ChrisP
Member
Mermaid V\'s Perkins Sabre
For the record, Port intrcooler knackered due to bad maintenacce on my part and the previous owners. Cores not checked and "O" rings not replaced for 7 years. Result, intercooler casting totally F****D.
Contact mermaid, told them the story. Not to worry new parts due in middle of next week. Monday comes, about 10:00 phone call from Chris at Mermaid. Parts in, and I can collect it or they will post it to me. I agree to collect yesterday (Wednesday). Get there parts all ready, paperwork sorted and loads of spare "O" rings and bits thrown in for free. Realy friendly service. Free stickers and burgee big smiles, plenty of good advice and deal done.
Just up the road is Perkins Sabre's. Hmm thinks I, friend has Sabre engines and I know his intercoolers haven't seen the light of day for years. I'll pop in ad get some "O" rings. Walk into reception where there is a huge spares desk. Receptionist phones for the spares man who turns out to be at lunch. No problem me and SWIMBO dive into nearest pub where to my astonishment she pays for lunch. Back to Sabre's. Parts man now available. he arrives looking and listens to my request obviously boored to tears and deeply offended at having to talk to somebody over the counter. Having nodded at my request Sabre's answer to Basil Fawlty meanders over to the leaflets on the wall, plonks one down in front of us and declaires that although this is the spares and parts counter they dont sell them. I'll have to go to Chichester.
Questions:
1. Does the receptionist know so little about the company? Why couldn't she have said they don't sell parts and saved me 1 1/2 hours?
2. Does Sabre know that the same dead heads that man their show stands actually work there and are not bought in bimbo's? This point asked bearing in mind that at Southampton they tried to sell us a pair of 300HP engines that don't actually produce 300HP. Quote " The sales literature is slightly misleading". Plan "B" was to offer an alternative of engines that were 6" too tall to go under the floor which they felt could be remedied by raising the floor 6-10" in the saloon.
3. Are their new products as crap as their service for the old ones?
Taking into consideration that they recently wrongly supplied the most expensive warning lights in the country as direct replacements for the ones in existing Sabre instrument panels (they were 5mm to big to go in the holes).
I have come to my personal conclusion that:-
Mermaid got it right. Good product, good knowledgeable staff and excellent service to back up the customer.
Sabre. Not even in the same race. What were once some of the best marine engines in the world are being reduced to a back street cowboy outfit by their own sales hype, sales representatives and customer aftercare.
Sabre managment beware. This is a market where customer after care, parts prices and product reputation counts big time. Take a look at some of the comments about Volvo on this forum then decide if that's the way you want to go. If it's not to be your future, start putting it right now because you are already well onto the slope.
Having said that I know there are some people in the Sabre dealerships that actually do know their stuff. But they are like brilliant stars in a dark night sky. We know they are there but we can't get to them.
<hr width=100% size=1>What do you mean the sea gull in front's walking !!!
For the record, Port intrcooler knackered due to bad maintenacce on my part and the previous owners. Cores not checked and "O" rings not replaced for 7 years. Result, intercooler casting totally F****D.
Contact mermaid, told them the story. Not to worry new parts due in middle of next week. Monday comes, about 10:00 phone call from Chris at Mermaid. Parts in, and I can collect it or they will post it to me. I agree to collect yesterday (Wednesday). Get there parts all ready, paperwork sorted and loads of spare "O" rings and bits thrown in for free. Realy friendly service. Free stickers and burgee big smiles, plenty of good advice and deal done.
Just up the road is Perkins Sabre's. Hmm thinks I, friend has Sabre engines and I know his intercoolers haven't seen the light of day for years. I'll pop in ad get some "O" rings. Walk into reception where there is a huge spares desk. Receptionist phones for the spares man who turns out to be at lunch. No problem me and SWIMBO dive into nearest pub where to my astonishment she pays for lunch. Back to Sabre's. Parts man now available. he arrives looking and listens to my request obviously boored to tears and deeply offended at having to talk to somebody over the counter. Having nodded at my request Sabre's answer to Basil Fawlty meanders over to the leaflets on the wall, plonks one down in front of us and declaires that although this is the spares and parts counter they dont sell them. I'll have to go to Chichester.
Questions:
1. Does the receptionist know so little about the company? Why couldn't she have said they don't sell parts and saved me 1 1/2 hours?
2. Does Sabre know that the same dead heads that man their show stands actually work there and are not bought in bimbo's? This point asked bearing in mind that at Southampton they tried to sell us a pair of 300HP engines that don't actually produce 300HP. Quote " The sales literature is slightly misleading". Plan "B" was to offer an alternative of engines that were 6" too tall to go under the floor which they felt could be remedied by raising the floor 6-10" in the saloon.
3. Are their new products as crap as their service for the old ones?
Taking into consideration that they recently wrongly supplied the most expensive warning lights in the country as direct replacements for the ones in existing Sabre instrument panels (they were 5mm to big to go in the holes).
I have come to my personal conclusion that:-
Mermaid got it right. Good product, good knowledgeable staff and excellent service to back up the customer.
Sabre. Not even in the same race. What were once some of the best marine engines in the world are being reduced to a back street cowboy outfit by their own sales hype, sales representatives and customer aftercare.
Sabre managment beware. This is a market where customer after care, parts prices and product reputation counts big time. Take a look at some of the comments about Volvo on this forum then decide if that's the way you want to go. If it's not to be your future, start putting it right now because you are already well onto the slope.
Having said that I know there are some people in the Sabre dealerships that actually do know their stuff. But they are like brilliant stars in a dark night sky. We know they are there but we can't get to them.
<hr width=100% size=1>What do you mean the sea gull in front's walking !!!
)) 
