My dear colleagues:
I have hesitated getting into this matter for a while now, but Mr. Runyan's
latest newsletter has tipped me over the edge. I read most of it last night
and most of the articles start off discussing the headline topic, but they
all wind up in a kind of pitch as to why I should swear allegiance to TRF.
Just as Charles had made choices in his business path, so will I make
choices on how and with whom I do business. When I did the restoration on
my car, the bulk of the money for parts was spent at TRF, many thousands of
dollars. I did this because I got the best deals at TRF, not because
Charles is a nice guy (he seems to be, but we've never met), or because I
thought he "deserved" the business. I am entirely pleased with my relations
with TRF. They did exactly as I expected; supplied the parts I wanted at a
reasonable price and quality in a timely fashion. I will continue to do
business with TRF at each opportunity.
Now I get a newsletter, produced at some expense I am sure, asking for some
contribution to keep him in business. What he is offering in return are
some premiums available to club members only; premiums that are not worth
the $100 entry fee to me. My question is then: What happened with the money
made selling me parts? If TRF are operating at a loss, it is certain they
won't be in business long. That is a shame. If they need to raise prices to
stay in business, be honest about it. If the Inn cost too much and caused
the Triumph end to suffer, that too is a shame. For me, I never asked
Charles to go into the restaurant business. It was his dream. If TRF goes
out of business because of bad choices, rather than poor sales figures,
there is very little I or anyone else on the List can do about it. It will
be a loss to all of us in the long run, but as has been said many times
before, it's his company. I'd be happy to hear any comments on this
opinion.
Philip E. Barnes '71 TR6 CC61193L
Cornell University
Newman Laboratory of Nuclear Studies
Ithaca, NY 14853
607-255-4951
peb3@cornell.edu
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