# Stupid, Horrible decisions companies have made for reasons other than sales **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 6, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361 "2008-03-06T19:30:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/1 "2008-03-06T19:30:32Z")
Sometimes companies make horrible, ridiculous, customer-alienating decisions because they want to cultivate a certain image or effect rather than because of sales or profit. What are the biggest blunders you’ve seen? Here are two: 1. Sony removes backwards compatibility from the PS3 with the release of new models. They did it because they wanted to force people to buy more PS3 games (which were and generally remain few and terrible) instead of relying on the back catalogue of PS1 and PS2 games, flying in the face of multiple statements of how backwards compatibility was a big priority and that they were creating a dynasty of systems, not separate ones. 2. Starbucks discontinues breakfast sandwiches because they want to get back to being a “coffee shop” and not a fast food place. The sandwiches have been a rousing success, but were interfering with their precious image. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/2 "2008-03-06T19:35:53Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] 2. Starbucks discontinues breakfast sandwiches because they want to get back to being a “coffee shop” and not a fast food place. The sandwiches have been a rousing success, but were interfering with their precious image. [/QUOTE] I don’t have one to add to the list (not yet; I’m thinking about it), but I need to comment on this one. **Who the hell is Starbucks kidding?!?** The store that sells roughly 17 caramel- or fruit-laced milkshakes for every cup of coffee they sell, the store that subjects me to the dreaded Tunnel of Norah Jones CDs ™ on my way to the checkout counter, _is worried they’re straying from their core business?_ Not to sound too much like _you_, **TLDR** , but fuck those guys. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/3 "2008-03-06T19:37:40Z")
New Coke. ---
**Author:** ![Illuminatiprimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/illuminatiprimus/32/11520_2.png) [@Illuminatiprimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Illuminatiprimus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/4 "2008-03-06T19:41:16Z")
New Labour. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/5 "2008-03-06T19:49:37Z")
Andrew Lloyd Webber hated the recording of ex-wife Sarah Brightman in his “Song & Dance” so much that he bought most of the LPS and refused to release it on CD for the longest time, despite fans begging for it. He finally relented last year and released the 2CD set. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/6 "2008-03-06T19:50:27Z")
Well, the [Apple III](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_III#Commercial_failure) was built without a cooling fan because…Steve Jobs didn’t like the noise of cooling fans. Apparently, this caused—among other problems—chips growing so hot that they’d pop out of their sockets, and Apple’s official tech support advice was to lift the keyboard an inch or so off the your desk, then _drop it, to knock the chips back in._ ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/7 "2008-03-06T19:53:34Z")
[QUOTE=Ranchoth] Apple’s official tech support advice was to lift the keyboard an inch or so off the your desk, then _drop it, to knock the chips back in._ [/QUOTE] But on the other hand, that marked the last time Apple made anything that was user-serviceable. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/8 "2008-03-06T19:59:49Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] 1. Sony removes backwards compatibility from the PS3 with the release of new models. They did it because they wanted to force people to buy more PS3 games (which were and generally remain few and terrible) instead of relying on the back catalogue of PS1 and PS2 games, flying in the face of multiple statements of how backwards compatibility was a big priority and that they were creating a dynasty of systems, not separate ones. [/QUOTE] Isn’t this a move done specifically to increase sales, both sales of higher priced newer games and newer consoles at that? ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/9 "2008-03-06T20:26:00Z")
Don’t fret **Wee**. That’s the gamer’s conspiracy theory. Sony _did_ remove backward-compatability for a non-sales reason; they removed it to cut costs. [Removal of hardware support](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_3_games#Removal_of_hardware_support) > [@](#): > > In order to reduce manufacturing costs, the Emotion Engine (EE) is not included in European, Australian and South Korean systems. The 80 GB model released in North America also lacks the Emotion Engine (EE) CPU. Software emulation of the Emotion Engine is used in instead and as a result, backward compatibility for PlayStation 2 games is reduced. Backward compatibility is improved periodically through PlayStation 3 System Software updates, however Sony has stated that its focus will eventually shift to developing content exclusively for the PS3. In the 40 GB model, backwards compatibility with PlayStation 2 titles was omitted completely due to the removal of the PlayStation 2’s “Graphics Synthesizer” GPU which omitted all PS2 based hardware from the system; however, compatibility for most PlayStation titles will still be provided through software emulation on the 40GB unit. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/10 "2008-03-06T20:33:24Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] 2. Starbucks discontinues breakfast sandwiches because they want to get back to being a “coffee shop” and not a fast food place. The sandwiches have been a rousing success, but were interfering with their precious image. [/QUOTE] When did this happen? I was in a Starbucks about a week ago and they were there. I don’t personally think they look very appetizing but they were certainly available. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/11 "2008-03-06T20:44:48Z")
Boeing proposed an aerial tanker based on its aging 767 airframe instead of its popular 777 or still-being-designed 787 “Dreamliner”. The 767 was technically inferior to the EADS offering, an Airbus A380 modification, but Boeing hoped that old-fashioned U.S. protectionism would win them the contract. They held out this hope despite the facts that they were clearly proposing a loser, that they had been caught cheating on an earlier draft of the same contract, and that they had to know the Air Force was under huge pressure to be 100% fair and transparent in their selection process. All of this in the face of reason, just so that the obsolete 767 production line could stay open another few years. The Boeing offering lost the competition in all five decision criteria, and now all Congress can do is kill the program – there’s not even a legal way for Congress to reverse the Air Force’s decision! ---
**Author:** ![Octalcode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Octalcode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octalcode)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/12 "2008-03-06T20:45:40Z")
On a freezing New Year’s Day in 1962, The Beatles loaded up their gear and headed south to **Decca Records**. They recorded 15 tracks in all, comprising a wide range of standards, stage favourites and three unique recordings of early McCartney-Lennon collaborations. **The Beatles were later turned down on the premise that guitar groups were ‘on their way out’!** ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/13 "2008-03-06T20:48:28Z")
[QUOTE=D\_Odds] Don’t fret **Wee**. That’s the gamer’s conspiracy theory. [/QUOTE] Actually, the president of SCEA _did_ say that the removal of backward compatibility was designed to move more PS3 software. From [this link](http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3163763): _“Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Sony Computer Entertainment America President Jack Tretton said the purpose behind removing backward compatibility was to push PS3 software. According to the Journal story, Tretton “conceded that removing that capability, along with a few other features, isn’t dramatically reducing Sony’s cost of manufacturing the console but will instead encourage buyers of the entry-level PlayStation 3 to purchase more games designed specifically for the new system.””_ Although, that’s totally sales-motivated, so it doesn’t really fit the question posed by the OP. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/14 "2008-03-06T20:58:41Z")
[QUOTE=TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW] 2. Starbucks discontinues breakfast sandwiches because they want to get back to being a “coffee shop” and not a fast food place. The sandwiches have been a rousing success, but were interfering with their precious image. [/QUOTE] I don’t know how well the sandwiches are selling, but if I remember right, Starbucks is trying to fight off improved coffee from McDonald’s and other places. So there may be more to that than the image thing. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/15 "2008-03-06T21:06:09Z")
I’m not going to bet the mortgage on the truth of this, but it is said that GM continued the production of the Corvair past its originally planned end-of-life, purely to avoid the impression that they were giving in to Nader. Quoth Wiki: > [@Wikipedia](#): > > According to researchers such as noted GM historian Dave Newell, GM had already planned on ceasing Corvair production after the 1966 model year to make way for the Camaro. But the timing of Nader’s book turned out to be an inconvenience. Not wanting to appear as though they were buckling to Nader’s pressure, GM kept the Corvair in production for another three years. If this is true, GM decided, “No one will buy this car. Let’s keep making 'em to spite Nader!” So, there’s a decision not motivated by sales. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/16 "2008-03-06T21:27:22Z")
[QUOTE=shy guy] Actually, the president of SCEA _did_ say that the removal of backward compatibility was designed to move more PS3 software. From [this link](http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3163763): _“Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Sony Computer Entertainment America President Jack Tretton said the purpose behind removing backward compatibility was to push PS3 software. According to the Journal story, Tretton “conceded that removing that capability, along with a few other features, isn’t dramatically reducing Sony’s cost of manufacturing the console but will instead encourage buyers of the entry-level PlayStation 3 to purchase more games designed specifically for the new system.””_ Although, that’s totally sales-motivated, so it doesn’t really fit the question posed by the OP. [/QUOTE] Depends on who you talk to (italics mine) [Sony’s VP of Marketing explains the 40GB.](http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3163780) > [@](#): > > **1UP: You talk about not eliminating core functionality, but obviously with this new SKU it removes backwards compatibility, at least with the PlayStation 2. The wording that Jack used in a Reuters story said the decision came from wanting to push PS3 software and the actual cost to keep this feature in wasn’t necessarily a large part of the decision to remove it.** > > Dille: Maybe we should set you up with Jack. [laughs] All of our research shows that backwards compatibility is [that it’s] nice to have, it’s not a need to have, from a consumer perspective. Consumers that have PS2 libraries have PS2s. For the folks that are going to upgrade to a PS3, the more important factor is getting it down to a price point that, again, opens it up to a new audience. Again, you’re asking me to conjecture about what Jack’s talking about, but the ability to play high-definition games on your new high-definition television is why you bought the PS3, not necessarily to play a game from 5 or 6 years ago. Again, our position on backwards compatibility still stands in stark contrast to our competition. We have an expressed commitment to the PS2 consumer that hasn’t changed. > > Unlike our competition, where one day they woke up and said “we’re never going to make another Xbox game, we’re never going to ship anymore Xbox parts to retail, and if you bought an Xbox you’re out of luck.” What we’ve done historically, both on the PS One and PS2, is stand behind the consumer, and here in the eight year of PS2, we’re still manufacturing hardware, we’re still dedicating huge amount of retail shelf space, we’re still evangelizing the platform to 3rd parties and this year there’s 162 PS2 games coming out. If you bought a PS2 last year or six years ago, you still have a great platform you can continue to enjoy for the next five years. But, we’re also saying if you buy a PS3 this year, you’re going to have something that defines the market for the next 10 years. That commitment to the consumer hasn’t changed. > > _At the end of the day, it was more important to get the PS3 down to a mass market price point of $399 then hold onto every shred of the backwards compatibility we’ve had historically. While I can’t comment on the price of each component, you’re talking about finding various ways to get the unit cost reduced, whether it’s the backwards compatibility [which] contributes a piece, the four USB slots contribute a piece, the memory card slots contribute a piece, there’s obviously some efficiencies the guys are able to achieve inside the plastic [that] the consumers don’t see. All that adds up to $399._ As I just got chewed out because my client, a Managing Director, misquoted me to his boss (C-suite level), I’ll conclude with sometimes the lower ranks might now all the give and take better than the guy at the top.\* \*Not a knock on the guy at the top, just that the guys focused on hitting a $399 price point on a PS3, including whoever presented the decision to the CEO, might understand better the list of trade-offs, whereas the CEO is juggling many, many different balls at the same time ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/17 "2008-03-06T21:30:30Z")
Would **Chick-Fil-A** ’s cruel refusal to supply me their delicious treats on Sundays count? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/18 "2008-03-06T21:33:32Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] **Who the hell is Starbucks kidding?!?** The store that sells roughly 17 caramel- or fruit-laced milkshakes for every cup of coffee they sell, the store that subjects me to the dreaded Tunnel of Norah Jones CDs ™ on my way to the checkout counter, _is worried they’re straying from their core business?_ [/QUOTE] Maybe they don’t mind marketing all sorts of extraneous crap _as long as people don’t start demanding or depending on it._ Fruity shakes and CDs are impulse promotions. People expect them to change frequently. Breakfast sandwiches are standbys. People want the same damn one most mornings. _And_ they have to be served hot. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/19 "2008-03-06T21:33:51Z")
General Electric selling their GEnie online service. It made no financial sense, since it used GE excess computing power when the company was closed down; any money from GEnie was pure gravy. In addition, Jack Welsh’s stated aim was to be in the top three in any industry they were in, and GEnie was in the top three of the online services (with AOL and CompuServe). What made it worse was that they turned down an offer by a group of GEnie sysops (including someone who was involved in getting AOL off the ground) in favor of a lower-priced offer by Yovelle Renaissance Corporation, which was created solely to make the bid and was run by IDT, a long distance reseller that was known for shady practices (including being under indictment). They ran the service into the ground in six months due to gross incompetence. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2008, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361/20 "2008-03-06T21:36:09Z")
We never got breakfast sandwiches here in Canada. Did we miss out on something that was actually decent? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-horrible-decisions-companies-have-made-for-reasons-other-than-sales/440361.md?page=2)