Why do RV dealers take forever to fix things

[tinstartrvlr]

Just read a post about someone needing repairs, and it was going to be several weeks before he could drop it off, and then another couple weeks before work would be done.
I don't understand how dealers can be so swamped and not accommodate the demand.
Seems they need a bigger place, or more employees, or better management. Or do none of the dealers have any desire to grow?
I had a long conversation once with a regional rep for CW, who moaned about never getting the correct parts they ordered and blaming things on the mfg, and also when the RV season is over, they have to lay employees off, so they can't find anyone who only wants to work seasonally. (seems like something retired RV'rs could do!!?? I'd work part time fixing the things I already know how to fix)
Seems that CW maybe could ship those employees to Fl, or Tx, or some other warm place during the down season in the northern states.
I realize it's probably not that simple, but for crying out loud, there has to be a better way!
What do those of you who have been around a while think? Is there a better way?

[Veebyes]

Almost 30 years of owning a larger than trailerable boat taught me to be quite self reliant on the water. Not good enough to do any bluewater crossings but able to rebuild a head, service an engine raw water pump, figure out lots of 12V problems, all putting me in good shape for the crossover to RVing.

RVs are much simpler & way cheaper than boats. These days with the help of forums like this & You Tube there is not much that cannot be figured out & dealt with yourself.

It seems people go running off the the $100hr service center for the simplest of things. If it does not require special skills or equipment, like welding, or replacing something heavy, like a fridge, the leaky pipe fittings, most electrical & other little things that fail can be owner rectified.

Besides, it is better to spend that money on travelling than give it to a service place.

[myredracer]

What? Seriously? You mean to say dealers can actually fix stuff?? I eventually figured out you're way better off to fix stuff yourself, even if it's warranty work. Best place I've found by far is a little independent RV repair shop minutes from our place.

Dealer's Code of Customer Care for warranty work:
1. Take customer's phone call and book appt. for 2 weeks away.
2. Inspect customer's RV and call manufacturer for a pre-authorization.
3. After receiving authorization 2 weeks later, then order part(s).
4. 2 weeks (or more) after receiving part(s), phone customer and tell him/her it's the busy season and the work will take at least 2 weeks to suit THEIR busy schedule (it is the busy season after all).
5. Woohoo, 6 weeks later your RV is now ready for pickup. God help you if they missed something or it's still not working right.

Dealers often do major insurance repair work during the off-season and keep their techs busy. I know a dealer that does custom Class C builds in the off-season. Some will be taking in new inventory all winter and doing PDIs. Lots of things can keep them busy over the winter.

[Let_s_Go_Explor]

Gosh, I must be using the wrong dealers. Any boat or RV work was completed within a couple of days. ??

[delwhjr]

CavemanCharlie wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
And which makes the owner more money? Sales or service? So where is the focus?

Bucky Badger wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Sell an rv for 100,000.00 and make $10,000.00

or

do a repair that costs $5000.00 with materials cost so profit is perhaps $500.00

You choose which to spend your time doing.

They have SALES people to SELL Rvs and SERVICE people to FIX Rvs:S

Maybe, but if they don't do a good job of service after the sale they won't make as many sales either.

X2
By the law of averages it will eventually catch up to them.

[CavemanCharlie]

pianotuna wrote:
And which makes the owner more money? Sales or service? So where is the focus?

Bucky Badger wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Sell an rv for 100,000.00 and make $10,000.00

or

do a repair that costs $5000.00 with materials cost so profit is perhaps $500.00

You choose which to spend your time doing.

They have SALES people to SELL Rvs and SERVICE people to FIX Rvs:S

Maybe, but if they don't do a good job of service after the sale they won't make as many sales either.

[pianotuna]

And which makes the owner more money? Sales or service? So where is the focus?

Bucky Badger wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
Sell an rv for 100,000.00 and make $10,000.00

or

do a repair that costs $5000.00 with materials cost so profit is perhaps $500.00

You choose which to spend your time doing.

They have SALES people to SELL Rvs and SERVICE people to FIX Rvs:S

[Bucky_Badger]

pianotuna wrote:
Sell an rv for 100,000.00 and make $10,000.00

or

do a repair that costs $5000.00 with materials cost so profit is perhaps $500.00

You choose which to spend your time doing.

They have SALES people to SELL Rvs and SERVICE people to FIX Rvs:S

[Lwiddis]

Ctpres, who are you for? Swabbies, fly boys or coasties?

[MetalGator]

jplante4 wrote:
It's not just dealers. The local RV shop is swamped this time of year. They store the trailers from the local RV park when they shut down in October and open in April. I try to get major stuff done over the winter.

Here in Florida, it's the opposite. The winter months all the snowbirds are here in Florida with their RVs. They leave by late April and the summer months the dealers aren't as busy.

[jplante4]

It's not just dealers. The local RV shop is swamped this time of year. They store the trailers from the local RV park when they shut down in October and open in April. I try to get major stuff done over the winter.

[CavemanCharlie]

Because everyone does the least amount of work that they can do for the most amount of money. It's the American way. And,, it sucks.

That is one reason why I do as much work on my own stuff that I possibly can. Another is that often when I hire someone to do something for me they screw it up. Heck, I can screw it up by myself. I don't need to pay someone else to do it for me.

[Veebyes]

With the boat, 32' diesel inboard, I would get my mechanic onboard just before haulout in early January. We would go for a short ride I he would have an engine poke & give me a list of what was needed. By February, with the boat on the hard, the work would be done, bill paid in his slowest month. Worked great for both of us.

My son is now a marine mechanic & is constantly complaining that instead of getting known work done early customers wait till last minute to get known repairs done or simply routine maintenance.

So far with the RV we have needed professional help only once. Needed a fridge replaced & there was no way of doing that single handedly. All the little things that have gone wrong from time to time I have done myself, including the unpleasant job of changing the black water dump valve.

Why go back to the dealer? Mobile repair guys seem to be everywhere. The fridge guy was at the CG same day, diagnosed the problem, ordered the replacement & installed it the day after it arrived at his shop. He has a local customer base but he also has the transients like us at that CG.

[delwhjr]

ctpres wrote:
At $100 plus an hour - why hurry?

That's what the shop charges. The technician may be on a piece rate or max commission per repair type or a combination of both. Many shops rate their techs on how many they can turn in a day. Some shops have specialized techs who only do certain repairs and get paid a flat fee per unit. Production is key and the shop $100/per hr is not based on actual time but bookable time. Some techs can book 15 hrs in a 8 hr day because they are fast and good(won't last long if fast and bad.) This is no different than the auto service industry which has a flat rate manual for a repair stating the time to repair and the charge rate. If a technician can fix it faster they make more money because they still charge the rate and the technician goes on to the next repair. The mobile tech has to make money on his time alone, so they are usually more efficient and move on to the next but they still base their rate on bookable hours.

[westernrvparkow]

ctpres wrote:
At $100 plus an hour - why hurry?

It is almost always a "book rate" charge. It is pre-negotiated up front and agreed to by either you or the manufacturer. They don't charge you $100 a hour for every day it sits. They get a certain amount for the repair whether it takes them 1 hour or ten. They also don't get paid until the repairs are complete, and with warranty work, often several months after that. They have no financial incentive to go slow or delay or otherwise keep your rig.