I'll just leave this here, from 27/06/17.
I've just received the latest newsletter from Canadian manufacturer Rapido Trains, a company which has a passionate attention to detail in their models, but fortunately don't take themselves too seriously. I hope they will not mind me quoting this excerpt from the newsletter, which I find fascinating in relation to some of the pseudo-serious contributions on this forum;
An Oasis of Calm in Our Crazy Lives;
"As Rapido has grown, we've become more exposed to what can only be described as customer fury. I'm not talking about customers upset that a Rapido model didn't work properly - that is totally understandable and we try very hard to take care of customer warranty requests as quickly as possible. Sometimes it takes longer than we would like, and of course we understand your frustration and we are most apologetic when that happens.
The customer fury I'm talking about is when people send us really nasty emails, phone calls or Facebook messages because we've done something that they seem to perceive as a model railroading crime, whether we've unfortunately had to delay or cancel a project or even when we just didn't announce the model they specifically wanted to see.
Model railroading is a hobby. It is supposed to be an escape for you to get away from the cares and concerns of real life and enjoy a precious moment or two in a miniature world of fantasy. Immersed in your model railroad for an evening, you can leave aside worries about your bills, about your kids, about your health and just enjoy the moment. Our real lives are so complicated and so full of anxiety. Allow your model railroad to be a respite from that.
You can be passionate about your hobby without letting it add to your anxieties. I have to be anxious about our hobby because I have ten people working for me here in North America and I need to make sure they all get paid on time so they can feed their families. Not to mention our team in China. If too many models get delayed or the sales don't materialize, I get closer to hitting the panic button. But you don't have to worry about all that. That is my headache, not yours.
If the hobby of model railroading is getting you so worked up that you feel the need to call our office and scream at us about our release schedule, then I can only say I am sorry. I hope that you one day are able to find solace and peace, if not in model railroading then in some other endeavour.
Next time you find yourself getting angry or frustrated with a model train manufacturer or some other aspect of model railroading, please take a step back and remember: this is a hobby; it is supposed to bring an oasis of calm to our crazy lives. If it is not achieving that aim, take a break from it. Maybe find something new for a while that can help bring you that moment of peace, and then come back to the hobby later. We want you as a customer, but your spiritual health is far more important."
Very perceptive!
SWFRS
I've just received the latest newsletter from Canadian manufacturer Rapido Trains, a company which has a passionate attention to detail in their models, but fortunately don't take themselves too seriously. I hope they will not mind me quoting this excerpt from the newsletter, which I find fascinating in relation to some of the pseudo-serious contributions on this forum;
An Oasis of Calm in Our Crazy Lives;
"As Rapido has grown, we've become more exposed to what can only be described as customer fury. I'm not talking about customers upset that a Rapido model didn't work properly - that is totally understandable and we try very hard to take care of customer warranty requests as quickly as possible. Sometimes it takes longer than we would like, and of course we understand your frustration and we are most apologetic when that happens.
The customer fury I'm talking about is when people send us really nasty emails, phone calls or Facebook messages because we've done something that they seem to perceive as a model railroading crime, whether we've unfortunately had to delay or cancel a project or even when we just didn't announce the model they specifically wanted to see.
Model railroading is a hobby. It is supposed to be an escape for you to get away from the cares and concerns of real life and enjoy a precious moment or two in a miniature world of fantasy. Immersed in your model railroad for an evening, you can leave aside worries about your bills, about your kids, about your health and just enjoy the moment. Our real lives are so complicated and so full of anxiety. Allow your model railroad to be a respite from that.
You can be passionate about your hobby without letting it add to your anxieties. I have to be anxious about our hobby because I have ten people working for me here in North America and I need to make sure they all get paid on time so they can feed their families. Not to mention our team in China. If too many models get delayed or the sales don't materialize, I get closer to hitting the panic button. But you don't have to worry about all that. That is my headache, not yours.
If the hobby of model railroading is getting you so worked up that you feel the need to call our office and scream at us about our release schedule, then I can only say I am sorry. I hope that you one day are able to find solace and peace, if not in model railroading then in some other endeavour.
Next time you find yourself getting angry or frustrated with a model train manufacturer or some other aspect of model railroading, please take a step back and remember: this is a hobby; it is supposed to bring an oasis of calm to our crazy lives. If it is not achieving that aim, take a break from it. Maybe find something new for a while that can help bring you that moment of peace, and then come back to the hobby later. We want you as a customer, but your spiritual health is far more important."
Very perceptive!
SWFRS
