AB Bashing

okiebob

Member
Join Date
May 2002
Location
McAlester, OK
Posts
98
This is related in a manner to the thread on AB merging/selling out, not to the merger or sale but the PROFESSIONALISM of the field / sales / Tech reps. I go to our local AB Distributor and meet for lunch in the company lunchroom (the size of a big walkin closet), eat sandwiches and chips, discuss the project in a BROAD view. Go to demo display area and get down to brass tacks. A couple of hours worth of playing with the new toys and discussing options and equipment then on to specing the system, We leave will a good feeling and understand our options. The sale was a small to medium one, not quite $30K in equipment. Sound good, well the ORIGINAL list carried in was for $54K and we were talked OUT of it. Why use this CARD when YOU can program that function, Things like that, well I for one KEEP GOING BACK to them. They are and were VERY PROFESSIONAL, now the PROGRAM is cleaner, the HARDWARE is LEANER and the whole system is easier to deal with, e.g. less spares, less chances of a failure. WAY TO GO AB . yes I do use other brands but when able to AB is it. Thanks for bearing with me Bob
 
If I am not mistaken Steve you once worked for GE which for me every where I have worked was nothing but order takers. I believe that is because they didnt make the effort to keep VERY qualified people as you.
 
Ron,

I didn't work for GE. I worked for the local GE distributor. We also had Micro Switch and Cutler-Hammer. I've also worked for a number of OEMs, and I've met my share of both salesmen and order-takers repping just about any brand you could name.
 
Either way it was GE's loss along with the others.

I have to agree with Bob, the only company that can make you bash em and love em at the same time is AB. One day you cant get anything from them or the distributor, the next they are wining and dining you and giving you options out the ying yang.

Technically considering the field they are in they are not a major player (financially) compared to many. When you do get there attention, which is better than 50/50, they can't do enough for you.

The closest, in a company, I have found so far is Siemens. At times they cant do enough, at other times you cant get an answer.

It does come down to local representatives in many places. I have bashed AB in my day but with hindsight I see that alot of the issues revolved around local distributor/representative. There aint but one Ken Roach, and he hasnt been in my region, more like him and I do believe AB would be a major dominant factor.
 
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More than just a sales

Sales was present at the that meeting, along with Tech and one of the new kids in training. Sure they gave up a little but they GAIN alot in the long run. When I was overseas (Egypt) this past fall, I needed parts and needed them right away, guess who was called and who got the parts to me. Thats right AB reps. Thanks folks
 
Just to add another voice to this, everyone so far has hit the nail on the head. It's not so much AB as it is the AB distributors that make the difference. Granted, it's up to Rockwell to develop solid products and continue research into new and better mousetraps. But it really is the distributors that ultimately help us all make our machines dance. If I'm really struggling I can make a phone call and have someone from our local AB distributor in my shop that day. And we are NOT a big customer to that distributor; it's just how they do business. There really is nothing like the personal touch. And, yes, that costs money. In the 'I want it to do it all and I want it for free' world we live in people often forget that the extra money spent on a product run through a good distributor (regardless of the product) is just an insurance policy that sooner or later you WILL cash in on.

Keith
 

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