Travel - boat repair - R & S Boats, Rome City, Indiana poor customer service

May 25, 2001:

From: Brian [Email User]

RE: Boat Service - R & S Boats, Rome City, Indiana

Several times lately I have been reminded that service business's are not manned by

people that have service in mind. It seems that some have their own agendas and schedules

and if that doesn't fit with customers then they are no longer "customers".

I grew up in my dad's small town grocery store in a little town in Michigan. I was thought that

you must do what ever it took to give people what they wanted, no mater what. We would put up and

deliver special orders, fill jugs of vinegar in the back room, replace busted windows, special order

"stuff" that would be delivered by GreyHound buss then store it for them until they could pick

it up. Make a long story short my dad taught me what the work ethic means and how

to make people want to come back and get more of what ever it is I was selling, or offering

in life. To bad other dads didn't do as good a job. Last winter my wife bought me an electric anchor

for my fishing boat.

I was a gift I wanted and appreciated but I think she was tired or pulling

of the rope whenever she went along. Anyway it was a great gift and it made me happy. I went into R &

S Boats in Rome City, Indiana.

to make an appointment for the "simple installation" or so the box said. I

was told that it would be a month before they could get to it which didn’t seem unreasonable as it was

spring, so I made the schedule and wrote it on my calendar. On the appointed day, a Friday, I left

work early so I would be sure to get my boat to R & S on time and I could park it where they

wanted it. I didn't realize it but I had a flat tire on my trailer and had to deal with that first.

When I got to R & S I was met by an overly busy "service" person and when I told him my name he started into a tirade about how he didn’t want to install an electric device in an old boat and he just knew it would take to long and he couldn't tie up his people like that.

I said that I sure wished that I was told that when I make that appointment or that I would have been given a call. He mumbled something under his breath and I left with my ego bruised and my feelings

hurt.

He blamed the "girl" that made that date and said she should have known ne didn't do that.

If you go into that store you will see that they sell the same unit on their

shelf. I might add that last summer I had work done on my "old" boat and they were more than happy to

take my money then.

My whole point is why can't we treat each other the way my dad did. To

bad not enough of us listened. And to bad insensitive people have jobs that deal with our lives

and passions. And to some of us to sit in a boat on a beautiful morning listening to the loons and

maybe catch a fish or two is truly a passion. To bad my wife has to still work the rope!