Document omMVa6LwvKx8ek9dbZ3y6yQwD

I cc: Mr* K* A* ;w-askill - irdmor* Mr. M. M. Powers - Ardmore Mr* A* L* Meyer - Ardmore Mr* R* Smith - Ardmore Legal ' mtxyvF^<. / January 2iu 1964 Mr* J* A* iarian, Gypsum redacts iena.^er Johns-lanvllie Tales Corporation 22 Feet UOth -treat hew York 16, !*ew York i v\ :%e: Complaints - General `^) Jr \ , nyJ i-JU 'I'-' Dear Joe} We diaoueeed our su^estlag to you certain matters relative to complaints Johns-Ham 1 He oust timers may have on gypsum produets that al^ht be covered during your Doming Sales Meetings so they might be handled a little faster Insofar as the arrangements be tween sestvell and Johns-danvllle are concerned, end 1 hope, settled equitably to both* .`lease ceer in mind that the following remarks are made to remind you of the various points and not to indicate how you might present them to the J-rt Balsa people* I believe two most important premises should be kept in nlad insofar as oomaiainta Johns-Manvi lie oust oners may have* First, the adjustment by J-il to the J-M account is entirely the business of the Johne-Manvllle management* Second, the adjustment by festvall to Johne-Henville is covered in the Hales Agreement between the two companies. It would appear from correspondence that J-M salsa people in the field have the impression Beetwall adjustments to J-M cover the entire claim of the J-M customer, and that Johns-Msnvills merely sets ae the agent transmitting the adjustment from Destwall to the J-M customer* This is not Beetwell's Interpretation of the raise Amreeswnt, and a clear under standing of this would remove much of the friction that develops, as well as aave useless correspondence and delay In J->{ settling with the J-M customer using the material* lasloally a complaint arises because the ouitonsr using the material in the field is dissatisfied* This may be dissatis faction in the appearance or use of the material, either in application or In the finished statei or mey be dissatisfaction with service which generally covers several natters* It is necessary for Bestwall to hava a written record of every complaint if the situation is to be corrected to avoid it in the future, and particularly if any monetary adjustment is re quested. In this regard the J-ii people are following through fairly well, with two exceptions* It would appear In reviewing many files, that the J-H salesman In the field is writing a com- ;>laint long-hand, sending it to his District office v;here It is SGP 0002322 ir. J a. Marian (2) Janaary 24* 1964 t,ypod nr^1 than distributed to the shipping plant and othara con* corned with the problem* Frankly, there la too big a delay (several 4 or 5 weeks) in a great many of these which means a delay In the J--M sales people in the field furnishing additional information which might be necessary for the plant to evaluate Li* :aatter, and in some instances make it impossible to gat sam ple# that are necessary. Another point that would bo helpful la to have the T-M sales of flea fill In the Inf onset ion aa to the estwall Invoice umber to J-tf aa well as the date of shipment relative to the \aterial on which the comolaint Is made. This ia particularly important where the problem arises with an account who /at s frequent ^ hi patents. Most ir.c ortant, when the salesman makes uls Initial in vestigation and writes nia complaint, he ought immediately to make every effort to determine code ntnabera on the .material coaiplained of and to take samples of the material and send them to the a hip ping plant, identified with his complaint fully so that the plant nay tie the sample with the complaint when It arrives* 3eatwall uses canvas covered plastic ba.;a for shipping plaster .'daterials and a corrugated carton for board samples* Both of these are available out of the Fort Dodge Sample fepartoent* Both have been developed after consideration of the Laboratory problems involved in testing the material* If you want to arrange for J-rt use of these containers, please advise me so erst we can sat it up* The r,aga would coat 1fji each, the cartons 25/* and would be billed to J-H along with the samples uonthly* A bag holds approximately 5 pounds 3f material, the corrugated snipping carton takas a ssi* pie 13" x 16" and will hold 1-1/4" thickness of material, aa vhree 3/8" sample*, two 1/2" samples, two p/8" samples, one 1" sample, etc* Agsvln reviewing the file# of lany J-M complaints, it appears that a lot die without an adjustment because the J-M people at the District >fflce or in the field do not come back and jive tt* additional information requested by the shipping Plant. I his may be for more information on the oomplalnt, more samples, questions as to the amount of material involved In the complaint, use of defectlva material, etc* estwall plant*s responsibility is to examine the naterial and indicate whether or not there waa defeotive material involved* The amount of the adjustment and the credit enorandum covering any adjustment made is prepared in the destwall cneral falsa office baaed on an analysis of all information* Aa '.mentioned in the be ginning, such adjustnenfca are United by t>* Isles Agreement to replacing defective naterial at coat. In case of a very serious complaint where the oustoeoor -my l^ave a truck load or car load of .cafcorial which ha feels is defective to the extent that he does -Jt want it, or wnen a contractor asks for a large adjustment, be tare a telephone call SGP 0002323 Mr. J* A. Marian (3) January 24* 1964 is made to tbo shipping plant immediately such o tradition is known so the plant has the opportunity of sanding a nan to xaoioe the material# suRgest-onrreetlons, determine tba Bastwall Company's responsibility and to assist where neeessary in disposing of the material, when an aeeount has used the material improperly# applied It inoorreotly# not protected it in storage# or used the produet for other then the pwpoee for which it is designed# the Bastwall Oypsun Company ean assume no responsibility# It is up to the J-M sales people to determine what adjustment J-H will asks with their oustoner# but certainly they should not predicate it on what adjustment bastwall will neks to J-H. Qndezralreumstanoes is material to be returned to the shipping plant without the prior knowledge of the plant and tnslr indication that it will be agree** able to return it# Very frequently water la1 ean be disposed of where It is to another aeeount who will use it properly# or to the account who has it on some minor prloe adjustment. If the material it found so defeetlvei as to be useless# It is bsttsr to dump it at that point. All of these methods of handling complaint materiel in the field eliminate the unneeeasary handling costs on the material. Unless an error In shipment has been wade end an excessive amount of material shipped to the account* goods that are returned to the plant are accepted only on the basis of a Returned Goods Report the plant makes which will indieate the amount of the sale able material returned. All freight is for the eustomer'a account and there is a 10 service charge for handling the notarial, any adjustment Bestwall makes to J-il on this type uroblem will reflect those deductions. In the event the Bestwall Riant is not able to ship all of the material on an order at one time* the shortage will be can celled. The J-' District office will be given the opportunity to increase the quantity of other items available to meet tba niniarim weight requirements for the shipment. If an aeeount insists on leer than eav load, or truck load shipments# eucu shipment* are only wade on the basis of full freight to the customer's account. Bestvall will make every effort possible to make shipments us promised on tlmo and witn the type uf equipment requested. artioularly in tlmos o hi^n dexiand for gypsum products arid wner mere is a ebortst^ of snipping equipment, this way not alwaye be necessary, bastwall cannot assume any responsibility for monetary adjustments due to late arrival of materials. In the event of e billing error# the tilling I>epart.3:r.t at the plant will auto.;iatio&ily make ad jus twi'-tr i~ trv i... oires vnen t*-c error ; ar bcon called to t;.exr a O td liOl.e '* .`estvall car1 be of any assistai.ee to ' Lt v ).v. 1: iiar.dli: co -`lainte * oleare ci ve us tw - .Tt. .... *. - : c SGP 0002324 -*U' Ltiil unuary -'f 9 *o al*<* .J30 .U.5i3LVB CO be 3 ` LTB -Stwall C U8t 3 .-9 { ir.O JLSiaJLn* ' ' ir* -Od. :nover & ia;;C .naJLlty aui jr a _^x'd .ras;>ry ' -- * -(;ld to 3a lat a ; 3ulea.san jn a zo -.: *.- ; - .&/ aro ^.r.3 cr..ctdd co ^ire very sit of assistance to ;;. aulos- a;* '-sovblo, and ;j iiai^ -J.'s so she .<sent she J- i salesman .estop .ndaratands ^ypsua products and proper ase* ary truly yours* .; abbey ireocor of Technical Services :bc SGP 0002325