I am a demanding, vociferous and loyal consumer.  If I like a product or service, I let people know about my experience.  That said, if I feel slighted or the product/service does not meet expectations, someone of merit will know what transpired.  I invest in quality, appreciate value and expect performance. 

I will use this BLOG to review my personal experiences with specific companies, products and services.

Part 1

Product or Service	Grade	Website	Comments
TaylorMade Golf	A	http://taylormadegolf.com/	I have and continue to purchase TaylorMade golf equipment.  Their products are engineered to work for all types of golfers.  Their people are friendly, helpful and passionate about their products.  If something should go wrong, they stand behind their brand in order to ensure complete customer satisfaction.  Mark King is a masterful CEO that has secured my loyalty through constant innovation and premium service.
Comcast	D	www.comcast.com	I was a Comcast Triple Play (phone, internet & cable) customer for years.  While the offering was technically stable, and the content decent, the underlying customer service was consistently horrible.  The people at Comcast just don’t get it.  When I finally ended the relationship and migrated to DirecTV, Comcast made multiple financial offers to try to save me.  Further proof that they did not understand my issues and never tried correct their mistakes when I was actually a subscriber.
Copper Mountain Ski Resort	A	www.coppercolorado.com	Organizing skiing for a family of four (with 2 young children) is challenging.  Having Kim Casey (Ski and Ride School Sales Manager) on your side makes the experience a painless one.  Kim’s personality is infectious and she works hard to ensure your time on the mountain is enjoyable. Skiing is EXPENSIVE so when you make the investment, you need positive results.  The Copper instructors are phenomenal and have done a great job teaching my boys how to ski.
Winter Park Ski Resort	B	www.winterparkresort.com	After a disappointing first experience at Winter Park, Tom Carey and his team ensured that our next trip to the mountain was an incredible one.  The terrain is varied, and the resort does not attract tourists so lines are moderate.  My kids enjoyed their instructor and we all look forward to future trips to Winter Park.
William Joseph	A	www.williamjoseph.net	I own Willy J packs, jackets, waders and tools.  Their products represent quality, durability and great functionality.  When I have technical questions, their service team responds quickly and accurately.  Willy J represents value in a pricey marketplace.
Texas Roadhouse	A	www.texasroadhouse.com	My family eats at Texas Roadhouse in Parker, CO about twice a month.  The food is good, reasonably priced and the service is great.  We recommend the ribs and fried catfish.  Get there early as the line forms quickly.
PowerBlock Elite Set	A	www.powerblock.com	I purchased the Elite Set (around $600) about 10 years ago.   The PowerBlock is my primary weight set.  The unit is perfectly engineered, extremely durable and very useful.  I have never had to contact customer service as the product is built to last.
Apple	A-	www.apple.com	I own 4 iPods, two iPhones and an iPad 2.  I despise the fact that I am dependent on Apple for my music and much of my daily information.   When my iPad and iPhone 4s went haywire weeks after I purchased the products, Apple stepped up and worked diligently to fix my equipment.  My Apple technical contact (Eli Z.) was committed to find a solution.  The Apple Store (Englewood, CO) “Geniuses” were understanding, persistent and talented.  It took 3 trips and multiple calls but my products were eventually repaired.  As an apology, Apple presented me with a gift card.
Fishpond USA Open Range Tech Pack	D+	www.fishpondusa.com	My first purchase when I started fly fishing 4 years ago, was a Fishpond vest.  While the pack has tremendous functionality, the service I received from the company was poor.  I called the company to find out how to acquire additional inserts for my pack.  My first two calls/messages were ignored.  When I did get someone live, they told me to visit three fishing websites as they could not help me directly.  It took me over a month to purchase the insert.  After investing in Willy  J packs, I sold my Fishpond Open Range Tech Pack on EBay.
Beretta USA A400 Xplor Light, 12g, K/O AL391 Urika 2, 12g, K/O	B	www.berettausa.com	I own two Beretta shotguns; A400 Xplor Light 12 gauge as well as a AL391 Urika 2 12 gauge (both with kick off).  In the field, these guns perform flawlessly.  I have knocked down many game birds with these guns, and they have become my only choice in the field.  *That said, when I did call Beretta with questions regarding choke tubes, their service representative was uninformed and impatient.  I wanted to purchase more product and they would not or could not guide me to the appropriate offerings.  This was a really disappointing experience given my significant investment in Beretta products.
Canon SX20 IS	C	www.usa.canon.com/	I purchased a Canon SX20 IS from Best Buy in 2011.  This was my initial attempt at moving away from a point and shoot camera.  I experienced issues with the camera from day one, and outlined them for Canon.  There only feedback was to reset the settings on the camera (did not work).  I should have returned the unit to Best Buy instead of counting on Canon to honor the warranty.  The camera has not been used in over a year.
Callaway Golf	B	www.callawaygolf.com	There is not a Callaway product in my bag any longer.  TaylorMade accounts for 13 clubs and a Scotty Cameron is my putter choice.  That said, when I have to deal with Callaway customer service in the past, they have been friendly and extremely professional.   I would not hesitate to purchase a Callaway product in the future.
Escort Radar Passport S2	D-	http://www.escortradar.com/	I own five Escort radar detectors and they work great.  That said, when I called the company to order another unit (Passport S3), the sales representative was beyond rude.  Simple questions regarding the product resulted in a crass, sarcastic reply from the employee.  This went on for 5 minutes until I finally ended the conversation because I was so angry.  I have invested over $1,000 in Escort products over the years and was very disappointed in the way I was treated; considering I was calling to purchase another unit.

 

Definitions

Grade	Definition
A	Outstanding product and service.  I would buy again.
B	Good product and/or service.  I would probably again.
C	Mediocre product and/or service.  Would consider buying again, but would evaluate alternatives in the market.
D	Poor product and/or service.  I would not buy again.
F	Big mistake.