Bad customer service.

Bad customer service. Is this a new theme in Northern California?

After being completely dicked around by the Malibu and Mastercraft dealers in my area (Sacramento), I ended up buying a 2004 X2 from Ski World in Pleasanton. I had a great buying experience, and I'm glad I drove the extra hour to deal with good people.

My close friends on the other hand, were set on buying a new VLX from our local Malibu dealer.

The problems started on Thursday when it was time to bring their big, beautiful, loaded, orange VLX home, but the trailer lights wouldn't work. A total of four different guys looked at the trailer and finally decided the problem was with my friend's Escalade. They took the boat home with no trailer lights, no big deal. We headed over to check out the boat, and within one minute, found a bad ground on the trailer. Problem solved.

Next on the list is the Sony CD player. The radio works, but CDs won't play. This is really a minor problem. So again, no big deal. It will be replaced under warranty.

Those are both minor problems that could happen to anybody. The employees not being able to find a bad ground is a little dis-heartening, but those weren't the actual service people, so that's no big deal either.

The fun really started on Saturday when my friends rounded up all of their kids and headed out to Folsom Lake for the maiden voyage. They haven't owned a boat in over a year, so you can imagine they were pretty excited to roll up in a new VLX. Fortunately, they were smart enough to check the plug. Alas, no plug in the boat.

Is it in the glove box? No.
In the rear storage? No.
In the front storage? No.
Where is the plug? Nowhere to be found. In the rush to get the boat out the door, a plug was never supplied.

So they call the dealership and say, "Hey, we need you to bring us the plug that you never put in the boat or gave to us."

After dropping $48,500 two days prior, one should expect a small amount of customer service, especially to make good on a problem CAUSED by the dealer.

Sadly, this is not the case with this particular dealer, (And from what I hear, all of their subsidiaries). Instead of, "Sure, we'll bring it right out."

They got, "Sorry, we've got customers right now."

My friends had to leave the lake and drive to the dealer to pick up the plug.

Now if that isn't the biggest F.U. I've ever heard of, I don't know what is.

What would you guys do if your dealer treated you like this two days after a sale?

Man...I don't know. It's kinda hard to find this out after you've pulled the trigger and purchased the boat. But if I was me I'd contact the Sales Mgr./Owner of the dealership and let them know that I expect a higher level of service considering I just dropped so much $$ on a boat. They should have a check off list of things to perform before they let the boat leave the dealer...and a plug would be on the list I'd think!

Just a thought, but why did he not just go to a Home Depot or other hardware store and get a plug somewhere close?

I know they should have supplied one, but sometime we have to add sugar to the lemon-aid we are served.

I hope they are a little bit better at service, but think about it in their shoes, they do have to sell boats to keep the doors open, and if they loose a sale b/c they have to hand deliver a plug to you, then they might not be able to keep the doors open in the future.

I know that when you drop major coin on a luxury item, you want to be treated like king, and rightly so.

I also know what it is like being on the other end of the deal, so I try to make my service as painless to the dealer as possible. Do I accept second rate service? NO! Do I try to be accomidating? YES! Do I let them know when I want the service now and quick? YES! Do they accomidate me? YES!

I feel it is because I am reasonable, and try to work with them as much as possible.

I have also done little things because I know it is more of a hassle for them and me to have to drag the boat to the dealer for them to fix it. the plug would be one of those things. I would however let them know, so they can do me a favor in exchange for not getting the plug.

robert, my thoughts exactly. those were minor problems compared to what some other people have had to experience.

3 day right of recision? In Texas you have 3 days where you can return the item you bought.

Had our dealer take off the safety lanyard when they were working on it. Realized it on a Sunday morning when they were closed so we had to drive the opposite way of the lake to a Boater's World to buy one. Needless to say the dealer heard about it later.

But I agree the dealer should have brought them a plug if it wasn't a really long distance away. Using the we have customers excuse is unforgiveable in my book. That's along the same lines as a waiter not keeping your drinks full when your eating dinner. Instant reduction in tip. And we tip well.

See if they can return the boat. That would wake up the dealer real quick.

I hope it does not seem like I am siding on the dealers side, nor belittling the problem. I agree that those items should not have happened. i just also like to see things through the other person's eyes. You really start to realise when you are being taken advantage of, and when you are doing the taking advantage of the other person. I usually try to walk down the middle, but sometimes I try and take advantage of the other person, I try never to be taken advantage of though,

Sorry, IMO, this thread is LAME.

These are trivial little delivery problems. This is not a service problem. IMO, this thread belittles all of the MASSIVE service problems we have encountered in NorCal.

The dealership could have drove a plug out, but that would have been amazing service.

After this thread and the other thread about "delivery price", I am starting to feel real sorry for retailers - dealing with the public must be so so difficult.

I disagree with greatdane.

When you spend the kind of cash we do on wakeboarding boats, we should be getting better customer service from all dealers. I have rec'd better customer service on my car and I spent alot less on my car than my boat.

All the dealers around the Seattle area talk up the customer service aspect when they are trying to get you to buy a boat, but I haven't really seen any follow through yet.

I agree...not really that big of a deal that the plug was forgotten, but I'd still say that it was the dealer's mistake. Why should the customer have to do all the ground work to remedy the dealer's mistake? The boat operates about as well w/o a plug as w/o an engine.

Joe - How far was the boat from the dealer?

Oh, and if I was a customer there at the time and heard that they were running out to the lake to take care of a recent customer....I may think...this is the place I want to buy my boat.

interesting thoughts.. 3 day right of recision? I had to laugh out loud!! lol, that still makes me giggle.. Were not talking a mortgage/ HELOC here, but an interesting law none the less.. I think the dealer should have a detailed check list, period. If they forgot the plug thats on them.. I don't think they have to deliver one on the spot but a sincere apoly, and the jesture of reimbursing the cost of one bought near home seems fair... The lights, thats too simple for them to over look. It would annoy me but its not the end of the world.. Congrats on the new boat, follow your break in procedure and be happy your NOT dealing with any REAL issues.. yet..

The way I see it with boat dealerships,is that they do not have the luxury of selling 150 boats a month like a car dealership, when I go in and get service work done on my boat, I usually find guys that want to do their best to handle your situation. I do find that boat dealerships seem to be more accomodating then a car dealership, meaning if it is a quick fix they have it done while I wait.I have always had to leave my truck to get serviced , even if it is something little. At least Ski World did not forget Joe's plug( Could you imagine what this thread would have been like? Laci? How long have you had any problems with your new boat? P.S. I agree with Dane and CDM!

(Message edited by aircox on June 06, 2004)

(Message edited by aircox on June 06, 2004)

Malibu builds boats , not trailers. Yes , it would have been nice to take the plug to them or even meet them half way, but who knows if they would've had to shut down the dealership to make that happen. Dealer should have went over the entire boat before they took it off the lot. If they were looking for a plug, what happened to the other two?

Like I said, the brakes and the CD player are minor issues. However, had I not been there to troubleshoot the bad ground, my friends would have taken their SUV to the Cadillac dealer and said, "The trailer wiring doesn't work." This SUV is out of warranty. You think the Caddy dealer would have gone through and proved it all out for free? Of course not. That could have been at least $100 down the crapper because the BRAND NEW trailer was faulty.

My friends are not mechanically inclined in any way, shape, or form. That's why they bought a BRAND NEW $48,500 boat with a warranty. They do not know that a boat plug is a standard pipe thread they can get anywhere.

They were at Folsom Lake, about 20-25 minutes from the dealer. Forgetting the plug was a minor mistake by the dealer. It could have easily been remedied by driving the plug out to the lake. Instead, the dealer told them to eat it.

If I had made that phone call and the dealer said, "We can't bring you the plug, we've got other stuff to do." I would have driven the boat to the middle of the lake and watched it sink.

If I had made that phone call and the dealer said, "We can't bring you the plug, we've got other stuff to do." I would have driven the boat to the middle of the lake and watched it sink."

Humm.. Then you would really have some problems. And I wouldn't feel one bit sad for you if in the end you were •••••••• of luck.. i can't stand bull headed ignorance

oops sorry guys

Sounds like typical customer service from Sacramento boat dealers. All of them test drive at Folsom Lake so if someone was schedeuled to test a boat it seems they could have brought the plug with them. I see the dealers out there all the time. Also the minimum wage kid at the parts counter working part-time wouldn't be missed for an hour while he drove out a plug. Do what I did, call the owner and raise hell and let them know that everyone you talk to will hear about your bad experience and how you love the boat but should have bought it from another dealer becasue of the service. It is forums like this that spread the word and I know people from the dealers and industry watch it.

Humm.. Then you would really have some problems. And I wouldn't feel one bit sad for you if in the end you were •••••••• of luck.. i can't stand bull headed ignorance


That's easy to say when you're not the one getting screwed.

How would you feel if you dropped 68K on your XStar, rounded up your 2,3, and 5 year old kids, drove 45 minutes to the lake, only to find out you can't play CDs, your trailer lights don't work, and you can't even launch the boat because the dealer not only forgot the plug, but won't drive 20 minutes to bring you another one.

I'm sure you wouldn't be "bull headed" at all.



(Message edited by Joe 788 on June 07, 2004)

Just keep slamming the dealer that gave you bad service. Thay do read the message boards. And with all the people that read the boards they see the good or bad service and their boat sales will go down or up. My feeling is that if you spend that much money on a new boat you should get better service than that. On the other hand you should have checked the whole boat before you left for the lake to make suer you had everything you needed for a great day on the water.

I think the dealer should take me out for a shake down first time out in a new boat. I have already discussed it with my local Supra Dealer and they said "of course, we always do that". Every new boat has a few things that will need to be tweaked. The dealer should be there to see for themselves. If I got to the lake and they had to go get a plug I would want them to drop off a twelve pack and some lunch before they left!

If they had good customer service they should have driven a plug out. Or the very least sugested an alternative, Home Depot, Local hardware store. The fact they let you drive out of the dealership with no trailer lights is pretty lame.

Or if they didn't do either maybe an offer for a half price or discount 20 hour service, maybe a credit in the pro shop etc. All things that yeah wouldn't fix the problem but at least make you feel better about the situation and that they took it "customer service" seriously. I would have to say they failed the test.

"I think the dealer should take me out for a shake down first time out in a new boat."

Yep, when I bought my Tige' at Tige' Watersports it was almost mandatory I did this with them.

I am reasonable certain that a lot of people don't by a $50K boat for their first boat. So, to a degree, I can understand not checking out the trailer light situation. They have to assume some amount of knowledge and I am sure that this person communicated that this was not their first boat.

It certainly is not pleasant to be dissapointed, but a lot of boat dealers don't have very long hours on a Saturday. It might have been nice to say that they would bring it out later. Perhaps they were busy and didn't have a low buck parts guy to spare.

Ranting and raving about something like that doesn't strike me as the best way to ensure good service in the future. Perhaps calmly going, getting the plug and letting them know about your displeasure would be enough for them to remember you the next time you are in.

Texas does not have a "right of recission Law" if you do business at the dealer. If the dealer comes to your home and you do the entire deal there then you have 3 days to cancel the contract. If my dealer would have given me that treatment in the same manner I would have gladly driven back to that dealership to get a plug. When I arrived at the dealer I would have to do one of two things 1: let every customer there know that the dealership sold me my BRAND NEW TOY at a discount of $12,000 dollarsd and beat every other deal in the area, or 2: let every customer know that while I have the boat that I wanted I cannot enjoy it due to the fact that the dealer could not prep the boat properly. GOOD LUCK

Conversation:

Joe: Hey sales man I am on my cell phone at the lake 25 minutes away. I am looking for the plug and can't find one. Where would you have placed it?

SM: It should be in the glove box.

Joe: not there, wow this is not good, I am here with my familly at the lake for our maiden voyage. Damn what should I do?

SM: Oh my god Joe I am sooooo sorry, wow I hate to mess up your afternoon, hey is there a hardware store nearby where you can pick one up to get by for the day. We will pick up the cost whatever it is.

Joe: No the lake is in the middle of nowhere. Damn, I guess I will have to go to your store to pick one up.

SM: Wait hold on Joe, maybe someone here can run one out to you, hold on let me check...............Joe, I'm back. It's Saturday and we are swamped, and running on a skeleton crew. I am sorry to do this to you, but I tell you what, send someone over here to get the plug and when you come in for your 20 hour service I will make sure your boat leaves with a full tank of gas to repay you for your unconvience. I am so sorry this happened and I wish I could offer you a better solution, but darn my hands are tied today.

Desn't really solve the situation, but I bet Joe wouldn't have gone to wakeworld if they handled it this way. Everybody knows that we are human and humans make mistakes. But it's how you handle them that makes the difference if you earn a reputation of Great Customer Service or not.

You could have called me. I'm 2 minutes from the ramp at Folsom and I would have happily brought out my plug from my boat and my board and life jacket too!

Hopefully they will get the kinks worked out and be enjoying their new boat for many days to come this summer. If I see an orange VLX, I'll give a wave.

Excellent J French. That's exactly what I was talking about. You can get them to "solve" your problem without being a wad, and still get what you need.

When my boat was not ready for the season, I said "cool, we'll go out on my buddy's Supreme." Next thing I know they are working on my boat at 9pm to get it ready. I didn't fuss, but they could tell I was disappointed. For that, I'll go back to that dealer anytime I need anything done that I can't handle.

Trying not to be harsh...but the buyer has SOME responsibility to go over the boat to make sure everything is there. If the boat was rushed out the door, I'm sure the dealer was not the one rushing it. Just for the record, I bought a brand new VLX from Ultimate Water Sports in San Jose, and was (and still am) treated extremely well. The service AND sales people are top notch.

This all ges back to preparedness and ••••••••• you should have with you:

2 Spare plugs (one for your wife and one for boat)
small tool kit with wire clippers
Knife etc.

The same situation happened to me, no plug. We had a spare in our tool kit so it didn't ruin the river trip. Nothing beats a 2$ fix for a major problem.

BTW, congrats on the VLX, my bud just got one too wth USA graphics. Killer wake for surfing!! I have pic in profile.

Be careful with your X2 they have had problems with the guage cluster and electronics going out.

i definintely agree that the dealer should have gone though a check list with you prior to delivery. my dealer did, then took me out to the lake and showed me how EVERYTHING worked, including how to check all of the fluids, what types to use, loading/unloading form the trailer etc. this is not my first boat, but it was nice for them to be so thorough... and i bought a Moomba

although i don't agree that he should have driven one out to you, i would say that making them aware of your disappointment and working out a discount on your first service or filling the tank would be a good comprimise.

for time savings you might could have just hit the local gas station or sporting store. seems like all of those little mom & pop places out by the lakes have stuff like plugs.

Joe, Wow! I'm glad I'm not the only one having dealer problems, bad customer service. To make a very long story shot, I bought the same boat Malibu VLX 04 from a dealer in Livermore. We bought the boat in April and after MULTIPLE minor problems the bigger problems were soon to come. We just got our boat back today after countless attempts to solve these problems.

1st black fiberglass deck was white, custom racks weren't installed (had to install myself), bimni was supposed to be cut & adjusted so it wouldn't hit the windows when you fold the tower down (wasn't done & was told it wasn't possible). So at this point the boat should have had it's 20 hour service done. I was thinking at this point was that done? So I take the boat out that day after having to open the shop door myself and move a fork lift just so I could get my boat out, cause there was no one there to do it for me (they knew exactly when I was coming). Get the boat on the water & what do you know it idles at a range of 1200 - 1400 RPMS in neutral. Call the dealer trying to solve the problem on the water, no go. Drove fine they said it'd be fine to drive it just bring it in the next day. Wait there's MORE, 2 inches of play in the steering.

Next day: Take the boat back into the shop & find out I have a bad Perfect Pass and a broken stearing cable. Yeah remember this is a brand new 04 that before it went back into the shop it was rock solid. Was told that the Perfect Pass was on back order for 3 months.

Days go by, weeks go by with still no answers or progress on the boat. After many phone call attempts and many responses like, "it'll be here in a few days, it's on back order, or sorry the store manager is out do you want his voice mail?" thing finally went too far.

Decided after weeks of going through this to call the owner of this dealership. Things finally got done. But I hated the fact that I felt like I was complaining.

TODAY: Finally got the boat back! Swim deck is still white. Have to take the Bimni off to fold that tower down for storage. Still unsure if boat is going to be ok. So wish me luck!!! Oh yeah, customer service, well the store manager I'm sure thinks I'm a pain in the a**, but when you spend this kind money you have a certain expectation. Just keep in mind if you finance a boat, the salesman/store manager is already paid by the bank.

As for compensating us for all the trouble, we got a demo boat this a week ago but that I had to call & ask for it after speaking with the owner previously. Oh yeah I could go on with the minor little things, but it really bothered me about the lack of customer service and the fact that I had a broken steering cable on a new 04 boat.

As for being preparred before heading to the water. I SECOND THAT!!! Loose bolts, spare plugs, oar (wasn't in the boat), cell phone, tow rope (in case you're stranded), etc...

Did I mention this was our second purchase from this dealership. The first boat different problem but same quality service. Sorry, turned out to be quite long but I left out alot so you could imagine the problems we've been having.

PP on back order. That's •••••••••• You can get one in like 2 days from PP direct. Backordered.. What a crock. I feel your pain. I've had some bad service experience here in Sacramento also. I don't want to go into details besides a couple general points. They lied to me, tried to pass a 3 blade off on me instead of the 4 that I brought it in with, incompetent (couldn't diagnose several simple problems), tried to charge me for warranty service, etc.

I now take my boat to Sterling Marine Center where I get stellar service.