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Beth Stackpole
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Blogger
Slow and steady revenue stream
Beth Stackpole   3/1/2012 6:57:57 AM
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It's always the little things that cause the biggest inconveniences. They have to figure that a consumer will gladly shell out $17 for a latch replacement instead of having to replace the door (I'm actually surprised they didn't tell you that there were no latch replacements available, thus a door replacement was in order). And in that way, there's incremental revenue to be had during the lifetime of the door purchase--afterall, how many home owners are swapping out doors earlier than a decade or more?

Ann R. Thryft
User Rank
Blogger
A discouraging story
Ann R. Thryft   3/1/2012 12:53:59 PM
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Wow, that's a discouraging story. Andersen is not exactly a small company. In fact, they're huge. Sounds like not only have they taken their manufacturing to China, but are going for the lowest cost possible, or not spending enough on QC of their designs, or both.

BTW, I had to look up the definition of "storm door." In California, if we have an outer door it's a screen door for use in summer, not a solid one for use in winter. 


Rob Spiegel
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Blogger
Re: A discouraging story
Rob Spiegel   3/1/2012 1:31:53 PM
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Yes, I can understand the "storm door" would be an unusual term if you're in California. I grew up in Michigan, and every fall we had to put on our storm doors and storm windows to keep the cold out. In the spring, we removed the storm doors and windows and replaced them with the screen doors and screen windows.

Ann R. Thryft
User Rank
Blogger
Re: A discouraging story
Ann R. Thryft   3/1/2012 2:46:16 PM
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Thanks, Rob. The things we learn when we ask questions...! I didn't know "storm" doors were about severe cold. That makes a lot more sense. Sounds like they should be called "cold" doors. We can have extremely severe rainstorms in the mountains here, as much as 24 inches in 24 hours (granted that was an end-of-the-Bell-curve storm in 1982 before I moved here), or even 8 inches in an hour, which I have experienced. That's enough water force to knock a husband off the roof who's up there putting down tarps, since it's also enough force to get in through even well-laid roof tiles. Anyway, we have major storms but no storm doors, hence my curiosity.


Tim
User Rank
Platinum
Weakest link
Tim   3/1/2012 8:38:37 PM
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This is an example of how something is only as strong as its weakest link.  I am sure that the door cost at least $200, and it is too bad to see that a $2 ($17 as a spare part) assembly could cause the door to be basically non-operational.

Mydesign
User Rank
Platinum
Re: A discouraging story
Mydesign   3/1/2012 10:11:33 PM
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1 saves
Robert, Eventhough they know the faults, why they are still continuing with the flaw design. Is there any basic intention behind such moves like, since it’s a proprietary design nobody else can repair it. I think they have plans for a new design, which can address these issues. Otherwise it may affect the reputation and marketing value of products.

jmiller
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Slow and steady revenue stream
jmiller   3/1/2012 11:30:36 PM
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I just hate the fact that American companies have come to the place where it appears that they just don't care anymore.  This is just so frustrating.  What happened to American Pride in manufacturing a quality product.

didymus7
User Rank
Platinum
Re: Slow and steady revenue stream
didymus7   3/2/2012 9:10:29 AM
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Actually the answer is probably simpler that that:  They have a new design for next year, so why bother redesiging the latch on an obsolete product?

fredsay
User Rank
Gold
Re: Slow and steady revenue stream
fredsay   3/2/2012 9:15:37 AM
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" What happened to American Pride in manufacturing a quality product."

I'm guessing we outsourced it to China.

DB_Wilson
User Rank
Gold
Perhaps Some Visibility Is Needed
DB_Wilson   3/2/2012 9:30:09 AM
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Perhaps having someone at a high level in Anderson received a copy of the post and a link to this website would encourage Anderson to address the latch failures.  I've seen a number of problems go unaddressed until someone in management realized there was a problem.

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