I only shop at camping world for convenience. I NEVER make a large purchase there are they are just way too expensive. With CW buying power you'd think they would price their products more aggressively. We needed a honda generator, looked at camping world and then purchased somewhere else for $100 less. Needed a surge guard. CW too expensive purchased it somewhere else. Needed a collapsing ladder, yup CW too expensive bought it somewhere else. Over the years the list is long on purchases made someplace else. What I do purchase there is caulking and some little part I may or may not have to return. For example we were looking for a carry out dish. CW internet sale $600, got it somewhere else for $560. So we bought the dish elsewhere and I purchased $5 in grommets from CW. It's not secret at the campgrounds from experienced RVers that CW is expensive. They tend to prey on the new or seldom Rvers who don't know any better.

That is your experience and I respect that. But many times we have found the CW store cheaper on some items if you count the shipping costs from somewhere else. I also enjoy and will pay a little extra for the experience of browsing through a store dedicated to camping and having the "hard to find" items in stock, where I can see them, touch them, and then make a purchasing decision.Can't do that on line and that has some value to me.

It pays to shop around. But we appreciate Camping World because all of the items in the store are for camping or RVing. We buy most of the items that we need at CW.

Dog Folks wrote:That is your experience and I respect that. But many times we have found the CW store cheaper on some items if you count the shipping costs from somewhere else. I also enjoy and will pay a little extra for the experience of browsing through a store dedicated to camping and having the "hard to find" items in stock, where I can see them, touch them, and then make a purchasing decision.Can't do that on line and that has some value to me.ut me in that category as well. I do purchase a lot of items on line, but it is really nice to have a store where I can occasionally browse - Oh look, never saw that before!

We tend to buy a lot of things at CW when they are on sale. I do like being able to hold something in my hand before I decide to buy it. I do normally check prices on line before I go to CW so I know how much more or less I am paying.

I try to shop competitively - CW, local dealer parts dept., Wally World, on-line. Whoever has the best price wins. I do factor in time and effort though including cost if shipping if purchased on line. Also, how quickly I need something. Camping World has won out on occasion.

Just too expensive | Good Sam Community

jcapps
Explorer
Sep 23, 2013
mileshuff wrote:
jcapps wrote:
It seems you are missing the whole point, repeatedly. The poster stated he talked to several techs that day.

The poster stated he talked to several CW techs and other CW staff and his needs taken care of by friendly CW employees. The only one who has a problem with this is you, not CW and not the customer. So why the problem if CW has no issue with this and it makes the customer happy?

Heres the difference. A customer tells you what they want and you tell your techs to do what you want. You know far more about the car than the techs do. Instead, I take my vehicles to shops where the techs are experts and know the vehicle inside out and backwards. I meet with the service manager as well as the techs who will do the work to find the best solution for my needs. I do not have to go in a loop talking to the manager who then talks to the tech who then talks to me who then talks to the tech over and over. A different philosophy I follow with my own business (not auto related). Customers can always talk to those doing the actual work although I am always there too. Customers demand this and they're the ones writing me checks! Everyones happy!

A customer tells you what they want and you tell your techs to do what you want

Yes what I want them to do after discussion and design from the owner............ Maybe I should double space my typing.....:R

Sure CW has no problem they probably never noticed him bothering the techs and what do they care, the time is being billed to someone. Clearly you would not mind if WB took up the time of the tech working on your rig and you paid for it. Your a better man then me.
Obviously you do not get it, you have a block that does not let you comprehend. Clearly I work on vehicles above your pay grade. My clients know my expertise and the expertise of my techs. That's pretty much why we get plenty of ink, album covers, magazines and toys made out of vehicle I designed and built.
mileshuff
Explorer
Sep 23, 2013
jcapps wrote:
Obviously you do not get it, you have a block that does not let you comprehend. Clearly I work on vehicles above your pay grade.

Clearly you seem to feel resorting to degrading insults is a way to debate!! You can't comprehend that what works for others is different than what works for you. You have a business model that works well for you and your customers and feel me and everyone else with a different model is wrong despite it being preferred by myself and my own customers. I'm in no way saying how you run your own business is wrong. But you objected to CW's policies that work for them and their customers. I too have gone to CW and talked to the techs. I was instructed to do so by the manager who had zero issue with it. Not an issue where the manager was unaware. The auto shop I go to does the same exact thing. I'm happy, customer is happy, service manager is happy, business owner is happy...whats the problem if it works for others? Anyways, we can go round and round. No need to question how smart I am or what my pay grade is etc.
jcapps
Explorer
Sep 23, 2013
mileshuff wrote:
jcapps wrote:
Obviously you do not get it, you have a block that does not let you comprehend. Clearly I work on vehicles above your pay grade.

Clearly you seem to feel resorting to degrading insults is a way to debate!! You can't comprehend that what works for others is different than what works for you. You have a business model that works well for you and your customers and feel me and everyone else with a different model is wrong despite it being preferred by myself and my own customers. I'm in no way saying how you run your own business is wrong. But you objected to CW's policies that work for them and their customers. I too have gone to CW and talked to the techs. I was instructed to do so by the manager who had zero issue with it. Not an issue where the manager was unaware. The auto shop I go to does the same exact thing. I'm happy, customer is happy, service manager is happy, business owner is happy...whats the problem if it works for others? Anyways, we can go round and round. No need to question how smart I am or what my pay grade is etc.

I had no problem with CW. I never said I had a problem with CW. I had a problem , for the 6th time, with the poster stopping a number of techs who clearly are not being paid to work on his rv. How hard is that to understand. I do not blame CW.
mileshuff
Explorer
Sep 23, 2013
jcapps wrote:
I had no problem with CW. I never said I had a problem with CW. I had a problem , for the 6th time, with the poster stopping a number of techs who clearly are not being paid to work on his rv. How hard is that to understand. I do not blame CW.

I already stated that I have been to several CW's where the service manager himself suggested I talk to the techs. Seems it is CW's policy so the OP may have done nothing wrong. I've also stated several times I too am against unannounced interruptions with the techs. But a policy of not allowing customers to ever talk to techs is wrong for me.

Put it this way. If I am paying huge $'s to have an intricate job being done then I most certainly am going to talk to the exact people performing the work. But yes, I will arrange that with the business owner and as an owner myself I make the techs available to my customers. In this way, my customers ARE paying to be able to talk to the techs. Its part of the service many businesses provide.
wbwood
Explorer
Sep 24, 2013
jcapps wrote:
wbwood wrote:
Was in CW today having the valve stem extenders replaced. Saw several mechanics and had short conversations with them. Everyone at our CW is approachable, kind and helpful. I guess maybe it helps going in with a positive attitude and realizing that they are people too.
So were they billing other customers for the time they were talking to you?

Why do folks think they can just go into a shop and talk to the techs. These guys are on the clock on whoevers vehicle they are assigned to. That's the reason my shop is locked and by apt only

Who said I was in the shop? I was at the desk. They were at the desk in between jobs. Actually it was early in the morning and it might of been before their first job.
wbwood
Explorer
Sep 24, 2013
jcapps wrote:
mileshuff wrote:
jcapps wrote:
Obviously you do not get it, you have a block that does not let you comprehend. Clearly I work on vehicles above your pay grade.

Clearly you seem to feel resorting to degrading insults is a way to debate!! You can't comprehend that what works for others is different than what works for you. You have a business model that works well for you and your customers and feel me and everyone else with a different model is wrong despite it being preferred by myself and my own customers. I'm in no way saying how you run your own business is wrong. But you objected to CW's policies that work for them and their customers. I too have gone to CW and talked to the techs. I was instructed to do so by the manager who had zero issue with it. Not an issue where the manager was unaware. The auto shop I go to does the same exact thing. I'm happy, customer is happy, service manager is happy, business owner is happy...whats the problem if it works for others? Anyways, we can go round and round. No need to question how smart I am or what my pay grade is etc.

I had no problem with CW. I never said I had a problem with CW. I had a problem , for the 6th time, with the poster stopping a number of techs who clearly are not being paid to work on his rv. How hard is that to understand. I do not blame CW.

Who said I stopped them? I said I talked to them. They were at the desk. I was at the desk. They were not working on anything at the moment. They talked to me for a couple minutes.

And as far as a customer paying for the time....once again, no customer was harmed. Besides, they charge by a certain booked time. Just as do most shops. If the book (computer nowadays) says it's a 1 hour job, they charge 1 hour. If it says 1/2 hour, they charge 1/2 hour. Makes no difference how long it takes them to do it, unless it's due to unforseen issues with the vehicle. You should know that as you own a shop, right? I guess the time when they installed some things on my RV, that I should of sat there outside the bays and see how long it really took them! :R

Take a chill pill and relax. The point of my comment is that our CW staff are knowledgeable and friendly.
jcapps
Explorer
Sep 24, 2013
Lol
mileshuff
Explorer
Sep 24, 2013
wbwood wrote:
Take a chill pill and relax. The point of my comment is that our CW staff are knowledgeable and friendly.

Exactly! Customers happy and will return with more business and refer others. A win-win! I often ask to speak with the tech and I've never had a problem. Shops themselves are generally off limits to customers without an escort but thats more because of insurance policies.
creeper
Explorer
Jul 08, 2015
Have to update, sorry to bring up an old thread. It appears CW has adjusted their pricing strategy and are now more competitive then ever, often being the price leader by a couple of dollars. I've bought more things in the past 6 months at CW then I've have in the previous 10 years. Have to give a hats off when due, nice job CW.

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