I'm posting this here because CW RV Sales forum isn't taking new posts at the moment.
We've been shopping for an RV on the web and at various dealers.
Before I go to a store, I like to review it's inventory and pricing.
In general, I would say that RV store web sites are pretty poor. They're not always up to date, they often offer no or incomplete information about products and they don't give prices.
I understand that RV dealers are under staffed and often are managed by people who aren't very knowledgeable or detail oriented. In other words, they lack adult supervision.
However, I'd think that CW's chain of RV stores would be the best in the industry when it comes to selling in person and on the web. I've read mostly good things about CW dealerships, but I think the web sites are clunky and incomplete.
They're clunky in the sense that it's hard to move among CW stores on the site. It's hard to do a search and get what you want without seeing every listing. And it seems that a lot of inventory is not posted on most CW dealership sites/pages.
The least CW could do is offer to send complete inventory listings upon request. All CW would have to do is put a big ad/button on each page and require each store manager to update the inventory list once or twice a day—without fail.
Further, I would have the sales people take turns updating the inventory posting just to make sure that they know what's on hand.
Yes, this is my first post here, but if you check out the RV Forum, you'll see that I'm a fairly regular poster. I've been chatting on line for about 30 years and used to own a pretty active message board.
Now, the Colorado Springs CW lists 122 RVs, which seems pretty complete and gives prices. This listing is better than you get from CW's own site, I think.
But why advertise that they are a Freedom Roads official dealer when they also sell some Winnebago models?
When you click on the 2003 Newell listing, you get a very brief description at the top of the page. But when you look at Seller's description, why do they make you email for more info? Because they want your name and email so they can bug you, or what?
To me, that tells the prospect that CW isn't a service- and customer-oriented company.
btw, I got to the Colorado Springs (Fountain, CO) store not via the CW web site but via RVSearch.com, which I found by clicking the RV Dealers tab at the top of the page. RVSearch helps you find RV stores.
* This post was
edited 05/22/12 10:26pm by Oldedit *
The easiest way for a dealer or anyone else to pre-sell me and save a sales person's time is to provide as much info about a product online as possible. Every RV dealer's listing should offer links to the brochure or web site for the new or used RV when possible. And every listing should provide an email address and phone number that a prospect can use to get more info without doing more searching, etc.
btw, this thread is directed to CW management more than anyone else. I hope others will add your thoughts and that the forum administrator will post this where the CW CEO and other executives will see it.
Often dealers want you to call them since they can try to get you into the store. I think dealers lose more sales than they gain by requiring you to call. I never call if a car dealer doesn't list a price and says to call instead. I just move on to a dealer that lists the price.
Oldedit, who lit your fuse today? We all get it, you don't like Camping World. But I don't think you are going to change them overnight posting multiple threads on these forums. Maybe you should move on to something a little more obtainable, like world peace.
westernrvparkowner wrote: Oldedit, who lit your fuse today? We all get it, you don't like Camping World. But I don't think you are going to change them overnight posting multiple threads on these forums. Maybe you should move on to something a little more obtainable, like world peace.
CW lit my fuse. It has stuff I may buy, services I may use and questions I'd like to have answered.
Why are you so offended by an honest discussion about an important industry player? Do you just not like strategy discussions, or are you in some way linked to someone who works for CW?
When people get defensive, beware.
btw. I owned a message board for years. When new members joined, old-timers who felt a strong ownership of the board sometimes got upset with questions about the board and me. I always welcomed the newcomers and answered their questions as best I could. Then folks settled down and moved on.
belfert wrote: Often dealers want you to call them since they can try to get you into the store. I think dealers lose more sales than they gain by requiring you to call. I never call if a car dealer doesn't list a price and says to call instead. I just move on to a dealer that lists the price.
westernrvparkowner wrote: Oldedit, who lit your fuse today? We all get it, you don't like Camping World. But I don't think you are going to change them overnight posting multiple threads on these forums. Maybe you should move on to something a little more obtainable, like world peace.
CW lit my fuse. It has stuff I may buy, services I may use and questions I'd like to have answered.
Why are you so offended by an honest discussion about an important industry player? Do you just not like strategy discussions, or are you in some way linked to someone who works for CW?
When people get defensive, beware.
btw. I owned a message board for years. When new members joined, old-timers who felt a strong ownership of the board sometimes got upset with questions about the board and me. I always welcomed the newcomers and answered their questions as best I could. Then folks settled down and moved on.
not being defensive but questioning the motives behind a member who joins and in 24 hours posts nothing other than how he thinks CW can be improved, why not just PM Marcus with all of your concerns and suggestions, he will get back to you, or you could just buy your own string of dealerships and run them the way you would like. However I am sure people will post that they don't like the way your dealerships operate either. good luck with your study, please post it when your done.
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