"They don't make them like they used to" implies that the manufacturers are the problem but in reality, we the people are the problem. We keep insisting on the cheapest (financially) product when we shop and then exclaim in surprise when it doesn't last as long because in order to make it cheap enough to compete, the manufacturer had to go with cheaper subcomponents.
I used to work as an engineer in the appliance industry. The company I worked for was known for it's quality, but not it's low price. We had our diehard consumers, but our base was continually eroded year after year because the clients often pointed out that they could by two of brand X for the same price as ours. When you told them ours would last three times as long, they would laugh because everyone expects all products to be made using cheap components whether that was the case or not.
Also, have you heard of the Walmart Effect? Essentially it is the name of a trend for a large scale distribution place, i.e. Walmart, driving the market of everything due to economies of scale. So for example, when all the cheap selling appliances manufacturers demand that Company XYZ make sub component D for their appliance cheaper or they will go elsewhere, Company XYZ does. Then companies like mine have a hard time finding better versions of component D that will last longer so even our products are cheapened against our wishes.
Not sure I have a solution to all of this. There are still a few brands out there that have pushed back against the Walmart Effect and still make quality products. But they are getting harder to find as we the people keep insisting on purchasing the cheapest item out there.
You are correct they don’t make them like they used to… Especially the refrigerator. We have a like problem with the icemaker… I bet we have the same brand!
Oh my goodness! You get an exclamation from me, Bob, first of all because you finally made me want to say something badly enough to created a profile (lol), and secondly... you hit a sore spot. I'm editing my ridiculously long comment to just say this... Since moving into our new-to-us house a little over a year ago, we've had to deal with this a few times already. Replacing things, and right out of the gate being warned the new items probably won't last long either. When the sales people don't even try to hide that they're selling junk we know we're in trouble.
"They don't make them like they used to" implies that the manufacturers are the problem but in reality, we the people are the problem. We keep insisting on the cheapest (financially) product when we shop and then exclaim in surprise when it doesn't last as long because in order to make it cheap enough to compete, the manufacturer had to go with cheaper subcomponents.
I used to work as an engineer in the appliance industry. The company I worked for was known for it's quality, but not it's low price. We had our diehard consumers, but our base was continually eroded year after year because the clients often pointed out that they could by two of brand X for the same price as ours. When you told them ours would last three times as long, they would laugh because everyone expects all products to be made using cheap components whether that was the case or not.
Also, have you heard of the Walmart Effect? Essentially it is the name of a trend for a large scale distribution place, i.e. Walmart, driving the market of everything due to economies of scale. So for example, when all the cheap selling appliances manufacturers demand that Company XYZ make sub component D for their appliance cheaper or they will go elsewhere, Company XYZ does. Then companies like mine have a hard time finding better versions of component D that will last longer so even our products are cheapened against our wishes.
Not sure I have a solution to all of this. There are still a few brands out there that have pushed back against the Walmart Effect and still make quality products. But they are getting harder to find as we the people keep insisting on purchasing the cheapest item out there.
Great insight. It’s easy to whine about how they don’t make things like they used to but, as usual, there is another side of the story.
Preach it!
You are correct they don’t make them like they used to… Especially the refrigerator. We have a like problem with the icemaker… I bet we have the same brand!
Oh my goodness! You get an exclamation from me, Bob, first of all because you finally made me want to say something badly enough to created a profile (lol), and secondly... you hit a sore spot. I'm editing my ridiculously long comment to just say this... Since moving into our new-to-us house a little over a year ago, we've had to deal with this a few times already. Replacing things, and right out of the gate being warned the new items probably won't last long either. When the sales people don't even try to hide that they're selling junk we know we're in trouble.