Looking for opinions

[sandm]

ok, maybe knowing what's in the yard, but not taking some initiative to dig into why it's not covered didn't happen.
am guessing a case of he drives into the yard every morning, notices a boat uncovered and either doesn't give it a second look, or ASSUMES that someone called on it..

I would like to think that as a small business owner, I would have personally called the client after a couple of weeks in the fall/winter and inquired about a cover, but like he said, being in business 25 years, people fall into a routine. it really is the little things that make a good dealer great, and unfortunately, in this case, he did not demonstrate that he is a great dealer.

however the boat owner can't be off the hook in this case either. it really is a case of negligence on both parties imo.

you have had good service from him, and so have countless others, but being in business 25 years, this is not the only person to have an issue with them. the key is how he will handle it, and in looking from the post above, he is making an effort, which is a good step.

[zabooda]

I knew there was more to the story as people don't leave boats for servicing and not come back for months. Any service place charges after so many days that the work is complete to get their boat. You need to look at the steps you take when you take the boat in such as covering it, get an estimate and get a estimated completion time. I was always quick to pick up my boat as the outdoor lock up area can get filled and movement of boats means more dings. It sounds like a messy issue from both sides and things could have been better but the ultimate responsibility is the person with the most at stake and that is the owner. The feedback from customers tells the story and there will always be a few negative comments but when you are 1 out of 100 that is well within the norm so you have to dig deep for finger pointing but the finger points to each other. He agreed to clean up the boat and as I suggested earlier the cleanup may not be that bad as I experienced that with a leaky cover over one winter.

[Suprahunter]

A few questions
Did you the dealer raise your voice imtimadate and use obsinities as stated ?
Did you the dealer ever get the parts that were ordered? Was the job ever completed?
You stated you have to leave your own boats outside when you do are they
left uncovered like you did your customers? Who supplies covers for them?
I am sure there are two sides and we still don't have them.
That being said YOU are a professional and I hold you responsible for anything
that happens at your dealership. Leaving any boat outside wile in your care then blaming it on the owner because it was dropped off dirty. Please. Your
responsilibilty was to return it in the same or better condition than it was in.
Did YOU ever call and talk to YOUR customer or ASSUME the employee handled it.
Your attitude towards the other customer that bought his boat somewhere else and wanted you to service it tips me off. You think customers owe you loyalty and if they don't give it you want to punish them. YOU have to work very hard to earn loyalty. Can YOU say you did everything in your power to
protect and care for this boat? After reading this post you would never see
my boat for service.

[rvette]

I appreciate that George took the time to respond to this issue. I bought my boat from him and have taken it back anytime that I have needed service. I have no complaints with the work that was done or its price but I will say that no one ever told me to bring my cover with me when I scheduled my appointment.
I always try to schedule appointments after reviewing the weather forecast and picked it up as soon as it was ready. I never at any time thought about taking the cover. I think that is partially due to the fact that the cover supplied by SC is not trailerable.
If it is the desire of the dealers for us to bring the cover with the boat for service/repair, then shouldn't SC attempt to supply one that is trailerable?
Hopefully, there will be a positive resolution to this and we will all be a little more knowledgable about the expectations of the dealer and of ourselves.

[zabooda]

I put my cover on when I get there. I have come in and watched them work once and they basically roll the cover up to the point where they can work on it and when they are done they roll the cover back. It keeps other peeps from taking things as customers are walking around the boat.

I did see some anger in the words from the dealer and I also disagee with some of what is said but I've heard those same comments from other dealers also. That is why this issue has two sides to it and hopefully everything will get back to normal for them all.

[Suprahunter]

Tomorrow I take my 08 boat and my 08 car in for service I'm sure I will having nightmares tonight about both dealers because of this thread.

[deerfield]

Tomorrow I take my 08 boat ... in for service

Suprahunter - What happened to the classic? Man, that was a sharp boat. - Deerfield

[Suprahunter]

The 89 Sunsport is still sleeping next to the 08 no plans to sell the supra.
I am making plans to go to the reunion in northern IL July 25. Hope to see you there.

Both car and boat survived their visits to the dealers .

[kaneboats]

Glad to hear it.

[jroberts]

I wanted to post a quick reply. things have been pretty busy lately. My wife dislocated her patella on our trampoline, and now I get to be Mr, Mom, chauffeur, etc.

So, yeah, the winterization is pretty expensive. Every year I get the transmission service, oil change, impeller replacement, etc. It comes to around $750 or $800. Then there are always extras: this year I replaced a seat cushion and the exhaust flaps, and had them adjust the steering cable.

Why do I pay that much? I'm no mechanic. The one thing that is VERY important to me is that when i get in the boat, it starts and runs well. I do not want to screw around with family and friends waiting in the boat while I am playing Mr. Goodwrench. I just do not have the time.

For me, this is part of the expense of owning a boat. So, I take it to the dealer authorized repair shop, and do whatever they tell me to do. You know what I have loved about my Moomba? It has been so dependable. (And cool, of course) I get in, I turn the key, and it performs. I don't get that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach at each of the odd noises or spluttering that my old boat used to make. I have absolute confidence that when it is time to go, the LSV will be dependable.

Frankly, that feeling of confidence and pride is what I am afraid that this whole thing will have taken from me. We'll see. If so, I'll sell it and get a new one, or take up a new hobby.

SC has stepped up and agreed to arbitrate. I'll keep you posted on the results of that.