RE: Banana hobbie's new f18
Wow this was a lot of reading. I was going to buy a BH thrust vectoring F-16 but decided on the Hobby Lobby F-18 ARF. It shipped out this morning and from what I have found this might be the best foamie F-18 available. IT really is a shame that Banana Hobby has had so many problems because they really do have cool products. If they would produce fighter jets that have good servos like hitec, or futaba, and sell them at a higher cost I think it would be more successful. I paid more money than I originally intended for the plane I ordered but I don't have any fear that I made a mistake.
Pete I am a small business owner and it sounds to me like you need to offer the airframes and then let people select on different servo/radio/ ESC/ EDF/motor combos that you recommend at respective prices. What would be the problem with offering a RTF version that has a Spektrum radio quality retracts and quality ESC/EDF unit/Motor. I think you would lose a lot of your troubles if you offered products similar to this.Let the customer choose quality products that they want in their aircraft. Offer different options but make sure that everything you put out there is quality and not junk.
In my business the parts I install either work or they don't. I feel better about giving a customer a higher estimate and informing them that they are buying a quality product. People know that they can't get a RTF jet with Futaba, JR, or Hitec radio equipment for 300-500 dollars.
If I were in your position I would change my business model and get rid of all the junk or close up. As far as customer service goes it would benefit you greatly to have knowledgeable competent people working for you. When I called to inquire about your F-16 the girl on the phone acted like I was inconveinencing her and she had relatively no answers to my questions. Not to mention the fact that she was rude. This is not a way to get new customers and retaining old customers is your number one priority. You have a 50% greaterchance to sell a product to a returning customer than you do a new one. CUSTOMERRETENTION ONLY IS ACHEIVED THROUGH POSITIVE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES. That is pure and simple business.
To all who have been burned my heart goes out to all of you. I know how it feels to buy something and be so excited about it, only for it to be a piece of junk and dissapoint. Perhaps we should collaborateandstart a company that mimics the business model I illustrated above.
Zach