I agree with this. Healthy discussion is fun. Freedom of expression is important and it's valuable to the company to know what their loyal customers are thinking. It IS free market research.Hotzenplotz wrote:About the "discussion(s)":
Reading the threads concerning the TV yellow basses, the introduction of the new Ruby colour and the white RM LE for the UK made me sad. This one now, too.
Some people just said that they do not like the colours or the shape of the upper pickguard.
- Customers talk about what they like and what they do not like. This is market research for free!
I am the owner of a high end brand. So I use positive feedback for feeling fine and negative feedback for developing my brand further. If there are nasty comments I just laugh. O.K., sometimes the nasty ones make me a bit angry. But I will never answer them. Sorry, I have got better things to do. - Every morning at least one idiot is waking up. So what!
There were a lot of comments that did not violate the rules of the RRF at all. I totally agree in deleting every "lawbreaking" comment immediately, BTW! These just spoil the climate here. And the mods do a good (and hard!) job.
Unfortunately there were a lot of subtly aggressive posts from the "good side" members, shouting the constructive critics down, too. They remind me of the old days here in Germany before the fall of the iron wall: "If You do not like it here You can go to Russia!"
Ugly! This is not a way of (really) grown up persons' communication, IMHO.
Maybe some want to "protect" the brand. Maybe some want to collect credit points, as opposed to RIC or the RRF.
- Think about: Rickenbacker is the oldest guitar manufacturer in the world, an iconic high end brand since decades. Do they need such a protection from people with preemptive obedience? Hopefully not!!!
Unfortunately in the last months this unhealthy dynamic is picking up speed, at least in my observation. Destructive comments are bad - but claqueurs are a pain in the a**, too. So, please, meet in the middle and we got it!
Plus we are all fans of the company and their product. I watched that same thread and while I thought the white Rics looked great as is, if you own the guitar you can alter it as you wish. On the other hand,if I created the guitar I might be annoyed by that. But anyway, I thought it was fun that Ric was experimenting and I hope they do more.
I wish American businesses did more experimenting. On that topic, I'd like Chrysler to reissue the Plymouth Sport Satellite and Mercury to reissue the 1961 Mercury 400E out board in cloud white. They haven't but I guess if I don't like it I can go to Russia. All they have there is a rich cultural and historic heritage, math geniuses, hockey and chess champions, beautiful women and architecture:)