I hate poor customer service

H

Hedge

Senior Member
Well after my failed attempt to clean or unstick the issue with my carb(s), I decided to take it to have it repaired. There are numerous places to choose from but chose the one I did based on local reviews online. Needless to say, their experience must have been better than mine.
First of all, don't lie to me about your backlog from the beginning. I was told it was about 2 weeks. When I question the progress "three" weeks later I was told their back log was 4-6 weeks. Did you lie to me just so I would bring it there? Then I called on the 5th of July and the mechanic had started on it before the 4th, but wouldn't be back until Saturday. Here it is a week later, once again I make my weekly call, the guy has to "check" on it.
Really. You have to check. The whole shop is not more than 4000 sq ft., including the office. Open the door to the shop and ask.
Now when they finally call back 30 mins later, the boats from "my week" will be in the shop next week. When I questioned about them already starting it before the 4th, oh I must have had you confused with another boat. No you knew exactly the boat, and when I reminded him of our conversation, let us sort this out and call you back. Yeah, sort it out just means get your lies straight.
 
I'm not trying to make excuses for them, but from my own point of view, my season has been really hectic and i'm running 3 to 4 weeks out right now. The weather has gotten me further behind than anything(I'm mobile, so indoor work). If every boat I stared on only had the issue that the owner told me about, i'd be closer to an actual schedule as well, not counting when things don't go the way they are supposed to. Its always this way this time of year, and i don't have a solution for it, I'm trying, but it never seems to work out right. I try to tell my customers that I will try to get to their boat in teh time frame, but things happen that screw it up. Keep patient, no sense going somewhere else just to stand in line again. When I worked at the Sea Ray dealer, they had one of the managers from the Charlotte dealership come in and "tell us how we need to be working and scheduling" he had hung around too many car dealership people and had too many "great ideas" that were worthless in our application. We pretty much laughed at him and walked out of the meeting so we could get some work done. He asked why we couldn't keep our work on a tight schedule. Rather than waste the time telling him about all the issues, we just told him Salt Water!
 
Hedge said:
Well after my failed attempt to clean or unstick the issue with my carb(s), I decided to take it to have it repaired. There are numerous places to choose from but chose the one I did based on local reviews online. Needless to say, their experience must have been better than mine.
First of all, don't lie to me about your backlog from the beginning. I was told it was about 2 weeks. When I question the progress "three" weeks later I was told their back log was 4-6 weeks. Did you lie to me just so I would bring it there? Then I called on the 5th of July and the mechanic had started on it before the 4th, but wouldn't be back until Saturday. Here it is a week later, once again I make my weekly call, the guy has to "check" on it.
Really. You have to check. The whole shop is not more than 4000 sq ft., including the office. Open the door to the shop and ask.
Now when they finally call back 30 mins later, the boats from "my week" will be in the shop next week. When I questioned about them already starting it before the 4th, oh I must have had you confused with another boat. No you knew exactly the boat, and when I reminded him of our conversation, let us sort this out and call you back. Yeah, sort it out just means get your lies straight.
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Yea that happens all the time unfortunately......

I leave it up to them to decide if they want me as a customer. My next question would be explaining the deal to the manager and askin, "How are yall gonna make this up to me?" He'll either give you a break on the service or look at you like your askin him to make your mortgage payment. That tells me everything I need to know about the place and the decision I made to go there....

Best of luck with it bro......
 
spareparts said:
I'm not trying to make excuses for them, but from my own point of view, my season has been really hectic and i'm running 3 to 4 weeks out right now. The weather has gotten me further behind than anything(I'm mobile, so indoor work). If every boat I stared on only had the issue that the owner told me about, i'd be closer to an actual schedule as well, not counting when things don't go the way they are supposed to. Its always this way this time of year, and i don't have a solution for it, I'm trying, but it never seems to work out right. I try to tell my customers that I will try to get to their boat in teh time frame, but things happen that screw it up. Keep patient, no sense going somewhere else just to stand in line again. When I worked at the Sea Ray dealer, they had one of the managers from the Charlotte dealership come in and "tell us how we need to be working and scheduling" he had hung around too many car dealership people and had too many "great ideas" that were worthless in our application. We pretty much laughed at him and walked out of the meeting so we could get some work done. He asked why we couldn't keep our work on a tight schedule. Rather than waste the time telling him about all the issues, we just told him Salt Water!
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Spare, I think Hedge's biggest frustration is the guy is lyin' to him, tryin' to shoot him through the grease...and I happen to know 1st hand you don't do that. Things don't always work out on time in any business...it's what happens AFTER they go wrong that'll make or break a good customer relationship...if shops like the one Hedge is talkin' about would just be STRAIGHT with customers, it's amazing how much better their lives would be...makin' up stories and givin out several different versions to the same customer...I'd go get the boat...
 
reelapeelin said:
Spare, I think Hedge's biggest frustration is the guy is lyin' to him, tryin' to shoot him through the grease...and I happen to know 1st hand you don't do that. Things don't always work out on time in any business...it's what happens AFTER they go wrong that'll make or break a good customer relationship...if shops like the one Hedge is talkin' about would just be STRAIGHT with customers, it's amazing how much better their lives would be...makin' up stories and givin out several different versions to the same customer...I'd go get the boat...
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That's exactly the point. I don't like being lied to. I have been in customer service for 22 years and a supervisor for most of that. You do not lie to the customer, if you do, it will come back and bite you in the a$$. I do not know the owner of the place, I have never met him. It's his son that works in the office and will prove to be a detriment to the business. Between his lying and attitude their business will suffer.

Reel, if I had another boat I would go get my boat. Too much rain right now to deal with. I am going to give them one more week, then It's coming home.
Damn, where's Skools when I need him?
 
Hedge said:
That's exactly the point. I don't like being lied to. I have been in customer service for 22 years and a supervisor for most of that. You do not lie to the customer, if you do, it will come back and bite you in the a$$. I do not know the owner of the place, I have never met him. It's his son that works in the office and will prove to be a detriment to the business. Between his lying and attitude their business will suffer.

Reel, if I had another boat I would go get my boat. Too much rain right now to deal with. I am going to give them one more week, then It's coming home.
Damn, where's Skools when I need him?
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There's another shop or independent marine tech up there for you...you just haven't found him yet...
 
outboards would be one of the worse engines to work on especially salt water ones a small job ends up in a big job and most good mechanics if they find something else wrong will suggest fixing it . the only repair you can put on a time frame is a service .My biggest problem with repairing cars is when owners are not truthfull on telling me what has happen to there cars .they think by not informing me the job will be cheaper or quicker . Yes there is a lot of bad workshops out here but unless you are over staffed its hard to keep cars going out on time
 
spareparts said:
I'm not trying to make excuses for them, but from my own point of view, my season has been really hectic and i'm running 3 to 4 weeks out right now. The weather has gotten me further behind than anything(I'm mobile, so indoor work). If every boat I stared on only had the issue that the owner told me about, i'd be closer to an actual schedule as well, not counting when things don't go the way they are supposed to. Its always this way this time of year, and i don't have a solution for it, I'm trying, but it never seems to work out right. I try to tell my customers that I will try to get to their boat in teh time frame, but things happen that screw it up. Keep patient, no sense going somewhere else just to stand in line again. When I worked at the Sea Ray dealer, they had one of the managers from the Charlotte dealership come in and "tell us how we need to be working and scheduling" he had hung around too many car dealership people and had too many "great ideas" that were worthless in our application. We pretty much laughed at him and walked out of the meeting so we could get some work done. He asked why we couldn't keep our work on a tight schedule. Rather than waste the time telling him about all the issues, we just told him Salt Water!
Click to expand...
SPARES im with you people need to walk the walk before they talk the talk the motor trade is one of the most unpredictable trades around and a lot of thinking and stress go with it (((( under paid and under appreciated:booty:
 
I was in the service business (high line cars) and you dont lie!!it will come back and bit you in ths #ss!! Be up front tell the customer your running behind and that you will call them as soon as you know something. If i had a client say with a run problem and they wanted the car by 4:00. Even if we had not looked at it i would call at 11:00 and say just cking in, dont know anything yet but i will call as soon as i do!they will be at ease because you made the call they did not have to call you!under promise and over deliver and you will always have a happy client!!!!
 
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