Changes at Fox's?

[stuey_two]

I read that Oyster intend to move from Ipswich to Southampton - should make life interesting.
If it happens, will Fox's other interests be enough to keep them afloat?

 

[FullCircle]

Possibly, if they concentrate on their customers.

 

[Koeketiene]

I read that Oyster intend to move from Ipswich to Southampton - should make life interesting.
If it happens, will Fox's other interests be enough to keep them afloat?

From Oyster's point of view a move to the Solent makes a lot of sense - move the outfit to where the market is.

The boatyard has a very good reputation - IMO deservedly so - and since they also service a substantial part of the windfarm work boats I think they should survive and eventually (when the leisure market picks up again) thrive.
The move could also mean a new lease of life for the marina. Right now a substantial part of it is taken up by 60' boats being commissioned. That could be a lot of (paying!) berths for more modest sized boats.

 

[Leighb]

As they currently have their hulls built in Norfolk such a move would present some logistical problems. Certainly they have shifted some of their operations to S'ton already. Our erstwhile neighbour had to move South or lose his job. It would make some sort of business sense to concentrate their operation further, however the comment "move the outfit to where the market is" is not entirely appropriate as a high proportion of their sales are to overseas clients.

 

[Athene V30]

My experience of Fox's at the moment is unless you complain, nothing happens in a timely manner. Moving deadlines seem to be the norm and staff a Fox's don't seem to be bothered. Latest example is following my engine overheat booked in for investigation and service - was told 3 weeks ago would be w/c 24 March. So on Tues 25 I make contact to find out what happening - oh we have xyz overrunning and are very busy so don't think we will get to you. I explode and all of a sudden the engine is done and the boat lifted to fit a new depth transducer. In a service industry you need to keep the customer happy, Fox's need to learn this.

 

[greylag]

My experience of Fox's at the moment is unless you complain, nothing happens in a timely manner. Moving deadlines seem to be the norm and staff a Fox's don't seem to be bothered. Latest example is following my engine overheat booked in for investigation and service - was told 3 weeks ago would be w/c 24 March. So on Tues 25 I make contact to find out what happening - oh we have xyz overrunning and are very busy so don't think we will get to you. I explode and all of a sudden the engine is done and the boat lifted to fit a new depth transducer. In a service industry you need to keep the customer happy, Fox's need to learn this.

Nothing new and nothing changes.

 

[Javelin]

I'm certainly no defender of Fox's being as I work for a competitor albeit up the coast a little,
however every year in mid to late March we have a nice weekend and suddenly folk remember they have a boat.
Work that could have been done between Oct/Nov and Feb suddenly needs doing NOW.
The period from now till Easter is quite frankly manic as most of this work is unplanned it relies on reactive staff be available as opposed to staff who are assigned to planned projects.

In a service industry you need to keep the customer happy

We try very, very hard to do this but its often hard to work in a famine feast environment.

 

[Athene V30]

We try very, very hard to do this but its often hard to work in a famine feast environment.

Totally agree. But when you give the customer a date for work to start it should be kept to without the Customer having to complain to make it happen!

What I find frustrating is not keeping to an agreed schedule. All businesses have bust periods and you plan and resource to meet it and give realistic expectations to customers. In my line of work distributing toys it is the lead up to Christmas - I can't tell a customer they can have delivery on the 28th Dec when they were expecting it for the 24th! Simples!

Btw I have no complaint with the standard of work.

 

[Otter]

Fox's only have 100 marina berths which is tiny by any standard. They have about 25 maintenance, engineer, rigging, electrical and yard staff, the only way you can keep that sausage machine going is to have more work booked than you can actually cope with and you rely on bits of it falling away. Their business is staffed with the largest collective group of skilled professionals anywhere I've visited, but their salary bill must be about £1m excluding chandlery and brokerage and that demands a backlog of work to keep them going. Not a fun business model for them or the customer. Great bunch of guys and gals though.

 

[photodog]

I'm certainly no defender of Fox's being as I work for a competitor albeit up the coast a little,
however every year in mid to late March we have a nice weekend and suddenly folk remember they have a boat.
Work that could have been done between Oct/Nov and Feb suddenly needs doing NOW.
The period from now till Easter is quite frankly manic as most of this work is unplanned it relies on reactive staff be available as opposed to staff who are assigned to planned projects.

We try very, very hard to do this but its often hard to work in a famine feast environment.

I think if the marine industry has a problem with excess demand at certain times.. And none at others... Then they should be incentivising the customer to change their thinking.... The reason info work at certain times is for budget reasons... But I would be ore than happy to change that schedule if there was a financial reason to do so... And will be getting a later lift and antifoul, as I did last year, To take advantage of summer rates... I am surpirsed that there are no discounts for work done in November or February....

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Remember Howard's Way, Jack Rolfe and how he kept stringing customers along!

Nothing new and nothing changes.

 

[sailorman]

Remember Howard's Way, Jack Rolfe and how he kept stringing customers along!

Is Ralph related to Jack

 

[chinita]

As they currently have their hulls built in Norfolk such a move would present some logistical problems.

The set up in the wilds of Norfolk, as I recall when I visited, was a shed with a couple of work experience kids slopping epoxy around a mould.


I doubt if it represents much of an investment.

 

[Habebty]

Bit bigger now, next to Wroxham and Hoveton Station. They bought the old goods yard and expanded into that. I have seen 3-4 hulls in progress at any one time.

 

[chinita]

So, up to eight work experience lads then!?