New concept in dealer PDI, interesting

[Crabman]

A Texas based dealer has acquired a building in Elkhart near the factories to inspect and fix units before they are shipped. Thoughts?

https://www.rvbusiness.com/blog/texa...BaIRoEnBGLqJrM

[Rustic Eagle]

Interesting concept.., but IMO the jury remains out until associated dealerships evaluate their customers actual after purchase experiences and dealership(s) service center performance measures.

Bob

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

Interesting concept.., but IMO the jury remains out until associated dealerships evaluate their customers actual after purchase experiences and dealership(s) service center performance measures.

Bob

X2
I know their not doing this out of the goodness of their heart so how much is this going to cost the new owner.
MSRP ?

[GL243]

Sure sounds like a step in the right direction to me. However, only a very large business like the one involved would be able to afford such a thing, I expect. The SLX 267BHSW I got from the local CW a year ago has been in 6 or 7 times for warranty work since I got it, and at least 4 of the issues should have been resolved prior to it ever being delivered from the factory. Good question, however, re how much more will the subject dealerships have to charge to cover this cost. Maybe they ran the numbers and found it's about the same cost or cheaper to have a facility close the factory than to try to deal with all of the factory's screw-ups after they're delivered down to their 12 outlets in Texas. Will be interested to hear how it's doing a year or two from now.

[norty1]

IMO, that bldg should be at the factory, at the end of the building line and the factory should have some interest in getting it built right the first time.

[Crabman]

Originally Posted by Tunce the traveler

X2
I know their not doing this out of the goodness of their heart so how much is this going to cost the new owner.
MSRP ?

I doubt it would increases prices, if it did they would not be competitive since price sells. As the article states if major repairs or parts are needed they are available nearby also. It could also free up the dealers service bays for other work, including the more lucrative non warranty work since many issues would be caught at the new facility. Obviously this model would not work for smaller dealers. But I think it also underscores the quality control issues being experienced for a dealer to take this bold approach.

[Crabman]

Originally Posted by norty1

IMO, that bldg should be at the factory, at the end of the building line and the factory should have some interest in getting it built right the first time.

Could not agree more. Would save them millions in warranty work down the line and provide for so many more happy and satisfied customers.

[Tunce the traveler]

Good points Crabman and Norty the frustration and disappointment levels would do wonders for this industry.

[Johnny Lightning]

Well I think Mr. McGhee is doing himself and the industry a favor. Whether it increases the price of the unit is yet to be determined, but even if it does, would I pay an extra $1,000 for a unit I won't have to take back numerous times for warranty work - you bet cha I would. If I were Mr. McGhee I would look at selling this service to smaller dealers. If I were a little younger I'd be talking to him about how to do this. As it stands I want my only decisions to be where am I going fishing today and where am I going to move the RV to next month.

[norty1]

If the industry would see the public perception of the product that they make and the problems with the product could be corrected before the unit is delivered to the dealer, the whole industry and customers would benefit.

[Crabman]

This 100 bay service center in Texas also sounds like a winner.

"An outspoken advocate of improved RV industry quality in general, McGhee is also in the process of setting up an expansive new 77-acre Mega Service Center near Fun Town’s corporate headquarters in Cleburne, southwest of Dallas/Fort Worth, where he will be among the first – if not the first -- in the RV sector to offer consumers same-day service, assuming parts are available. The Mega Center contains 100 service bays, a full staff of RVIA-certified service technicians, a customer lounge and “triage” specialists who help diagnose customers’ service issues and expedite things through Fun Town’s express-check-in lanes."

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Crabman

snip..... a full staff of RVIA-certified service technicians........"

I guess that means "no experience necessary" help wanted signs

Bob

[Crabman]

Originally Posted by Rustic Eagle

I guess that means "no experience necessary" help wanted signs

Bob

On the job training, on your new trailer.

[Rustic Eagle]

Originally Posted by Crabman

On the job training, on your new trailer.

Unfortunately is the norm.

Bob

[Vasquez Kid]

I say hats off to Mr. McGhee. This is a perfect example of American Capitalism at work. McGhee is a businessman who is taking major action to solve a problem. The customer is going to benefit the greatest here. This grand action must "pencil out" otherwise McGhee wouldn't be doing this. It also must be a win-win as he is only trying to ensure a better customer experience right out of the gate for the customer all while he swings around and captures the profitable out of warranty work as well.

I've posted it before but it seems as though the rv industry has (largely) "raced to the bottom" with quality, service and customer experience. I would hope that McGhee's actions, along with the overall, cyclical trend of the rv industry slowing, will bring the quality of the product back up. Other dealers will see what their competitor, McGhee, is doing and have to answer to it. Once again competition will alow everyone to benefit.

I hope that this works for McGhee and that he gets rewarded handsomely for it.

[oldmanAZ]

I do wish him well, but I have my doubts:
- Finding, training, paying, and keeping technicians will be a challenge.
- Many of us on this site have offered the opinion that dealer issues were frequently an owner's primary problem in getting warranty items corrected. Will this fix that?
- Is there really a problem with parts going back and forth between dealers and the factory or vendor?
(He said, “And I'm going to run them through my PDI, 130-point check right there. We’re going to make them camp-ready before they ever leave Indiana. So, now I don't have two weeks, three weeks of parts going back and forth between us (Fun Town and its manufacturers and suppliers). If there's a problem, I'm five minutes down the street from where it was built.")
- I don't know what his financial projections are, but suspect customers will be paying for this 'value added' service. IMO, more efficient warranty repairs and the potential income from non-warranty repairs may not be enough to cover his investment. I hope I'm off-base here and do wish him success.

[TCNashville]

I hope this doesn't mean that the factory will make even crappier units knowing their work will be corrected. Nah, couldn't happen.

[Crabman]

Originally Posted by TCNashville

I hope this doesn't mean that the factory will make even crappier units knowing their work will be corrected. Nah, couldn't happen.

I don't believe things can get worse lol.

[jimp]

What level of tech will be working at the facility in Indiana??? Might be hiring those same people who built RV's in the past, so no guarantee there will be improvement.

[GL243]

Originally Posted by jimp

What level of tech will be working at the facility in Indiana??? Might be hiring those same people who built RV's in the past, so no guarantee there will be improvement.

True re no guarantees, but good management, i.e., oversight, quality control, holding techs accountable, rewards for good ones, etc., could result in significant improvement. Here's hoping it works as intended.