Not every dealer should be trusted to do a good job

[Neutron]

It never ceases to amaze me how incompetent some "factory trained technicians " operate. If i owned a dealer and saw what they do, i would fire everyone in the service department.
I see this with many so called professionals.

My most recent issue is a customer calls me so frustrated that their 2012 waverunner vx cruiser overheats once in a while.
They brought it to the local dealer and they determined it was clogged water passages in the 90 degree elbow that is bolted to the exhaust manifold. They charged them a lot to remove that elbow clean it out and put back on.
After getting back it now overheats 100 yards from their dock.
They bring back and they fiddle with it some more and give back not telling the customer what they really did.
Still overheats instantly. And now water in oil.
They bring to a guy that they know that used to work at this so called professional dealership. He sees water leaking from the elbow and fixed the leak. Still overheats....
They call me totally frustrated and ready to set fire to it. Nice old couple with a million dollar house on the water near me.
So money isn't a problem.
After spending verry little time on it. Maybe 1 hour i find this.

The fix for them was to clogg it more with silicone instead of a new gasket.
So alright to fix their problem clean thoroughly and new gasket.
Now for the real cause of the occasional overheat.


I removed the complete exhaust manifold which was very easy and can clearly see the back two water jackets in the head are clogged. If they would have just spent a little time and pride in their work they would have a customer for life. NOW I DO! This is a very influential guy in my area knows many.
I hear the same story from 90 percent of my customers. No good techs around working on bikes, jetskis and boats.
I am now making more than i did at toyota and its 150 feet from my front door. And the a/c is ice cold.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

I also assume you will instruct them on how to properly flush the engine out after each use..

Maybe if the guy has enough juice he will buy that dealership and give it a thorough enema then have a very profitable / reliable / high integrity dealership to add to his money. For sure he needs to walk in there and talk to the president / GM and show him these pics..

 

[Neutron]

I also assume you will instruct them on how to properly flush the engine out after each use..

Maybe if the guy has enough juice he will buy that dealership and give it a thorough enema then have a very profitable / reliable / high integrity dealership to add to his money. For sure he needs to walk in there and talk to the president / GM and show him these pics..

He is to nice of a guy to start any crap with the dealer. He was semi reimbursed for some of the botched work but he is just done with them.
I am lucky to have my local ramp only a few hours away so i always make sure my repairs are 100 percent before they get them back. And its never a bad thing to go for a cruise on a jetski or motorcycle. Best perk to my business

 

[Neutron]

What ya think of my rough draft for my company logo. Worked on it last night

 

[Scottintexas]

thanks for sharing this story with us,
my daughter worked a few months at a local dodge dealership, mgmnt knows what the problems are, as long as the bottom line is green it's to much work to rock the boat,

as far as the logo,

I like the idea but I might suggest a bit more definition in the cycle / ski, glancing at first I thought they were both skis,

maybe a bit of a line from the forks to gas tank or maybe define the front wheel with a full circle or hints of spokes,
then on the ski the rub rail or chine marks, just something small

 

[Scottintexas]

for all the old timers out there, it still makes me chuckle at talk of a "logo" and all I can think of is, an eastern European "friend" making up a "tribal" tatoo logo, tough luck if you don't like it,

 

[F.M.]

It never ceases to amaze me how incompetent some "factory trained technicians " operate. If i owned a dealer and saw what they do, i would fire everyone in the service department.
I see this with many so called professionals.

My most recent issue is a customer calls me so frustrated that their 2012 waverunner vx cruiser overheats once in a while.
They brought it to the local dealer and they determined it was clogged water passages in the 90 degree elbow that is bolted to the exhaust manifold. They charged them a lot to remove that elbow clean it out and put back on.
After getting back it now overheats 100 yards from their dock.
They bring back and they fiddle with it some more and give back not telling the customer what they really did.
Still overheats instantly. And now water in oil.
They bring to a guy that they know that used to work at this so called professional dealership. He sees water leaking from the elbow and fixed the leak. Still overheats....
They call me totally frustrated and ready to set fire to it. Nice old couple with a million dollar house on the water near me.
So money isn't a problem.
After spending verry little time on it. Maybe 1 hour i find this.
View attachment 223885View attachment 223886
The fix for them was to clogg it more with silicone instead of a new gasket.
So alright to fix their problem clean thoroughly and new gasket.
Now for the real cause of the occasional overheat.
View attachment 223887View attachment 223888View attachment 223889

I removed the complete exhaust manifold which was very easy and can clearly see the back two water jackets in the head are clogged. If they would have just spent a little time and pride in their work they would have a customer for life. NOW I DO! This is a very influential guy in my area knows many.
I hear the same story from 90 percent of my customers. No good techs around working on bikes, jetskis and boats.
I am now making more than i did at toyota and its 150 feet from my front door. And the a/c is ice cold.

Well, I just gotta say that with your outlook on what customer service should be, I wish I lived closer so you could fix my toys when they break.

 

[Neutron]

I want everyone that i do something for, whether it be a small job or big job walk away not only impressed but feeling they can 150% trust me.
I take a lot of time to explain and educate every customer on things they weren't aware of, from the trailer to their engine.
Its amazing how little the majority knows about the toys they own.
This has always been the dream for me and it took me 52 years but its for real now and i absolutely love what i do. I am slammed with work and i dont pay one penny on advertising. Dont need to. I always knew this area was a gold mine.
From the moment a customer speaks to me they seem relaxed and happy to come over. Then they walk into my dream shop and are blown away.
Not to mention my wife Jeannine has been selling large amazing cookies to half of them at 3 bucks a piece lol. One customer who has a Big Chief Indian, Fatboy , and a 23 255fsh e series
Bought 36 cookies. Her biggest order yet.
So she is enjoying using her new kitchen behind the shop

 

[2kwik4u]

As a fellow small business guy......I'm super happy to hear your able to do what you love and cover the rent in the process. That's a huge bet on yourself and I sincerely hope it turns out to be better than you planned.

Only word of advice I have is to remember your value. You're providing more than just service work, you're also providing education, trust, and peace of mind. You can charge for that, and your rates should reflect the quality of work you're doing.

I've had multiple small businesses that I really liked and spent a ton of money with fold because they wouldn't charge enough, and couldn't keep the lights on. Don't let your passion for trust and service keep you from charging, those of us that understand that importance will pay you what your worth!

 

[WiskyDan]

Well, I just gotta say that with your outlook on what customer service should be, I wish I lived closer so you could fix my toys when they break.

Agreed - you'd have another customer if I was close enough to you.

 

[YoDaddy292]

as far as the logo,

I like the idea but I might suggest a bit more definition in the cycle / ski, glancing at first I thought they were both skis,

maybe a bit of a line from the forks to gas tank or maybe define the front wheel with a full circle or hints of spokes,
then on the ski the rub rail or chine marks, just something small

This exactly. Just a little more definition between the machines. I'm thinking maybe separate them entirely so it is more clear on first glance.