Argument 111

TOPIC: ARGUMENT111 - The following appeared in a memo from the vice president of marketing at Dura-Sock, Inc.
"A recent study of Dura-Sock wearers suggests that our company is wasting the money it spends on its patented "Endure" manufacturing process, which ensures that our socks are strong enough to last for two years. Dura-Sock has always advertised its use of the "Endure" process, but the new study shows that the average Dura-Sock customer actually purchases new Dura-Socks every three months. Furthermore, Dura-Sock customers surveyed in our largest market, northeastern United States cities, say that they most value Dura-Sock's stylish appearance and availability in many colors. These findings suggest that Dura-Sock can increase its profits by discontinuing its use of the "Endure" manufacturing process."

WORDS: 407 TIME: 00:30:00 DATE: 2008-4-7 14:38:23

In this statement, the speaker suggests that profits of Dura-Sock can be increased through stopping its use of the ''Endure" manufacturing procedure. To substantiate this culmination, the arguer chiefly quotes the results responded by Dura-Sock customers recently. However, close scrutiny of evidence unveils that this argument actually suffers from several critical blemishes, as discussed below.

To begin with, the first outcome of the study conducted by Dura-Sock that clientele actually purchase new Dura-Socks every three months does not necessarily imply that customers do not care about quality of stock. The reason why customers buy new Dura-Socks is unknown. It is highly probable that high quality of socks produced by Dura-Sock has attracted people's attention, thus the masses are eager to buy Dura-Sock's products so frequently. Moreover, the method used in that study is not given in this statement, which possibly is not credible.

Secondly, consider the surveys sponsored in Dura-Sock's largest market, which is not so convincing as the arguer advocates. In the first place, the northeastern United States cities, the largest market of Dura-Sock, should not be considered as representative districts. The opinions of multitudes who live elsewhere are the same paramount as those northeastern cities. In the second place, the number of persons who participated in the survey is left untended by the speaker. If merely a few people, no more than 20, for example, have reflected their advice to Dura-Sock Company, the result of the survey is thus unpersuasive.

Thirdly, even though what the consumers are fond of is Dura-Sock's stylish appearance and availability in various colors, in effect respondents have not expressed the idea that they do not care how long Dura-Sock's socks would last at all. Perhaps the precondition of consumer's responses is just that the quality of socks manufactured by Dura-Sock is much better than other rivals’ socks. In addition, revenue of a company has to with a myriad of factors, including cost, efficiency of managers, and sales of product. It is ridiculous of the arguer to assume that discontinuing Dura-Sock's use of the ''Endure" manufacturing process will no doubt ameliorate its profits.

In summary, this argument indeed suffers from a few vital fallacies as discussed above. To solidify the ultimateness, the speaker would have to demonstrate that ordinary consumers do not pay attention to how long Dura-Sock's products last, and further provide more detailed information about the various factors in which customers are interested when they decide to buy socks.