I'm sure he's the nuts of a mechanic - people seem to say this. Posting notice, however, on an internet message board is his way getting the final hoorah. It's like going on the radio to tell your boss to kiss your ass.

Not like I've never told a boss to kiss my ass, but it's always done in person. Not a very classy move to make this public, in my opinion.
 
Glen,

I feel for you, way to stand up. I really don't care what Diamonds side of the story is. If there is no middle man, then why do they not have a fleet of delivery trucks with Diamond tables painted on the sides?

Alot of people are firing you down for doing this, you have my full support. "It's okay when the manager makes an example out of an employee but it's not okay if hte employee makes an example out of the company." Thats bullshit and all of you know it. Glen is a stand up employee and has answered alot of questions for me. I WAS SAVING UP FOR A DIAMOND, now it looks like Olhausen will be getting my money.
Good luck to you Glen!

Robert
 
I found myself reading this entire thread looking for a rationale that would allow for posting this kind of thing in a public forum.

Sometimes being right just isn't enough, Glen.

With all due respect,
bob
 
IMO if they ignored him to the point where the problem got as bad as it has, they will probably claim they were too busy to respond. Now that it has come to a head where his profits are being dumped into a truck that gets 3mpg and breaks down every 100 miles I believe the conditions certainly warrant some kind of ultimatum, but as others have said a public forum isn't the ideal medium for this. A phonecall to those in power at Diamond would be the way to go IMO. Keep it as personal as possible.
 
realkingcobra said:
Look at this for a minute. When I leave Vegas, I'm heading to Tucson, AZ to pick up a Brunswick headed for Boston, MA. But before I leave Vegas, I'm picking up 2 Brunswicks and taking them with me, one is heading to Dallas, TX the other to Kentucky. On my way to Tucson, AZ...I'm stopping in Phoenix, AZ to set up a Diamond table Carlos bought from Bigtruck in Texas...LOL Once in Tucson, AZ after loading up the Brunswick heading to Boston, I'm setting up John Leaches table that is replacing the one he sold, installing new cushions, tightening up the pockets and all. Then his neighbor who also bought new cushions and cloth for his table, gets the same treatment, OK...done. Now I'm off for Dallas, TX to drop off the Brunswick. Table dropped off, now I'm heading down to Houston, TX to pick up 8 Diamond 8ft tables, one of which is heading to Tulsa, OK to be dropped off and installed. I have one more heading somewhere else in TX but I can't remember where...LOL...then 6 of the remaining tables are heading to West Verginia to be dropped off. While in WV I'm training the room owner and his mechanic how to recover 6 Diamond 7ft Smart Tables, and one 9ft Diamond Professional. I mean...I still have tables being moved out of Florida, tables being moved from Chicago to Florida, I mean...I can't even keep track of what I'm doing...or where I'm going:D and it's because of Diamond, their truck, and their pool tables that makes me so much in demand. I'd have to look at my notes to see everywhere else I'm going, I know I'm heading to NY, MD, NJ, AL, IL, back to TX for Billy Incardona. I don't even know anymore:D

Glen
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THERE ARE NOT MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, that would enjoy doing all of the traveling that you do by road, let alone someone who is obviously talented at what you do and actually enjoys it? You must have a little pool player in you. :) (glutton for punishment)

Hope things work out for you and Diamond. I think you need each other.

JoeyA
 
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TATE said:
You probably do have a legit grievance, but posting it in public like this serves no purpose other than to embarrass Diamond. This is not a positive thing for any of you.
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This.

This thread demonstrates quite a lack of class.

-Andrew
 
(commence beating of dead horse)
Whatever issues you have with Diamond, this is not the place to bring it up.
(end beating)

I also find it amusing how many people seem to think they know EXACTLY what's going on between Glen and Diamond simply from Glen's posts on the subject (i.e. only one of the two parties involved), and even then, there's no way Glen is fully disclosing every related detail.

Glen, I don't know you at all - but it's obvious you're unhappy with the situation, and it seems you've tried to get Diamond to make some changes, and you've been unsuccessful.

I would recommend bringing in a trusted third party - someone who you know well, and someone who has a good relationship with the folks at Diamond that are the decision-makers when it comes to this issue - and have this person play arbitrator.
 
Andrew Manning said:
This.

This thread demonstrates quite a lack of class.

-Andrew
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hmmmm....so I guess if you were expecting delivery of a shinny new Diamond pool table, and you got a phone call telling you your delivery date was going to be delayed because the delivery truck was broke down, you'd be fine with that? Or how about you get a phone call telling you your delivery date was delayed because the driver went on strike to get a new truck, I guess you'd be fine with that as well...because thats a sign of real class...right?;)

Glen
 
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