Etiquette

[old sarge]

I think everyone here whether an old timer or a new member will agree that the SI forum is a great watering hole.  It is lively, and busy. Good fun and informative. An equally important function of the forum is that prospective buyers of an electric smoker, be it the MES, SI, ST, CS, Old Smokey, to name a few, will in their web crawling hit as many sites and forums as possible. While some may join just to ask questions, others will be data gathering to make an informed decision and a subsequent purchase either here or there.

Tips, tricks and recipes by members are fun to read and try. Learning how to wring out the most performance from the smoker and/or the most flavor from a hunk of meat is even better. I once ruined a perfectly good pork butt by using too much wood. Way too much.  And I posted that disaster on several forums regarding 'how much wood' to use, and in roughly 100+ PMs (here, there and every where). The over smoking left a very bad taste in ones mouth (mine and the family dog). And I think I may have headed off a few bad smokes when I started telling folks a couple of years ago that I actually weigh my wood and cut it into 1 and 2 ounce pieces. And I received not a few PMs that regarded me as some sort of nut for weighing the wood.  Let's just say 12 ounces of hickory for a 9 lb butt is a disaster.

As bad as that butt turned out, and as bitter as it was, any problem I may have had with my smoker or the gas grill, or the stick burner was written in such a way that its contents would leave no bitter after taste to the reader or forum member, if I thought I needed to post. I never posted to vent, never brought up a person's name except in the best light, and if I double or triple posted the same issue, it was on multiple forums; never the same forum in multiple places.

I don't believe anyone who owns an SI smoker, or another smoker, made the purchase blindly, expecting more than advertised. And I don't believe anyone truly expects perfection out of anything made by the hand of man.  Some problem may exist and is easily remedied. Sometimes it may be best and respectful to deal in a more private manner rather than using the forum as a soap box.  And this all goes back to that prospective customer. What will he or she remember?

David
The old sarge

 

[DivotMaker]

Thank you, Dave; very eloquently put!  No matter what you expect from a product, the realities of how it actually perform are somewhat subjective.  I, for one, expected good smoked meat from my #1, upon ordering.  What I got was exactly what I expected, and more!  I am not a "precise" man who analyzes every minute detail to the en'th degree.  I look at the big picture.  If the results are where I want them to be, I'm happy!  If the results actually exceed what I expect, I'm even happier!  That's my experience with SI!  Every turn, on this journey, has yielded unexpected happiness.  I know that sounds sappy, but it's the truth!  Great product, and great people in the company that really believe in making the best smoker available today!

I echo what Dave said...problems, with any product, are going to happen.  But, rather than using venues, like the forum, as a soapbox for your discontent, handle the matter in private with the principals involved.  If you don't reach any satisfaction, then by all means, publish your problems.  As Dave said, though, limit your problem to one thread.  No need to post multiple threads about the same issue.  Listen to the advice, try solutions on another smoke, then discuss that.  No sense rehashing the same problem over and over.

 

[benjammn]

I have to interject here. I have a extensive manufacturing knowledge from past and can attest to that field.
There is always a projected percentage of failures due to manufacturing tolerances. Say you produce 1000 units you might have a 10% or less fail rate. That would mean that ~100 or less would be bad just because tolerances were so. But I believe from the reviews on this forum that SI is closer to 1% or so. The product is solid and the overall condition is top notch. If you are one of the few that is having problems then you are one of the few. You will get a plethora of info from this forum that will help you out. Hopefully before you decide to return the product. We all have tried everything and are actively trying to help others to get where you need to be.
We, members of this forum, are actively trying to make everyone's lives better with the SI units they have. Tons of info.
Just remember that nothing is perfect from a production aspect. There will be discrepencies, just make sure you ask the right people (Steve).

 

[old sarge]

I concur. And seeing that I signed my last name, I double checked what I wrote. I reckon I was venting.  And I am taking off my last name lest it be linked to bathing attire. As the old saying goes, "stuff happens". It's all good.

 

[DivotMaker]

Great points, Ben!

 

[Thesneakyzebra]

I think as long as things are not innapropriate a forum is a great place to be open and honest while still courteous. If it gets beyond that than it is best for someone to come along side the individual and help them straighten out a bit. Some of the free standing forums get a bit out there and need to be better moderated.

 

[old sarge]

So very true.

 

[Paul Case Luca]

... And like Steve told me the only way he wants it is for this to be an open forum.

That's the only way to keep it real.

That said all things should be allowed less obvious things in poor taste. Literally and figuratively.

 

[DivotMaker]

Absolutely, Steve!  Open discussion is great.  We've been extremely fortunate to not have the personal attacks and such that so many forums experience.  We have a great bunch of "civil" members, and I thank everyone for that!

 

[es1025]

I agree, I think as long as you are honest and asking for help it's fine.  If you have a beef with the product call Steve, I have dropped him many emails and he has answered my emails in a timely fashion.  Heck, he told me to wait for the May sale last year.  We should be fortunate to have an owner who cares, and moderators who participate daily.  I am a big promoter for this product.

 

[old sarge]

Exactly.