Airfix

[Weaver]

I've mentioned this stupidity to the Revell reps at Telford year after year, but they just never take any notice, and it's not as if it's that difficult to change the design to add the leg later either.   

First rule of big companies: if you're still buying the product, your complaints are, by definition, not important enough to pay attention to.

"I'm not going to to buy your next product if you don't fix this" (privately) is worthy of attention equal to 1/<total sales>
"I'm not going to to buy your next product if you don't fix this and nobody else should either" (publically and loudly) is worthy of attention.
"They didn't buy the latest product after complaining about the last one and now sales have gone down enough to affect the share price" is worthy of a LOT of attention.

It's not that they're "evil", it's that they're big. I always think it's like one of those small boys herding cattle who's trying to get a huge cow to change direction. Prodding it with his finger isn't going to work; he needs to shout a lot and hit it with a stick to get it's attention.

[PR19_Kit]

That all well maybe so, but it's NOT Customer Service. And that I do know about, I was in that business for 30 yrs.

Our customers complained loud and long about a stupid design error on one product and we fed it back to Engineering, also loudly and at length, and they re-designed a Mk II version. That's as it should be.

[zenrat]

I now have a mental picture of Kit standing next to the Revell HQ in Germany hitting it with a stick and shouting.

[PR19_Kit]

I now have a mental picture of Kit standing next to the Revell HQ in Germany hitting it with a stick and shouting.

And why not? 

[scooter]

  

[NARSES2]

First rule of big companies: if you're still buying the product, your complaints are, by definition, not important enough to pay attention to.

I'd love to know what your definition of a "big company" is, as Airfix, of whom this thread is supposed to be about, certainly arn't.

[Weaver]

First rule of big companies: if you're still buying the product, your complaints are, by definition, not important enough to pay attention to.

I'd love to know what your definition of a "big company" is, as Airfix, of whom this thread is supposed to be about, certainly arn't.

It was a reply to Kit's post about Revell.

[Accidental Loggie]

I now have a mental picture of Kit standing next to the Revell HQ in Germany hitting it with a stick and shouting.

And why not? 

It would obviously be a longer stick than normal...

[Rick Lowe]

It would obviously be a longer stick than normal...

Or one with more explosive content than cellulose...

[Weaver]

That all well maybe so, but it's NOT Customer Service. And that I do know about, I was in that business for 30 yrs.

Our customers complained loud and long about a stupid design error on one product and we fed it back to Engineering, also loudly and at length, and they re-designed a Mk II version. That's as it should be.

That's as it used to be.

Remember the 1/<total sales> formula? If you're selling a small number of very expensive things to repeat customers who employ professional complainers, then one complaint carries a decent amount of weight and multiple complaints carry a LOT of weight. My cynical comment was mainly aimed at retail companies, selling a very, VERY large number of things to amateur and mostly apathetic/demoralized complainers.

[NARSES2]

First rule of big companies: if you're still buying the product, your complaints are, by definition, not important enough to pay attention to.

I'd love to know what your definition of a "big company" is, as Airfix, of whom this thread is supposed to be about, certainly arn't.

It was a reply to Kit's post about Revell.

Revell, now Revell of Germany, are probably smaller nowadays. Airfix are part of the Hornby empire which as far as I know hasn't made a trading profit for a fair number of years.

[Weaver]

First rule of big companies: if you're still buying the product, your complaints are, by definition, not important enough to pay attention to.

I'd love to know what your definition of a "big company" is, as Airfix, of whom this thread is supposed to be about, certainly arn't.

It was a reply to Kit's post about Revell.

Revell, now Revell of Germany, are probably smaller nowadays. Airfix are part of the Hornby empire which as far as I know hasn't made a trading profit for a fair number of years.

Okay fair enough, but the point is about how the companies act . Many companies maintain a "big company attitude" when their sales tell a different story. It's quite often fatal, and I don't want that for either Airfix or Revell. 

[NARSES2]

Okay fair enough, but the point is about how the companies act . Many companies maintain a "big company attitude" when their sales tell a different story. It's quite often fatal, and I don't want that for either Airfix or Revell. 

Fair do's but as I've said this Thread is alledgedly about Airfix not about our general experiences with companies customer relations departments.

Indeed we have a couple of Threads which can be used for this https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?board=5.0

[Weaver]

Gary's predictions for Airfix in 2026.

I think there are some quite sensible guesses here, both in terms of what they might do, and what they should do. The only one I'd argue with is the 1/48th Strikemaster, since Fly recently made one and KP have just reissued it.

[The Wooksta!]

Revell's Ju 88 doesn't make any money for Airfix.  And the Ju 88 is the only BoB Luftwaffe type Airfix haven't done.  The existing Airfix one is older than me and was a horrible kit 40 years ago, let alone now.  If they do one, lots of people will be very happy. Whether you buy or even want one is frankly immaterial.

People need to understand the fact that Airfix are not a charity, they are a business out to make money.  If they think they can make money from kit X in 53rd scale, they will and bugger what the keyboard warriors  think.  These people, many wanting niche subjects of interest to perhaps 3 people and a dog, are less than a percent of a percent.

Myself?  I can't see anything that Airfix will release being of interest to me or even on my wishlist.  Given that wockney canker billionaire and former ruiner of NUFC Mike Ashley is a part shareholder of Hornby, I'd rather do without Airfix products, new or old, and not put a penny in his pockets.