RV Service Gamble

So . . . I had an RV service center conversation today that went like this . . .

ME – So my battery is fixed? [ joyful smile ]

SERVICE TECH – You weren’t getting a charge because your inverter was off [ smirk ]

ME – My inverter doesn’t need to be on to charge my batteries [ narrowed eyes ]

SERVICE TECH – Yes it does [ bigger smirk ]

ME – No, it really doesn’t – and I see you’ve switched it on at the box – again !!! [ angry face ]

SERVICE TECH – Yes, because it should always stay on [ really annoying I-know-better look ]

ME – No NO No . . . see this switch on the control panel, in order for me to control the inverter with this switch it has to be OFF AT THE INVERTER ITSELF – if it’s on there, then this switch has NO EFFECT [ spittle flying everywhere now ]

SERVICE TECH – I don’t think so, this is the way we’ve always done it [ shrugs and walks away ]

ME – [ frowny face with steam coming out of my ears ] as I drive away in a huff.

This is how it goes when you purchase a vehicle with new[ish] technology and have to service it at a center that doesn’t have experience with said technology. . .

and it’s the inspiration for this post . . .

Lets talk about RV service and why I think it’s the first thing you should check when deciding on where to purchase your RV.

The Business of RV selling and servicing is a complicated one – we as consumers want to get the best deal we can – often that equates to $$ and paying the least amount we can for the RV we want and sometimes that means flying across the country to get the better deal.

” Well OK, but lets think about your new RV in terms of a new family member.

It comes in from the manufacturer and gets checked and prepped by the dealer before you pick it up – this PDI [pre delivery inspection] is important because it sets up the future of how well your RV will perform for you.

Think about that for a minute . . .

and then tell me if you want a technician that is well versed in your model RV to be making sure it’s all good . . . OR . . . a technician that’s not familiar with your model at all?

And then think about the technology your RV is equipped with and ask yourself,

do I understand how it all works?

If the answer is no, then you really need to feel confident that the person servicing your RV actually does . . . understand how it all works.

And you need to make sure that he or she is going to be able to show you how it all works when you pick it up.

My Betty was so new to the market when I got her that nobody at my dealership had ever seen one before, let alone understood how her bits and pieces work.  I did LOTS of homework to gather as much information as I could before picking her up, which is why I was able to have THIS CONVERSATION with confidence and walk away from an ignorant service center before they could do any more damage.

So my biggest wish for the RV newbie would be this . . .

as consumers, please do a little research about the service center at the dealership you plan on purchasing from.  The only way we can have any influence as to the quality of the service we get, is by rewarding [with our business]  the dealerships that put service first and avoiding the ones with a bad service reputation.

Sometimes the saving in the $$ bottom line isn’t a savings at all if your RV isn’t handled properly at the onset.

So that’s my 2 cents on that [oh yes, I took Betty to another dealer that actually understands how she works and now she’s got a new set of batteries]