New boat delivery condition

[Mike Newman]

I want to pose a real issue that popped up this morning. A friend of mine took a few hours off work yesterday to go pick up their brand new 2004 PT175. I work with him and had really recommended he use the same dealer that I had because I had such good luck with them. I did not receive any finders fee money, but really felt good about my dealer. When I found him this morning I expected him to be excited about the experience of his first new boat. Unfortunately what I got was an earfull about his dealer experience.



Here is the story. The boat was supposed to be ready last Friday, then Sat, and finally he went to get it yesterday. Dealer is about an hour away. When they pulled it our for the walk around inspection the hull and trailer were filthy. Interior was fine, but my buddy had specifically commented to the dealer when he looked at this boat prior to buying and set-up that it needed to be cleaned to be acceptable. Dealer's response was first that they came from the factory like that and when that did not sit well commented that it probably was clean until they took it our for it's test run after set-up. Either way my friend comment was that he did not think it was appropriate to pay close to $12,000 for new boat and have to drive it off the lot looking like that. Did not seem to be making progress in the discussion so decided to drop it, he would clean it himself when he got home. Went to sign the paperwork and hand them a check and found a $150 adder in the paperwork that the finance guy could not explain. The owner got involved and they decided it was an error and pulled it off the total. Last comment is that when he got home later he pulled out the packet with all of the manuals to read them and found out that they had given him all the wrong motor manuals.



Two questions: Any comments on how you would handle the dirty boat situation knowing that you live an hour away.

Because this guy went to this dealer partly on my glowing recommendation should I email the owner and voice my displeasure with the way my friend/referal was handled.

I would like to hear your thoughts.

 

[Greg Meyer]

I would let that dealer know that he got the sale because of your good reference and it wikll be the last... Your friends are more important than his profit... Apologize to your friend and let the dealer know that in two sales he made he managed to get and lose two customers and any future referrals... Then post the info here in the dealer report card section...

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Ya know, really, a dirty boat can be cleaned. I thought you were going to say that there was damage or something REALLY wrong. Now if there was a 1/2 inch of mud on the floorboards, grease or some other damaging substance......then raise a stink. Otherwise, get out the vaccuum and the hose...no big deal. What's this guy dgonna do the first time he puts in during the summer heat and algea and the boat comes out green??? Anyway, mke them mail him the right manuals and cross your fingers that there is nothing wrong with the rigging since the dealer seems a little disorganized!!



BTW, when I order my new truck, I want to be at the dealer when they pull the shipping plastic off!! I would rather do it myself!!



TOXIC

 

[Bill McElroy]

Fill out a dealer report card for the whole world to see,...

that speaks volumns!! A call to the dealer from you won't resolve the dirty boat issue,..but it may enlighten them to the fact that people DO want clean boats when they come to pick them up! I'd be more concerned about getting the proper manuals though.....and a "gift card" for the inconvenience!! That's just lack of caring and attention to detail on the dealers part...they OWE it to your buddy to make it right...if they blow him off,...then DON'T buy another boat from them....what goes around comes around.. IMHO!!

 

[Gary Weaver]

yea a dirty boat - big deal - if it runs good and has no defects then it is not a problem

 

[Tony Payne]

Would you take a dirty car home from a car dealer?



yes, on the "grand sceme of things" it's low on the list, but it's hard to find damage (scratches, dings, etc) on a dirty boat!

 

[TOMMY RICH]

No comment! Y'all know how I feel about Tracker's dealers..or lack there of

TEE

 

[Larry Harp]

A real salesman would have run back to the shop, grabed a rag and a detail kid and cleaned the boat right then and there. Without argument or excuses. I believe I would contact the general manager or owner and let them know how you feel. He will probably agree with you.



Harpo

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Can someone from Tracker actually explain this to some of us? I just don't understand it. They are either not listening to this OR they just don't care OR both!

It's just kinda' degrading when you know you own a boat that "most" would consider junk and would bash you to death on any other site if you bring up "quality of Nitro/Tracker". Of course we know better..but, still...it just makes you think twice about reccomendations...don't it.

TEE

 

[Rich D]

I agree a dirty boat would not be a deal breaker, but I too would expect a clean boat and would not be satisfied with out it. The main reason is it is easy to clean. If they ran it during the set up, how hard is it to pull into a self serv car wash and hose it off, or to give it a quick wash at the dealership.



I would email or call the dealer and post a report card here.



Rich D

 

[Texas Transplant]

The motor manual is probably pretty easy to explain. They generally keep all that type of stuff in a plastic bag/envelope. Somebody picked up the wrong one. Is it irratating - yes.



Your buddy was wrong in accepting the boat, if it was going to bother him - it being dirty. I would have told the dealer, 'I'm going for a burger. Be back in an hour. If it's not clean, I'm going home empty.'. He accepted it, so he should stop griping. Yes, fill out the report card, make a copy and send it to the dealer directly.



Now from your point. If you feel bad about your recommendation, offer to help clean the boat. Also, communicate directly with the dealership. Try to find a top level manager/owner. Let them know what happened, and that you will reserve your future recommendations until satisfied.



Will it help. Who knows. If they are a good dealer, yes. If not, it won't.



Lastly, just remember that ANY authorized Tracker Dealer can do the warranty work and perform service. I actually switched from a smaller Tracker Dealer, to BPS (Charlotte), simply because I got such poor service. They got more warranty work accomplished (after the warranty long expired), than the first dealer did. Simply by asking.



Tex

 

[Brian Bell2]

I would want my boat delivered clean also.. and it was.. Also when you bring your boat in for service I would expect when you get it back, its as clean as it was when you dropped it off...

 

[TrepMan]

I would have done as most have suggested and said "i'm paying for a NEW boat, how long will it take you to get her shined up and ready?" and then get lunch or go shopping for an hour. If the salesweasel gave me any lip, i'd politely say "let's go talk to the owner, i'd just like him to see my boat and let me know if this is how you deliver every one. I'm realy dissapointed as it's my FIRST purchase and I plan on upgrading down the line."



be nice, polite and firm.

 

[Bill McElroy]

It IS the little things that make such a huge impression when things are right OR wrong. If that boat was as shiney as a baby's hiney when he picked it up...and he went away as happy as a pig in mud, then the "brochure" incident would've been passed off as a simple mistake and a single phone call would've been all that was needed to remedy the situation. But,...seeing a dirty boat,...and a dealer who passed it off as no big deal...then finding the wrong brochure sent 2 bad signals to the buyer...One). These guys don't care,....and Two). we don't need your repeat business.



Sooner,..you're exactly right...all it would've taken is a rag,..and 15minutes!! They won't get a second chance at a first impression!!

 

[TrepMan]

JR- my tracker the same way, in fact during the walkthru when we (the service mgr and I) notice the installed rod-tubes were not connected correctly in my rod locker, he called out a service tech with a power screw driver, unscrewed the rod locker cap, straightened it out, screwed it back together and off I went.



Mac you're right, it was a great first impression for my first new boat purchase, and did a LOT to keep me comming back!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

This is exactly why you should not have to sign any paperwork for loans or ownership of the boat until you see it and accept it. Pull up, it's dirty, has a bunch of shavings in the bilge, few things wrong. Don't sign. If it's not fixable in a day, say, "I'm leaving, call me back when it's ready, and deduct X amount from the total for gas, mileage and time for the double trip, or I won't sign next time either!" Then go on your merry way. There are plenty of boat dealers out there aching to sell you a boat. Remember, WE are the customers, WE pay their salary, WE are the boss! Period! The dealerships that know this and act accordingly, are always the successful, busy ones.

I had a guy totally screw me on my motor a few years back, AND let my boat fill up with ice and snow. Then my lower unit blew first time on the water after he "serviced" it. I never paid him and almost sued him for lost revenues. He had the nerve to come after me. How many people do you suppose I recommended to him vs how many do you think I have told about his nonsense. Hit 'em where it hurts, there wallet.

 

[Mike Levesque]

Not sure where your dealer is, but please, put a dealer report card here for us.

Luckily, when my oldest son and I picked up our boat a couple years back, it and the trailer were spotless, all manuals were correct, and before we drove it off the parking lot the guy working there took about 45 minutes and went over that boat with us top to bottom, showing us where everything was, made sure all lights etc, worked, and we knew how to use everything, THEN gave us tips and advice about the trailer, hubs, hitch,lights, etc. If you check my report card you'll see a good review for them, (it's in Illinois, Gurnee). Maybe I just had good luck and they were having a good day, but whatever, it will go a long way in helping me decide where to get my next Tracker.

If however, it was all dirty, I'd have had a tough time being too excited and proud to drive it home looking like that. egMike

 

[Larry Harp]

I bought my boat used and it was dirty when I looked at it for the first time. I would have not thought a thing about taking delivery of it dirty since I knew I was buying a used boat in as is condition. HOWEVER, when I did pick it up several days after I first saw it it was as clean as a brand new one and the salesman, Gary @ Tracker Marine, went over everything, made sure I knew how to hitch up the trailer, talked to me about loading and unloading the boat on the trailer, noticed I didn't have a plug and a fishfinder manual and ran back inside and scrounged them up for me. In other words he did his job. I sold cars for 10 years and I learned that the delivery of the car was just as important as the selling of the car. Unfortunetly not all salesmen catch on to that fact. I've seen them toss the keys to the customer and say "Thanks, if you know anyone that wants to buy a car send 'em my way". Yeah right!



Harpo

 

[Staci Matheis]

I can accept the $150.....

I can accept the wrong manuals.....



But a dirty boat?

Inexcusable. Period.

 

[Edward J. Krummert, Jr]

I would definately let the sales person know and give him a chance to "make it right" if you get nothing there go up the food chain. Someone will listen. Some dealers do care. If they don't like Tex said find another dealer, however he may not take a liking to you having a new boat and you bring to him for service, after you bought it somewhere else. His customers will probably get taken care of first. As he sees you in his shop and realises you are there for his service(and mabey next boat) his attitude will change. If you drop $5,000.00, $10,000.00 or what ever you should expect and deserve a clean boat, no exceptions.

 

[Mike Newman]

Sorry a little long here, but you got me on a roll.



I just read everyones comments. I really appreciate the feedback. All of it. During the day(when not fishing/golfing)I am the Quality Assurance Manager for a division of a large agricultural product company. Therefore I deal with quality and customer service issues like this all the time and was curious what the general feel and expectations of this board were. Based on the feedback I should also add that the person we both dealt with WAS the owner of the store. Like I stated before my experience was pretty good last year. I agree with most that both the manuals/$150 error just happen periodically and they will both be handled appropriately. The condition of the boat although not difficult to remedy goes against me own personal and professional ideas on what outgoing quality should be.. Here is a similar story to support the attitude I beleive in. One month ago I drove 3 hours to a car dealer to purchase a 2000 Suburban. I went because they had the exact car I wanted, but were literally $5000 cheaper than any dealer in my area. The odds of me buying another car from them are slim only because I don't buy often and I am three hours away. It had been snowing and the car was a little dirty from the test drive, but after we agreed on a price it disappeared while we were doing paperwork. When I asked where it went the salesman said it is in the detail shop being cleaned in/out because every customer leaves our dealership in a clean car with a full tank of gas. That is the attitude I am talking about.

 

[Staci Matheis]

And that, Mr. Downstream, is the attitude that every Tracker Dealership should have.



I would strongly recommend to Tracker Marine that they establish an internal position to monitor their Dealerships and set up "Best Practices" which the Dealers must follow. If I Dealer is found in violation, they receive a warning. If they have repeated violations, they can lose their franchise.



Over the past 4 years that I have been on this board, I have just heard too many complaints about far less than adequate attention to the Customer by some Dealerships.



Tracker, your Dealership network is earning you a bad reputation.



me

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Thank You Rich! It basically boils down to " It's just too dammed easy NOT to do it"! Just like not cleaning the bottom of the boats before puttin' the lids on! It DOESN"T MAKE SENSE that ANYONE WOULD LET IT GO!

I will tell you another fact...Tracker is ONLY #1 because they are "entry level rigs" and that's IT! How many would actually come back even if they had problems...probably QUITE a few. Because most guys like me and you CAN'T afford a $30,000 rig. Just opinion.....

TEE

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

TEE, I'll sell you mine for 20,000....LOL, just don't go puttin no Sharkhide on it!!



The boat should have been clean. The owner should have been more receptive but let's not forget that Tracker makes it, the Dealer sells and services it. Once that Dealer takes delivery from Tracker then it's HIS responsibility to do what it takes meaning cleaning out the bilge, wrapping wires, etc. I really wonder how much of the garbage is from rigging the boat and not from the factory...hmmmmm? Nonetheless, I could give a hoot less about getting my used car clean and full of gas as long as I am getting the best vehicle and best deal out there....I don't get hung up on the dazzle items that make you lose sight of the "real deal". Don't confuse that with QC....you still have to put out a good product. It should be a very rare occurance that a customer has to go to the factory to get a problem resolved. That is why you paid the dealer his markup on the rig. That is his job and I think too many people let them off of the hook.



One last thing, you can't compare boat sales/dealerships to automotive sales/dealerships. Apples to oranges...



TOXIC

 

[Larry Harp]

I think it's in the dealers best intrest to have the boat, car, or whatever go out looking as spiffy as can be. In my years of experiance in the automobile, floor covering, and countertop business I have seen it happen many times. The installer leaves a smear of caulk on the countertop or the carpet layer doesn't clean up good, next thing the customer is picking the job apart complaining about stuff they wouldn't have even noticed if the job was perfect when the customer received it. Been there and have seen it happen a gazillion times over the years. Dealers who learn this lesson have fewer call backs.



Harpo

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Very true Harpo, exactly what I am talking about. The items that constitute callbacks were there all along just "overlooked" or "not noticed" because........they were diverted/dazzled by something else, clean caulk lines, full tank of gas etc.



I don't disagree with you it's just "it is what it is". Tricks of the trade to make consumers not see or realize bad workmanship is a bad thing in my book. Thats Quality Control. Do a good job the first time and there will be no call backs. Everybody's happy. Nitpickers are always gonna be nitpickers and that's part of doing business with the public.



TOXIC

 

[Larry Harp]

I worked for a Ford dealer once that gave TWO free tanks of gas. One on delivery and the other when the customer returned the dealer comment questionaire that Ford sent out. If the rating was negitive it went into the trash, if it was blank somebody within the dealership filled it out favorably, I'm sure.



Harpo

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Tox, I have to disagree with you. Boats, cars, houses, hell....lawnmowers. If you sell it, you need to take pride in it and make it the best it can be BEFORE it leaves your store or dealership. Sales is about repeat business. I've been saying it a LOOOONG time, if Tracker AND their dealers don't get it together, they WILL at some point and time, no longer be the #1 boat seller, period! There is just no excuse for what we hear here, REPEATEDLY! I surf the BFHP, the Ranger page, Probass network and a few others. Do I hear the same comments about Ranger, Triton, Skeeter, etc? Sure, but about 1 to 20. You can't tell me that 20 Nitros leave for every 1 Ranger. And when it does happen, the story is something like this:

"I called my dealer or Ranger, and they fixed my boat right away and did a great job. Then they sent me a certificate for Rangerwear."

Not,

"Well, I had to call corporate AGAIN. The dealer says they can't help me. Nitro says they have my boat, but I won't get it for 14 weeks. Now they're saying they won't warranty it, because they claim I hit something."

"Got my boat back, it was filthy and still not right. I went to Tracker myself this time and found my boat outside full of snow and ice.".....yada yada yada.



We've all heard those stories here again and again.

I think a company with very loose controls has had it's laxed ethics trickle down into it's dealer base and the one who is suffering is the end consumer. Sorry to rant, but I'm tired of seeing people spend their hard earned money to get screwed. A guy up here I know, fishing the Everstart, blew a 4 FOOT long hole in the side of his 929. Tracker won't warranty it. They said.....now get this, this one is original, "he hit something!" LOL Yeah, he admits it...he hit a WAVE!!! The whole stinkin side of his boat fell off! I can vouch for it, and know what he's going through. I had to take legal action with them to make them fix my SECOND split hull a few years back. I'm not bashing, just stating what has been posted here by dozens.

I got tired of wasting my breath and did the only thing I could do, took my money elsewhere. Unless things at Tracker change dramatically, I will NEVER run one again.

Given the option of X dollars to spend and I could either get a new Nitro or a used Ranger.....well, you all know what I did. I got no warranty on my Ranger, but it was still about as good a warranty as I would have gotten with a new Nitro!



OK, I'm done now.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

I am not disagreeing with you that there is a problem. BUT....VOLUME will win out over repeat sales every time!!



"There's a sucker born every minute" - P.T Barnum



TOXIC

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Yeah, and SOME companies bank on it!

 

[Rich Stern]

Hadn't paid yet, right?



"I'll be back when the boat is clean. You have my phone number."



That's a shabby way to treat a new customer. And a good way to insure you'll never have old customers.

 

[Ken Neeley]

Wouldn't happen on my watch....go check the Dealer Report Section for BPS in Auburn Hills, Mi. during my tenure there.....'nuff said.



Hey Buzz....enjoying some of the package you sent me right now!!!

 

[Brian Bell2]

It all comes down to finding a dealer that has good CS. Some are good, some are bad.. And YES I agree that Tracker Corp. needs to address CS at the dealer level, but they also need to address and continue to improve quality in the factory. Just because you build a package boat at a reasonable price compaired to the compition, does not give you the right to slack on CS or quality controls.. Thats why so many OTHER bass boat owners are always saying what did you expect, you bought a Nitro / Tracker.

Personly,

I am very happy with my Nitro 750, yes there are a few imperfections in it, but so did my 23,000 Triton.



Here's one for CS at the dealer during the deal.. The salesman made a mistake on the freight and rigging charges for my boat, in my favor by 200.00 , the dealer ate it, I did not even have to ask.. He just said, that there was a mistake in numbers, when we did the final purchase order, compairing it to the one they gave me when I first looked at the boat. And discounted the boat the extra 200.00 bucks..

Number one Dealer in CS in my opinion, for service, ( and I have had my boat back twice ) and sales is OutHouse Marine. Tracker Marine should take notice to how this shop s run..

The salesman, service guys, everone, smiles and says hello when I stop by, they remember my name. And the next time I am in the market for a new boat,, guess who will get the check.. OutHouse Marine, in jacksonville, Florida.

 

[Mark Schultz]

Thanks to my friend that posted this article and told me about this website. I'm, of course the unhappy camper that bought this boat. I do not hold the dealer recomendation against my friend either.



I still can not believe that anyone would consider delivering anything in the condition this boat was in. It was more than dirty. It appears to me that it was pulled down a salted highway last winter when the dealer picked it up from Tracker. It has corrosion pits all over the aluminum. These did not just spray off in the car wash either. I think the dealer knew this and that is why he tried to pull a fast one. I guess he succeded for now.

I drove after work to pick up this boat on the 3rd sceduled delivery date. It is an hour and a half drive. I gave the dealer plenty of time to do it right. I did not rush the delivery process at all. After signing papers and doing a review of the equipment (on a diferent boat inside the showroom) we proceeded by going outside to hitch the thing up. I immediately expressed my displeasure in the condition of the boat. He proceeded to get a bottle of simple green and a rag. I could see he was just smearing the dirt around and probably scratching the painted sides. I told him to stop and I would take care of it. My Mistake!



What really torques me is he tried to tell me they did clean it and it got dirty again from the test run. Bull!!

It was in the same condition as the day I bought it. I also asked him that day if he was going to clean it up and he said yes. He knew, or I feel he knew that it would not clean easily.



I did recieve a thank you from Tracker in the mail asking me to fill out an online survey for customer satisfaction. I did let them know that it would be my last shopping experience with them unless they replaced the boat at no cost to me. I will also fill out a dealer report here.



This to me is not acceptable. I spent all last weekend scrubbing the aluminum with a scotch brite pad and metal polish. I used a fine pad to not leave scratches in it. Anything less would not remove the pits.



Keep it up Tracker and everyone will be buying from your competitors and you will no longer be #1

 

[Mark Schultz]

Thanks to my friend that posted this article and told me about this website. I'm, of course the unhappy camper that bought this boat. I do not hold the dealer recomendation against my friend either.



I still can not believe that anyone would consider delivering anything in the condition this boat was in. It was more than dirty. It appears to me that it was pulled down a salted highway last winter when the dealer picked it up from Tracker. It has corrosion pits all over the aluminum. These did not just spray off in the car wash either. I think the dealer knew this and that is why he tried to pull a fast one. I guess he succeded for now.

I drove after work to pick up this boat on the 3rd sceduled delivery date. It is an hour and a half drive. I gave the dealer plenty of time to do it right. I did not rush the delivery process at all. After signing papers and doing a review of the equipment (on a diferent boat inside the showroom) we proceeded by going outside to hitch the thing up. I immediately expressed my displeasure in the condition of the boat. He proceeded to get a bottle of simple green and a rag. I could see he was just smearing the dirt around and probably scratching the painted sides. I told him to stop and I would take care of it. My Mistake!



What really torques me is he tried to tell me they did clean it and it got dirty again from the test run. Bull!!

It was in the same condition as the day I bought it. I also asked him that day if he was going to clean it up and he said yes. He knew, or I feel he knew that it would not clean easily.



I did recieve a thank you from Tracker in the mail asking me to fill out an online survey for customer satisfaction. I did let them know that it would be my last shopping experience with them unless they replaced the boat at no cost to me. I will also fill out a dealer report here.



This to me is not acceptable. I spent all last weekend scrubbing the aluminum with a scotch brite pad and metal polish. I used a fine pad to not leave scratches in it. Anything less would not remove the pits.



Keep it up Tracker and everyone will be buying from your competitors and you will no longer be #1

 

[Staci Matheis]

Enquiring minds want to know.....

Who was the dealer?