February 13, 2006
Dear Forum Users:
I'm writing to you from the marketing & public relations department at Bradley Technologies Canada Inc. This position was newly created in January to over-see all matters relating to marketing, advertising, public relations and the website. I've had a chance to review the e-mails many of you have sent us in frustration about the forum.
I have personally brought this matter to the forefront of my department's priorities and have coordinated with our current provider and the one that we are transitioning to, in order to meet the demands the forum has put onto our existing system, to get all problems fixed immediately.
I am personally meeting with our IT company and new hosting provider this week so that we can expedite the issues with the forum, and that's why I wanted to take the time to post here, to make sure you knew that your frustrations are not going unanswered. The website is in the process of receiving a massive make-over, and the forum will continue to be a strong part of it.
As Bradley Technologies Canada Inc. and our line of products continue to grow, so does our fanbase. We value all of our customers and their loyalty to us and hope that you continue to use the forum to exchange ideas for recipes, smoking, and discuss new products coming out.
Thanks again for your comments and especially your patience.
Best,
MARTIN MAYER - Manager
Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Department
Bradley Technologies Canada, Inc.
Any particular reason it's taken so long to get a "public" response on this issue?
Grab me another Stout
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by BTI Canada PR</i>
<br />This position was newly created in January....
I have personally brought this matter to the forefront of my department's priorities....
I am personally meeting with our IT company and new hosting provider this week so that we can expedite the issues with the forum, and that's why I wanted to take the time to post here, to make sure you knew that your frustrations are not going unanswered. The website is in the process of receiving a massive make-over, and the forum will continue to be a strong part of it.
...and hope that you continue to use the forum to exchange ideas for recipes, smoking, and discuss new products coming out.
MARTIN MAYER - Manager
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Seems to me like Martin has our best interests at heart & we owe him the chance to get things done. If you want to see him lose interest quickly in making it better, the best way would be to hammer him about issues that existed before he had any say in the matter.
Kirk
http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?
Greetings Mr. Mayer,
Thank you for the information that you have supplied. Its timing could not be better as it has saved me some work tonight. Hopefully your information will give my E-mail Inbox a rest concerning this issue.
Next, you may not be aware of this as your IT in the past was not in charge of the forums, and that is this board's version is over three years old.
<hr noshade size="1"><hr noshade size="1"><hr noshade size="1">
OK All, I'm going to stop re-working our recipe site. Let's wait and see what happens. Let's give Mr. Mayer a chance. If they fix it up great. If not then it is back to plan B.
Personally I think they will fix it. They really don't have a choice.
I would like to thank everyone who has supported the effort to either have the boards fixed or to move on to the recipe site. The catalyst that brought forth Mr. Mayer's information was our collective voice.
Please note that re-working a site does take time to get it done. I know as we have re-worked one site three times and created three new sites.
Once the boards are fixed I suggest we try to get our lost members back. <hr noshade size="1"><hr noshade size="1"><hr noshade size="1">Again, I thank you, Mr. Mayer, for taking your time to address our concerns of issue. I remain...
Optimistically,
//SIGNED//
Raye Minor
Olds
(http://www.susanminor.org/Rayeimages/gif/Launch47.gif)
Hello Martin,
Thanks for the response. I am glad that Bradley is responsive to our requests for upgrades to the forum. Maybe someone could start looking at a newsletter once in awhile on the Bradley website. The last one was 3 years ago, as I recall!
Welcome to our forum!
Bill
<i>There is room on earth for all God's creatures....on my plate next to the mashed potatoes.</i>
Great timing Martin, as a very new owner of a BS I was getting pretty concerned about the recent problems with the forum here and started to question my judgement of going with the smoker..... although I am really happy with the results of my first smoke this last weekend [:D]
I would have happily followed Olds to a new site because I LOVE his recipe site thus far but in all fairness didn't think it was his responsibility to pay to maintain a site for customers like me who paid money for your companies product, if you know what I mean.
I know you are new to your post so none of these past problems were your fault in any way obviously. It sounds like Mr. Bradley made a good choice in selecting you for this position and I truly appreciate you letting us all know your agenda for getting things fixed up.
Thanks again,
Scott
Ya Gotta love good BBQ
Hi Martin,
Welcome and thanks for the update regarding the future of the forum.
Like Chez and Olds say, you deserve the chance to get things sorted and I for one fully support that.
Bradley has a VERY loyal following, hope you won't be a stranger on the forum from time to time. Perhaps as nxsbill mentioned, a newsletter from time to time would not go amiss.
Also glad to hear the BS website is getting a makeover, seeing the 2004 catalogue still advertised is not the best advert for the company! Does that makeover include the UK website?
Good luck in your new post Martin.[:)]
Manxman.
February 15, 2006
Hi everyone:
Thanks for your feedback and confidence. With regards to your request for a new newsletter, that was the first thing I tackled when I came onboard. The Spring 2006 Newsletter will be available on the website when the new format goes live. Right now the newsletters have been scheduled to be published quarterly every year, with the next one due out in May.
Thanks again for the welcome, your confidence and your patience.
Best,
MARTIN MAYER - Manager
Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Department
Bradley Technologies Canada, Inc.
Well thats kinda inline when the new smokers are comming out how timely.[:D]
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by BTI Canada PR</i>
<br />February 15, 2006
Hi everyone:
Thanks for your feedback and confidence. With regards to your request for a new newsletter, that was the first thing I tackled when I came onboard. The Spring 2006 Newsletter will be available on the website when the new format goes live. Right now the newsletters have been scheduled to be published quarterly every year, with the next one due out in May.
Thanks again for the welcome, your confidence and your patience.
Best,
MARTIN MAYER - Manager
Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Department
Bradley Technologies Canada, Inc.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
Things are looking up!! [:D][:D]
Bubbagump
Mr. MAYER,
It is nice to see you follow up on things. I believe I can speak for all in saying this is a refreshing stance from Bradley.
Once everything is up to speed there are a couple of small items a few of the members have asked to do on the recipe site that I replied that perhaps it would be best if done here. No hurry, we all understand you have a full plate.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><font size="2">Well thats kinda inline when the new smokers are comming out how timely [:D]</font id="size2"><hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"> I'm going to make guess here that Wade Bradley put his trust into someone and that person let things slide. I know that at times, as a business person, you place your trust in a vendor. Sometimes that trust bites you in the ares, and then you make a change. I bet Wade got bit, and has now made a change.
Furthermore, I bet that Wade until just recent times did not know just how important this community is. As such I betting we end up with a better than super glue site.
Olds
(http://www.susanminor.org/Rayeimages/gif/Launch47.gif)
I talked to Martin tonight. He's got his head on straight.
I think this is a VERY positive move for Bradley! The future's so bright, I've got to [8D].
Kirk
http://www.chezbubba.com
Ya think next time I check into a hotel & they ask "Smoking or Non?" they would mind?
Welcome Martin;
Bradley is a top notch company, I had a feeling that our issues were being address, and it was just a matter of time before we would get a response.
Welcome Martin;
Bradley is a top notch company, I had a feeling that our issues were being address, and it was just a matter of time before we would get a response.
Mr. Mayer,
Great to hear your thoughts. I think you will find this forum is an asset to Bradley, and will help be a part of planning for future product offerings. A lot of creative people here are putting their ideas down for free!!! Of course, they are blinded by the heat and smoke...[:D][8D][:D]...
Arcs_n_Sparks
Mr. Mayer,
Bradley is great. We appreciate the Time dedicated to the site.
gotbbq (http://www.susanminor.org/Rayeimages/Launch63.gif)
Mr. Mayer,
Greetings Sir! The site is still broken and it has been some time now. I know what your hosting service did so we do see the time out message, but it is a time-out issue--when it takes up to 90 seconds for a message to post.
Next, the E-mail server on this site is broken, or at best it is working part-time. I've sent out E-mails and later called the persons as I did not hear back from them and they told me they never got them. Today I recieved an E-mail via the recipe site from begolf25 who wrote to me saying I did not reply to the E-mail sent via this site concerning a question he has.
If you glean the boards and if you show up on Tues night chat you will find out quickly that people are not posting as they once did do to this slow down.
Please fix the boards. If you need a good web-master, hosting service, and quality boards I will be glad to hook you up with Cyber-Dude--my web master. He is not the cheapest, but he is the best I've ever seen, and for a small monthly retainer he fixes things quickly once the site is set up. He handles 2 of my sites and he will be setting up my Customer Satisfaction Program for Raytheon and then he will be over seeing 3 of my sites on the cheap of $150.00 per month. One of the sites will have a very active set of posting boards. I believe that $150.00 is his minimum retainer. If you wish to contact him you can reach him at:
[email protected].
Thank for you time concerning these issues.
Olds
(http://www.susanminor.org/Rayeimages/gif/Launch47.gif)
March 6, 2006
Dear Olds:
Thank you for your message addressing your concerns. I'm sure you can appreciate that transferring a forum and all its data across various servers is not an easy task to accomplish, and there are still bugs that need to be worked out. The original server the forum used is quite different from the one we are using now.
I have passed along all concerns to our IT department, who is working steadily to remedy these issues. Again I ask you simply for your continued patience, because come April 1st it will definitely pay off. Stayed tuned to the website for the launch of the new website and forum.
Yours truly,
MARTIN MAYER - Manager
Marketing, Advertising & Public Relations Department
Bradley Technologies Canada, Inc.
Hey Mr. Mayer!
Dang I'm impressed you that you answered this so quickly. 3rd home run now on my end concerning your person.
Next April 1st works for me and I'm sure I speak for all here when I say thank you.
Next have you see this thread: http://www.bradleysmoker.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1549
It would be nice if this happen as many of us have hundred of hours into this project.
Again Thanks and let Bradley know that IMO you are hitting 3 for 3 now.
Cya on the boards!
Olds
(http://www.susanminor.org/Rayeimages/gif/Launch47.gif)
Martin sounds like he's on it Olds. Hope he gets a grand slam on this one.
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d148/olepop/killer2.jpg)
This better not be an April fools joke.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by nsxbill</i>
<br />Maybe someone could start looking at a newsletter once in awhile on the Bradley website. The last one was 3 years ago, as I recall!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
I just received a Spring 2006 newsletter in the mail today. Did anyone else?
Bubbagump
I sure wish they would go to "V-Bulletin" instead of Snitz for a format. I've worked with V-Bulletin for years and it's easy and simple, as if any of them are simple. Versatility of it is great though. [^]
ChefBill
If you can eat it, you can smoke it.
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><font size="2">I sure wish they would go to "V-Bulletin" instead of Snitz for a format. I've worked
with V-Bulletin for years and it's easy and simple, as if any of them are simple. Versatility of it
is great though.[^]
</font id="size2"><hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
vBulletin is what we are using on the recipe site. Where as Snitz is a free board vBulletin is not.
The reason I went with vBulletin is security. They employ people to hack it out. When a weak area is
found an upgrade is sent out. In the six or so months we have had one major upgrade and two smaller ones.
What is nice these upgrade (if you
leave the board stock) are all but plug and play. Put it in the correct place and hit install...
ping a bang it is done.
When I purchased that board it cost me only $150.00 for one copy. For the full year all upgrades
are included. After that it is about $30.00 per year.
I'm not saying the board is perfect. There are 3 levels of posting. Basic--in this mode all codes
must be entered manually. Standard--in this mode almost all of the bell and toys are there.
Enhanced--now this mode has some problems. If you edit in this mode some of previous codes get scramble,
and extra spaces are added at the
coding. Trey is looking into this problem.
(http://www.susanminor.org/Rayeimages/vB/vb1.png)
(http://www.susanminor.org/Rayeimages/vB/vb2.png)
(http://www.susanminor.org/Rayeimages/vB/vb3.png)
The only time I use Enhanced Mode is when I'm copying an entire
web page. It allows me to import a web page with its working
links just like it is on that site. After that I go back to
Standard if I need to edit anything.
This is an example of using Enhanced Mode to copy a web-page. The format is not quite the same but you will see that the links work and all information and examples are there. (It is off of my business site.)
Example (http://susan.rminor.com/forums/showthread.php?p=318#post318)
If you are posting a recipe I cannot strongly enough say DON'T
USE THE <b>ENHANCED MODE.</b>
Todate Mr. Mayer's is hitting 3 out of 3 IMO. No matter what board Bradley uses I'm sure that come April 1 that all will be good here. Let's just hope he can grant our petitiion's directive for a direct link to our recipe site. What would even be neater is the link would say: Recipes/ Chatroom.
If he can this community's comradery will grow exponentially. It is possible that due to our collective efforts we can become the premier food smoker's site on the net.
Olds
(http://www.susanminor.org/Rayeimages/gif/Launch47.gif)
I got a newsletter too! Saw it, was going to read it, the wife thought it was junk mail, threw it away! DANG IT! On a more important note, I have some ribs in the smoker right now.
Mr. Mayer, Bradley is a model of what customer service should be. I applaud your efforts. Keep up the good work.
Foamy McFoam,
Bradley Fan Boy
Did you say ribs???[:p] While your at it FS you should post the recipe and enter the contest.[:D] Have a couple extra ribs for me!<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Foam Steak</i>
<br />I got a newsletter too! Saw it, was going to read it, the wife thought it was junk mail, threw it away! DANG IT! On a more important note, I have some ribs in the smoker right now.
Mr. Mayer, Bradley is a model of what customer service should be. I applaud your efforts. Keep up the good work.
Foamy McFoam,
Bradley Fan Boy
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d148/olepop/killer2.jpg)
Iceman,
I would post my rib recipe, accept I either stole it from someone on this site or copied it from the smoke & spice cookbook. Either way it is not my own.
Sincerely,
Foam Steak
Foam Steak it does not have to be your own to share what works for you. Please do and enter it into our recipe contest.
Thanks
Olds
(http://www.susanminor.org/Rayeimages/gif/Launch47.gif)