This is LONG - a free beer to anyone who reads ALL of it!! Provided that you come by my slip though!
Just a little follow-up on this and my dealing with the local dealer, the Slalom Shop, Lewisville, TX.
I didn't exactly come away from the phone conversation with "warm fuzzies" - even though I'm having a recall item fixed I'm still responsible for the "lake charge" of $98...and of course, they add "shop supplies" to it, it's only a few bucks, but hey, it ALL adds up....call the service dept and get a guy named Bill (wonder if he's the same Bill that used to run Phil Dill's svc dept??)...he's a little combative about the shop supplies, so I asked him "what would you do if you were in my shoes?"
His response was "I'd just pay it" - !!! ok, yeah...he said "it's no different than taking your car in for service, they all charge you for shop supplies" - So, using his logic I countered with "sure, that's understandable, but when you go in for warranty work you don't pay the shop supplies, do you?" He begrudgingly agreed to take that amount off of the bill, I thanked him for that.
Well, to get a boat dealer to come work on your boat they have you sign a "lake call authorization form" which is fine with me...except one little tidbit - "location of boat keys" - I don't keep my keys on the boat, I know of folks who've joyrided/stolen boats due to that oversight....I keep a lanyard with keys, gate key, fuel key, etc. on it, so I don't lose it, when I go to the lake it goes with me, always has, always will.
I ask Bill to have the tech call me when he's a few minutes away from showing up to work on it. I tell him that I've got an expensive boat and I would like to keep it where it is. He responds with "well, I've got one or two myself" (so now this is a pi$$ing match?) I congratulate him for having two boats, but that I'd like to keep things under MY control and I again ask him to have the tech call me.
Bill says "no, we don't give out our tech's cell phone numbers"
me "I don't want his phone number, I'd like him to call me for access"
Bill "we don't give out our tech's phone numbers, we don't tell people our schedule, we don't have a set schedule"
me "I'm not asking for your schedule, just a courtesy call when the tech sets foot on the docks, I'm 5 minutes away"
Bill "we don't give out our tech's phone numbers, we don't tell people our schedule, we don't have a set schedule, if he were to call you then you'd have his number"
me "he could call me from the marina office, I'm not looking for your tech's number, you understand?" (apparently their techs must have a history of being stalked?????)
Bill "I could write that down on the service order but I don't think he'll do that"
me "I'm not asking for anything out of the ordinary that any other dealer or service company wouldn't do for me"
Bill "well I guess we're different"
me "yes, you sure are, Listen - I'd like to think that you'd want to make a good impression with me, being that you are the new Carver dealer and I've not dealt with you guys yet" (he glossed over/ignored that, apparently good impressions are not part of the Slalom Shop way)
Bill "you can leave the key with the marina office and our tech can get it from them"
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Anyway, sorry for the long post - but that's probably the least helpful service person I've ever dealt with. Feel free to share this with others, even their management, I may do that myself. And for what it's worth, the marina manager will be calling me to deliver the key when the tech checks in.
!!!