warranty work Well Done!

[GoneFishin]

We had the pleasure of recently completing our warranty work with Guaranty RV Service Center in Junction City, Oregon. We purchased our Cayman at the Monaco Rally (delivered from the Indiana factory) and agreed that we would drive the motorhome to Oregon to allow them to resolve the issues discovered during the initial walkthrough. We lived in the motorhome for 2 months and so the initial list grew a little. We planned for a 2-3 week stay to get all issues resolved and we were there 3 ½ weeks. At times the issue of getting parts delivered took longer than expected, however we did not have down time while waiting. They were always working on something. Some of the major issues resolved were replacement of the cracked windshield, replacement of 90% of the laminate tile floor, paint buffing, fuel gauge calibration (it's now accurate!), slide adjustment, windows sealed, roof sealed, better view with backup camera, daytime running lights, thorough detail cleaning inside and out, and lots of small issues = all resolved! And done very well. The entire staff was professional, efficient, friendly, and very accomodating. Our service writer was Mark Kelson and you'd be lucky to have him on your side. We are extremely happy with Guaranty RV and would highly recommend them for any repairs on any type of RV.

[GoneFishin]

We had the pleasure of recently completing our warranty work with Guaranty RV Service Center in Junction City, Oregon. We purchased our Cayman at the Monaco Rally (delivered from the Indiana factory) and agreed that we would drive the motorhome to Oregon to allow them to resolve the issues discovered during the initial walkthrough. We lived in the motorhome for 2 months and so the initial list grew a little. We planned for a 2-3 week stay to get all issues resolved and we were there 3 ½ weeks. At times the issue of getting parts delivered took longer than expected, however we did not have down time while waiting. They were always working on something. Some of the major issues resolved were replacement of the cracked windshield, replacement of 90% of the laminate tile floor, paint buffing, fuel gauge calibration (it's now accurate!), slide adjustment, windows sealed, roof sealed, better view with backup camera, daytime running lights, thorough detail cleaning inside and out, and lots of small issues = all resolved! And done very well. The entire staff was professional, efficient, friendly, and very accomodating. Our service writer was Mark Kelson and you'd be lucky to have him on your side. We are extremely happy with Guaranty RV and would highly recommend them for any repairs on any type of RV.

[MonacoMama]

With all of that being said...I STILL stand behind Monaco and their Service Center which is less than 10 miles from Guaranty RV.

They have:[LIST]<LI> always gotten back to me in a timely manner<LI>Had answers in a timely manner<LI>taken care of almost every problem<LI>and knowing I have it first hand from the factory is PRICELESS


MM
PS-besides...I feel I am helping to keep Monaco and their employees working - which also means a better chance for "New Monaco Owners" to still have a chance of a company still being in business (unlike WRV & National..to name a couple)

[digNbubbs]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">PS-besides...I feel I am helping to keep Monaco and their employees working... </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

But if they are working on warranty items, that means the workers are getting paid to work, but the company is not bringing in any money to pay the workers I would imagine Monaco would like it better if warranty work was done in outside shops so they could just pay a low "job price" to someone rather than pay all their guys, plus shop overhead, etc...

Anyway, that was the impression I got from the Harrisburg folks - they would rather send us down the block then have us there. Does seem like it would be cheaper for them and keep them in business a bit longer. Or..... just do it right the first time. That will bring people back


--kev

[GoneFishin]

I too want to support Monaco Coach Corp. and hope they remain in business forever. I haven't felt so strongly about something in a long time so I need to add to this.

Along with our Guaranty RV appointment to resolve issues found during initial walkthrough, we had a standing appointment with Monaco "just in case." The Monaco appointment was made 9 months in advance when we still had the old motorhome and were advised by many to keep the appointment since they were hard to get at the last minute. With Monaco we were told a cut off date to add issues to our list, whereas Guaranty let us add issues as they were discovered during our stay. Very accomodating and flexible.

It is great that Guaranty RV is only 10 miles from Monaco for parts and support if needed. And Guaranty RV is only 2 blocks from the Country Coach factory. However, our motorhome was manufactured in Indiana and most parts had to come from there. Guaranty RV and Monaco have an excellent, supportive relationship. Monaco was going to replace our flooring, but instead asked that Guaranty RV do it.

We visited Camp Monaco a few times - to take the tour, visit with friends having service and just to see "what we were missing" by not being at Camp Monaco. We were missing nothing. The Monaco waiting area is larger and had 2 or 3 times the number of people waiting than Guaranty, but the atmosphere and attitude of the customers was a total opposite. All we heard while at Monaco were complaints and we saw very little of that at Guaranty. There were people having work done in Harrisburg, but staying at Guaranty because Monaco didn't have room for them in Harrisburg. Those we talked with were not happy. Some said Monaco did not have a good handle on who remained camped there after their work was done. Some were just not happy with what was being done on their coaches. In our many days at Guaranty we saw 2 people who were unhappy with their extended warranty contract coverage, not with the work or service. I know that Monaco is under pressure and in fact closed the Peoria service loaction on the day we were scheduled to be there. I'm sure they are regrouping and trying to deal with many issues. I'm sure that Monaco would have done a good job with our issues. No doubt. Remember too that Guaranty can work on any type or brand of RV - motorhome, trailer, camper.

After we left Guaranty RV and were gone for 2 weeks I ended up in the ER and needed to have surgery quickly. We decided to return to Eugene for the surgery and called Guaranty RV to see if we could stay with them for a night or 2 until we knew our plans. They welcomed us back with open arms and allowed us to stay in their camping lot until I was released to travel. When our car was broken into the paint shop volunteered to seal up our window until we had it replaced. The staff sometimes brought in goodies to share with customers and one day James, a service writer, brought in his guitar and shared his music with everyone. Monaco is a large corporation (as is Guaranty), but Guaranty is now family.

Sorry this is so long, but as I said, we feel very strongly about Guaranty RV's customer service.

[cb5300]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by digNbubbs:
Or..... just do it right the first time. That will bring people back
--kev </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No truer words were ever spoken!

[Les Stallings]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by cb5300:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by digNbubbs:
Or..... just do it right the first time. That will bring people back
--kev </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

No truer words were ever spoken! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Let's say we want a 99.9% quality factor for our coach construction. And since our coaches are simple and only have structure, plumbing, electrical, propulsion, electronics, home furnishings, HVAC, appliances, etc., let us estimate a ridiculously small number of assembly processes - how about 10,000 processes.

That means we will have 10 problems with assembly processes, nevertheless problems with components supplied to Monaco from other manufacturers.

Listen guys, even a Lexus does not get a 99.9% rating from first year owners...

Our machines are complex. Don't expect miracles. I've got a few very expensive cars that make a Lexus look like a Hyundai. They are not perfect either.

[AKBrick]

Hi Guys and Gals,
This is not a Monoco bashing party. God knows we are having our problems too but are loving our coach.
CheetahGirl and I stayed at "Camp Gauranty" and had a lot of work done also in Junction City and Colburg. We were there alongside GoneFishn' and Fishbum and agree with everything that she said. A big "Good Job Ladies and Gentlemen" goes out to those who work at Gauranty RV Service.
'nuf said,

Tom Brickwell

[Robin_M]

GoneFishin,

Kudos to Guaranty. It's great to find a dealer that you can trust whole heartedly, that is proficient, and that makes you feel like family. I wish we had such a dealer here in the NE part of the country.

As for Monaco, while I don't want to "bash" them, because they were very supportive through all of my warranty issues, I have to agree with Kevin. There is room for improvement in the area of quality control. My recent harness issue is a case in point.

[digNbubbs]

Yea, no bashing here either with that little comment. I have always been a cheerleader for Monaco, and I have always praised the work we have had done on our coach. But there are some things that leave the factory - and the dealer's lots - that scream production over QA. Having the "replacement of 90% of the laminate tile floor" has nothing to do with how the MH goes down the road or who supplied the tile, and everything to do with doing it right the first time.

So everyone can breathe easy about my comment. It was all about not having a mile long "punch list" when you buy a new RV, spending less time having to have things corrected, and having a good name for the company. I think, as consumers, if we are willing to accept lower quality in workmanship because the manufacturer knows that we WILL spend 3 weeks of our own time getting things right, we just open ourselves to accepting lower quality for our hard-earned dollars. The stuff that happens down the road is another issue. We will deal with those as they come - because we are RVers


--kev

[MonacoMama]

I agree with you who brought up the "Quality Control"� issue...but I feel that Monaco has the same type of problem as any other manufacturer...a good Quality Control system is not in place at the plants. Les Stallings also brings up some very valid points. We all know that nothing is 100% perfect...nor will it ever be.
Many of you know that I do work for an Auto dealership so a lot of my info is from that standpoint. I asked my favorite Service Manager his feelings... As far as warranty work goes, I am sure that Monaco would like their share of warranty work, and more than likely, Monaco Corporation would actually save money having the Service Centers do warranty work instead of paying the dealership...and I am sure Monaco would much rather see more normal work that is "Customer Pay"� ...but I am sure they are like any auto dealership, they would like to see all the work they can get ...no matter what type it is...But if a place is full and they know they can't get to you for awhile...wouldn't you want to know that you have the option to go some place else for work?
Mic, I do remember you telling me how much Guaranty liked having you there because they said how you kept everyone in a great mood. You did mention they did have some unhappy customers there also...so it is not just a "Monaco Diamond Hill"� thing. I feel that you will have unhappy people anytime they may have a problem. Their extent of unhappiness will depend on the problem AND their personality.
I like the fact that I do not have to pull my coach back and forth from the "campground"� to the Service Dept ... Diamond Hill does that. I like the fact that I have access to laundry at Diamond Hill. I like the fact that there is 50 amp with water at each site. And I love the fact that I am NOT packed in like sardines in the campground at "Diamond Hill"�.
Yes, like everyone else... I have issues with my coach – but if I had to make a choice...it would be at Diamond Hill. (And maybe next time I will hang out at the Customer lounge and give the same type of lessons and service that Mic & Rick gave at Guaranty! )


MM

[Big Service Guy]

These posts contain some very interesting comments from different points of view. Here are a couple of questions that may spark further debate. 1 - Has anyone ever been to the Chevrolet or Lexus factory service center? 2 - Do convenient factory campgrounds, with full accomodations encourage owners to overstay their needed visit and take advantage of free camping?
I doubt anybody has taken their Chevy or Lexus to the factory, since they don't have a service department. They focus on manufacturing a quality product and developing a dealership network to provide the needed(minimal) warranty repairs.
In response to previous posts stating that Monaco's campground is over capacity. If 50 Amp hookups with water and laundry service is available with a good price, some may think of real good reasons not to leave.
Just my two cents.

[AKBrick]

Hi Big Service Guy,
Tell Jim Wright in Coburg and Scott Stevens in Junction City (Gauranty service reps) that Tom and Jo Brickwell said hi and good work. It's mighty appreciated. We'll see them again in August.

Thanks for checking in on irv2 because we Monoco customers like you service guys to know what we go through.

AKBrick