Just to clarify a few things....
1) I didn't mean to call anyone in particular a fool. I was just trying to turn up the contrast. In a sense, we are all fools if we think customer service is great when all they are doing is fixing something that should have been fixed a long time ago on ALL the XD's, not just those who take the time to call and complane. My apologies to Smoke_Works and kgpcr.
2) Who cares how many posts I have? That is truly a childish argument. I would think that a Charter Member would be above such comments and stick to the content of the post... the finish on the XD.
3) Speaking of the content... The XD is a GREAT pistol. However, wouldn't you agree that if there is one weakness, it is the finish? It seems as though everybody is calling this out. I think the finish is the one thing that might keep this pistol from getting the widespread adoption it deserves. Ask yourself this question... If the XD were being considered for deployment as standard military or law enforcement issue, would the finish be called out as a weakness? Might the finish disqualify the XD? I think it would. Finish is an element of durability, and durability is important to military and law enforcement. I am sure Springfield would like to see the XD proliferate into military and law enforcement. So why not recognize this weakness and deal with it proactively? The approach they are taking is reactive... they just deal with it when people call in and complane. This may qualify as "great customer service" on a case-by-case basis, but in the long-run, this kind of approach will only stunt the XD's growth.
4) I realize that Springfield doesn't actually manufacture the XD. However, that's not a good argument either. They put there name on it which means they have taken responsibility for it. They are also receiving all the credit for the XD accolades like "Hangun of the Year." You gotta take the good with the bad. If you put your name on a product, you now own it. Don't act like they have no control over the finish of the XD. IM Metals will make whatever Springfield asks/pays for. Somehow Springfield convinced IM Metals to stamp the Springfield logo on the slide. I bet Spingfield is the reason behind the two-tone model as well as the OD Green plastics. They could do a different finish too if Springfield so specified.
Again, I am sorry if my comments hurt any feelings. I am a big fan of the XD. I tried alot of different guns before I picked my XD9 Service. I think the pros of the XD outweigh the cons by a wide margin. However, I think we'd all like to see Springfield implement a more robust finish. Don't hate me for pointing this out.