Options on everything it seems

[Bama BBQ]

OK, bear with here.

Been sitting here scanning thru different topics for the last hour or so, problems, fixes, customer service responses, modifications .... all good stuff
Not picking on ANY manufacturer here or anywhere else as I think they're ALL guilty to a certain degree.
What I'd like to figure out is WHY simple & necessary items like a proper front shelf for example is considered & sold as a luxury option instead of standard equipment that may even sway more potential sales if included?
I can understand buying chrome add-ons for a vehicle for example & have installed more than I want to remember over the years for customers & myself ...but having to purchase a shelf for a smoker or any kind of grill item in my mind would be like having to buy foot pegs to hold your feet off the ground while riding or a kick stand to keep from having to lean your new new motorcycle against a tree when parked.
Oh wait a minute there fella, let me sell you an ignition key so you can actually crank & drive the damn thing home ... it's only another $100
Anyway, this has always peaked my curiosity. It is simple greed or is the market really that tight on profit?
I'm pretty sure I know the answer & it's a shame when you have to go to the accessories page on sales site to actually figure out what a product is REALLY going to cost before ordering it .
Have also inquired with different smoker manufacturers asking if they offer any savings if the unit is picked up vs. being shipped & was surprised that "some" don't offer ANY discount whatsoever. Kind of strange since I know it HAS to be expensive to ship a pellet grill that weighs several hundred pounds.

 

[Uncle Bob]

I'm gonna guess you've never been in marketing. What you think is a necessity another buyer sees as, "Why do I have to pay extra for something I don't need?"

 

[Bama BBQ]

Well your 1/2 way right. I've worked in research & development for the motorcycle & metal detecting industry on a very large scale with both companies being market leaders ... so in a sense I was involved in helping find what the customer base really needed & wanted to make their product sell to the end user & make them reasonably happy !

 

[sdynak]

Plain and simple actually.. because they can.

You can buy another brand and get that fancy shelf included and waste $$ in food and frustration or buy a Recteq and worry about the minor things like a shelf.

Honestly.. I came up with my own and there are several ideas here to do the same. It is kinda fun to mod your grill. reminds me of my old Nova I built many moons ago when I was in high school. I ended up spending about 1/2 of what it costs here and have the same result or better for a shelf and still have the good engine .

Gotta have a good foundation or there just is no point building it.

 

[Bama BBQ]

Yeah Man, give me a good platform to build on & I don't mind one bit fabricating a shelf or anything within reason to make it perform to my expectations. I just can't see the prices on some of this stuff as realistic, maybe it's because I can appreciate a hard earned dollar more than some, Forums like this help turn good ideas into fruition & I'm always thankful for that.

 

[sdynak]

Yeah Man, give me a good platform to build on & I don't mind one bit fabricating a shelf or anything within reason to make it perform to my expectations. I just can't see the prices on some of this stuff as realistic, maybe it's because I can appreciate a hard earned dollar more than some, Forums like this help turn good ideas into fruition & I'm always thankful for that.

I thought I was original with the shelf but since have seen an earlier build here with a similar shelf but not identical. Still have not seen the brackets I used though which I like.

Saves a few $$ and just as good. Some would rather just order the OEM. I just had to do it myself to feel like it was mine I guess . For some reason it didn't feel like it was an added cost.. more of a "wanted to do" kind of thing rather than necessary.

https://www.recteqforum.com/threads/rt700-bull-shelf.2977/

 

[opus]

Well your 1/2 way right. I've worked in research & development for the motorcycle & metal detecting industry on a very large scale with both companies being market leaders ... so in a sense I was involved in helping find what the customer base really needed & wanted to make their product sell to the end user & make them reasonably happy !

Here is an interesting article I posted in another thread. There is a good chance he is correct especially based on how well their items seem to be selling. They seemed to change their way of selling at that point by also dropping their "bundles" and making you buy everything separately.

https://www.augustachronicle.com/st... grill company REC,changed its name to recteq.

 

[Ostrichsak]

I, for one, am glad they do it this way. If Recteq included the front shelf for instance I would have paid more in total for a grill with a shelf I don't want. After all, they're not going to just throw it in for free. The Recteq front shelf is too small and the hinges annihilate grill covers. So I'd pay once for a shelf I don't want only to pay a 2nd time for the shelf I do want. There's other examples but that's the first one that comes to mind. I'd rather they kept the price low on the base unit to remain competitive and then let the user customize it how they want it as needed.

 

[Bama BBQ]

I, for one, am glad they do it this way. If Recteq included the front shelf for instance I would have paid more in total for a grill with a shelf I don't want. After all, they're not going to just throw it in for free. The Recteq front shelf is too small and the hinges annihilate grill covers. So I'd pay once for a shelf I don't want only to pay a 2nd time for the shelf I do want. There's other examples but that's the first one that comes to mind. I'd rather they kept the price low on the base unit to remain competitive and then let the user customize it how they want it as needed.

Yeah I get it. I don't ride showroom stock Harley Davidsons either & THAT is what sets it apart from everyone else's in the parking lot.