Agreed 100%!
I really do not think it's bashing at all. Every concern expressed seemed both truthful and valid.
First, it's excercising the right of the consumer in a Free Market.
Second, and more importantly, it gives the Vendor valuable feedback about their operation. The company who ignores the wants of their customers will shortly hear the Death Knell in todays business environment.
I've spent my whole career managing service operations, some as large as 1500 employees. And I always told my people to listen to and respond to customer criticisms. I was raised with the addage that "The customer with an issue who doesn't complain, simply doesn't come back" .
A customer taking the time to express their disappointment is giving you an opportunity to fix your business. In the day-to-day, it's very easy to lose touch with your customers. So much so, that in one company, I sent out post-sale note cards to our customers seeking feedback. On the front, it simply stated: "If we could see ouselves as others do...". Inside, it thanked them for the sale and went on to ask them, in their own words, to describe their experience with us. We had about a 65% return rate on these, and in several instances, these replies caused us to change the way we were doing business - to the betterment of our Bottom Line. This is the kind of stuff some businesses pay consultants thousands of dollars to come up with.
I have seen Steve (Blunt), Max, Jeff (IE) and Steve (TEP) make contributions to the Forum, so I have a pretty good feeling they're listening.
We want better vendors, they want more customers and better sales. By actively sharing our experiences, the smart vendors will profit from listening.
Cheers!