Local Mercruiser dealer won't warranty?

[dingbat]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

I don't know, I would consider myself a pretty "loyal" customer. If I receive good service from someplace, I will almost always go back to that place without messing around with looking for a better deal.

Loyalty is becoming a rarity. Customers are shopping around over a couple of bucks. Even soliciting quotes from incompetent competitors to beat our price down.

People like you get the best deal I can give. The rest help make up the margin we gave to you.

The question I have for you, as you are in a "service related business" is....the guy you were talking to last month who decided to go to a competitor to make his purchase and then comes to see you for service, do you or your staff spend the time with him to find out WHY he went elsewhere to make his purchase, instead of just instantly relegating him to the bottom of the list?

We spent over a $1.5M in customer surveys, VOC visits etc. last year. It all boils down to cost.

Everyone is trying to save a buck. Buying equipment that is ?good ?enough to get by short term. Taking chances with suppliers that they wouldn?t have looked twice at three years ago.

We also have a great many customers taking on projects themselves and buying parts, etc. from 3rd parties. Fine and dandy, but their actions caused me to lay off 2 guys because service requests are down. This puts our resources at a premium. Boy do they get angry when I tell them they have to pay the emergency dispatch fee or wait their turn in line.

The reason that your service staff is half of what it once was is due to the attitude highlighted. As soon as you start playing scheduling games like you describe, you are chasing away business. All those guys that you put on the bottom of the list, they remember the poor service. The guy off the street that got bumped by one of your preferential customers, he also remembers that and goes elsewhere. You are chasing away your own business and are too thick headed to see it. Just calling them "every Tom, **** and Harry" shows your contempt for them.

We looked at our growth opportunities and the risks and decided to focus our manpower and resources on marketing our services to a select group of clientele. The customers saw the value in what we had to offer and bought into it. We where able to grow the business over 10% last year when growth was pretty flat in the industry.

Our company goal is not to service everyone. Our company goal isn?t to service more customers than the next guy. Our goal is to maximize profits from the manpower and resources we have available while still growing the business. If we can do more with less by being selective about our marketing / clientele, does that make us a bad service provider or profitable supplier of an ?exclusive? service?

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Loyalty is becoming a rarity

Almost as rare as a business that delivers great product/service and a great price. For that combo, I am fiercely loyal.

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Loyalty is becoming a rarity. Customers are shopping around over a couple of bucks. Even soliciting quotes from incompetent competitors to beat our price down.

People like you get the best deal I can give. The rest help make up the margin we gave to you.




We spent over a $1.5M in customer surveys, VOC visits etc. last year. It all boils down to cost.

Everyone is trying to save a buck. Buying equipment that is “good “enough to get by short term. Taking chances with suppliers that they wouldn’t have looked twice at three years ago.

We also have a great many customers taking on projects themselves and buying parts, etc. from 3rd parties. Fine and dandy, but their actions caused me to lay off 2 guys because service requests are down. This puts our resources at a premium. Boy do they get angry when I tell them they have to pay the emergency dispatch fee or wait their turn in line.



We looked at our growth opportunities and the risks and decided to focus our manpower and resources on marketing our services to a select group of clientele. The customers saw the value in what we had to offer and bought into it. We where able to grow the business over 10% last year when growth was pretty flat in the industry.

Our company goal is not to service everyone. Our company goal isn‘t to service more customers than the next guy. Our goal is to maximize profits from the manpower and resources we have available while still growing the business. If we can do more with less by being selective about our marketing / clientele, does that make us a bad service provider or profitable supplier of an “exclusive” service?

Hope it works out for you, care to share the name and address of your business so I can avoid wasting your time?

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Loyalty is becoming a rarity. Customers are shopping around over a couple of bucks.

Now wait a minute! I am loyal to Bacardi, Coca-Cola and my wife!

As stated in a previous post, I have 3 doctors that I am vey loyal to. A family doctor, a surgeon and a cardiologest. So loyal that I do trust them with my life! Anything more important than that?

dingbat let me ask you this. Situtation is that you need a new roof on your house. This is not something that one buys everyday or needs fixin. Do you go to one contractor or do you call around for quotes if you don't already know some one in that business? Would you go with the lowest quote or one that was more reputable? Many of the service providers I use, I use because they were reccommended by some one I trust.

Your business model is working for you and I would hope that it continues. I also now a barber that works by appointment only and he is also doing well for himself. Best o luck!

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

I misread weeks as years. My bad. My point is the value of good customer service is difficult to quantify. On the other hand a PITA customer who ends up costing the company money is easy to identify. Unfortunately many times customer service is determined by profitability more than the opposite.

Very true. I once knew an old tavern owner that told me " for every moron idiot I refuse there are 2 good customers that will take their place". By the same token every new customer should be treated like they are the next "good" one. Until proven otherwise of course.

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Local Mercruiser dealer won't warranty?

Living in the Boonies REALLY gives most bussiness a SNOTTY , up yours, if you do NOT DO AS I WANT YOU TO.

A real multtinational giant in the woods. Ask him. He is God !

Dump the arrogant bum.

Find a place that makes spending your money a pleasure there. They DO EXIST. I thank my marina owner every few years & steer people to him.

Rich

 

[cyclops2]

Re: Local Mercruiser dealer won't warranty?

Post # 41 is VERY GOOD. It understands a basic fact......................Rich people SHOULD pay more, MIGHT pay on time, might also NEVER pay you.
Bottom line is they still have 90 % of the customers paying in. At well over 10% more in costs.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Hope it works out for you, care to share the name and address of your business so I can avoid wasting your time?

I would bet good money that you have already benefited from our products and services and will continue to do so in the future despite your animosity for our business practices.

dingbat let me ask you this. Situation is that you need a new roof on your house. This is not something that one buys everyday or needs fixin. Do you go to one contractor or do you call around for quotes if you don't already know some one in that business? Would you go with the lowest quote or one that was more reputable? Many of the service providers I use, I use because they were recommended by some one I trust.

Funny you should ask about a roof. We replaced the roof on our old hose before we sold it last fall. I solicited 3 quotes on the job besides the neighbor who owns a home improvement company . The lowest prize I got was $7,500 and highest was $10,500.

I ended hiring my neighbor who was the most expensive but was the only one to offer a fixed price contract. No adders if they had to replace any sheeting or fascia boards which they had to do. The owner (neighbor) personally supervised the job so we where in good hands. We’re very happy with his work and he’ll get the thumbs up when it comes time to put a new roof on this house in the near future.

 

[NSBCraig]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

I wouldn't deal with that place again.

What a bummer you buy a Merc knowing you have a local dealer for all your service work and they treat you like that.

Outfit your boat through iboats it will probably save you money too.

 

[ricohman]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Update on this thread.
The other dealer 30 minutes away is more then happy to take my money and has no problem servicing the boat. He didn't understand why, in this market, anyone would turn away business.
So I am going to outfit the boat there and get the servicing done there. I am also going to buy a new Merc kicker there later on and they can install that as well.
He recommended a 15hp kicker for this 22 1/2 ft instead of the 9.9 I had been thinking about. I suppose the 9.9 may struggle in the winds we get out here.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

A 15HP is typically on the same chassis (and block?) as the 9.9 so it's kinda a no brainer to step up to that. More power at the same weight.

 

[jasoutside]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Now there ya go!

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Update on this thread.
The other dealer 30 minutes away is more then happy to take my money and has no problem servicing the boat. He didn't understand why, in this market, anyone would turn away business.
So I am going to outfit the boat there and get the servicing done there. I am also going to buy a new Merc kicker there later on and they can install that as well.
He recommended a 15hp kicker for this 22 1/2 ft instead of the 9.9 I had been thinking about. I suppose the 9.9 may struggle in the winds we get out here.

Good job. Goes along with a previous posting I'd made and I'll ask again. Who won out and in the end who lost out? I'll bet it wasn't you the customer who lost out!

 

[ricohman]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Good job. Goes along with a previous posting I'd made and I'll ask again. Who won out and in the end who lost out? I'll bet it wasn't you the customer who lost out!

Well, I would rather go to the closer dealer but since that isn't an option 1/2 an hour of driving isn't bad.
Maybe the money I was going to spend there is just small change to his business? Maybe this is his personal policy? I will never know.
The only thing that will always bug me is that they gladly took my money when I bought parts and items for my other boat, (which I bought used) thinking I was establishing a good relationship with the local dealer. I've done this before with motorcycles and I ended up buying new at that dealer.
I am going to get the 15hp kicker and although I am an auto mechanic I am not a boat tech. So I will let the dealer pick the mount and do the install. It does have its own tilt and I would like to be able to start it, lower it and steer it from the seat. Seems like a pile of work to me and I don't want to butcher my new boat.

 

[Rentaltux]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Boy! Is this a Saskatchewan thing? I ran into the same thing when I wanted to get my boat serviced in Prince Albert SK. I was just short of being escorted to the door... I guess my money isn't as good as the next. Being in business my self I cannot imagine turning away business. If nothing else think long term. I plan to upgrade my boat in the next 1-2 years and guess where I WON'T be buying my new boat...

 

[bonz_d]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Well,
Maybe the money I was going to spend there is just small change to his business? Maybe this is his personal policy? I will never know.

True on all counts but ask yourself if you would still feel comfortable with them agreeing to work on your equipment after what was said and how you were treated. I know I wouldn't.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Re: Local Mercuiser dealer won't warranty?

Well, I would rather go to the closer dealer but since that isn't an option 1/2 an hour of driving isn't bad.
Maybe the money I was going to spend there is just small change to his business? Maybe this is his personal policy? I will never know.
The only thing that will always bug me is that they gladly took my money when I bought parts and items for my other boat, (which I bought used) thinking I was establishing a good relationship with the local dealer. I've done this before with motorcycles and I ended up buying new at that dealer.

I'm thinking that maybe this is a "monopoly" thing. Not that that should matter. It seems that sometimes when a business has the monopoly in a certain area they feel they can pick and choose who they want as a customer. Of course they end up loosing. Here, we have a dozen or so marine repair shops that trip over one another to get your business. Competition is very stiff.

 

[mjfink]

Re: Local Mercruiser dealer won't warranty?

"We also have a great many customers taking on projects themselves and buying parts, etc. from 3rd parties. Fine and dandy, but their actions caused me to lay off 2 guys because service requests are down. "

I'd turn over all the maintenance and install tasks to someone else if I could just find someone who can:

1) Respond to and interpret long e-mail messages with a list of tasks to complete
2) Provide a reasonable price (1500 dollars to do an annual service on a 5.7L engine and change outdrive oil is NOT reasonable; I can do it myself for 200 in parts and 3-4 hours).
3) Show up on time
4) Drop the bill in my mailbox on the way out
5) When something is "fixed" it's actually fixed (don't throw parts at it and have me continue to have the same problems)

If anyone has such a person in the Hobe Sound, FL area, please PM me their name and contact info. Until then, I'll continue to do most of my own service.

E-mail is the biggest problem, none of these people can respond to e-mail, and I'm not going to call you, write down everything you said and then e-mail it to you for confirmation. Also, scheduling and showing up are big problems too, if you say you're going to be here to work on the boat at 10, be here at 10.

It's not that hard. Boating is really the only place where I can't find someone that I trust and can communicate with. I've got a great carpenter, plumber, pool service, lawn service and auto mechanic that all meet the majority of the above criteria. Getting a boat DEALER (as in, I want to buy a boat) to call/e-mail me back is like pulling teeth. I don't understand how any of the businesses that I've dealt with stay in business (well, maybe by charging those lucky enough to get any appointment 1500 bucks for an annual service?)..

 

[ricohman]

Re: Local Mercruiser dealer won't warranty?

Another update regarding the dealer who refused to work on this boat.
I got a call from Mercruiser this morning and a field rep actually stopped in and had a chat with this particular dealer.
Apparently they will now work on my Mercruiser should I have any warranty needs or general service.
I thanked him for following up on this and its nice to know that a big company like Mercruiser actually cares about who is representing them in public.
But I won't be taking my boat there regardless. And I do not think they have any idea I even complained. I can't be the first person they told that to.
Case closed.

 

[hostage]

Re: Local Mercruiser dealer won't warranty?

I love stories with happy endings!