mohavesam said:
In the '80s, "poor QC" might have been an acceptable answer. But QC did not create the problem.
Hi,
Agreed, QC did not CREATE the problem.
However, as a consumer, that guy they need to survive, I want to buy a product--any product, not just a Ruger--that works, reliably, as designed, out of the box. Proper QC ensures I GET that product. I don't want to have to "finish" it (Rugers were referred to as "kit guns" in our shop: "You buy one, bring it to us, and we'll finish it for you!" They worked quite well when they went home, too, but our guys didn't work for free, and it wasn't Ruger who paid the bill! Is that good for the consumer?) Nor do I want to have to send it back to the mfr to see how good their customer service is. And, in the case of a gun, where we can't just "exchange" a bad one for a good one like it was a shirt the wrong size, this stuff becomes MORE aggravating!
The result of that kind of production and marketing? None of the MBA whiz kids ever sent me a questionnaire to ask why, after having bought several Rugers, my last several purchases were from OTHER mfrs when Ruger makes a competing model I could have bought. But if they had, I'd have to answer "You're too sloppy about the products you ship out for my taste, and I think the guys I DID buy from did their jobs a little better." Put differently, my experience w/ the Rugers I've bought created some good advertising for their competitors!
For comparative purposes: IF, right out of the box, all were like my Mk II, I'd never buy another brand! If they were all like my Bisley or 10/22 (and I hadn't learned of Ruger's foibles in the shop first), I'd probably never buy another Ruger. So I've developed a "Don't buy what you can't see and handle first" mentality and that got me a pretty good GP and RH! So Ruger's still on the radar screen, sometimes. But a lot of guns aren't on the shelf, so I won't order one, because in in my neighborhood, a lot of dealers aren't willing to order one unless I commit to buy the one that comes in, even if it's a dud. Huh, uh.
So consumer perception is THE key. And it doesn't depend on HOW the product was made, what buzz term of the month drives its production, or even its production methods. I don't need to know a single thing about casting vs forging processes, materials qualities and characteristics, hand machining vs CNC production processes, or whether the original operator or a separate inspector ensured the product is as it should be before it goes in the box. I don't need to know how the accounting department handles its inventory reporting or its allowance for defects and returns, or even care who the cutest teller at their bank is.
What I DO need to know is when I open the box, the product will be what it's advertised to be and work as it's expected to work. If it doesn't, QC FAILED to CATCH the problem. And that's at whatever level it's exercised. Depending on how badly it failed, I may be simply disappointed, a little disgruntled, or PO'd enough to switch brands w/ my next purchase! That's the part the whiz kids miss... oh, yeah, they also miss the conversations at the range: "How do you like your Ruger?" "Well, it's like this..."
Dr. W. Edwards Deming must be spinning donuts in his grave at the way some of this stuff's playing out these days!
Rick C