Faced big unexpected problems. The team lived up to their customer satisfaction goal
I purchased a used Thor Class C motorhome from Poulsbo RV of Mount Vernon WA. A 31 footer with a Ford E450 chassis. Just over 14,000 miles on it.
I learned once again that the real story about a company occurs after the sale. They’ve taken your money, They’ve said all the right words about their focus on customer service and satisfaction. That’s when things can go off the rails. And that’s where my story begins.
David, the sales person I worked with (and soon to be sales manager), explained the family owned company’s values. The key ones in my opinion are listed here (in my words). These were also emphasized by Brian, the service manager..
*Customer service and satisfaction
*Fair pricing and service (no gouging)
*Open and honest orientation and communication
*A team approach to resolving problems that occur. {And yes the RV owner is a part of the team!.)
*When there is an issue/problem, work the problem until it’s resolved (dialing it in was a motto I heard).
What I experienced
Everyone was helpful and friendly. No pressure to make a decision. My questions were welcomed and answered.
It’s critical,to understand the implications of the coach design on performance and meeting expectations. . Will it work the way you think it should? Are there aspects of the design and potential performance that won’t meet your expectations? I had 20+ years with 5th wheel trailers. So I figured that experience and common sense would serve me well.
On the first trip, I learned the hard way I hadn’t done all of my homework prior to the purchase. Two major problems. The Thor coach was severely battery underpowered. We do a lot of off the grid camping and two standard wet cell batteries wouldn’t get us through the night without the generator. Why? The frig is like one you put in your home. 110 volt only. And it’s a power hog. So I figured I had two options. Add solar. Or find the nearest cliff
The second big issue was the slide. It’s a full wall. My experience with my fifth wheel was mostly positive with big slides. So I assumed. But then reality struck again. At the first campsite, It wouldn’t extend. Just one end moved a few inches. I was 25 or so miles to cell service. So I ended taking multiple trips to call service in Mount Vernon. Helpful, but not able to solve my problems. So it was living in a cramped room without access to some critical things in blocked storage areas for two weeks. And sleeping on the sofa so I could hear the alarm saying the batteries were dying. The generator got a workout several times a day. Any day trips away from the motorhome and the need to run the generator were out of the question. So I learned a lot on that first trip.
At the end of the trip I drove straight back to Mount Vernon. Not a happy camper. As I drove I was working the problem. And wondering what help I would get.
I was indeed impressed and relieved.
Over the next weeks,and months there were a series of fixes and failures as the service manager and crew dialed in the solutions to the problems. Slide issues, power issues, and miscellaneous other items. And they were sometimes interrelated.
Early on I put together a proposal to completely change the power system in the coach. The chassis is fine as is. The service manager and team improved on my ideas and made it happen for less than I expected. Ended up with a solar system, a humongous high tech battery, and a new integrated charger/controller.
Please note that I had no reservations at this point about having this big job done at Poulsbo RV in Mount Vernon. Things were working out.
The saga still is a work in progress. New issues are revealed. But that’s the nature of RVs. Hair pulling at times.
The seals continue to be a problem. Sometimes a mistake was made, but issues are mostly due to the coach slide design and always having ample battery supply.
At this point, I have no hesitation saying that all future maintenance and modifications will be continue to be done there.
My overall experience and assessment about whether their actions conform to their stated values and goals (in my words as I understand them) follows.
*YES. Customer service focus .
*YES. Open and honest communication
*YES. Fair pricing and service.
*YES. Working out problems experienced in a mutually satisfactory way. There was no time when I experienced pressure or gouging. Some work had to be revised or redone, but that the nature of such businesses.
Net Promoter® NPS®, NPS Prism®, and the NPS-related emoticons are registered trademarks of Bain & Company, Inc., Satmetrix Systems, Inc., and Fred Reichheld. Net Promoter Score™ and Net Promoter System™ are service marks of Bain & Company, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.
Attention
We use cookies to personalize content, enable certain functionality, and track site analytics for marketing purposes. You consent to our cookies if you continue to use this website.
I learned once again that the real story about a company occurs after the sale. They’ve taken your money, They’ve said all the right words about their focus on customer service and satisfaction. That’s when things can go off the rails. And that’s where my story begins.
David, the sales person I worked with (and soon to be sales manager), explained the family owned company’s values. The key ones in my opinion are listed here (in my words). These were also emphasized by Brian, the service manager..
*Customer service and satisfaction
*Fair pricing and service (no gouging)
*Open and honest orientation and communication
*A team approach to resolving problems that occur. {And yes the RV owner is a part of the team!.)
*When there is an issue/problem, work the problem until it’s resolved (dialing it in was a motto I heard).
What I experienced
Everyone was helpful and friendly. No pressure to make a decision. My questions were welcomed and answered.
It’s critical,to understand the implications of the coach design on performance and meeting expectations. . Will it work the way you think it should? Are there aspects of the design and potential performance that won’t meet your expectations? I had 20+ years with 5th wheel trailers. So I figured that experience and common sense would serve me well.
On the first trip, I learned the hard way I hadn’t done all of my homework prior to the purchase. Two major problems. The Thor coach was severely battery underpowered. We do a lot of off the grid camping and two standard wet cell batteries wouldn’t get us through the night without the generator. Why? The frig is like one you put in your home. 110 volt only. And it’s a power hog. So I figured I had two options. Add solar. Or find the nearest cliff
The second big issue was the slide. It’s a full wall. My experience with my fifth wheel was mostly positive with big slides. So I assumed. But then reality struck again. At the first campsite, It wouldn’t extend. Just one end moved a few inches. I was 25 or so miles to cell service. So I ended taking multiple trips to call service in Mount Vernon. Helpful, but not able to solve my problems. So it was living in a cramped room without access to some critical things in blocked storage areas for two weeks. And sleeping on the sofa so I could hear the alarm saying the batteries were dying. The generator got a workout several times a day. Any day trips away from the motorhome and the need to run the generator were out of the question. So I learned a lot on that first trip.
At the end of the trip I drove straight back to Mount Vernon. Not a happy camper. As I drove I was working the problem. And wondering what help I would get.
I was indeed impressed and relieved.
Over the next weeks,and months there were a series of fixes and failures as the service manager and crew dialed in the solutions to the problems. Slide issues, power issues, and miscellaneous other items. And they were sometimes interrelated.
Early on I put together a proposal to completely change the power system in the coach. The chassis is fine as is. The service manager and team improved on my ideas and made it happen for less than I expected. Ended up with a solar system, a humongous high tech battery, and a new integrated charger/controller.
Please note that I had no reservations at this point about having this big job done at Poulsbo RV in Mount Vernon. Things were working out.
The saga still is a work in progress. New issues are revealed. But that’s the nature of RVs. Hair pulling at times.
The seals continue to be a problem. Sometimes a mistake was made, but issues are mostly due to the coach slide design and always having ample battery supply.
At this point, I have no hesitation saying that all future maintenance and modifications will be continue to be done there.
My overall experience and assessment about whether their actions conform to their stated values and goals (in my words as I understand them) follows.
*YES. Customer service focus .
*YES. Open and honest communication
*YES. Fair pricing and service.
*YES. Working out problems experienced in a mutually satisfactory way. There was no time when I experienced pressure or gouging. Some work had to be revised or redone, but that the nature of such businesses.
RogerC