Fran,
20 hours later and what a turn things have taken.
The bad? I have to get it out of the way because I feel somewhat responsible.
Not being one that frequents here I was not aware of so many bitter feelings or what could seem to be such a disregard for others. Each and every one of us are people, with real feelings. Tough facades aside, no one should be shit on for the fun of it and some of what I’ve read tonight for the last hours comes across really, really hurtful. I hate to see that more than anything. This isn’t about taking sides, it’s was about seeking a solution and I had hoped there was a possibility some real good could come out of getting such a sensitive topic out in the open.
An open discussion between two people that could be observed so the resolution was witnessed as well. An ambiguous start, but doesn’t everyone love a happy ending? Freedom of speech is what makes the internet the unique place that it is… unlike anything before and it is a gift that many, many people paid dearly for. The owner and moderators did an amazing job and from what I can see only tried to slow the unstoppable. I did expect the post to be deleted and would have respected that completely. Not because I think Fran or anyone else has an exemption or get-out-of-jail free card, but would the resulting fallout be in-line with what I assume the spirit of the forum was intended? Ron and Andy, thank you for your emails and the offer to continue as we both saw fit with the encouragement for a public resolution.
Can anyone really see what I was after? Fran, was I trying to get back at you or be revengeful? Taking stabs at each other seems uncalled for and I never wanted that to happen. I have no businesses getting involved in any of that and won’t comment further because I don’t know the circumstances…. it still is hard to read and I apologize if I instigated any of it. Is it worth it in the end? Was my initial outreach as hard to interpret?
I know today probably caught you more off guard than you every could have expected Fran. Dirty laundry? Maybe more along the lines of lost and forgotten laundry… those socks that disappear and you never hear from again. I tried to be clear about the fact that there is another side to be heard from, what I wrote was only one. How I’ve seen the events unfold and my interpretation of what your intentions have been since we met and discussed the Superlite, SLC and ultimately the Aspira. I know my intention was to go into this with everything I had... energy, motivation, enthusiasm, a supportive partner and adequate finances marked just for this project.
But being successful depended on more than just myself. I felt let down more than anything but couldn’t find a way for you to really hear me because of a lack of response. Those long emails Fran going back months? Putting everything on the line with offers of relocating, moving 2600 miles away from my three year old little girl and finding a way to work our weekend visitation? In retrospect that would have a great time for you to have reached out with the same support and (gasp!) even compassion like you did today. That’s how seriously I took this opportunity to heart.
The good… the really good.
First and foremost a lot of ground has been made and we reached a good place for both companies after a long and exhausting day. Emotions ran high but were put aside and never once did Fran deviate from the task at hand and that was to make this right no matter what that took. Ultimately Exotic Rockets will go on as planned and a lot of accommodations have been made on the part of RCR. Solid delivery dates have been agreed to and for the first time, a plan was drafted together on how we would move forward. We both agreed that sharing a lot of the details were not important, just the outcome. They don’t affect anyone else. I will say that I never asked for anything for free nor was it offered. This is a business after all for us both and those concessions have no place in these types of discussions as far as I am concerned. But Fran drafted a very creative plan on how to deliver as many completed cars as possible at once and to take money that was paid as deposits for future cars and apply it to wrapping up current ones. Ultimately this frees up time for other customers in queue.
But I made a mistake and a correction is needed for clarity. I deeply apologize to Fran and RCR for this mistake as fact checking is critical in an open forum.
I posted that we were out more than $400,000 which is actually as wrong as it’s correct depending on how it’s interpreted. I’ve always considered a manufacturing debt to be payable and immediately it goes into a cost of sales account. But this morning I wrote “On top of the almost $400,000 you have of mine” and it was misleading. The total order was $433,000 all in +/- a few thousand that might pop-up towards the end. But the actual amount paid to date to Fran was $264,000 and another $45,000 in my own expenses. Again I considered the balance to be due in full to RCR shortly. To me $264,000 is still a lot of up-front ‘faith money’ but I wrote the check on my free will based on my research.
Did we jump the queue by speaking up today? Absolutely not. Did we ask for or receive any type or discount? Of course not. There is a real value here, and I stand by every statement I’ve ever made about the level of craftsmanship and quality I’ve seen and invested in. A discount would belittle my faith in the same product I need to now get behind again. Neither of us are here to lose any more money… that’s just a bad business model.
While there are many, many fine manufacturers, this was the car we wanted for our own set of reasons. And when the first Aspira is competed January 17th, it will be all that we had expected. But by focusing on less than more, I think we will get to the point of selling quicker, which his good for everyone right now. There are NO conditions to this agreement where I have been asked not to speak up ever again publically, no games whatsoever… I saw a incredibly honest and humble approach to customer service and hopefully recognized it as my own. In Fran’s very own words “I am sorry if this matter has caused you problems with your wife Vanessa, and I only hope for your financial well being at this time to improve and for RCR to salvage a level of respect from you”…. That’s huge.
Where would I rather be? Making customers’ dreams come true by getting them behind the wheel of what so many have agreed is such an amazing creation? Or wondering every single day if I made the wrong decision and having to answer to a very patient partner and soulmate for life. When you start to question yourself is when you run into deep trouble. At least that’s when I did. But when I saw her being affected and questioning how things had gotten so bad, how I felt went out the door. This woman is my support system and the air that I breathe. And I can’t live with taking such a big chance and having the outcome being impossible to control.
I have a final thought that’s been tough but important for me to keep reminding myself….
It’s really easy to sit back, judge someone and criticize their actions. But it’s next to impossible to sit in their shoes. Many times over the last 10 months I’ve had to fight wanting to tell you Fran how I thought you should run certain aspects of your business. And very selfishly, meeting delivery and promises was numero uno. Right behind it was answering your phone, diligently getting back to customer or turning it over to someone that does…. But that’s really big balls right there. Those are your decisions to make and you make them on your terms. I only hope you see how damaging it can be when it negatively affects those that are supposed to be playing for the same team.
That’s the magic of communicating. You don’t force people to guess, to try and decipher your next move or draw conclusions as I did. Are we any stronger 20 hours later? I’d like to think so. We drew a line in the sand today with a new beginning and I promised again to always meet you half way. Thanks for making that commitment back Fran.
Regards,
Billy
Exotic Rockets, Aspira International
20 hours later and what a turn things have taken.
The bad? I have to get it out of the way because I feel somewhat responsible.
Not being one that frequents here I was not aware of so many bitter feelings or what could seem to be such a disregard for others. Each and every one of us are people, with real feelings. Tough facades aside, no one should be shit on for the fun of it and some of what I’ve read tonight for the last hours comes across really, really hurtful. I hate to see that more than anything. This isn’t about taking sides, it’s was about seeking a solution and I had hoped there was a possibility some real good could come out of getting such a sensitive topic out in the open.
An open discussion between two people that could be observed so the resolution was witnessed as well. An ambiguous start, but doesn’t everyone love a happy ending? Freedom of speech is what makes the internet the unique place that it is… unlike anything before and it is a gift that many, many people paid dearly for. The owner and moderators did an amazing job and from what I can see only tried to slow the unstoppable. I did expect the post to be deleted and would have respected that completely. Not because I think Fran or anyone else has an exemption or get-out-of-jail free card, but would the resulting fallout be in-line with what I assume the spirit of the forum was intended? Ron and Andy, thank you for your emails and the offer to continue as we both saw fit with the encouragement for a public resolution.
Can anyone really see what I was after? Fran, was I trying to get back at you or be revengeful? Taking stabs at each other seems uncalled for and I never wanted that to happen. I have no businesses getting involved in any of that and won’t comment further because I don’t know the circumstances…. it still is hard to read and I apologize if I instigated any of it. Is it worth it in the end? Was my initial outreach as hard to interpret?
I know today probably caught you more off guard than you every could have expected Fran. Dirty laundry? Maybe more along the lines of lost and forgotten laundry… those socks that disappear and you never hear from again. I tried to be clear about the fact that there is another side to be heard from, what I wrote was only one. How I’ve seen the events unfold and my interpretation of what your intentions have been since we met and discussed the Superlite, SLC and ultimately the Aspira. I know my intention was to go into this with everything I had... energy, motivation, enthusiasm, a supportive partner and adequate finances marked just for this project.
But being successful depended on more than just myself. I felt let down more than anything but couldn’t find a way for you to really hear me because of a lack of response. Those long emails Fran going back months? Putting everything on the line with offers of relocating, moving 2600 miles away from my three year old little girl and finding a way to work our weekend visitation? In retrospect that would have a great time for you to have reached out with the same support and (gasp!) even compassion like you did today. That’s how seriously I took this opportunity to heart.
The good… the really good.
First and foremost a lot of ground has been made and we reached a good place for both companies after a long and exhausting day. Emotions ran high but were put aside and never once did Fran deviate from the task at hand and that was to make this right no matter what that took. Ultimately Exotic Rockets will go on as planned and a lot of accommodations have been made on the part of RCR. Solid delivery dates have been agreed to and for the first time, a plan was drafted together on how we would move forward. We both agreed that sharing a lot of the details were not important, just the outcome. They don’t affect anyone else. I will say that I never asked for anything for free nor was it offered. This is a business after all for us both and those concessions have no place in these types of discussions as far as I am concerned. But Fran drafted a very creative plan on how to deliver as many completed cars as possible at once and to take money that was paid as deposits for future cars and apply it to wrapping up current ones. Ultimately this frees up time for other customers in queue.
But I made a mistake and a correction is needed for clarity. I deeply apologize to Fran and RCR for this mistake as fact checking is critical in an open forum.
I posted that we were out more than $400,000 which is actually as wrong as it’s correct depending on how it’s interpreted. I’ve always considered a manufacturing debt to be payable and immediately it goes into a cost of sales account. But this morning I wrote “On top of the almost $400,000 you have of mine” and it was misleading. The total order was $433,000 all in +/- a few thousand that might pop-up towards the end. But the actual amount paid to date to Fran was $264,000 and another $45,000 in my own expenses. Again I considered the balance to be due in full to RCR shortly. To me $264,000 is still a lot of up-front ‘faith money’ but I wrote the check on my free will based on my research.
Did we jump the queue by speaking up today? Absolutely not. Did we ask for or receive any type or discount? Of course not. There is a real value here, and I stand by every statement I’ve ever made about the level of craftsmanship and quality I’ve seen and invested in. A discount would belittle my faith in the same product I need to now get behind again. Neither of us are here to lose any more money… that’s just a bad business model.
While there are many, many fine manufacturers, this was the car we wanted for our own set of reasons. And when the first Aspira is competed January 17th, it will be all that we had expected. But by focusing on less than more, I think we will get to the point of selling quicker, which his good for everyone right now. There are NO conditions to this agreement where I have been asked not to speak up ever again publically, no games whatsoever… I saw a incredibly honest and humble approach to customer service and hopefully recognized it as my own. In Fran’s very own words “I am sorry if this matter has caused you problems with your wife Vanessa, and I only hope for your financial well being at this time to improve and for RCR to salvage a level of respect from you”…. That’s huge.
Where would I rather be? Making customers’ dreams come true by getting them behind the wheel of what so many have agreed is such an amazing creation? Or wondering every single day if I made the wrong decision and having to answer to a very patient partner and soulmate for life. When you start to question yourself is when you run into deep trouble. At least that’s when I did. But when I saw her being affected and questioning how things had gotten so bad, how I felt went out the door. This woman is my support system and the air that I breathe. And I can’t live with taking such a big chance and having the outcome being impossible to control.
I have a final thought that’s been tough but important for me to keep reminding myself….
It’s really easy to sit back, judge someone and criticize their actions. But it’s next to impossible to sit in their shoes. Many times over the last 10 months I’ve had to fight wanting to tell you Fran how I thought you should run certain aspects of your business. And very selfishly, meeting delivery and promises was numero uno. Right behind it was answering your phone, diligently getting back to customer or turning it over to someone that does…. But that’s really big balls right there. Those are your decisions to make and you make them on your terms. I only hope you see how damaging it can be when it negatively affects those that are supposed to be playing for the same team.
That’s the magic of communicating. You don’t force people to guess, to try and decipher your next move or draw conclusions as I did. Are we any stronger 20 hours later? I’d like to think so. We drew a line in the sand today with a new beginning and I promised again to always meet you half way. Thanks for making that commitment back Fran.
Regards,
Billy
Exotic Rockets, Aspira International
