Jimislash has a new Competition Chopper

[Juan Lopez]

I imagine the warm response he has received here will endear him to stick around.

I must say that I do not want to live in a world where we avoid making complaints or claims to large companies or their representatives so that we get them to be condescending and agree to have some communication with us customers. It is good to have Mr. Shaun Cauzin participating in the forum, but he's not here to pay us a courtesy that we should be grateful for. Not to mention that it is sad that after so many requests, a representative has finally appeared precisely for this topic. It is a moral obligation of every company to maintain fluid and committed communication with its customers. And treat its employees as human beings worthy of respect. And I am not talking about the legal issues here.

 

[Chefget]

I must say that I do not want to live in a world where we avoid making complaints or claims to large companies or their representatives so that we get them to be condescending and agree to have some communication with us customers. It is good to have Mr. Shaun Cauzin participating in the forum, but he's not here to pay us a courtesy that we should be grateful for. Not to mention that it is sad that after so many requests, a representative has finally appeared precisely for this topic. It is a moral obligation of every company to maintain fluid and committed communication with its customers. And treat its employees as human beings worthy of respect. And I am not talking about the legal issues here.

Maybe

But BF certainly has done a smashing job in driving off many of the most influencial members of the larger knife community, through lack of common civility one should extend to even a stranger.

Guess they all didn't realize they had to be here

 

[not2sharp]

Maybe

But BF certainly has done a smashing job in driving off many of the most influencial members of the larger knife community, through lack of common civility one should extend to even a stranger.

Guess they all didn't realize they had to be here

That depends; if they are peddling rubbish we are going to latch on to that and give them grief for it. But, as long as they make an honest effort they can win over a group of very loyal customers. People like Joe Houser have done a lot to promote their brands, while other like Kevin Mclung only managed to burn their brand down.

n2s

 

[Juan Lopez]

Maybe

But BF certainly has done a smashing job in driving off many of the most influencial members of the larger knife community, through lack of common civility one should extend to even a stranger.

Guess they all didn't realize they had to be here

I think we're getting off topic. Are we still talking about the GSM representative?

 

[ricklikesknives]

I must say that I do not want to live in a world where we avoid making complaints or claims to large companies or their representatives so that we get them to be condescending and agree to have some communication with us customers. It is good to have Mr. Shaun Cauzin participating in the forum, but he's not here to pay us a courtesy that we should be grateful for. Not to mention that it is sad that after so many requests, a representative has finally appeared precisely for this topic. It is a moral obligation of every company to maintain fluid and committed communication with its customers. And treat its employees as human beings worthy of respect. And I am not talking about the legal issues here.

That is exactly what his presence here is.. a courtesy for which we should be grateful. As much as we may want them to, companies have zero obligation to disclose any reasoning behind their business decisions. It's nice when they do and I feel that Shaun has actually been pretty transparent here.. certainly more than he needs to be. You, me, we may not like the answers, but at least he has showed up to provide some. It's one thing to politely question GSM's business decisions in good faith (e.g. the left-handed pocket clip issue or the apparent decline in customer support).. it's another thing entirely to angrily disparage them. Idk about you, but nowhere in MY job description does it say that I must maintain a company-related presence in a public forum and reply to every @sshole on the internet. I bet that gets old pretty quick. I imagine Shaun has better things he could be doing with his work-day and will only tolerate so much harassment here before going silent again..

 

[jlauffer]

That is exactly what his presence here is.. a courtesy for which we should be grateful. As much as we may want them to, companies have zero obligation to disclose any reasoning behind their business decisions. It's nice when they do and I feel that Shaun has actually been pretty transparent here.. certainly more than he needs to be. You, me, we may not like the answers, but at least he has showed up to provide some. It's one thing to politely question GSM's business decisions in good faith (e.g. the left-handed pocket clip issue or the apparent decline in customer support).. it's another thing entirely to angrily disparage them. Idk about you, but nowhere in MY job description does it say that I must maintain a company-related presence in a public forum and reply to every @sshole on the internet. I bet that gets old pretty quick. I imagine Shaun has better things he could be doing with his work-day and will only tolerate so much harassment here before going silent again..

But BF does require that manufacturers provide a moderator in order to have a subforum here. We have been lucky that Spark has let it slide so far since the buyout, but who knows how long that will last before he decides to archive it, or worse, GSM asks for it to be closed.

 

[dogstar]

That is exactly what his presence here is.. a courtesy for which we should be grateful. As much as we may want them to, companies have zero obligation to disclose any reasoning behind their business decisions. It's nice when they do and I feel that Shaun has actually been pretty transparent here.. certainly more than he needs to be. You, me, we may not like the answers, but at least he has showed up to provide some. It's one thing to politely question GSM's business decisions in good faith (e.g. the left-handed pocket clip issue or the apparent decline in customer support).. it's another thing entirely to angrily disparage them. Idk about you, but nowhere in MY job description does it say that I must maintain a company-related presence in a public forum and reply to every @sshole on the internet. I bet that gets old pretty quick. I imagine Shaun has better things he could be doing with his work-day and will only tolerate so much harassment here before going silent again..

You know what would have quelled 14 pages of disenchanting discourse? The truth. Instead of trying to spin the facts, a little humility would have gone a long way.

I'm just not hearing your little . I guess that makes me an a$$hole.

 

[Juan Lopez]

That is exactly what his presence here is.. a courtesy for which we should be grateful. As much as we may want them to, companies have zero obligation to disclose any reasoning behind their business decisions. It's nice when they do and I feel that Shaun has actually been pretty transparent here.. certainly more than he needs to be. You, me, we may not like the answers, but at least he has showed up to provide some. It's one thing to politely question GSM's business decisions in good faith (e.g. the left-handed pocket clip issue or the apparent decline in customer support).. it's another thing entirely to angrily disparage them. Idk about you, but nowhere in MY job description does it say that I must maintain a company-related presence in a public forum and reply to every @sshole on the internet. I bet that gets old pretty quick. I imagine Shaun has better things he could be doing with his work-day and will only tolerate so much harassment here before going silent again..

Wow!!... Is it serious? Is this some kind of religion? Well, I think that, despite the criticism, everyone here has been polite enough, until "someone" came out talking about "@$$holes" and "good faith". I don't know, it seems we hit a sensitive point here.

 

[not2sharp]

That is exactly what his presence here is.. a courtesy for which we should be grateful. As much as we may want them to, companies have zero obligation to disclose any reasoning behind their business decisions. It's nice when they do and I feel that Shaun has actually been pretty transparent here.. certainly more than he needs to be. You, me, we may not like the answers, but at least he has showed up to provide some. It's one thing to politely question GSM's business decisions in good faith (e.g. the left-handed pocket clip issue or the apparent decline in customer support).. it's another thing entirely to angrily disparage them. Idk about you, but nowhere in MY job description does it say that I must maintain a company-related presence in a public forum and reply to every @sshole on the internet. I bet that gets old pretty quick. I imagine Shaun has better things he could be doing with his work-day and will only tolerate so much harassment here before going silent again..

I sure hope you are not in marketing.

n2s

 

[BD_01]

That is exactly what his presence here is.. a courtesy for which we should be grateful.

Call it what it really is. Damage control. Saying otherwise is naive.

That said, I think Mr. Cazin’s presence in this thread and on this forum is a good thing. I don’t possess the skills to jump into a situation like this and conduct myself with the decorum he has shown (whether or not you agree or disagree with him). I respect that.

Perhaps this situation is a nidus for ongoing engagement, which would be awesome. I notice he has not made a commitment in this regard (or maybe I just missed it). Time will be telling.

 

[killgar]

Courtesy? I don't consider it a "courtesy" for a company representative to come here and address the very real issues that paying customers are having with that companies products. I consider that just plain good business, and good customer relations.

Gratitude? My "gratitude" has to be EARNED, you have to contribute something meaningful for me to be grateful. You don't get my gratitude by just showing up, much less just showing up only when it serves your interests.

It's a safe bet that most, if not the vast majority of members who frequent this sub-forum have purchased multiple Cold Steel products, and recommended Cold Steel products to countless others, resulting in even more sales. I'm sure there are many here who have individually spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on Cold Steel products.

I say, if there's any "gratitude" to be given out, GSM/Cold Steel should be grateful to the customers who have spent their hard earned money buying CS products and helping to make Cold Steel a successful and profitable business, the kind of business that GSM would want to buy (the lions share of credit going to Lynn Thompson and his designers). I don't think a little company representation here is a lot to ask in return for our business.

And as far as GSM/Cold Steel personnel not wanting to participate in this forum because we're all a bunch of meanies, let me say this- This is a Cold Steel Knife Forum. It's not some "non-triggering, safe-space" where only the warmest and fuzziest of sentiments are allowed.

Cold Steel is known for making some of the toughest knives on earth, don't be surprised if the kind of people who buy Cold Steel knives speak bluntly and frankly, with no concern for sensitive feelings. In the knife business you're going to face some inevitable criticism, whether fair or unfair, a Cold Steel rep needs to be just as tough as the knives they sell.

GSM has had a rough start customer service wise. I hope it's just the result of the sale transition and covid/worker shortages. I hope they are able to do better down the road. Mistakes and temporary shortcomings can be forgiven, but if those mistakes and shortcomings become standard business practice, that cannot be forgiven, and people will spend their money elsewhere.

As someone who continues to buy and recommend Cold Steel products, I hope things improve. And I think it would be nice to have some company representation around here now and then. I think such a representative would find themselves welcome by many . After all, we're not really a bunch of meanies .

 

[jdk1]

Whether Shaun's presence here is good has yet to be seen. Damage control and spin are worthless and self-serving. Having a representative who is knowledgeable and can answer questions would be helpful. We haven't seen that yet, so it's a little early for popping champagne corks and patting each other on the back.

 

[SimplyMinded]

And as far as GSM/Cold Steel personnel not wanting to participate in this forum because we're all a bunch of meanies, let me say this- This is a Cold Steel Knife Forum. It's not some "non-triggering, safe-space" where only the warmest and fuzziest of sentiments are allowed.

Now now, stop picking on the feelings of the faceless corporation. Somewhere out there the CEO might get a little teared up while he lights a $100 cigar with a $20 bill he made from switching the knives to a lesser steel.

 

[jbmonkey]

Now now, stop picking on the feelings of the faceless corporation. Somewhere out there the CEO might get a little teared up while he lights a $100 cigar with a $20 bill he made from switching the knives to a lesser steel.

 

[PeteyTwoPointOne]

Gratitude? My "gratitude" has to be EARNED, you have to contribute something meaningful for me to be grateful. You don't get my gratitude by just showing up, much less just showing up only when it serves your interests.

It's a safe bet that most, if not the vast majority of members who frequent this sub-forum have purchased multiple Cold Steel products, and recommended Cold Steel products to countless others, resulting in even more sales. I'm sure there are many here who have individually spent hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on Cold Steel products.

I say, if there's any "gratitude" to be given out, GSM/Cold Steel should be grateful to the customers who have spent their hard earned money buying CS products and helping to make Cold Steel a successful and profitable business, the kind of business that GSM would want to buy (the lions share of credit going to Lynn Thompson and his designers). I don't think a little company representation here is a lot to ask in return for our business.

^^^ Arguably, the post of the year on BF 2022 ... timely, too! ^^^

 

[craytab]

I feel like a lot of you have no idea how these big successful multinational corporations work....

When LT sold the company to one, this sort of thing was inevitable.

 

[jdk1]

I feel like a lot of you have no idea how these big successful multinational corporations work....

When LT sold the company to one, this sort of thing was inevitable.

It's like I (would like to) tell my wife, "honey, its not that I don't understand, It's that I don't care."

 

[dogstar]

I feel like a lot of you have no idea how these big successful multinational corporations work....

When LT sold the company to one, this sort of thing was inevitable.

It doesn't mean we have to like it.

 

[killgar]

I don't think anyone who frequents this sub-forum has any illusions about what the sale of Cold Steel to GSM means for Cold Steel, or us as customers. After all we've been discussing that very topic for two years now. And the consensus has not been one of optimism.

Since the announcement of the sale, those who frequent this sub-forum have been predicting poor customer service from an uncaring corporation, lower quality products made of lower grade steel, and uninspiring designs. I'd say the members here have a firm grasp what the sale of Cold Steel to GSM means for Cold Steel, and us. And one doesn't have to look beyond the first page of threads to see discussions about members no longer buying Cold Steel products as a direct result.

But then something interesting happened. Someone from GSM/CS actually took the time to join Bladeforums. And they didn't just join up to post some corporate press release, some one-and-done post, no, they actually took the time, over the course of 6 days, and 22 posts, to provide their version of how one of Cold Steels products was designed, among other things, including posting pictures.

What that tells me is that someone at GSM/Cold Steel believes that what happens here at Bladeforums might actually matter in the knife world, that what the members here think might actually affect Cold Steel sales and GSM's corporate bottom line. Why else would they bother to go through all the time and trouble to do what I just described.

So if GSM cares that much about the sales of just ONE of their products, and is concerned enough about what we think to join up here, post 22 times over 6 days, with pictures, just maybe they will care what we think about other things, like the issues that are causing some to stop buying ANY of their products.

Time will tell, but no one is overly optimistic. We are well aware of the realities of corporate America.

 

[dogstar]

I don't think anyone who frequents this sub-forum has any illusions about what the sale of Cold Steel to GSM means for Cold Steel, or us as customers. After all we've been discussing that very topic for two years now. And the consensus has not been one of optimism.

Since the announcement of the sale, those who frequent this sub-forum have been predicting poor customer service from an uncaring corporation, lower quality products made of lower grade steel, and uninspiring designs. I'd say the members here have a firm grasp what the sale of Cold Steel to GSM means for Cold Steel, and us. And one doesn't have to look beyond the first page of threads to see discussions about members no longer buying Cold Steel products as a direct result.

But then something interesting happened. Someone from GSM/CS actually took the time to join Bladeforums. And they didn't just join up to post some corporate press release, some one-and-done post, no, they actually took the time, over the course of 6 days, and 22 posts, to provide their version of how one of Cold Steels products was designed, among other things, including posting pictures.

What that tells me is that someone at GSM/Cold Steel believes that what happens here at Bladeforums might actually matter in the knife world, that what the members here think might actually affect Cold Steel sales and GSM's corporate bottom line. Why else would they bother to go through all the time and trouble to do what I just described.

So if GSM cares that much about the sales of just ONE of their products, and is concerned enough about what we think to join up here, post 22 times over 6 days, with pictures, just maybe they will care what we think about other things, like the issues that are causing some to stop buying ANY of their products.

Time will tell, but no one is overly optimistic. We are well aware of the realities of corporate America.

I wish I could share your optimism, but I think the 22 posts were because their brand ambassador got his feelings hurt. If they cared about the people on this forum, it would not have taken 2 years for them to engage. Jimislash and Stickman have been active here, so GSM knew we were here all along.