Entegra ??

[Misty123]

Originally Posted by RubiconTrail

I think technically Chuck Lasley is VP of Sales for Jayco Motorized, Shaun Huxford is VP Jayco Motorized, and like you said, Ted Cook is Eastern Sales Manager for Entegra.


I believe Shaun is Chuck's boss.


Of course all this is pre-shakeup, so I'm not sure who everyone is now.


I think I am OK being a Taddite...give Matt something to live up to, or at least to think about as he injects his management style into the Entegra side of the company. Being called a Taddite makes me a guy who was happy with how responsive the company has been, and would like them to continue to improve (hey Matt, did you hear about speed of warranty claims and expeditious parts movement?)

All different now. At present at least four of the five division heads are from towables, I think they are looking for the fifth. Hopefully, it'll be Chuck or Shaun, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

[wmpbauer]

I expect Jayco motorized to be its own division....


Pat Bauer, President
Entegra Coach Owners Association
www.entegraowners.com
2017 Anthem DEQ/Ford Edge

[Krafty52k]

We worry more .. not about who is the top dog.. we worry about the sub par treatment from our local dealer, after buying two Entegra products. Calls never answered.. no service after any sale, and they seem to be showcasing other manufacturers, and delegating the Entegra products where they cannot be seen on the road. Fooled us twice..


Sent from my iPhone using iRV2 - RV Forum

[brobox]

I am a Taddless, so I guess being a Taddie is not that bad. You sure don't want to own a Taddless coach, or what ever the excuse was back then. Tadd did bring in Quality Control which was totally lacking much like the parts and warranty approval others are experiencing today. I had my share of that as well, but went DIY or mobile and saved the rest for PDI. Not worth the hassle with my dealer. JMO, but if Entegra does not want to slip back into the Taddless era, parts and warranty approval have got to improve or customers are going to move on to SOB. One very valuable forum member has done just that. I would like nothing more to see Entegra continue to grow in a positive manner and the only way that can happen is management like that of NIRVC.

Gene, very nice explanation of NIRVC business plan. It sounds like they have something Lazy Days has lost.......management. Reading the posts very carefully, NIRVC has done something LD has not done, EXPAND to service customers. What just happened in Atlanta...an expansion celebration. LD had the opportunity to purchase a defunct dealer location right down the road, but let their competitor, RV One have it instead. There is a perfect example of a dealer that does NOT care about their customers needs or service like NIRVC has in their current business plan. I wish NIRVC nothing but success, it is long over due for RV owners. It will be a win-win dealership.

[Tall Tex]

Am I a Taddite? Absolutely! Here's why.
Last June Tadd followed us into an RV Park in Alpine,WY to introduce himself and thank us for buying an Entegra. Who does that! By the way he was wearing a shirt that said Tadd Jenkins Chevrolet, Idaho Falls. He owns a Chevy dealership.

A month later on a mountain top at Big Sky Montana at Summerfest he told me that if his people could not fix the rear cap on my coach that day, he would give us a loaner coach so we could finish our summer tour of the Western states. Again, who does that! That was how Tadd worked. By the way they did fix the rear cap.

So I had some personal experience with the president. Made me feel good that I had a relationship with the boss. So, when he left, I lost that special relationship.

To some that had a special relationship with Tadd, it is difficult to realize that now that relationship with Entegra is gone. To me, it is simply over and I don't have to have that special relationship, to be a happy Entegra owner. CS has not changed and that is my only concern. I still have confidence that when I have problems, they will be taken care of.

Being a Taddite was fun, but I look forward to the next stage of the Entegra experience.

I'm going to Marchfest and maybe I'll become the next "ite" while there.

[wnytaxman]

Much of the future of Entegra will be the public's perception of the brand. If stellar service continues then the brand will continue to be strong. If the service and quality falter, or if the perception is that they have faltered, then then the brand will go down in value.

One of the best indicators of the public perception of the brand may not occur until September. Over the past several years RVOne has sold over 50 Entegras during the Hershey Show. If those sales numbers decline substantially then I think that may be an indication of the perception of the brand.

As a potential owner the changes have given us second thoughts about which way to go. Do we go with Entegra and hope that the quality and service will still be there? Or do we go with Newmar or maybe American Coach because they are more of a known quantity? Tough choices for sure! In our case we have not made the commitment yet so we can adopt a wait and see attitude. It shall be an interesting winter in the world of Entegra.

[classicalgas]

Originally Posted by wnytaxman

Much of the future of Entegra will be the public's perception of the brand. If stellar service continues then the brand will continue to be strong. If the service and quality falter, or if the perception is that they have faltered, then then the brand will go down in value.

One of the best indicators of the public perception of the brand may not occur until September. Over the past several years RVOne has sold over 50 Entegras during the Hershey Show. If those sales numbers decline substantially then I think that may be an indication of the perception of the brand.

As a potential owner the changes have given us second thoughts about which way to go. Do we go with Entegra and hope that the quality and service will still be there? Or do we go with Newmar or maybe American Coach because they are more of a known quantity? Tough choices for sure! In our case we have not made the commitment yet so we can adopt a wait and see attitude. It shall be an interesting winter in the world of Entegra.

Still trying to decide, huh? It is not likely that Entegra will self-destruct under the new management regime but it could become a lot less friendly. Will that matter to your potential ownership experience? It seems kind of unlikely. You're a bottom line kind of person. Does it matter if your used coach depreciates by an extra $50,000 or retains its value but costs an extra $50,000?

The 44R has been a great floorplan for us. Our service experience, whether with Lazydays here in Tampa or on the road has been superior. Maybe there is less to worry about than you are expecting??!!

btw, are you going to be at the Tampa Supershow?

[wnytaxman]

Originally Posted by classicalgas

Still trying to decide, huh? It is not likely that Entegra will self-destruct under the new management regime but it could become a lot less friendly. Will that matter to your potential ownership experience? It seems kind of unlikely. You're a bottom line kind of person. Does it matter if your used coach depreciates by an extra $50,000 or retains its value but costs an extra $50,000?

The 44R has been a great floorplan for us. Our service experience, whether with Lazydays here in Tampa or on the road has been superior. Maybe there is less to worry about than you are expecting??!!

btw, are you going to be at the Tampa Supershow?

Greg, you bring up some very valid points. Assuming the quality is there, Entegra still represents the best bang for the buck in the mid market. The key will be whether or not the commitment remains to the customers. I've talked to Chuck Lasley several times and he's a real stand up sort of a guy. In fact he gave us the tour of the Entegra plant when we were there several years ago. I would hope that he would continue the efforts that Tadd had shown. Will management let him? That is probably the number one question.

We still haven't finalized on Tampa. One of our twins will be on semester break during the show so we may try to escape the cold of Western NY for awhile before tax season starts. Of course it will be warmer in Tampa so that's my selling point.

Ed

[wmpbauer]

I think the doubters in here are in for some surprises....perhaps big ones. The brand is strong; the future, bright; the quality, outstanding; factory Customer Service, the best in the RV industry; warranty, still two years.

The task set with these moves however, does set the bar really high. If they desire to increase market penetration and market share, it's clear that dealerships are going to have to get in the game. This is perhaps the most difficult task they face, because most of the RV industry dealers are stuck in an antiquated strategy.

Most dealers are firmly entrenched in the "huckster" approach to marketing. If growth is an indicator of success, it's clear that the "customer for life" approach is more tuned to the 2017 buyer. They are computer savvy, they do their homework, and with all that's been written, will shop dealers based on customer satisfaction.

My recommendation to Entegra (If I were asked) would be to seize the day and capitalize on the wave of success they have enjoyed recently, to influence their dealers to adapt:

Prioritize the delivery experience on behalf of the costumer not the dealership.
Expedite completion of the punchlist.
Get the Entegra customer RVing that first day they leave the lot.
Answer the phone and return calls.
Hold their customer's hand as they take those first baby steps. (A very high percentage of Entegra buyers are first time ever RVers).
Helping them be happy is good for their dealership!

The bar is very high! It's clear Entegra will have to streamline their warranty and parts processes and will need to winnow out those dealers who scam the manufacturer with false repair claims, by pulling their dealership agreement!

JMHO!

Pat


Pat Bauer, President
Entegra Coach Owners Association
www.entegraowners.com
2017 Anthem DEQ/Ford Edge

[wmpbauer]

wnytaxman,

If you do come to Tampa Supershow, look us up! We will have 71 Entegra Coach Owners camping together. Historically, it started with 6, then 24, and last year 38 coaches. So getting to 71 is indicative of Entegra's penetration in the RV market.

Those gains have been expensive for Entegra and the Bontrager's, as it's very difficult to change corporate culture. But the quality has improved.

As you can see from the comments by others in this thread, those hardwon changes are a concern to this audience going forward. Entegra has leapfrogged some of the other manufacturers in quality, customer support, warranty, and as you say, Bang for the Buck! Their fit and finish is pretty darned good.

I know I'm hopeful and optimistic that the new leadership will not only see the value they've inherited from Tadd Jenkins' leadership RESULTS, but will be wise enough to carry it forward as a firm foundation to make that next great LEAP.

I'm also somewhat a pragmatist in taking a wait and see attitude. As a high school principal, I've been involved in a LOT of corporate culture change efforts through my almost 40 years in public schools. We have to give Matt and Derald some ROPE. One of two things will happen....everyone FROM Entegra and their Dealers will either Latch on and pull in the same direction, or they'll make a Noose with which to hang themselves.

Maybe I'm a naïve Boy Scout. As an educator I know you have to eventually turn the kids loose to test their theories and try out their ideas. With kids you hope there's a safety net. But in THIS instance, a fall caused by management missteps will be abrupt and BRUTAL.

Their risk is great.....but so is OURS.....
We've invested in this brand.
We've believed in this brand.
We've trusted this brand.
We've committed to this brand.

I've heard similar things from many of our ECOA members as has been expressed in this thread...and there is both worry and hope and everything in between.

We probably owe it to the new leadership to wait and see. They've still got a lot of good people in place...starting with Chuck Lasley, Shaun Huxford, and Pat Carroll. We know they are as you say, Stand Up Guys!

Please....give Derald and Matt a chance! They too, seem like Stand Up Guys.

Pat


Pat Bauer, President
Entegra Coach Owners Association
www.entegraowners.com
2017 Anthem DEQ/Ford Edge

[Hayman]

I like some of you have been thinking about this before making any further comments: I did call and leave a message for Bob Martin. Mr. Bontrager called me back and we had a cordial discussion in which he gave me assurances of continued support. I appreciated that call and accept hom at his word but in total honesty there wasn't much enthusiastic energy in our conversation. Thank Goodness for Joyce and CS !

I believe that Tadd Jenkins is/was a one of a kind President of a large company who has incredible people skills that more then likely makes him irreplaceable in kind. As owners it appears we must learn to live with this change of leadership or move on to an SOB.

I can emphatically state that we were torn between purchasing another Allegro Bus or purchasing an Anthem and it was Tadd Jenkins personality, enthusiasm and personal calls directly to us that made our decision.

That is what has been lost ! I share the hope that the future improves for the benefit of current and future owners.

[waterboy10]

I do not believe the sky is falling. Changes are a natural process of any business. I know we all loved Tadd and his infectious love of the Entegra brand and of all things RV. His personality was a key to his success. There is no doubt that Tadd was the face of Entegra but there are many in the background like Pat, Chuck and Joyce as well as their staff that will serve us well in the future. The future is bright for Entegra and I know there are many more happy owners than unhappy owners. To be sure no company can satisfy 100 percent of its customers. that is simply impossible. We have found that Entegra always listens and has a sympathetic ear when we have had issues (many we made ourselves). Until they change their practices (which I doubt they will) we do not consider the changes made to be a big issue. Trust is needed in any business relationship and it goes both ways as the customer plays a part in the dynamic also. We have chosen to trust Entegra and if we were to consider a new coach Emtegra will be at the top of the list. All brands have issues and if you have not read other forums you should. The phrase tempest in a teapot comes to mind. JMHO.

[rvbusguy]

x2 on the Sky is Falling.

The fact that the COO of Jayco didn't spend enough time with some of you
wanting to talk to him about your leaking whatever, or parts for your coach taking to long, etc

Is the first sign that Entegra is falling apart is

This Company was doing great with the "Value" of it's products long before Tadd jumped on board, and will do great long after his departure.

I have not seen 0ne Company out there that has shown me more value for the money than Entegra Coach.

Tadd was a great PR person. But that's it. Entegra Coach is a Team, not just one guy.

p.s. this is not an attack on anyone person, just me ranting on.

[DSL417]

WRT "Taddites", I said i don't want to be that...let me say why...

I AM AN ENTEGRA OWNER, NO MORE AND NO LESS. I WANT WHAT ENTEGRA PROMISED ON THE TWO OCCASIONS WHEN I BOUGHT IN. I expect they will provide what I bought into. If not, if I buy another coach, I'll make a value decision at that time...not before.

That's it, pure and simple. I liked Tadd, I like Chuck Lasley, and I don't know the other folks except Ted Cook, and I like him.