20051015
On Bird's and one other point:
Some of us are a little older so we can recall "Japanese Junk" transistor radios from back in the 60s, trashy looking Japanese cars in the 70s (have you seen the early ones? Yuk!), etc.
As Wm Windom said in The Doomsday Machine, "...Not 'ny more!"
My point is that not everything from overseas is (or continues to be) junk but it sure seems to start that way. And would anyone disagree that such competition fuels innovation, lowers costs, etc, as it has in the domestic auto industry. Maybe a little too much, but it works.
And one poster's point about variations in stores due to management personnel is ever true these days. I think, personally, that it is due to too much pressure on local management for profits rather than achieving good customer service, employee retention, etc, goals. Thus unpredictable is the result on the people we the public deal with.
You just get better service in stores with happy employees.
I know the bean counting end as a CPA formerly of Price Waterhouse and Arthur Andersen (the once great). I tell my employees at our retail establishment that the top line is most important (sales, getting customers in and back), and with reasonable attention to expenses, waste, etc, we'll all be happy, things will turn out OK.
Just my 2¢ worth as a retailer for 20 years (restaurant), also!
[/Chalkley mode]
Jim