"Coin World" letters of complaint

It never ceases to amaze me how often readers of Coin World write letters to complain, with address withheld, usually because of what the US mint did or did not do. I was talking with a notable show dealer who said that the former editor, after resigning, said that even if they sent out $100 bills to all the subscribers, people would still write in to complain that they got a wrinkled bill! Is "Coin World" unique among periodicals publishing so many complaining letters?

 

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How many postings do you see here over the year that says " Wow PCGS ( or any other TPG) , really did me well! Higher grades than I expected and good service for the price!

Since most important things about coins ( including the validity of their history) depend on subjective factors, almost everyone tends to think their coins are the exceptions ( or at least should be so considered). When the mint released the 2009 Lincoln cents type 2, and it became known that certain time stamped boxes had mostly "double die" fingers, those who got them paraded and those that didn't were upset ( with the Mint, fate, who knows) even thought they received exactly what they ordered.

It is the nature of the beast.

 

I would add to Jim's response its human nature to complain. Ask any expert and they will tell you an unhappy customer will tell at least 10 times as many people about their experience than a happy one.

Btw, NN publishes just as many as CW. Its nothing new, most collectible publications are similar. Even on this board, when was the last time anyone ever said, "dang, JP Morgan sure helped me out when it comes to silver." People ascribe success to personal superiority, and defeat to someone else's intervention, "I won because I am brilliant, I lost because of that jerk over there...."

 

I worked in retail for years. 10 people will complain for every 1 who will compliment. Maybe CW doesn't get enough positive letters to crowd the complaints out. We could help fix that...

 

Most of those letters of complaint are sour grapes.

A large number of the letters in the CW Letters to the Editor complain about the US Mint - complaints about the quality of the coins or the packaging, complaints about shipping, complaints about how limited quantites of coins are distributed (e.g., 25th Anniversary Silver Eagle set), etc. Some complain about the coins that the Mint offers even though Congress - not the Mint - makes those decisions.

 

and what does complaining to CW about it do for them? That's the thing that's always gotten me. Should I write to Reader's Digest because I think that Steven King's latest book sucks?

 

In that case I'm going to up my complaining by at least 900%. If that fails, maybe I'll send them a nice box of chocolates and hope bribery still works on government employees.
Guy

 

It may be more effective to confront the mint workers directly at ANA shows. Save up the venom and vitreol for when you can actually grab them by the collar!

 

They seem too scary in person, Owle. The fangs and claws and oozing desperateness is enough to keep me at a distance.
Guy

 

to whom? congress? the fed bank chairman? ceo of a fortune 500 company? then end result is "here's an even crappier product, now complain about the previous one."

 

It does seem like the number of complaints far outweigh anything positive in letters written to any coin publication. I've often thought to myself, "Wow. I guess the majority of collectors are just a bunch of grumpy old farts!"

 

OK - how do you know that? If I was in charge of the mint, not only would I not read any of these forums, I couldn't care less about the "retail" outlet. Its not a business. Its like the DMV, not 7-11

Ruben

 

BTW - I'm not convinced the Mint deserves the knocks it gets.

 

But their budget does depend on commemorative and bullion sales. If they falter, then they go over budget. They are in a tough position, their labor costs are set by Congress, their crummy commemoratives are dictated by Congress, are under tremendous cost pressures from metal costs, and all the while are expected to hit budget.

If they could have the freedom of a 7-11, I bet they could make some great changes. As it is, they are about as hemmed in as the Post Office.

 

Maybe, but the truth of the matter is if they go over budget, it just doesn't really matter. I'd be a lot more worried about minting a half trillion cents then 40k ASE

Ruben

 

or look at it this way, if you can trim .001% off the cost of minting 500,000,000 Cents, how much do you save (not that tit should matter either).

 

But the point is, they already try to do that, but much of their expenses in that area are dictated to them. They cannot control them. Also, they cannot control how many they make, that is dictated to them by how many the Fed will accept.

Commemoratives and ASE/AGE are the two areas where better performance on their part could possibly lead to increased units to help them meet budget.

 

After all that he lost his job anyway. That is terrible. I can't see how he was doing anything to undermine mint operations, or disclosing anything detrimental to any security matters.

I'll grant you this. There was that management theory proposed by a Japanese author that was all the wave years ago that everything is customer service oriented in all organizations. I didn't believe it then and I have doubts now. OTOH, I'm sure the people within that operation might believe that they are in a business, But nver the less, it is government and it does things differently. It hires differently, it fires differently and it collects SS taxes differently et al