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View Full Version : Tis a Sad Day for Moomba Service Customers...



KSmith
10-05-2011, 08:46 AM
I just discovered Heidi from ATL Marine has moved from Service to Sales... A hearty Congratulations to Heidi but such a loss to the Moomba service world...

Please remove your hats and observe a moment of silence....

Ok, 'nuff of that, party on!!!


On the other bright side, I will have full confidence in the Sales rep (Heidi) next time I am shopping for a new SC boat :-)

sicktc06
10-05-2011, 08:52 AM
http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_full_width/hash/f0/1a/shocked_face(7).jpg

I have to say I agree... Heidi was DA-BOMB when it came to parts and service, but hey she deserves this promotion. After all, that girl know's them boats inside, AND out!

kaneboats
10-05-2011, 09:21 AM
Based on reputation alone I won't buy anywhere else if I decide to get my Mojo going.

KG's Supra24
10-05-2011, 09:33 AM
This sounds good for both Heidi and Atlanta Marine. Congrats!

KSmith
10-05-2011, 09:37 AM
I have been emailing the new service manager for ATL Marine, Matt Staib, so far I am quite impressed he has thus far been responsive and efficient.

I have an adversion to telephones... telephones have been the bearer of bad tidings so often in the past I avoid using them as much as possible, as such I tend to email more and must give Matt props for his quick email responses.

So here is a shout out to Matt!!

He has some serious shoes to fill but I am very pleased thus far... Still... Not Heidi... ;-)

Why is it I now feel the need to give serious consideration to looking over the new inventory when I am there next... dagnabbit... I wonder what my trade in value is for my 2010 OBV... LOL :-)

wolfeman131
10-05-2011, 10:42 AM
I got the call last week about this change and I too am excited for Heidi yet nervous for my boat. But, I am certain that the folks at Atlanta Marine have made sure Heidi fully trained Matt as she did Cynde (Parts Mgr) and we'll all benefit from this change.

Glad to hear the early, positive reports on Matt. Not happy to have gotten an email from him this morning about bringing my boat in for winterization. I'm not ready yet!

ian ashton
10-05-2011, 10:56 AM
Cheryl is also great in their parts department!

wolfeman131
10-05-2011, 10:59 AM
Cheryl is also great in their parts department!

It's spelled a little different than usual, but if you need parts, this is the place to go:

Cynde Martin
Parts Manager
Atlanta Marine
"Where we strive for Excellence"
6450 Holiday Rd
Buford, Ga 30518
678-482-6499
[email protected]

KSmith
10-05-2011, 11:01 AM
Not happy to have gotten an email from him this morning about bringing my boat in for winterization. I'm not ready yet!

I hear ya. That's what started this all was the winterization email... I've only gotten around 40 hours on the boat this year, not anywhere near what I had hoped for.... dagnabbit... Going out this Friday and perhaps Sunday as well, but still...

KSmith
10-05-2011, 11:16 AM
Great Balls of Fire!!

Just got the quote for service, I am told all it needs is oil, filter & impeller... 340. Yes that is three hundred and forty...

So lets say 25 for oil, 10 for a filter, 35 for an impeller... so high end 70 bucks for parts, leaves 270 for labor... 270 divided by 3 is 90 bucks an hour, which is getting to be a typical hourly rate, but 3 hours? What are they doing removing the oil through a coffee stir stick?

Well... looks like I get to use my own new Jabsco impeller driven oil extractor and get to spend some quality time with my boat this fall LOL...

I had best start myself a 100 hour maintenance fund now so when it needs the 100 hour service I'll have a couple grand in the fund help finance the maintenance bill...

I'll be replacing the engine oil & filter, tranny fluid, vDrive oil this fall when I winterize and then the spark plugs and impeller next spring... should be good to go then hopefully...

wolfeman131
10-05-2011, 11:43 AM
That might be about right. I paid $180 last year for winterization & oill & filter.

I bitched about the impeller service season before last as I had read it was a "10 min job" here on the boards, yet was billed for an hour and a half of labor. Kurt was great about it and walked me thru the steps they take that ends up at the charged labor hours (and I think they are actually over $100) and the $50 impeller. So, take this for what it's worth and remember that time is money (i.e. they charge like lawyers do!):

1) Get boat into service bay

2) Test via fake-a-lake to ensure no other issues before starting work. This didn't make sense for me at first until he explained that they have been burned by a customer who had shown up with a cracked block that they didn't catch until he brought it back in the next spring claiming that Atlanta Marine hadn't winterized it properly. This step also helps warm up the oil for easier extraction if you're doing that service item too.

3) Remove hatch access panel(s). Hard to service an OBV impeller with these installed.

4) Pull impeller. Check for any damage, etc. and also inspect housing for any debris/damage.

5) Install new impeller, gasket, cover, etc.

6) Test on fake-a-lake to ensure no leaks, temp, etc. Again, I didn't get this at first, but when explained it made me understand and appreciate this step. They would rather find any issues in the service bay rather than the customer find it while at the lake (or stranded in the middle of it!).

7) Reinstall access panel(s).

8) Clean/wipe down and cover boat before getting it out of the service bay.

I watched this service being done at their shop, just to see for myself. The guys weren't goofing off and IMO were hustling to get a 21V winterized/serviced so they could get to the next one in line. I also appreciate that they have to treat each boat as if the owner has NEVER paid any attention to servicing their boat. Those of us on the boad are the minority with the manner in which we treat our boats.

So, am I happy to pay that much? No way! But, after Kurt talked me off the cliff and I watched it myself, I get it and can stomach it and can appreciate that Atlanta Marine has always provided me with superior service. My friend with the $120K Malibu wishes he received the same level of service as I do.

ian ashton
10-05-2011, 11:49 AM
It's spelled a little different than usual, but if you need parts, this is the place to go:

Cynde Martin
Parts Manager
Atlanta Marine
"Where we strive for Excellence"
6450 Holiday Rd
Buford, Ga 30518
678-482-6499
[email protected]

I knew I typed the wrong name, derrr. Thanks for the correction!

KG's Supra24
10-05-2011, 11:51 AM
90 is the hourly rate around here.

I think winterization was 200 to winterize and 200 to de-winterize ... or something close to that.

wolfeman131
10-05-2011, 11:52 AM
No worries, Ian. I'll simply remind her of your obvious insult the next time you have something cool shipping your way so that it might end up staying in the ATL and on my ride! :)

jmvotto
10-05-2011, 12:03 PM
That might be about right. I paid $180 last year for winterization & oill & filter.

I bitched about the impeller service season before last as I had read it was a "10 min job" here on the boards, yet was billed for an hour and a half of labor. Kurt was great about it and walked me thru the steps they take that ends up at the charged labor hours (and I think they are actually over $100) and the $50 impeller. So, take this for what it's worth and remember that time is money (i.e. they charge like lawyers do!):

1) Get boat into service bay

2) Test via fake-a-lake to ensure no other issues before starting work. This didn't make sense for me at first until he explained that they have been burned by a customer who had shown up with a cracked block that they didn't catch until he brought it back in the next spring claiming that Atlanta Marine hadn't winterized it properly. This step also helps warm up the oil for easier extraction if you're doing that service item too.

3) Remove hatch access panel(s). Hard to service an OBV impeller with these installed.

4) Pull impeller. Check for any damage, etc. and also inspect housing for any debris/damage.

5) Install new impeller, gasket, cover, etc.

6) Test on fake-a-lake to ensure no leaks, temp, etc. Again, I didn't get this at first, but when explained it made me understand and appreciate this step. They would rather find any issues in the service bay rather than the customer find it while at the lake (or stranded in the middle of it!).

7) Reinstall access panel(s).

8) Clean/wipe down and cover boat before getting it out of the service bay.

I watched this service being done at their shop, just to see for myself. The guys weren't goofing off and IMO were hustling to get a 21V winterized/serviced so they could get to the next one in line. I also appreciate that they have to treat each boat as if the owner has NEVER paid any attention to servicing their boat. Those of us on the boad are the minority with the manner in which we treat our boats.

So, am I happy to pay that much? No way! But, after Kurt talked me off the cliff and I watched it myself, I get it and can stomach it and can appreciate that Atlanta Marine has always provided me with superior service. My friend with the $120K Malibu wishes he received the same level of service as I do.


Ever try to get to the implellar on an OBV.. good luck.. well worth my time to have the dealer do it, plus up north i pay storaged fees 25 per ft indoor of course .. errrrrr

KSmith
10-05-2011, 12:16 PM
Ever try to get to the implellar on an OBV.. good luck.. well worth my time to have the dealer do it, plus up north i pay storaged fees 25 per ft indoor of course .. errrrrr

I'll be finding out how bad the access to the impeller to my NG OBV is soon. Perhaps I will have a revised attitude about impeller change out next year LOL. It may be they spend 5 minutes on oil/filter and two hours messing with the impeller... I'll be finding out soon.

Full Meal Deal winterization is 211.00 (less a discount in the email) and ready to back off the trailer come spring, not too bad and it is what I had done last year. I may still have them winterize it this year, it really depends on if I push it to the limit when the temp drops, if I run out of time I'll pull it over and have them do it.

They did miss disconnecting the battery last year, which of course instills doubt as to how well the rest of the winterization was done, so I ran drop lights in the engine bay all winter to make sure nothing could freeze... This year with the dual batteries and onboard charger I will probably leave the batteries connected and hit them with the onboard charger once a month...

cyndem@atlantamarine
10-06-2011, 08:14 AM
Hey Ian, thanks for the kind words! Matt and I will work very hard to keep up the reputation that Heidi has built!! We value all of our customers and strive to provide great customer service.
Cynde

kaneboats
10-06-2011, 09:48 AM
Thanks for coming on here. The folks really appreciate it when those "in the know" take the time to do so. Many of us look forward to meeting you.

KSmith
10-06-2011, 09:57 AM
Oh I see... I laud praise on Heidi and Mark and Ian gets the love... yeah ok... fine

wolfeman131
10-06-2011, 10:09 AM
Whaddayatalkin bout Willis? :)

Neither one of you guys got their names correct. It's Matt & Cynde.

Do I smell a discount on my next service?

KSmith
10-06-2011, 10:21 AM
That's it, from now on they are all called Bub...

zegm
10-07-2011, 11:33 AM
Hey Ian, thanks for the kind words! Matt and I will work very hard to keep up the reputation that Heidi has built!! We value all of our customers and strive to provide great customer service.
Cynde

Cynde,

We received our new ignition switch yesterday!!! My wife called me at work with the sound of an engine running in the background, she ran down to the boat (in the back yard on a lift) after UPS came by, installed the switch then turned the key, and the engine started right up!!! She is soooooo happy now! Well after all it is her boat!
Thanks AGAIN for the great and quick service!!!!

Mike