MR.JML,

I too believe that good customer service, in a competitive arena and given equal quality products, should be rewarded.

Care to be specific what you mean when you say you, "miss old values like decent, & honest customer service"?
I may not go back as far as you, and I'm only talking about Fly Fishing, but what is it you miss? The shop owners who told you what you had-to-have, or wouldn't answer your phone inquiry, or suggested you travel 2-3 hours to fish when conditions were clearly terrible, or hid the good fly tying stuff, or was always out of stock, or refused to look at a rod with an obvious manufacturers defect, or tried to make fly fishing mysterious, snobbish and belittled what you were using or had? Is that the customer service you mean?

The customer service areas of businesses have, for the most part, improved well beyond what it was. Actually, I can't recall what era it was when customer service, in general, was better than it is today. Sure there are exceptions today but, in the 60s, 70s and 80s good customer service was more the exception than the rule.
I just love it when people talk about the 'good ole days'. They weren't that good.

Allan

[This message has been edited by tyeflies (edited 18 October 2005).]