On 10/25/2015 3:18 AM, philo wrote:

So, its not the size of the firm (the "dealership" is a
national chain; the manufacturer is a nationally known brand)
but, rather, the specifics of your relationships with each.

You are right.

I once made the mistake of taking my bicycle to a repair shop even though I
could have fixed it myself.
Lazy I guess.

It fell apart on the way home so I had to walk it for several miles...
then do the right thing and fix it myself.

Called the owner to complain and all she said was,
"Aw isn't that too bad."

Very glad when they went out of business within the next year or so.

I haven't been able to come to a conclusion as to which *sorts* of
businesses "should" be more concerned with their "image", in this
regard.

On the one hand, you can argue that small, locally owned businesses should
place a higher premium on their image as they tend to be *individuals*
known in the community -- not wanting their PERSONAL images tarnished
by the perceptions others form of their businesses.

OTOH, they can "fold up shop" and move to another town/city... or,
just reopen under a new name and start over. Very little "invested"
in their "business image".

Or, you can argue that large, national entities run the risk of
a "bad rep" becoming a widespread assessment of their organization
and then they have "no place to hide".

In our "mattress" case, we had two opportunities to seek a remedy;
with the retailer or with the manufacturer. So, thankfully, when
one fell flat, the other picked up the ball.

[I suspect there is actually a third entity involved: the firm that
the local retailer contracts with for *deliveries* -- the true
culprit in our scenario! The local retailer *may* get smart and
find another firm to provide this service. Or, may just want to
bottom feed...]