MDL latest customer alienation.

[Elessar]

There is obviously an accountant calling the shots that doesn’t understand the value of goodwill or the cost of regaining it.

As if the top down missive (which they don’t deny) to force everyone onto Otium (a £5k price increase for me) isn’t enough……..

Latest missive is £10 to charge an electric car. I paid £5.34 in the motorway services last time I charged. £10 is greedy and too much.

It’s reminiscent of their “ratner moment” when the email leaked saying that they would squeeze the boaters until the pips squeak.

It feels like its back to those days. Shame as otherwise I like MDL.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I suppose its a case of supply and demand. Whilst their marinas are rammed full, they can charge what they like knowing that if people decide to leave they can always fill their berths. What we need is a recession, not a Covid induced recession but a good old fashioned economic recession to teach these rip off marinas who's boss

 

[volvopaul]

There is obviously an accountant calling the shots that doesn’t understand the value of goodwill or the cost of regaining it.

As if the top down missive (which they don’t deny) to force everyone onto Otium (a £5k price increase for me) isn’t enough……..

Latest missive is £10 to charge an electric car. I paid £5.34 in the motorway services last time I charged. £10 is greedy and too much.

It’s reminiscent of their “ratner moment” when the email leaked saying that they would squeeze the boaters until the pips squeak.

It feels like its back to those days. Shame as otherwise I like MDL.

Vote with your feet and move to a private marina . That’s what I did 7 years ago .
Short tale , I was in Swanwick marina on a deal where I got 25% off because the berth was classed as a temporary access berth . In actual fact what happened all the years ago was just a dirty trick from Premier to co hearse me away from a private marina by matching them on price. To be fair I was rid of tide time waiting and it worked but when I moved to Swanwick the first time the tide was running hard and I had real difficulties getting on to the given berth .
In the end I radioed the marina and told them I had put the boat on another berth and if they wanted me to take up the offer they had to put the boat there as I was on my way home .
A call from a very nice Natalie in the days where customer care was paramount gave me the option of 2 other berths not restricted access but had both by her admissions had been empty for years . I duly took the option and was very happy with the deal for 18months I paid less over that period than my previous marina rates above the bridge. All was well until renewal whereby all of a sudden I was no longer on a restricted access berth and the 25% discount disappeared.
So I asked if I was to pay the full price I wanted a proper berth , the reply was no.
In the end I got the discount but that lasted until next renewal, no amount of negotiations gave a result so I left .

I’m afraid I’ve found all the big companies just treat you as a number not a valued client .

 

[ST840]

Vote with your feet and move to a private marina . That’s what I did 7 years ago .
Short tale , I was in Swanwick marina on a deal where I got 25% off because the berth was classed as a temporary access berth . In actual fact what happened all the years ago was just a dirty trick from Premier to co hearse me away from a private marina by matching them on price. To be fair I was rid of tide time waiting and it worked but when I moved to Swanwick the first time the tide was running hard and I had real difficulties getting on to the given berth .
In the end I radioed the marina and told them I had put the boat on another berth and if they wanted me to take up the offer they had to put the boat there as I was on my way home .
A call from a very nice Natalie in the days where customer care was paramount gave me the option of 2 other berths not restricted access but had both by her admissions had been empty for years . I duly took the option and was very happy with the deal for 18months I paid less over that period than my previous marina rates above the bridge. All was well until renewal whereby all of a sudden I was no longer on a restricted access berth and the 25% discount disappeared.
So I asked if I was to pay the full price I wanted a proper berth , the reply was no.
In the end I got the discount but that lasted until next renewal, no amount of negotiations gave a result so I left .

I’m afraid I’ve found all the big companies just treat you as a number not a valued client .

So where is the local private marina to the Hamble? I thought they were all corporations of somekind seeing as they all seem to have alliance to other marinas.

 

[thejonesey]

Private boatyards at the top and a lot cheaper! Foulkes and Son (but full,) Eastlands (under new ownership though) Cabin, RK Marine.

 

[Hurricane]

There is obviously an accountant calling the shots that doesn’t understand the value of goodwill or the cost of regaining it.

As if the top down missive (which they don’t deny) to force everyone onto Otium (a £5k price increase for me) isn’t enough……..

Latest missive is £10 to charge an electric car. I paid £5.34 in the motorway services last time I charged. £10 is greedy and too much.

It’s reminiscent of their “ratner moment” when the email leaked saying that they would squeeze the boaters until the pips squeak.

It feels like its back to those days. Shame as otherwise I like MDL.

Maybe its time to try out the Spanish wing of MDL?

 

[ST840]

Private boatyards at the top and a lot cheaper! Foulkes and Son (but full,) Eastlands (under new ownership though) Cabin, RK Marine.

Trouble is with that end is it’s … A, a long way.
and B, not very scenic.

 

[Bouba]

I suppose its a case of supply and demand. Whilst their marinas are rammed full, they can charge what they like knowing that if people decide to leave they can always fill their berths. What we need is a recession, not a Covid induced recession but a good old fashioned economic recession to teach these rip off marinas who's boss

I thought my port would come running to me during the last economic dip. Despite boat builders not being recession proof, it seems marinas are impervious.

 

[volvopaul]

So where is the local private marina to the Hamble? I thought they were all corporations of somekind seeing as they all seem to have alliance to other marinas.

Cabin Boatyard .
Foulkes and sons
RK marine
Eastlands .

 

[thejonesey]

Trouble is with that end is it’s … A, a long way.
and B, not very scenic.

I don’t think any Marinas are very scenic although if you go up river for 5mins you come to a wonderfully unspoilt part of the Hamble. Down river - 5mins to Swanwick, 15mins more than Mercury -yes it is a trek but who is in a hurry? Halving fees also pays for a lot of fuel to go exploring!
Anyway -sorry to hear about MDL. They used to be good years back but they do seem to be getting it wrong regularly these days. The only chain I would consider would be Boatfolk these days. Always superb service and great facilities.

 

[Boat2016]

Cabin Boatyard .
Foulkes and sons
RK marine
Eastlands .

And MDL know that none of those marinas are a threat unless they can seriously increase their capacity which is not going to happen. The big boys have control over the industry and will continue to do so.

 

[Northern Star]

Well no one "forced" me to sign up to Otium and I am still on my freedom berthing package with just the usual inflationary increase this year.

As for electric car charging it is a service and not a divine right or part of a berthing contract so if MDL have chosen to provide the extra service then it is up to them and the market forces to decide costing.

There is one Tesla port on my marina but I will stick to my small engined run around that cost me £8k thank you til the rip off car industry wakes up and starts pricing their product at an affordable level and not £30k + for a new sparky model.

 

[Switch]

I was in MDL Brixham last week. A shade under £70 per night for a 12.8m boat.

 

[Scubadoo]

I can see your point of view, but for quite sometime that marina has been providing electric to cars for free. People would just turn up at the electric point and if the electric connector wasn't compatible they simply plugged into the yard electrics over the fence, and taking up electric sockets used by boats and not weather proofed either from what I could see. Why should they get electric for free while I have to pay for it in the yard. So charging for electric seems reasonable, but no idea what is the going rate across the south.

 

[Elessar]

Well no one "forced" me to sign up to Otium and I am still on my freedom berthing package with just the usual inflationary increase this year.

As for electric car charging it is a service and not a divine right or part of a berthing contract so if MDL have chosen to provide the extra service then it is up to them and the market forces to decide costing.

There is one Tesla port on my marina but I will stick to my small engined run around that cost me £8k thank you til the rip off car industry wakes up and starts pricing their product at an affordable level and not £30k + for a new sparky model.

You’ve missed the point.

I don’t mind paying for charging.
But if it’s £5.30 in the services which you expect to be premium priced, £10 to a client who pays them thousands of pounds per year is taking the mickey.

They should be providing a service and then just covering incremental costs at most.

And the point is that it’s another thing on top of a list of things where they are sneaking in price rises by stealth.

By the time the accountant who thinks he’s clever wakes up and smells the coffee they will have lost goodwill, which is far more expensive to regain that retain.

 

[Elessar]

I can see your point of view, but for quite sometime that marina has been providing electric to cars for free. People would just turn up at the electric point and if the electric connector wasn't compatible they simply plugged into the yard electrics over the fence, and taking up electric sockets used by boats and not weather proofed either from what I could see. Why should they get electric for free while I have to pay for it in the yard. So charging for electric seems reasonable, but no idea what is the going rate across the south.

I’m not suggesting it should be free.

 

[Caraway]

Maybe its time to try out the Spanish wing of MDL?

So why aren't they applying their business model in the foreign outposts?

 

[Portofino]

You’ve missed the point.

I don’t mind paying for charging.
But if it’s £5.30 in the services which you expect to be premium priced, £10 to a client who pays them thousands of pounds per year is taking the mickey.

They should be providing a service and then just covering incremental costs at most.

And the point is that it’s another thing on top of a list of things where they are sneaking in price rises by stealth.

By the time the accountant who thinks he’s clever wakes up and smells the coffee they will have lost goodwill, which is far more expensive to regain that retain.

A tenner in the bigger scheme of boat costs is nothing , an extra 10 rpm when planning for 10 mins and that’s blown away in fuel .
The motorway fiver works for them because of the volume , the through put annually compared to a stormy Weds afternoon in the Marina during November to March .
It still far cheaper than filing up a decent 4.0 L upwards Luxor barge/ SUV car l
Looks reasonable to me .Bear in mind the initial set up costs .

Why not turn up in a none EV like Teddngtown ^^ if it bothers you this much ?

 

[Elessar]

A tenner in the bigger scheme of boat costs is nothing , an extra 10 rpm when planning for 10 mins and that’s blown away in fuel .
The motorway fiver works for them because of the volume , the through put annually compared to a stormy Weds afternoon in the Marina during November to March .
It still far cheaper than filing up a decent 4.0 L upwards Luxor barge/ SUV car l
Looks reasonable to me .Bear in mind the initial set up costs .

Why not turn up in a none EV like Teddngtown ^^ if it bothers you this much ?

You are also missing the point. It’s about the cost of goodwill not electricity. I can afford a tenner. Being able to afford it and being prepared to pay it is another thing.

For what it’s worth a charge point is about £400 by the way.

 

[penberth3]

........For what it’s worth a charge point is about £400 by the way.

And how much is installation and connection?