Am I Expecting Too Much?

[Craig]

So let me start by apologizing, and by saying if anyone thinks I'm expecting too much here, speak up. Anyway, early this week I called our nearest dealer (Stokely's Marine) near lexington,ky. I needed some small warranty issues fixed and our warranty is set to expire in a few weeks. When I called I advised them of my warranty issues, and asked if they could take care of the problems even though I bought the boat at another dealership. I know, I probably shouldn't have mentioned that but I would rather get it all on the table and save myself a 1.5 hour drive if they wouldn't/couldn't handle the issues.

I spoke with someone in the service department and he said it was no problem, told me their hours and when I could drop the boat off. So since I was off work today I loaded up with my oldest son and drug my boat the 1.5 hour trip to their dealership.

Before I go any further, the issues I needed looked at were throttles slipping, throttles out of sync, a couple fit and finish issues (screws missing from rubrail), etc,etc. There were no major issues to contend with and yes I could likely fix them all, but I paid 45k for a boat with a warranty.

So we arrive and walk into the dealership, find the service department, and I proceed to tell the service department "guy" what my issues are and that I had called earlier in the week. He acknowledges the issues as being common ones and says they can fix the issues....BUT, they won't be covered under warranty. I'm confused at this point and I asked if he was kidding with me. He snidely commented that the "issues" were "boat prep" issues that "my dealer" should have prepped properly. I have no idea if this is truly an area that is worked on by dealers during boat prep or not, all I know is what Stokely's Marine' service department is saying to me seems to be a lie engineered to take advantage of the circumstances and the fact that I'm from out of town. I informed him again that I had called earlier in the week and was advised it would've be no problem. He genuinely couldn't care what I had been told earlier in the week as he then proceeds to tell me again that they can work on the problems but it won't be covered by warranty. He then goes on to say that to fix it would require two techs and a minimum of two hours on the water. I inquire how much that would cost, to which he replies $180.00....

I tried to keep my cool about it, and told him I would have appreciated being told about the $180 charge prior to driving 1.5 hours and burning nearly half a tank of gas towing my boat in the pouring rain to his dealership, rather than being led to believe that my "warranty" would cover the issues I have. I expressed my displeasure about being lied to, to which he replied they could try to fix it without going to the water.......??? Disgusted, I just turned around and walked out.

Based on principle alone, I'll drive the 2.5 hours to the dealership I purchased the boat from before I EVER spend any money at Stokely's Marine. Am I expecting too much? Am I over reacting? I was livid walking back to the truck to leave, and because my son was with me I had an obligation to handle it a certain way, but I hate being lied to or misled. Especially when it wastes half my day and half a tank of gas.

Sorry for the rant, but to say I'm disappointed with their Service Department would be an understatement. I've read good things from others about this dealership on the forum, I guess you have to buy your boat there to deserve decent customer service. If you didn't then, I guess you're SOL.

Stepping off my soapbox...

 

[jcyamaharider]

I would have been the same way....

 

[Scottintexas]

x3, I always get the name of someone I'm speaking to even on the phone just in case this happens, not that it helps at the time but when you write a letter later the more details you give the better it sounds, I'd write a letter to the owner so they know and give them a chance to make it right but probably still not go back there.

 

[Cobra Jet Steering LLC]

I guess every dealer is different, I am surprised they said the warranty would cover the issues on the phone.
Most dealers will tell you right up front that Yamaha has to authorize the repair first for it to be covered under warranty.
What the price will be if it isn't covered or a general idea of what it will cost if not covered etc. It may just be the individual that you were dealing with who was the issue and not the dealership itself.
Call the G.M. of the place and let him know how it went and see if you get the same response or a better one. Then contact Yamaha and see what they have to say.

 

[JC6275]

I would have been hard pressed to keep my cool, good job not blowing a gasket in front of your son. Now here's the part I don't understand, I have heard other people say they've had problems with a dealer they didn't buy their boat from. Why do these dealers care where a boat purchased at? You bought a boat with a Mfgr. Warranty, and they are an authorized dealer for the Mfgr. So they will be paid for warranty work they preform. I can't understand why they would not want to work on any boat that is under warranty. Also I don't buy the argument they are just trying to take care of "their" customers. The way I see it they are a dealer for the Mfgr. Of my boat , so that means I am their customer. That's what they signed up for when they became a authorized dealer.

 

[bucks448]

I don't think you're overreacting and given the circumstances, I would have escalated the issue. The dealer prep responsibility is a load of bs. However, the warranty is only as good as it is convenient. I've fixed/replaced numerous things because a dealer isn't convenient or it just wasn't worth the time connecting the trailer

 

[Murf'n'surf]

I totally understand your disgust and probably would have done the same thing.

I think the problem might be that you didn't specifically ask if your requested work would be covered under warranty when you were on the phone with the service man. Correct me if I'm wrong. If so, that dealer owes you some gas money!

 

[Evildwarf]

Your tale of woe is not uncommon my friend.
My own experiences plus a number of similar stories leads to the question: where the hell did these people learn their customer service skills???
You would never be treated this way in any other retail industry.

 

[Craig]

I did specifically ask, because I was trying to determine if I was going to have to drive 2.5 hrs to the dealer we bought from or if this dealership (1.5 hrs) would take care of it.

I know I should have got a name while on the phone, but I assumed...you know what they say. Lesson learned....

I'll be calling the dealer we bought from tomorrow.

 

[steined]

That's pretty terrible. If I were the owners of Stokely's marine I'd want to know about that situation. That's a great way to lose a potential customer for life.

 

[cybuch]

I think they already lost one, if not more from here. @Craig you set a great example for your son, nice job!! I couldn't imagine driving 1.5 hours to the dealer, mine is local and they are just as bad if not worse. I take have taken care of all my issue after dealing with them once.

 

[Craig]

After looking thru the 2010 service manual for the 240, I'll make the throttle adjustments myself. I read the write up that Speedling did on throttle slippage, but the service manual shows tension screws on the back of the housing underneath the cover? Design change in the later models? Anybody know if there is a write up on this on the newer boats? If not I'll write it up this weekend and take photos.

Just watched @JetBoatPilot 's video on throttle sync cable adjustment. Seems extremely easy and a good excuse to spend some time on the water checking your adjustments. Thanks Will for posting the video.

Then I'll be buying some stainless steel screws, epoxy, and ordering a replacement gasket for the fuel hatch cover.

 

[Helipilot11]

@Craig I can't speak for the service department at Stokleys but I just bought my AR240 from them last month. There was a dealer that was only an hr from my house in Nashvile but decided to drive 4 hours to buy from Stokleys. Their sales staff was the best we dealt with. I would try to reach out to them and maybe give them another chance. I have few numbers if needed. Just let me know.

 

[captainhook]

Unfortunately I could see where this story was going to end around the second or third sentence. Customer service is truly a lost art. The best thing you can do is vote with your wallet (and write a scathing review on Google). The sad part is that nothing will change and it isn't uncommon at all to be treated this way by any service department. I've had several similar experiences with cars. Just be glad you didn't pay for an extended warranty and still get treated the same way.

 

[rkluck]

This story sucks. My dealer is good but I also bought from them. Every issue I ever had they took care. There was not a call to Yamaha they just fixed it and even went with me on the water to trouble shoot a problem. I have seen service like this with auto dealers too especially if you bought elsewhere. I also have heard of this with motorcycles but I haven't seen it. I do always get the name of the person I speak with. Even if you do this yourself I would talk to the owner. Keep the emotions out and stick to the known facts. Highlight that you do have options as to where you go for service and all the PM parts etc. Good luck.

 

[Williamsone46]

@Craig technically they are right. Your issues wouldn't be covered under warranty. They would fall under maintenance. But working for a dealer, we would have taken care of those issues no problem at no charge to keep you a happy Yamaha customer.

 

[Craig]

@Craig I can't speak for the service department at Stokleys but I just bought my AR240 from them last month. There was a dealer that was only an hr from my house in Nashvile but decided to drive 4 hours to buy from Stokleys. Their sales staff was the best we dealt with. I would try to reach out to them and maybe give them another chance. I have few numbers if needed. Just let me know.

I appreciate it, but to be honest I'm officially done with Stokley's Marine. I'll never darken their door again. I've already wasted app. 4-5 hours of my life on them, I'm not wasting anymore of it by making telephone calls that will likely result in me angry again. It's always been my experience that more often than not, the level of customer/professional service you receive ( or don't) is a direct result of the culture and mentality handed down from leadership. I have too little free time with family already, and to intentionally waste more of it on a situation that (let's be honest) I'm not going to change (and shouldn't have to).

I'm done..they've lost a customer. I'm glad you had a good experience with the purchase of your boat and I hope you continue to have good experiences in the future with them. As @captainhook said, I'm just glad I didn't buy an extended warranty as they are the closest dealer to me.

Life's too short to spend pissed off, and I just can't intentionally go back there knowing what the end result will likely be. I'll fix the issues myself since they're small and save my blood pressure.

By the way, @Helipilot11 , thank you for your service.

 

[Craig]

@Craig technically they are right. Your issues wouldn't be covered under warranty. They would fall under maintenance. But working for a dealer, we would have taken care of those issues no problem at no charge to keep you a happy Yamaha customer.

And to be honest, as I said in my op, I don't know if this is a dealer prep issue or not....I'm not a dealer. The boat has always had these issues since purchased, and I wanted to get these things fixed prior to the expiration of the warranty and since the closest dealership is 1.5 hrs away it was never convenient to deal with. My issue is they should have disclosed the fact that it wasn't a warranty issue and the fees that would have been associated with fixing the issues. Be straight up with your customers and they will respect you. I would have had no problem paying for any repair so long as I hadn't been led to believe that the repairs were covered "under warranty" and not once was I told (before I drove there) that I was going to have to pay $180 for two technicians to take the boat to the lake.

Disclosure and honesty = return customers.

I hope your dealership is up front with folks when they call prior and inquire about an issue and that is when (while on the phone)you advise them it is a "maintenance" issue rather than a "warranty" issue.

And quite frankly, after reading your post, and after my experiences with Stokely's... I'm just damn glad I didn't purchase the extended warranty on this boat.

 

[Williamsone46]

@Craig we always try and be honest and forthcoming as possible, but as with anything there is sometimes a miscommunication. In my opinion is how a dealer deals with those instances is what sets them apart.

And I disagree about the Yamaha Y.E.S. warranty. I think they are worth every penny.

 

[Craig]

@Craig we always try and be honest and forthcoming as possible, but as with anything there is sometimes a miscommunication. In my opinion is how a dealer deals with those instances is what sets them apart.

And I disagree about the Yamaha Y.E.S. warranty. I think they are worth every penny.

Agreed about the dealership, but at this point I can't help but to feel that the extended warranty would have been a exercise in futility for me, and a waste of money. Perhaps it's easier for you to feel the way you do because you work for a dealership? Or have ownership in one?