Bob Runde Is Incredible....
TRUE STORY
I met Bob Runde at the 1st Inaugural BCA Trade Show in Dallas, TX back in 1984. Hesed me, along with probaly everyone else whom became acuainted with him, that this guy was different. He just spoke in a diffferent tone and manner and with such absolute confidence and assurance in his voice and opinions.
I really liked several different R-series cue designs he had on display but I preferred one cue's features more than another's in one design aspect and then favored something different in another model R series cue. I spoke with Bob and asked if I came up with a design cmbination tha i wanted and wante to tweak some of the features, would he be able to make me such a cue. he said let's do some paerwork and sketch out what you have in mind and I'll send you drawings to approve. Sounded greta to me and so I paid a subtantial deposit on the cue's "estimated cost of $800" and Bob got to work.
The only reason this is imprtant is beacsue of what happened and how I behaved and Bob's demeanor. he sent me very exact drawings which I okayed. When the cue arrived, I behaved like a complet butthole....i was just a jerk. I called Bob up and while he was obviously expecting a enthusiatic customer reaction, he instead got the rants and raves of an asshole. I was criticizing the BEM as not being dark enough, the larger oversized ivory inlays I ordered were not smaller than the drawing depiction, the red veneer wasn't dark enough,,,,,I mean I just nit picked his workmanship to the point that in looking back, he should have just hung up the phone on me.
What does Mr. Runde do.....he tells me that he attempted to render a cue in accordance with what we had discussed but if I wasn't happy, he could offer me a 25% discount.....a pretty large discount I thought.....but I said no.......I just wanted what I had ordered and agreed to and was really unhappy.
So how does Bob respond to this jerk on the phone? He tells me to return the cue and he would study the design specs very closley again and produce me a 2nd cue. He said he would do his very best to be as exact as possible but he wanted me to know this would be his last attempt at making me a custom cue. It just took too much time and he really needed a little more latitude in producing a cue to specifications a customer furnishes. He told me this was an important lesson learned for both us. I mean what a prince of a guy....a true gentleman in the way he behaved.....he conducted himslef like L.L. Bean and remember that Schon was still in its infancy years at that time.
A few months go by and I get a call from Bob letting me know the cue is in the mail. I ask him how the cue turned out and he said he was reluctant to answer because he didn't really think there was much to find fault with on his first attempt at my cue. I could tell he was dead serious and I just thanked him for calling.
Two days later I get the cue and let me tell you it was as if Bob took a photograph of how I imagined the cue to be in my mind and just xeroxed a copy of it. The cue was everything I hoped it would be.....the BEM was perfect, the four ivory spears dominate the four ebong prongs, the red veneers are striking, the sharp ebony points speak for themselves and the oversized sx (6) ivory bars with red windows in the butt sleeve came out exactly how I originally sketched them to look......right down to the double bordered red windows surrounding each of the ivory bars. Believe me....I tried to find fault with the cue somewhere....I knew he couldn't have gotten it perfect....but I couldn't find fault with a single facet or detail of the cue.
So naturally I call Bob up to let him know how happy and pleased i was with the cue. He said he knew I would be and after he compared the second cue with the first one he still had, he said the changes I asked him to attempt did ultimately make the cue turn out better looking. Whether that was true or not, it was classy of him to tell me that. He also inscribed the butt of my cue...another classy touch...."Custom Made For Matt Brennan". As far as I'm concerned, the style and demeanor Bob Runde kindly and so thoughtfully displayed towards me...who was being just a complete ass....well, that speaks volumes of what great person he is and a absolutely terrific cue-maker as well.
Bob, if you get to read this...."You stand heads above other cue-makers, past and present. Thank you for my cue and your gracious attitude."
