PAM'S DAY AT WHH

[Tony Castronovo]

A day in the life of Pam and Liz at WHH includes taking and packing upwards of 50 orders daily in model boating season, and judging from their packaging and shipping bench, which this morning the entire 20' of it is jam packed with orders getting ready to be shipped, it is open season!

 

During the holiday season and from March to September we literraly get swamped with orders, receiving over 50 per day. Since we manufacture 90% of our products, check, and hand assemble all components before they ship we can easily get behind in orders.

 

We ask that our customers order what they anticapate they will need ahead of the model boating season rush, so you will have them when you need them. Normal replacement parts are keep in large inventory and can be shipped within 24 hours of us receiving the order.

 

Ready to Run Enforcer Boats and hulls can get as far as 3 weeks behind during the model boating season, as currently we can only build two boats per day. Today WHH only employs 7 full time personal, and one part time, and due to the uncertainty of our countries economic condition, to hire and train additional workers, with the posibility of having to lay them off in the after season, is really not an option I wish to consider.

 

There is no doubt about it that the world economy has forced a change in our company as it has done for so many, those of us that are fortunete to remain in business. As of January 2011 WHH / EnforcerDirect has over 22,000 customers world wide in our data base. We are very appreciative to this, and work very hard trying to keep all of them, and you satisfied with our products and our company.

 

We / I thank you for your patience and understanding, especially Pam.

Sincerely, Tony C.

 

 

[Tom DeBiase]

You guys are the best. Always a quality product. Always help when you need it even when its not your product.

Customer for life,

Tom D.

[Finn Nohr]

Hi Tony, Pam and Team

 

I am another very satisfied customer and I agree with Tom D, you are always helpfull and openminded for input from the outside. Your handmade products make you unique, you hulls, your motors and your special gear.

 

This is worth waiting for.

 

best regards

Finn

[Tony Castronovo]

Finn, Thanks it is appreciated. I knew that once we took the company direct that we would have to deal one on one with many more customers than ever. When we had good dealers our job was much easier as they would attend to their needs.

This is beginning to become a serious problem in the states for the hobby industry, lack of stores and dealers also means lack of service. At our company meetings I explain to my employees to do the best they can as fast as they can but not to compromise quality.

 

I know that during season we will get behind, and I know that some guys may get upset, or even go to other places to purchase. I am not errogant to say that I am OK with that because I am not, but I have a better understanding than most how the hobby industry is working and changing, and quality will remain my number one concern.

 

Poor companies will begin to drop off, as well as those selling products at unrealistic profit margins, or those in business "to put others out", they will go away as well. The survivers will be companies that truly create and offer outstanding service for the remainder of the consumer base.

 

There are so many industries that have already gone and going through the 'Shake-down" the writtings on the wall for ours. Look at the custom motorcycle market, marine industry, and many others. 

 

I am starting to see and hear the disgust in guys whom purchased import copies from model boats to motorcycles. We have to be smarter on how we make, buy, and sell as manufactures and consumers. It makes no sense to me on why you would save $200.00 - 300.00 on a model boat for instance only to spend that and more, not counting time and effort to make the product functionable, and still not on an upper level?

 

This is fun for you and me, but it is mostly a business in my eyes, and I /  we must treat it like one so you guys can have fun for years to come.

 

Thanks,

Tony C.

[Jim C]

You guys are the best at what you do and I am looking forward to a great boating season this year!

 

Jim C

[Tony Castronovo]

Thanks Jim we / I do appreciate all of our customers, and so many of you have become great spokesmen for us and our products as well as friends of ours. We know we can't run a perfect ship, but I am trying very hard to get my boys on board of how important it is to listen, and respond to our customer base with what they want an what they need, at prices they can afford, and not what's always best for them and WHH.

 

I have no idea what the future will hold for our industry, company, hobby... I do know that I have offered so much free advice to companies and people in the position to make a difference in our industry over the years, mostly to deaf ears. Sometimes the ignorance is overwhelming and I can't for the life understand the reasoning outside of greed, or errogant thinking that they know what's best for the customers and what they want, only to be told as recient as yesterday for instance that, even though you guys may have hobby shops still in business in your area that don't cater to model boating, or maybe at the most a very limited mindset and inventory, that you still go to these places because you like to look around?

 

My response was, that the model boaters are probably 80% mail order based today, and that was dismissed.

This is the reason I maintain and pay for this Forum, so I can keep a good place for all you guys to come and share as well as keep a pulse on what you want and or need. Even how you guys feel about the industry and ways of changing it.

 

A long time ago, in the 90's I was sitting in a bar at a trade show with my buddy from IMEX, and we were trying to figure where the industry was heading, and what role we would play as the few remaining domestic manufactures. Billy said to me that too many people are stupid in this industry making decisions, and I said no not stupid, "stupid I can deal with, you can teach stupid, you can't teach ignorance".

I know that is a harsh statement, and using those two words are probably not really appropriete, but there's so much truth to that in our day to day decisions that are made for us and we all make. Sometimes I think people let their out-of-control emotions and egos which = ignorance, make damaging decisions just to keep their / the status-quo.

I too catch myself at times, but now I sleep on it for a day or so and think of the after-effects and whom it may hurt, and inevitably maybe even me / us, just like writing this comment here, which is not completely off track from the model boating industry, and lack of it for that matter.

I always want to hear what our customers are thinking. I will continue to lobby for a positive forward direction with those that can make a difference, or at the very least as Warehouse Hobbies.