thoughts on shop

[xjcj3a]

alittle story, took my boat into a shop. told the guy i wanted the steering, trim pump and a general tune up. tech told me he wouldnt get to it for 3 or 4 days. after 10 days i called, was told that a job had taken longer then expected. ok, so i give a few more days.

call back on the 14 true work day(excluding weekends) and am told, that they would get to it sometime this week. then get asked, well do you just want to come get it? cuz i can have the tech stop working on it. well which is it, sometime this week or your working on it. she then says they havnt touched it.

so im thinking im just gonna go get it and find another shop that seems to value its customers. what are peoples thoughts on this kind of situation? am i being unrealistic to expect something to be done after 14 days when i was told 4? thanks

 

[ezmobee]

Re: thoughts on shop

I can understand a busy shop but they should also be able to provide you with at least a timeframe when they are going to work on it and stick to that. Go get it.

 

[VIPV162]

Re: thoughts on shop

Take it somewhere else. She is giving you the opportunity to get out of future hassles with them. Otherwise, expect more of the same. YMMV.

 

[Av8nBill]

Re: thoughts on shop

It's not unrealistic at all to expect some sort of communication from the shop and to at least have them look at it within a reasonable amount of time after they tell you. Things do come up and jobs run long, but any business that wants repeat customers should make the minimal effort to at least keep you "in the loop" rather than just ignoring you or flat out lying. I would definitely go get it and find another shop. I had a similar problem with the first shop I've had any experience with - would not return calls, put in parts without approval (all I wanted was a diagnosis), and so forth. They won't get any more business from me or anyone who I ever talk to about service if I have anything to do with it.

 

[CATransplant]

Re: thoughts on shop

This is absolutely the worst time of year to get a boat worked on. Everyone and his cousin's brother-in-law has brought a boat in and has to have it fixed ASAP, it seems.

If you pull your boat at this shop, it'll take last place in line at some other shop, and you'll probably get it back even later in the season. That's unfortunate, but it's the fact.

In the meantime, the shops are empty all winter, for the most part. Nobody thinks about boating until the season is ready to start, and everyone thinks about boating at the same time.

The only way to jump the line is to be related to the business owner or have some other priority position. Otherwise, everyone waits.

Sorry you have to wait!

 

[xjcj3a]

Re: thoughts on shop

the season hasnt even started here, we just had our first day over 70 all year this last weekend. i wasnt expecting to get the boat back for a week or two. but now im willing to wait longer at another shop, because i have no faith in the first.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: thoughts on shop

alittle story, took my boat into a shop. told the guy i wanted the steering, trim pump and a general tune up. tech told me he wouldnt get to it for 3 or 4 days. after 10 days i called, was told that a job had taken longer then expected. ok, so i give a few more days.

call back on the 14 true work day(excluding weekends) and am told, that they would get to it sometime this week. then get asked, well do you just want to come get it? cuz i can have the tech stop working on it. well which is it, sometime this week or your working on it. she then says they havnt touched it.

so im thinking im just gonna go get it and find another shop that seems to value its customers. what are peoples thoughts on this kind of situation? am i being unrealistic to expect something to be done after 14 days when i was told 4? thanks

The lies woud be enough for me to pull it out of there. I say vote with your feet. No excuse for that type of customer service, and as another poster said you're in for more of the same.

 

[dave11]

Re: thoughts on shop

The lies woud be enough for me to pull it out of there. I say vote with your feet. No excuse for that type of customer service, and as another poster said you're in for more of the same.

Ditto.

 

[cr2k]

Re: thoughts on shop

The same old problems everywhere. Boat shops starve all winter, then the first day of sunshine everyone wants their boat now and oh could you look at....

NO we have everyone else wanting the boat done now, so no we don't have time to look at...Had you brought your boat in over the winter we could have done this and that and everything else for a greatly reduced price, when we were hungry and had lots of time.

Just the way it goes.

 

[DuckHunterJon]

Re: thoughts on shop

FWIW, I'd go get it. Take it as a sign of things to come. Short story - last summer, I took my four wheeler to a shop to diagnose a rattle in the motor. Same story, was told week after week it would be done by the end of the week. Nine weeks later, its done (oil pump needed replacement - 1.5 hr's labor). Two weeks later, my wife is riding it doing yard work and it catches on fire. The shop forgot to torque an oil fitting after connecting a pressure gauge and it leaked onto the header. This time (to avoid a lawsuit), it only took 2 days to replace all the bodywork, gas tank wiring, controls, and more. I won't be going back.

 

[seabob4]

Re: thoughts on shop

I would be picking it up pronto if you want to get back on the water anytime soon...

Originally 4 days, but I guess everyone who came in behind you suddenly were more important than you...yeah, right...

 

[GXL205 Deke]

Re: thoughts on shop

You are the customer they work for you. I would call around and get the input from your local boat buddies for the most reputable shop and get it there, and due to the time ..wait it out there. This outfit however wasnt truthful nor did they communicate with you. Go get it.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: thoughts on shop

The same old problems everywhere. Boat shops starve all winter, then the first day of sunshine everyone wants their boat now and oh could you look at....

NO we have everyone else wanting the boat done now, so no we don't have time to look at...Had you brought your boat in over the winter we could have done this and that and everything else for a greatly reduced price, when we were hungry and had lots of time.

Just the way it goes.

I agree the timing of the OP bringing the work to the shop sucks. I had all of mine done last Fall when I could have cared less how long it took. It's the lies that bother me. The shop could have easily told the truth and said 'we're real busy, I don't know how long' but they chose to feed him a line of BS.

 

[brick75]

Re: thoughts on shop

Hey xjcj3a, I'm in the Portland area too. Just wondering what shop you're at? I use Beaver Marine out in Gresham, and have always gotten great service from them at reasonable prices. I just took mine in last Thursday, and they had a yard full of boats. So yea, there seems to be a rush of business right now.

But two weeks without touching it is a bit ridiculous. I was told that it would be about 4 days for mine (which would be today). Hopefully that holds true. The sun is comming!

 

[xjcj3a]

Re: thoughts on shop

yeah i never expected it back within a week. i did however expect it looked at after 10 days. i asked them specifically how long to look at it. and then i gave them 6 work days on top of that before i even made my first call. i never asked to be bumped ahead of anyone in line, but i did expect them to go in order of recieved, and if they ran into problems they could of sent me an email or a phone call to explain the situation instead of getting an attitude when i call.