Customer service - the art of survival.

[TJ&LadyDi]

Chewy.com was mentioned earlier in this thread and we, too, have had a great customer service experience with them. Do they make mistakes? Once-in-a-great-while, yes; but we have been amazed at how they deal with them.

Today was a great example! Our order arrived a few minutes ago. It consisted of two bags of kibble dog food and two boxes of a supplement that one of our Schnauzers needs to deal with a liver issue. All of the items arrived loose in a large box. The two small boxes were badly crushed though the contents (capsules in sealed foil "blister packs") seemed OK. No major problem, but not packed the way they should have been, so I took a photo.

When I opened my e-mail, there was one from Chewy.com letting me know my package had been delivered. It also said that if I had any problems or comments, I could reply to the e-mail with them. So I did; attaching a copy of the photo (see below) and suggesting that they review their packing/shipping procedures. I didn't ask for anything; just letting them know what condition the products arrived in.

Within minutes, I received a response from a customer service representative ("Jillian D") apologizing for the condition of the product as received and letting me know that my concerns had been passed along to the warehouse supervisor for review. Now, that was well done...but wait...there's more! The note concluded with a mention of our two Schnauzers (by name) and wishing them well. This lady actually took the time to check our account and find the names of our two Schnauzers so she could mention them. Now, THAT is "customer service."

Taking this back to the original issue with our coach steps, Newmar could learn a lot about "customer service" from Chewy.com! Maybe they ought to contract with Chewy to have some customer service training done! It is not always WHAT you do that matters as much as HOW you do it!

TJ

 

[Jim]

This thread is 2.5 years old, and as I have since purchased a Newmar, I felt it prudent to post my recent experience with their service department.

Six months ago, Newmar did some extensive work to the FWS on a 2016 London Aire I was purchasing through another dealership. After I got it home, I realized it was going to be necessary to revisit the repair. It was an oversight on Newmar's part, but at the end of the day, they stepped up to the plate and took care of it.

Apparently these things don't get decided on by a service manager, and instead, are decided somewhere a bit higher up the line.

And that takes time.

During this delay, I imagined myself being ignored, and wondered if I was going to end up having to pay for the repair myself. But last week, Newmar had a driver bring my coach the 800 miles from NIRVC in Atlanta, all the way to Nappanee for repair.

Today they called and said it was ready and did I want to pick it up or did I want them to deliver it?

Service really doesn't get any better than that.

 

[Bigblockyeti]

That's certainly good new, hopefully a lasting change for the better. I had a similar, or maybe not so similar issue with my '17 Grand Caravan. I'm 99% sure squirrels chewed on something that was apparently a molded part of the gas tank where some of the evaporative emissions system is connected. Any how, it was under warranty and it wasn't acting up, just illuminating the check engine light, all else was dandy. I took it in to the dealership that was only 12 minutes away, they drove me home and my wife drove me back after work when they were done. Worked fine for a day or two and another light. Next time they spent a few hours on it vs. the 1 hour the first time and it was supposedly fixed right this time, ok, super. Two days later another light, the third trip they performed a smoke test (should have been done the first time) and found the actual cause. I was assured it would be covered under warranty but was cautioned as they have to drain the gas tank, I might be shorted 1-2 gallons, no biggie. They clearly replaced the tank and it appears added some fuel or lost zero when draining then refilling. This fixed the problem for good. I never inspected the damage as I was thankful I didn't have to do it myself to the tune of $300 or have them do it to the tune of $950. I was dissapointed it took three tries to get it right but I'm also quite sure someone like Fiat is dealing with far greater warranty volume than Newmar and the proper channels have to be followed. I can't help but wonder if the dealership didn't limp this along to get paid three times by Fiat instead of once as any competent tech would have done a smoke test the first trip and had a definitive cause without all the unecessary messing around? Bottom line, I didn't have to pay and I likely should have, that I will remember and I would have remembered it more and been vocal about it to anyone who would listen if it had not been covered. The bad news is they no longer make the Grand Caravan and the Pacifica that's replaced it is no longer a value by any measure when compared to the competition today.

 

[RKins]

This thread is 2.5 years old, and as I have since purchased a Newmar, I felt it prudent to post my recent experience with their service department.

Six months ago, Newmar did some extensive work to the FWS on a 2016 London Aire I was purchasing through another dealership. After I got it home, I realized it was going to be necessary to revisit the repair. It was an oversight on Newmar's part, but at the end of the day, they stepped up to the plate and took care of it.

Apparently these things don't get decided on by a service manager, and instead, are decided somewhere a bit higher up the line.

And that takes time.

During this delay, I imagined myself being ignored, and wondered if I was going to end up having to pay for the repair myself. But last week, Newmar had a driver bring my coach the 800 miles from NIRVC in Atlanta, all the way to Nappanee for repair.

Today they called and said it was ready and did I want to pick it up or did I want them to deliver it?

Service really doesn't get any better than that.

So what was your answer? Are you going up to walk through everything and decide if it passes inspection? And then drive it back home?
If you have them deliver it, once it leaves the factory you'll be a distant memory.....

 

[Neemer]

@Jim , I was wondering about the status of your LA with all of the posts lately about Newmar quality. I’m so happy for you that they stepped up to the plate.

I would highly, highly encourage you to make the trip to Napannee if you can swing it with your CG opening only a few days away. It’s really a cool place.

 

[Jim]

@Jim , I was wondering about the status of your LA with all of the posts lately about Newmar quality. I’m so happy for you that they stepped up to the plate.

I would highly, highly encourage you to make the trip to Napannee if you can swing it with your CG opening only a few days away. It’s really a cool place.

So what was your answer? Are you going up to walk through everything and decide if it passes inspection? And then drive it back home?

I'm going to Nappanee! lol, yeah, gonna go see what the fuss is about!

I hate to go to places like Newmar. I'm actually a weak man, and I just know they'll have a King Aire somewhere . . .

 

[Neemer]

I'm going to Nappanee! lol, yeah, gonna go see what the fuss is about!

I hate to go to places like Newmar. I'm actually a weak man, and I just know they'll have a King Aire somewhere . . .

I’m glad to hear it. You’ll get to talk with the tech(s) who worked on your coach and get the inside info on what they did and why they did it.

They just restarted factory tours too.

 

[RKins]

I'm going to Nappanee! lol, yeah, gonna go see what the fuss is about!

I hate to go to places like Newmar. I'm actually a weak man, and I just know they'll have a King Aire somewhere . . .

Smart. Drive your towed up and then you'll have an emergency vehicle. You will be impressed with the service center and how clean, shiny it is. They have a Zamboni like machine they run every night to keep the floors shiny. My coach spent 7 weeks inside their building.
The old service/appt parking system was a true nightmare and I found that Newmar owners can be cutthroat if they want their buddy beside them in the parking lot. No respect for rules. The new "campsites" are gate controlled/assigned and "buddies" are not allowed. You'll like it. They used to have the best of the best in the Service Center - not sure now with the layoffs. The tech that worked on my coach had been working there before my coach was built and so had a handful of other techs.

 

[GlampDaddy]

I'm going to Nappanee! lol, yeah, gonna go see what the fuss is about!

I hate to go to places like Newmar. I'm actually a weak man, and I just know they'll have a King Aire somewhere . . .

Yessir...now you get to learn all about Amish cooking. Donuts, pretzels, breakfast, even breakfast pretzels!

 

[Jim]

Yessir...now you get to learn all about Amish cooking. Donuts, pretzels, breakfast, even breakfast pretzels!

I'm looking forward to it!

 

[purring along]

Jim, I am very happy that things worked out for you. I guess going to Newmar for service should have been our choice.

 

[MemoriesByTheMile]

I'm going to Nappanee! lol, yeah, gonna go see what the fuss is about!

I hate to go to places like Newmar. I'm actually a weak man, and I just know they'll have a King Aire somewhere . . .

Waiting to see what you drive back - assuming there will be pictures!

 

[Rollin Ollen]

Yessir...now you get to learn all about Amish cooking. Donuts, pretzels, breakfast, even breakfast pretzels!

Don't forget about Struddle the Shoofly Pie! I love em both!

Darrell

 

[Jim]

Well, the trip to Newmar was successful, and their service was fast and efficient.

Upon arrival home, I parked my rig in one of the open sites here at the RV park to wash it. There is no quicker way to find things on your coach that need repair or maintenance than to wash it!

While washing the rear outside sidewall of the FWS I noticed that I now have a crack in the fiberglass. When I run my hand over the crack, I can feel a lump underneath the fiberglass. And while I can't actually see what is causing the lump, it is right in line with where the leak was.

My assumption is that the particle board absorbed the water running down the inside wall, causing the wall to expand, pushing out on the fiberglass and causing it to crack. Newmar, btw, agrees with this assumption.

This bubble, and the subsequent cracks, weren't there when I took the coach to Florida earlier this year and the only time it has been exposed to rain is when it sat for 6-weeks in NIRVC's lot.

One would have to wonder why NIRVC, who was well aware of the leak issue, would allow the coach to remain unprotected for so long? Numerous emails lead me to believe that the coach was being worked on. And as the leaking roof was the primary reason the coach was there, I assumed it was either inside a service bay or at the very least, somehow protected to prevent further damage.

As it turns out, none of these assumptions were true, including the emails that indicated work on the other issues was being performed when in fact, no work was being done.

Now perhaps the emails were not meant to be intentionally misleading. Perhaps they really did mean to start work on the coach and a more pressing issue took precedence, I don't know. What I do know though is that after 6-weeks at NIRVC, not one thing had been repaired on my coach! And now there is more interior water damage to repair and a recently installed set of 8 6-volt batteries has been damaged from being severely discharged.

How can anyone in the RV sales and support business, leave a London Aire with a leaking roof, sit unprotected in the rain for 6-weeks? And how can anyone leave a coach sitting for 6-weeks with no support for the batteries?

What is wrong with these people?

 

[Rich W.]

That is really discouraging and disappointing. I’d like to think you have some recourse with NIRVC but my guess is they will deny, deflect, and delay until you give up. You mentioned that the Newmar service people agree with your assessment. Did they also offer a plan to make repairs?

 

[sheridany]

@Jim I thought I read elsewhere on RVF they are coming to get it and repair it presumably owning up to the issue created by leaving it outside?

Agree wholeheartedly it shouldn’t have happened.

 

[Jim]

That is really discouraging and disappointing. I’d like to think you have some recourse with NIRVC but my guess is they will deny, deflect, and delay until you give up. You mentioned that the Newmar service people agree with your assessment. Did they also offer a plan to make repairs?

I brought it to Brett Davis’s attention when I first saw the new damage. Brett replied that he would get to the bottom of it and copied Mark Moniuszko his director of warranty and Bill Reith, the company COO.

I heard almost immediately from Mark, who promised to pick up the coach, repair it, and then return it. He also promised to stand behind the batteries.

Five weeks went by with no further dialog and my follow up emails were not returned. I finally sent another group email including all the before mentioned contacts, including Brett Davis. I heard back from Bill Reith (COO) who said that Mark is no longer with the company, and he would be the contact going forward. He also agreed to pick up the coach, repair it and return it.

It appears that Bill Reith, after contacting Newmar and finding that Newmar (to Newmar’s credit) would pay for the repair, feels he is no longer responsible for the damage, and is now suggesting I arrange my own transportation.

He has also noticeably stopped any mention of the damaged batteries, other than to say that they just spent 1.5mm to install systems to make sure all the coaches outside are supplied with chargers.

So yes, there is a recourse available, but it's not one of NIRVC accountability. I'm afraid it comes more in the form of BBB complaints and unfavorable mention to other high-end RV owners.

 

[Jim]

@Jim I thought I read elsewhere on RVF they are coming to get it and repair it presumably owning up to the issue created by leaving it outside?

Agree wholeheartedly it shouldn’t have happened.

There is a sequence that plays out each time I email Brett Davis to let him know how disappointing this whole ordeal has been.

It starts with a flurry of email activity, and someone gets everything moving in what looks like a encouraging direction. Then things slow down and in most cases, stops completely. Five to six weeks goes by and I reinitialize contact, and the process starts over. Repeat, repeat.

This whole affair would have been so easy to remedy, and NIRVC would have put themselves in a position of favor. Unfortunately, no matter how they handle this going forward, they will never be able to put themselves in a favorable light.

 

[GlampDaddy]

It appears that Bill Reith, after contacting Newmar and finding that Newmar (to Newmar’s credit) would pay for the repair, feels he is no longer responsible for the damage, and is now suggesting I arrange my own transportation.

Hopefully, you will have Newmar perform the repairs, rather than them paying NIRVC to do them, avoiding more of the same.

 

[Neemer]

@Jim , I’m really sorry and severely disappointed to hear your story. I have been a NIRVC acolyte for quite a while, but I must admit the more dealings I have with them the more the sheen wears off. I have lots of stories to relate along those lines, but I won’t do that here. I’ll save those for the campfire if I’m ever able to get my sorry ass down to Franklin.

I hope you are made whole soon. This crap should not be happening.