Problems with boat services people

[Garold]

The OP's complaint is not uncommon in the marine leisure industry. And it's important to balance it with the good experiences we all have with some really affable reliable people who do the work in an industry which isn't always particularly well paid. Personally, my experience of boat service people has been mixed and can't be just generalised to 'good/bad service reliably comes from big/small businesses'.

However, I was just wondering if part of the problem is that many of us are using service people and we aren't there. If I have someone doing work at home, I tend to see them more, and often have some direct communication every day. And I think that one notices problems at an earlier stage if one is 'on-site'. On the boat, one often can't be sure that the work has even been done until the next visit which can be a couple of weeks away. Also, sometimes with work on the boat, I have paid for work (eg engine servicing, boat cleaning, fixing things) before I've had a chance to visit the boat and check the work. This doesn't really happen with things that I have done at work or at home.

I have a few friends with foreign properties who seem to experience the same thing, and it seems that being remote from the property increases the possibility of aggravation or disappointment.

Funnily enough, if I get work done on the boat, and it happens in the agreed timescale, and it is done to the agreed job spec, and it works, and they don't cause any further mess or damage or cost, I'm really happy. But in the rest of my life, that's all the least I expect!

Garold

 

[lpdsn]

Nature of the beast I'm afraid.

An example at one end of the scale: my brother was apprenticed as a mechanic. The mechanics he worked for considered anyone who knew less than they did about cars to be fools. They had no qualms about taking advantage of people that they percieved to have more money than sense (and that was car owners not boat owners). Their other watchword was "what they eye doesn't see...".

Then there are the good guys who aren't perfect. There's a lot of skills necessary to run a one man band operation. Even if they are competent craftsmen, it doesn't mean they have the other skills, like dealing with customers, finances, suppliers, estimating, time-management.

Sometimes it's annoying, but others it's a shame. In one case the last two jobs I've asked someone to do I've ended up taking time off work and doing them myself. Yet his work is good, just his time-management is appalling.

Another person, I ended up basically imposed myself in the companionway until he finished the job - about a 300% project timescale overrun - he tried to make excuses and get away a couple of times but I just happened to be in his way and said, "no, I need it finished now". He wasn't going to get the final payment either unless he did it there and then, although I implied that rather than said it bluntly. When completed the job was fine.

And when someone has the full set of skills, they usually end up with too much work, so put the price up or just say, I only do work in this spot.

Trouble is, you know none of this until you've tried them out in each case. I don't put too much reliance on other boat owners opinions unless I know they're pretty handy themselves.

The only real strategy is to do as much as you are competent to do yourself. In many cases, doing research and doing the job carefully and slowly makes up for the lack of professional experience. Where you know you need a professional, it's handy to subtly get across that you're no fool. Then you need to keep a subtle eye on their progress. Paying something up front is fine, but don't make the final payment until the job is satisfactorily done.

Then there's no gaurantee, but you're much less likely to be fobbed off with a bodged job.

 

[itchenseadog]

Its not only the case that you get problems in the marine industry, I believe the building industry is even worse. I recently had a loft conversion done and trying to get the job finished was a nightmare. The builders only came back in order to get the final payment. I am now looking for builders to come and quote me on a new flat roof covering. Four builders so far have not turned up at the appointed time.

 

[rubberduck]

Being in the software game ( we do our own stuff to create products - not commissioned work) we loose deals to customers commissioning their own work - which we don't mind as we know they will come back in about 12-18 months once they have spent more time and money than they ever imagined and spent time by the bucket load trying to spec what they want.

Good luck!

I can see that. We are using a large well known outfit, but it has proved invaluable that we recorded all the promises the sales guy made, seem to be getting on with it now, having been given their options.
1/ We pay more money
2/ We accept less
3/ We get a solicitor to make them honour their commitments.