Hi all,
This has been eating at me ever since I picked up our boat yesterday form having canvas work and carpeting done. I don't know how common this type of m.o. is, but I certainly would have a hard time getting used to it.
Ok, where do I start - there are just a bunch of 'little' things that all add up to p___ me of royally. But first a little background.
We dropped the boat off with West Coast Canvas 4 weeks ago to have the entire canvas replaced and upgraded. They said they only needed 1-2 weeks to do the job, but since the Admiral and I were going to be out of the Country for almost 3 weeks (returning on a Thursday), we told them that we'd be by to pick up the boat that Saturday upon our return. "Great - no problem" says the owner of WCC.
I call them that Friday to make sure the boat's done. The owner tells me that they are working on it and should be done that Saturday afternoon. That gets me wondering about the state of affairs, considering that the year prior when the same shop manufactured a full boat storage cover for us, we got the boat back in a very filthy state. So when I had dropped the boat off this time I reminded the owner of that issue. He, of course, assured me that they had "improved" on their practices ("we are allways learning") and that I wouldn't be disapointed this time. Good, I thought, especially since I once again had dropped off a clean boat, this time, however, WITH full cover.
Anyway, we get there Saturday afternoon to find the boat with a beautyful new camper canvas up and our full boat cover laying rolled up on the bow. I can see the 3 weeks worth of grime, dirt and dust on the bow from it having been left uncovered (they had the boat at Tower Park Marina underneath the 30' tall awning at the parking lot in front of their shop). But since the canvas work looks incredible, I choose to not make a big stink out of this, being that the Admiral doesn't really enjoy such 'stuff'.
While we pay for the work we notice a beautyful carpet sample in their show room and decide to have them re-do our cockpit carpets while the boat is at their shop. We agree on a fair price and they tell me that the boat will be ready in a couple of days, but that I could leave the boat until this coming Saturday. I ask about them taking down the canvas and covering the boat with its storage cover, to which they reply that it would be easier for them to work on the carpets with the canvas up, given the inclement weather we've been having. Plus, they wanted to spend some time with me to explain how to best set up and take down the canvas. No problem I say (the boaw was by now dirty anyway).
The weather forecast is/was calling for rain this coming Saturday so I called them on Wednesday to see if they had allready finished the carpets and if I couldn't pick up the boat Yesterday (Thursday) afternoon. Again, no problem. I call Thursday at about noon to make certain everything was a go and then left work to get there by 3:00 pm (I had to get the boat back into storage in Sacramento before dark). When I arrive, neither the owner nor the foreman I had also spoken to before where around. So I sign the receipt, pay one of the office staff and proceed to take down the canvas (remember the proposed 'instructions' I was to get?).
To my dismay I find that the boat is no longer parked underneath their awning and appears to have been out in the rain for at least that day. The canvas now has bird **** on it and additional grime and watered down dust on the Eisenglas, etc. But by now I just want to get my boat home! Plus, the owner isn't there to bitch at anyway.
As I take down the canvas the owner arrives. He sees me working on the boat, but doesn't even bother to stop by to say 'hi'. No biggy.
But then I notice that several of the bars on the canvas frame have glue residue on them from some sort of product sticker. So I go into the shop to ask them to clean them up. No problem, they say. One of their workers grabs some foberglass polish and paint thinner and heads out to the boat. Please note that the new light-colored carpets look great! But consider that the parking lot is wet from the rain earlier that morning.
So when I go back out to the boat to inspect the cleanup I notice that the worker had climed aboard with his boots on. Now I don't know about you guys, but a) I or any of my guests never go aboard with dirty shoes, and NEVER with non-boating shoes or similar non-marking foot wear. So my anger continues to grow!!
So I climb aboard, making sure to take my shoes off and say something to the worker about his boots. He states that he is careful to only tread on the carpet and that he wasn't leaving any marks. Well, I am too tired to argue with this idiot.
As I continue taking down the canvas I notice pencil marks all over the gunwale from their marks locating the canvas frame attachment points. Of course, I ask them to clean those up as well.
But this is where I almost lost it! Upon close inspection of the new frame mounts I notice 4 new screw holes in the top of the gunwale, 2 on each side just in front of the new frame mounts. And then I notice another hole on the port side where they had apparantly riped out one of the old snaps (the new canvas was tailored to fit all of the old snaps). So I marched back into the shop, demanding that the owner follow me out to the boat. He does, sensing my increasing 'frustration'. When he sees the damage he starts cursing at his workers and says that he will make up for it, that he's got a gel coat guy that does excellent work that can come up to Sacramento on a weekend to do the work. Also, that if I had any additional small gel coat work to be done, to have him do that at the same time.
Well, I fully intend on doing so, but it's almost a shame that I take pretty good care of my boat and only have 2 very small old holes left that need patching - and no other areas needing gel coat work.
After I have all the canvas taken down and the storage cover put away (I don't like towing with it on), I hook up the boat and leave. Half-way back to Sac it starts drizzling so I pul over to take out the cockpit boat carpets and put them in my truck, reasoning that once they got wet they'd take quite a while to dry out, meaning that I'd have to either take them out before covering the boat in storage, or let the boat dry out befor I covered it again. Well, the final straw then came when I pulled out the carpet and found one of the snaps so poorly attached to the carpet that the back pulls of and stays snapped to the boat (without me having excerted any pressure at all on it).
Sorry folks...long story, but I needed to vent. I will never go back to West Coast Canvas, which is really too bad, as their seemstresses do excellent work. But I am just thinking that this cannot be standard customer service of other boat service shops. Please tell me it isn't so! Please tel me that there are people out there that will care for your boat the way you do?
Anyway, thanks for reading and letting me rant!
Regards,
GG
This has been eating at me ever since I picked up our boat yesterday form having canvas work and carpeting done. I don't know how common this type of m.o. is, but I certainly would have a hard time getting used to it.
Ok, where do I start - there are just a bunch of 'little' things that all add up to p___ me of royally. But first a little background.
We dropped the boat off with West Coast Canvas 4 weeks ago to have the entire canvas replaced and upgraded. They said they only needed 1-2 weeks to do the job, but since the Admiral and I were going to be out of the Country for almost 3 weeks (returning on a Thursday), we told them that we'd be by to pick up the boat that Saturday upon our return. "Great - no problem" says the owner of WCC.
I call them that Friday to make sure the boat's done. The owner tells me that they are working on it and should be done that Saturday afternoon. That gets me wondering about the state of affairs, considering that the year prior when the same shop manufactured a full boat storage cover for us, we got the boat back in a very filthy state. So when I had dropped the boat off this time I reminded the owner of that issue. He, of course, assured me that they had "improved" on their practices ("we are allways learning") and that I wouldn't be disapointed this time. Good, I thought, especially since I once again had dropped off a clean boat, this time, however, WITH full cover.
Anyway, we get there Saturday afternoon to find the boat with a beautyful new camper canvas up and our full boat cover laying rolled up on the bow. I can see the 3 weeks worth of grime, dirt and dust on the bow from it having been left uncovered (they had the boat at Tower Park Marina underneath the 30' tall awning at the parking lot in front of their shop). But since the canvas work looks incredible, I choose to not make a big stink out of this, being that the Admiral doesn't really enjoy such 'stuff'.
While we pay for the work we notice a beautyful carpet sample in their show room and decide to have them re-do our cockpit carpets while the boat is at their shop. We agree on a fair price and they tell me that the boat will be ready in a couple of days, but that I could leave the boat until this coming Saturday. I ask about them taking down the canvas and covering the boat with its storage cover, to which they reply that it would be easier for them to work on the carpets with the canvas up, given the inclement weather we've been having. Plus, they wanted to spend some time with me to explain how to best set up and take down the canvas. No problem I say (the boaw was by now dirty anyway).
The weather forecast is/was calling for rain this coming Saturday so I called them on Wednesday to see if they had allready finished the carpets and if I couldn't pick up the boat Yesterday (Thursday) afternoon. Again, no problem. I call Thursday at about noon to make certain everything was a go and then left work to get there by 3:00 pm (I had to get the boat back into storage in Sacramento before dark). When I arrive, neither the owner nor the foreman I had also spoken to before where around. So I sign the receipt, pay one of the office staff and proceed to take down the canvas (remember the proposed 'instructions' I was to get?).
To my dismay I find that the boat is no longer parked underneath their awning and appears to have been out in the rain for at least that day. The canvas now has bird **** on it and additional grime and watered down dust on the Eisenglas, etc. But by now I just want to get my boat home! Plus, the owner isn't there to bitch at anyway.
As I take down the canvas the owner arrives. He sees me working on the boat, but doesn't even bother to stop by to say 'hi'. No biggy.
But then I notice that several of the bars on the canvas frame have glue residue on them from some sort of product sticker. So I go into the shop to ask them to clean them up. No problem, they say. One of their workers grabs some foberglass polish and paint thinner and heads out to the boat. Please note that the new light-colored carpets look great! But consider that the parking lot is wet from the rain earlier that morning.
So when I go back out to the boat to inspect the cleanup I notice that the worker had climed aboard with his boots on. Now I don't know about you guys, but a) I or any of my guests never go aboard with dirty shoes, and NEVER with non-boating shoes or similar non-marking foot wear. So my anger continues to grow!!
So I climb aboard, making sure to take my shoes off and say something to the worker about his boots. He states that he is careful to only tread on the carpet and that he wasn't leaving any marks. Well, I am too tired to argue with this idiot.
As I continue taking down the canvas I notice pencil marks all over the gunwale from their marks locating the canvas frame attachment points. Of course, I ask them to clean those up as well.
But this is where I almost lost it! Upon close inspection of the new frame mounts I notice 4 new screw holes in the top of the gunwale, 2 on each side just in front of the new frame mounts. And then I notice another hole on the port side where they had apparantly riped out one of the old snaps (the new canvas was tailored to fit all of the old snaps). So I marched back into the shop, demanding that the owner follow me out to the boat. He does, sensing my increasing 'frustration'. When he sees the damage he starts cursing at his workers and says that he will make up for it, that he's got a gel coat guy that does excellent work that can come up to Sacramento on a weekend to do the work. Also, that if I had any additional small gel coat work to be done, to have him do that at the same time.
Well, I fully intend on doing so, but it's almost a shame that I take pretty good care of my boat and only have 2 very small old holes left that need patching - and no other areas needing gel coat work.
After I have all the canvas taken down and the storage cover put away (I don't like towing with it on), I hook up the boat and leave. Half-way back to Sac it starts drizzling so I pul over to take out the cockpit boat carpets and put them in my truck, reasoning that once they got wet they'd take quite a while to dry out, meaning that I'd have to either take them out before covering the boat in storage, or let the boat dry out befor I covered it again. Well, the final straw then came when I pulled out the carpet and found one of the snaps so poorly attached to the carpet that the back pulls of and stays snapped to the boat (without me having excerted any pressure at all on it).
Sorry folks...long story, but I needed to vent. I will never go back to West Coast Canvas, which is really too bad, as their seemstresses do excellent work. But I am just thinking that this cannot be standard customer service of other boat service shops. Please tell me it isn't so! Please tel me that there are people out there that will care for your boat the way you do?
Anyway, thanks for reading and letting me rant!
Regards,
GG