To the philosophy that the customer is always right, that is something that is taught in the classroom, by people who have NO idea of what they are talking about.
I'll tell you what I do know .. any business that shares your attitude does not get my $$. If a business tells me I'm wrong and I don't know what I'm talking about I'm outta there in a heartbeat. I research in one way or another almost every product I buy and generally know more about it than the salesman does. I recently bought a TH and was dealing with a salesman with an attitude like yours .. you think I bought it from him? HECK NO!!!
A dealer that would not do my warranty work would lose ALL of my business.
Me again, I emailed the manufacture and I had two different people call me back. The email went all the way to the vice president of the company. They told me that each dealer are their own independent dealer. They can do what they want and the manufacture does not control their business, and that the dealer I'm buying my TT from should have explained this to me ( about warranty work ). So no help from the manufacture like I thought I would get. Hopefully my dealer and I can find a dealer or approved shop that is close to my location that will do warranty work on my TT if needed.
We bought out-of-state and had no trouble at all finding a local dealer to do warranty work. In fact, they've been great. Of course they will get all our future out-of-pocket work, too. And if/when we decide to trade, they'll be the first dealer we talk with. The local dealer who told us (while we were negotiating on a unit) that he would not work on one we didn't buy from him? Our shoes will never cross his threshold again. Not to look at an RV, not to buy parts/supplies. We don't do blackmail, and we don't forget.
Me and the DH
Two boys and two dogs (and two cats who prefer to stay home)
2008 Forest River Georgetown 350DS (bunkhouse model)
2001 Honda CR-V
Pawz4me wrote: Sorry you're having to deal with this, Medfly.
We bought out-of-state and had no trouble at all finding a local dealer to do warranty work. In fact, they've been great. Of course they will get all our future out-of-pocket work, too. And if/when we decide to trade, they'll be the first dealer we talk with. The local dealer who told us (while we were negotiating on a unit) that he would not work on one we didn't buy from him? Our shoes will never cross his threshold again. Not to look at an RV, not to buy parts/supplies. We don't do blackmail, and we don't forget.
Medfly,
There is a article you need to read in the latest issue of Reader's Digest, May 2008. It is titled "Satisfaction Guaranteed - The guerrilla guide to getting what you paid for (without getting arrested", and starts on page 139. Your local libary should have it if you can't find it in the grocery store.
And you guys who think the customer is not right don't need to read it cause we need people like you to make the world go round.
First of all, all businesses are entitled to their profit. They are not doing what they do for your benefit. If their profit is out of line, as the consumer you have the option to take your business elsewhere. If there is no other place to go, then they are charging a price the market will bear. Pay up or don't buy.
Second, I completely agree with the local dealer not wanting to warranty a unit they did not sell. If you did not spend money with them, why should you expect them to do your warranty repairs?
And finally a story... Years ago my uncle used to be the service director for an auto dealership. The dealership was known for its service department. Not so much for their sales department. They would not do warranty service on vehicles purchased from other dealers within 50 miles of their shop (out of town travelers were always helped).
They upset a lot of people, BUT they did not upset any customers. Think about it.
-Eric
Eric & Lisa - Oregon
'97 Silverado K2500, Torklifts, Airbags, anti-sway bar
'03 Lance model 1030, generator, solar,
To the philosophy that the customer is always right, that is something that is taught in the classroom, by people who have NO idea of what they are talking about.
I'll tell you what I do know .. any business that shares your attitude does not get my $$. If a business tells me I'm wrong and I don't know what I'm talking about I'm outta there in a heartbeat. I research in one way or another almost every product I buy and generally know more about it than the salesman does. I recently bought a TH and was dealing with a salesman with an attitude like yours .. you think I bought it from him? HECK NO!!!
A dealer that would not do my warranty work would lose ALL of my business.
Well you are wrong and you don't know what you are talking about. I am glad you say you are outta there, because I used to get tired of escorting people off of the property.
A business does have the right to pick and choose their customers, after all it is their business. You ever notice the signs that say We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone. That sign grew out of frustration with customers who feel that they are always right, and because they are a customer they can tell you what to do. Well, since you chose to buy your product elsewhere, I have the right to refuse to service it. Plain and simple. I have rights.
As to the dealer that did not do your warranty work because you bought elsewhere, wouldn't be losing much.
It seems to me the question here is not "the customer is always right". Anyone with any sense knows that cannot be true. There are a lot of nutty people out there.
In this case, it doesn't seem to be price nor does it seem to be past service. It certainly sounds as if though the OP felt there was great service offered and he never got a price to compare with from his original dealer. It came down to buying a model the dealer did not handle but one built by a manufacturer the dealer does represent. There is no obligation for a Chevrolet Dealer to service a Pontiac although both are built by GM. The same would hold true for different TT lines.
My question would be, if you assume the dealer should be loyal to the consumer and offer great service and a competitive price, is there no reward by the consumer back to the dealer? If the OP wished to buy a specific product the dealer did not sell, wouldn't it be common courtesy to inquire with the dealer if he could get the product or if he represented something similar? Most manufacturers build the same model under different brand names. Or, do most people just assume the dealer has more money than me and therefore must be having more fun and as a result I owe him no courtesy at all? Given the description by the OP of the relationship, I would think the outcome of the conversation might be completely different if a discussion had taken place prior to the purchase.
This is a hot topic in the RV industry, as it should be. It will continue until the RV MANUFACTURER pays the dealer for the work they perform plain and simple. I am the GM of an RV dealership. I don't refuse to do warranty work to customers that purchase out of town because I am mad at them, I do it because we don't get paid for what we do. You can blame dealers all you want, but the retail owners of RV's have to start putting pressure on the manufacturer's to have this changed.
wny_pat wrote: Medfly,
There is a article you need to read in the latest issue of Reader's Digest, May 2008. It is titled "Satisfaction Guaranteed - The guerrilla guide to getting what you paid for (without getting arrested", and starts on page 139. Your local libary should have it if you can't find it in the grocery store.
And you guys who think the customer is not right don't need to read it cause we need people like you to make the world go round.
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