PSA: Thin-Red Line backorder pre-order... We're idiots

[onix]

If they offer MTM shirts, I will totally buy from them. At this level of customer services, I actually trust the company. Too bad, my size is too unusual to fit to any RTW shirts.

 

[upnorth]

their shirts are of very good quality. If they offered slim fits with tapered waist n button barrel cuffs at the current prices, i will buy for sure.

I've been very impressed with TRL overall.

Addendum: i don't want to give the impression that the current selection they have is tent like. They actually fit slimmer than some other jermyn street brands and a little more cloth actually wears cooler but not sloppily so. The convertible cuff is a nice touch

 

[DocHolliday]

I too have been very impressed with TRL and will order from them again in the future. It seems like a small company but with top-notch customer service. Sorry things didn't work out, but I appreciate all the effort TRL's made on SF's behalf.

 

[Mr. Moo]

Welp, I'm glad I got at least one pair of the AS shoes for ~$120.

 

[Trojanman74]

Originally Posted by Mr. Moo

Welp, I'm glad I got at least one pair of the AS shoes for ~$120.

yes the damn suede medallion captoe eludes me once more

 

[MalfordOfLondon]

Originally Posted by Mr. Moo

Welp, I'm glad I got at least one pair of the AS shoes for ~$120.

I bought a pair for £79 2 days ago - burnished calf. Always worth checking the page.

 

[D_K]

[Duplicate]

 

[jreigen]

I'm very impressed with TRL's level of service.

 

[Bounder]

SF members emailed Alfred Sargent directly saying
"it's great that you're doing this deal with Thin Red Line". This
has proved to be quite counter-productive as AS took this as an
example of how uncontrollable information is on the internet

Oh, please. Sargent makes OK shoes but their management are clearly twits. Information is uncontrollable on the Internet? Wow. Imagine that! I'm glad that this saga has brought to their attention something that is well-known to computer-literate ten-year-olds.

No one at SF -- and certainly no one posting on this thread -- really has anything to blame themselves for. As Hereward pointed out, there are a myriad of simple ways to control these kinds of deals that don't involve blasting a single, general-purpose discount code out to everyone in the entire world.

Sargent really needs to buck itself up and join the twentieth century. Their understanding of the internet is abysmal and their marketing is not much better. They have turned an opportunity for generating goodwill and publicity into a PR flop -- and they could certainly use some decent publicity after their antics regarding their former employees. It would have been quite easy, for example, for them to throw SF a small bone in the context of opening their new website.

SF is not that big a deal in the overall scheme of things. But it is an opinion leader as are many of the people who post here. Smart companies realize that even a single customer is important. B-school studies suggest that a single customer with a negative experience will complain, on average, to 11 other people. Squandering an opportunity here suggests a serious cluelessness among Sargent's management that does not bode well for its future.

 

[Ed Sullivan]

Squandering an opportunity here suggests a serious cluelessness among Sargent's management that does not bode well for its future

Good point.

 

[ThinkDerm]

Originally Posted by Bounder

Oh, please. Sargent makes OK shoes but their management are clearly twits. Information is uncontrollable on the Internet? Wow. Imagine that! I'm glad that this saga has brought to their attention something that is well-known to computer-literate ten-year-olds.

No one at SF -- and certainly no one posting on this thread -- really has anything to blame themselves for. As Hereward pointed out, there are a myriad of simple ways to control these kinds of deals that don't involve blasting a single, general-purpose discount code out to everyone in the entire world.

Sargent really needs to buck itself up and join the twentieth century. Their understanding of the internet is abysmal and their marketing is not much better. They have turned an opportunity for generating goodwill and publicity into a PR flop -- and they could certainly use some decent publicity after their antics regarding their former employees. It would have been quite easy, for example, for them to throw SF a small bone in the context of opening their new website.

SF is not that big a deal in the overall scheme of things. But it is an opinion leader as are many of the people who post here. Smart companies realize that even a single customer is important. B-school studies suggest that a single customer with a negative experience will complain, on average, to 11 other people. Squandering an opportunity here suggests a serious cluelessness among Sargent's management that does not bode well for its future.
companies have their heads up their asses, seriously.

 

[kev777]

Does smack of an opportunity lost considering the "troubles" they have recently been through. They could have regained some valuable territory and im concerned that a long standing ally in TRL couldnt even lead the horse to water................

 

[marin]

Originally Posted by Bounder

Sargent really needs to buck itself up and join the twentieth century. Their understanding of the internet is abysmal and their marketing is not much better. They have turned an opportunity for generating goodwill and publicity into a PR flop -- and they could certainly use some decent publicity after their antics regarding their former employees.

+1

I commended TRL earlier in this post on their handling of this situation. I firmly believe TRL made every effort to provide the best possible service to their customers. Unfortunately, AS has presented an unsurmountable obstacle, and TRL cannot be held responsible for this. Like others, I have a very positive impression of TRL. Not only will I be a future customer, but I will also recommend TRL to others.

I cannot say the same of AS. Interesting that AS, even as it is attempting to move upward and compete in the MTO market where successful companies must provide top-tier service to match top-quality products, has squandered this opportunity to generate goodwill and positive publicity.

 

[clintonf]

Hi,

As a recent customer of AS and not a customer of TRL, I feel compelled to put my thoughts on some of the above posts.

As the internet is a potentially uncontrolled method of providing information, accurate or otherwise, I presume that other AS customers (i.e. Retail outlets, such as Pediwear, Peal and Co and many others) would be pleased to know of the "deal" that TRL and AS may have made (or some SF members would have like them to have made in order to save themselves some money)?

I cannot comment on what transpired between TRL and AS, but I presume the people making the negative comments would be as harsh if it were a different company (Green, Lobb, Grenson, et al.)?

I would have imagined that if a company was in financial difficulties, the last thing they would need is to potential set the "cat amongst the pigeons" by making special deals with certain suppliers. After all, I KNOW many company's do read forums such as ours.

Perhaps, it may have been another approach to canvas AS directly as a group of individuals and see what AS could do for those individuals, rather than via an outlet. The results may have been exactly the same, but the reasons for the rejection would have had to have been different.

The thing which has been noted about the internet is that it doesn't take much for mis-information or innuendo to spread. This forum is a powerful medium, with some very knowledgeable members.

However, I can't help but wonder how boycotting companies such as AS will help the hundreds of people who still rely on traditional manufacturing as their livelihood?

What happened at AS wasn't nice, wasn't pleasant for the people who suffered and probably wasn't fair. However, I understand that they acted within the Law. So, however people view it (including me), they are not the first company to do it and they probably won't be the last.

However, will AS be allowed to forget and get on with the business of making shoes? I suspect not. But how is this helping the 80 or so staff that remains?

So, please by all means, bemoan the "idiots" at AS. But please separate financial business considerations from the need to get a "bargain".


I'll be posting a thread about my factory visit to AS later today, if anyone's interested.

Clint

 

[pandemic]

Things like this can really hurt a companys reputation...