By Tom Gonser [updated 04/08]
Since we began publishing this site in the mid-90's (yes, that was in the last century!) we've had a tremendous volume of email from our readers. Some of it was suitable for publication in our "Mailbox", while another sizeable portion for a variety of reasons was not. One issue that consistently surfaced was a category of problems that related to RV dealers. Many complained of bad dealer experiences. These included such concerns as "high pressure sales"; lack of product knowledge; not matching RVer needs with the right type, style or brand of RV; and especially -- not following through with after-sales assistance.
Under a different hat I've been chairing the new Good Sam RV Owners' Advisory Council, a group established to identify major RV issues and concerns. In that capacity I've been getting a flood of email as well -- and the issues the new Council is seeing show many of the same RV dealer concerns described above. However, both from our website email, and from the input we're getting through the new Council, it seems clear that RV purchasers in some cases bear responsibility as well, because far too often they fail to do the research necessary to make an informed purchase decision. Moreover in many cases it appears they have not exercised common sense and sound judgment in the purchase process. Often motivated solely by getting an RV at the lowest dollar cost, RV purchasers give little thought to how well a particular dealer will provide after-sales support. RVers might consume considerable (uncompensated) time of a local dealer's sales representative, only to use the resulting proposed deal to "shop" that price through the internet or via the 1-800 options. When they end up saving a few dollars by purchasing from a distant dealer, should they be surprised to learn the local dealer is not anxious to be stuck with the after sales support?
These types of failings are often part of what will contribute to an unhappy dealer experience. And while the options for RVers to collectively "do someting about dealers" is limited, the opportunity for RVers to take greater responsibility in making more informed decisions is something we can -- and should -- control.
There is a commonly held belief among many RVers that RV dealers, and the comissioned sales persons they employ, will always be wearing black hats. The reality may well be that there are far more black hats out there than is acceptable. However, to paint everyone with the same brush is not only misleading, but lacks in accuracy as well.
We don't pretend to know more than one RV dealership, because we've made both of our major purchases of higher end motorhomes through the same dealer, and through the same RV sales consultant. Guaranty RV Centers is a sprawling operation headquartered in Junction City, Oregon. Just about anywhere you drive in and around Junction City you'll find the Guaranty presence -- both in RVs and in automobiles. We have no personal experience with all of the outlets they operate, as we've only dealt with the one that is labeled "Luxury RV Showcase". As such we'll confine our remarks to just that one facility -- with a disclaimer that we've had no dealings with any of the myriad other Guaranty locations. But since we've learned that an RV dealer experience can be a positive one, we'll elaborate on that fact by way of example.
When we first decided to purchase a high end motorhome in 1998, we did considerable research. Much of that is documented in a series of articles we publshed starting in that year. Our research was not confined only to what "brand" of coach we'd purchase. It focused as well on identifying what dealer we should purchase from -- and even what sales person within that dealership we could feel comfortable in working with. We had a unique advantage, in that by publishing that series, and in effect "advertising" the fact we were looking for positive recommendations, we had the benefit of a number of reader suggestions -- both positive and negative, about where we might want to pursue our RV purchase. Based on a number of very specific reader comments, reporting on personal impressions and experiences, we selected Guaranty as the dealer, and chose Susan Graham as our "sales consultant".
In 2006, when we decided we'd upgrade to a new coach again (having logged some 80,000 miles on the coach we purchased in 1999) we returned to Guaranty and to Susan for the purchase of our 2007 34' Alpine SE. We again documented the details of our selection of both brand and dealership in another series of articles. Just why we would go back to the same dealership, and to the same sales person, is an interesting story -- and one we believe is worth telling.
Since our initial purchase of a Country Coach from Guaranty in 1999, we have had numerous contacts with Guaranty. Shortly after our purchase we joined the Guaranty Travelers' Club, a group of RV owners that had in common only the fact they had purchased from the same dealership. There are a variety of brands represented among Club members, representing different sizes, models and styles. The Club is managed by Barbara Nil, who is the wife of Shannon Nil, General Manager of Guaranty RV. Barbara and Shannon are both professionals, and have excellent interpersonal skills. The rallies that Barbara arranges have been, in our experience, the best organized and truly "fun" experiences we've enjoyed as RVers. We owe a number of valued personal friendships to our participation in the Guaranty Traveler's Club -- including our getting to know both Barbara and Shannon much better. We've had occasion to be in Junction City for reasons wholly unrelated to Guaranty, and have felt very welcome stopping by just to visit with Barbara or Shannon -- simply to see how things were going from their interesting perspective on the world of RVing.
We think both Barbara and Shannon represent a more enlightened "new wave" of RV dealer management. Shannon's outlook on the RV industry is refreshing, as he recognizes the need for innovation and improvement among those that offer RV products to the public. He has a forward looking vision for the industry, and recognizes the need to support programs that can have long term positive implications for the future of RVing. This is demonstrated by Guaranty's continuing high level of both financial and personal support for the premier RVer education program in the United States, Life on Wheels.
In the process of these mostly social contacts, we've also had an opportunity to meet a few of the other sales folks at the Luxury Showroom in Junction City -- and they've become friends as well. We'd mention in particular Dave Bonney, Tom Schneider, and Damon Rapozo. Our most recent purchase of an Alpine coach has brought us into frequent contact with yet another group of sales consultants -- Rich Ellis, Lindsay Hargett, and Randy Wellette, who collectively are the "team" that specializes in Alpine. The level of commitment and after-sale support we've seen from these folks is such that we would consider it a persuasive reason to own an Alpine. I can say without hesitation we would be completely comfortable in dealing with any of these folks. Each is a true professional. And they are successful precisely because they rely so heavily on repeat business. All of them have continuing contacts with RVers to whom they've previously sold units. And all are keenly interested in making sure that their buyers are and remain "happy campers" -- because that's where a significant portion of their future sales will be coming from. They know that there will be times when their purchasers might need some assistance. Perhaps they'll need some help in dealing with the manufacturer on a warranty issue; or perhaps they have other time sensitive needs that might be facilitated by the intervention of the selling dealer. By providing that level of continuing support they know they'll earn the future patronage of those to whom they've sold units in the past.
What a refreshing difference when compared to a dealership where the philosophy seems better described as "close the deal and watch the tail lights go down the road". But based on reader reports we're confident there are other dealerships out there that have a similar positive corporate philosophy. And it's the responsibility of any prospective RV purchaser to identify one that is suitable to their needs -- understanding that some of the most crucial needs will not arise until after they've taken delivery of a new unit.
RVers should also have a keen interest in both the capacity and capability of an RV dealer to offer competent RV service for all the units it sells. In the rush to find just the right RV to purchase, RVers tend to forget that after the sale their primary concern will not be what brand to buy, but where they can find timely, qualified service at a reasonable rate. In the Good Sam Council's recent survey of 20,000 members, the two highest ranking concerns of RVers were (1) RV Quality; and (2) RV Service. Clearly the two are related, because to the extent RV quality is lacking, the demand for RV service increases -- and it clearly strains the capacity of the industry to keep up with the demand. While we'd like to see Guaranty continue to grow its capacity to deliver quality service, clearly there have been improvements in the nearly 8 years we've now been dealing with them. There is still a need to be able to provide appointments on a more timely basis, and to continue to improve the technical expertise of its service techs. However our recent experience with minor warranty items on our new Alpine suggests that the service advisors and techs are indeed quite competent, and importantly will treat their service customers with a degree of professionalism that challenges the best of the manufacturers' service facilities.
Our regular readers know that we do not "endorse" any company, product or service -- and we do not intend to do so here. As we've described our personal experience is only with this single Guaranty facility. However it seems to us to be a illustrative of the primary point we're trying to make here: That with proper research, RVers can make themselves much more informed purchasers, and avoid many of the pitfalls they will otherwise experience if they fail to do their homework. Finding the "right" RV dealer, and surely of equal importance the "right" sales person, are fundamental to that effort.