/little rant start/
I posted a couple of days ago, seeking companies to make a couple of parts for us. I've gotten a few good leads, and some requests for the drawings. However, I specifically and clearly asked that companies that were interested in this business from us email me contact information.
Maybe it's a sore point with me, or a pet peeve or what have you, but there have been some who replied to the newsgroup without emailing. This causes me to have to ask the question: [aside: hrm....how to phrase this...bluntly I guess is best policy....with no meaning of offense toward any particular person on this ng, I am just wanting to point out something very important in the business world.] From a buyers standpoint, if a vendor/prospective vendor does not or cannot follow simple instructions regarding the simple matter of supply of contact information, what confidence does this give to me, the buyer, that this vendor can provide parts that meet the instructions and/or specifications supplied for those parts?
Honestly, where this occurs, the prospective vendor's credibility is dramatically reduced immediately.
Now, again, I am not trying to harp on any paticular person or group of people, but honestly, this is the first thing that crossed my mind when I read the posts: How can I trust these folks to make our parts, when they can't or didn't bother to read/follow this simple instruction? IMHO, this gives a first impression of: a) lack of attention to detail, b) lack of professionalism, c) carelessness
I'm sure some will call this nit-picking and I'll get flamed by some for it, but it really is not. Think about it. Sure, this is an informal newsgroup, but the posts requesting quotes/companies were not informal, they were serious business requests. The newsgroup is not only an informal arena, it is also serves as a professional forum.
/end little rant/