[Dx-qsl] Manager bashing

[Doug Renwick]

I believe that most of the problem stems from poor communication from
the DX station/manager where delays or other are involved.  I can be
very understanding if the station/manager sez that due to work assignments,
marriage commitments/breakdown, traffic accident, etc. that the QSLs will
be delayed but that he/she has my card and will respond eventually.  A lot
of times this communication does not happen and as a result the DX
community gets upset.  This information will satisfy the majority of QSLers,
however there will always be those who are less understanding and they
have to be ignored as being uncouth.  For example, I QSLd an OH0/ operation
managed by a well known Finnish ham well over a year ago (Dec, 2001).  When
I did not receive a card an email was sent and got a reply saying he was just
getting the cards from the printer a year after the operation and that they would
be answered at Christmas.  (It would have been nice if he had announced this
delay publicly).  So far the QSL has not arrived and a second email has brought
no response.  Here the status has been re-graded to unlikely and I will not count
on receiving this card.   I will be wary about sending cards to this manager again.
The VR2 situation being discussed here also has an associated interesting story.
My approach is if a direct card is not received after one year then I send an email to
find out if my card was received by the station/manager.  With VR2 my email did
not bring an immediate response, however many months later I received a bulk
email explaining the delay and a card did arrive almost 2 years after being directly
sent.  If the VR2 had announced the delay much earlier there would be much less
anxiety.   Now if the station/manager does not answer my email then I pretty well
presume I have found a "black hole."  My ROT (rule of thumb) is 'a direct card
should bring a reply within one year.'  If it doesn't, then there should be an explanation.
As a group, I would encourage stations/managers to communicate the status of
the QSLing.  There are some that do an excellent job.  I re-emphasize the need to
communicate and clearly with details.  The crap from a small number you mention
Charley will not have any significance and can be dealt with the delete key.  It only
takes a few stations/managers, but as we all know 'one bad apple can spoil the barrel.'

Doug

--
Doug Renwick VA5DX
PO Box 50, Clavet, Saskatchewan, Canada S0K 0Y0
VE5RA@sasktel.net