PSP - Fairlines 'Closed Door' policy - Very upset!

[Hurricane]

No they didn't.

Some people got the hump because they perceived the Fairline system to be "unfriendly", a bit of "well if I HAD been a buyer...", and everyone else (myself included) simply asked to look at the boats and did.

I bever said Fairline was unfriendly - in fact they are always very helpful.

It's just when I'm browsing round the boats at a boat show, I can't be bothered to "check in" through a turnstyle just to browse.
Others, like Sealine, Sunseeler and Princess you can just walk on and off as you please.

If I really wanted to look over a boat, I WOULD.

I still think Fairline's approach is a little short sighted. When we bought a new boat - yes we did look at Fairline's offering but we had already (more or less) made up our minds from the browsing that we had done during previous shows. In our case Princess got the sale - Fairline didnt - thats a fact.

 

[stelican]

I bever said Fairline was unfriendly - in fact they are always very helpful.

It's just when I'm browsing round the boats at a boat show, I can't be bothered to "check in" through a turnstyle just to browse.
Others, like Sealine, Sunseeler and Princess you can just walk on and off as you please.

If I really wanted to look over a boat, I WOULD.

I still think Fairline's approach is a little short sighted. When we bought a new boat - yes we did look at Fairline's offering but we had already (more or less) made up our minds from the browsing that we had done during previous shows. In our case Princess got the sale - Fairline didnt - thats a fact.

I imagine that someone from Fairline is following this thread,If they are it would be interesting to hear from them why they have adopted their viewing poilcy

 

[ari]

I imagine that someone from Fairline is following this thread,If they are it would be interesting to hear from them why they have adopted their viewing poilcy

Presumably because it works well for them. I can't imagine they're just doing it for a bit of a laugh.

 

[ari]

If I really wanted to look over a boat, I WOULD.

Exactly..!

 

[Hurricane]

Exactly..!

Yea - BUT I BOUGHT A PRINCESS

 

[MapisM]

No they didn't.

Ari, I have no problem at all to agree to disagree, if you wish. But why deny the evidence?
Or are you suggesting that those who said they did are liars?

 

[jfm]

In our case Princess got the sale - Fairline didnt - thats a fact.

Hurricane that's definitely a fact but can you honestly say that FL's "check in" policy was a material factor in your choosing between sq66/68 and prin67? Surely spec/price/build quality/gut-feel-like-or-dislike were the main factors?

I've often disliked salemen and sale processes I've had to deal with but still bought the product on its merits. BMWs comes to mind - I hate the poncy showrooms and complete dimwit salesmen and all that "customer service adviser" BS. But I still buy the cars (mostly by email fortunately; praise the lord for email!)

With a boat I think the dealership and sales/aftersales teams are a big deal (much more so than a BMW) and if they're not right you might not buy the boat. But the question of whether the builder has a check-in desk before you look around the boat (even Princess do, in Cannes) is surely a triviality that you file in your head under "Whatever..."

 

[mjf]

Just to add a few words

Deleted User said "First off, we have made appointments in the past at boat shows ourselves but when we've returned to the Fairline stand at the appointed time, more often than not, 'our' salesman is not available and we have been told to come back later, which is very irritating."


This happened to me with Fairline when i was about to deliver my deposit cheque - I was buting a Fairline at SIBS walked down the pontoon and went on a Princess. The rest is history.

jfm - i was greeted warmly on Monday by both the Princess Chairman and later the CEO and so yes Princess do field a strong senior team to talk to customers and indeed their suppliers at SIB after the opening 'do's are forgotten.

 

[z1ppy]

i did not go to the show this year but have been in the past to both London and Southampton.

First experience of Fairline was back in 2007 was when we were looking for 30 / 35 ft sportscruiser and Targa 34 was on the list, until we got there, were talked down to, not given the time of day and generally patronized on the stand.

We went to London (the following show) and were welcomed by Sealine on the stand who were helpful and polite and they got the sale.

Second experience of Fairline was at london this year where the experience was polar opposite! they could not have been more helpful in all respects!

Shows are always difficult to get consistent service levels. i am sure there are plenty of people who felt that Fairline did a good job this year.

As a separate issue, my first experience of Hunton was a good 6 years ago when they welcomed me to their boat. i said i cant afford one but this didnt put them off and they gave me the full tour. Last year we went to southampton and wanted to compare the Revenger 32 rib with the XRS37. they were not at the show that year. i e mailed them and within 24 hours i got a call back apologizing and offering us a tour of a local boat and a sea trial (again telling them we were not in a position to buy yet).

When we finally got to the position to buy a Hunton they could not have been more helpful (and this was a brokerage boat through them!)

Real life experience of a dreamer who was entertained by the manufacturer until we were in a position to buy and even then, great support from then when we were not actually giving them anything! Fairline and Hunton are chalk and cheese i know in terms of size and throughput but goes to show dreamers do become customers in some cases!

 

[Hurricane]

Hurricane that's definitely a fact but can you honestly say that FL's "check in" policy was a material factor in your choosing between sq66/68 and prin67? Surely spec/price/build quality/gut-feel-like-or-dislike were the main factors?

I've often disliked salemen and sale processes I've had to deal with but still bought the product on its merits. BMWs comes to mind - I hate the poncy showrooms and complete dimwit salesmen and all that "customer service adviser" BS. But I still buy the cars (mostly by email fortunately; praise the lord for email!)

With a boat I think the dealership and sales/aftersales teams are a big deal (much more so than a BMW) and if they're not right you might not buy the boat. But the question of whether the builder has a check-in desk before you look around the boat (even Princess do, in Cannes) is surely a triviality that you file in your head under "Whatever..."

You' are correct, jfm - the gate policy didnt affect us looking at all the options at the time - we would have been stupid not to. In fact, Fairline didnt have anything at the time that came close to our requirements. The nearest was the SQ66 which, IMO, had loads of things wrong for practical use. Now that they have the new SQ65 which is "inch for inch" the same size as JW, they would be "in the running".

On the gate side of things.
During our boat show visits in the years leading up to us buying a Princess, we did those "dreaming" visits to all the boats. I distinctly remember Fairline and their gate style approach and many of the shows we "just passed by". I DO remember, however always ending up on a P67 saying that this was the one for us - virtually every year. We never dreamt that we would some day have the means to buy one. So, IMO, the open approach that Princess have worked in our case. When we actually came to the cecision to buy, we had virtually made our minds up from previous boat show visits.

As I say, difficult because even now, Fairline dont have what we want - in fact nobody does - our P67 has features that we now cant find on Princess either - internal stairs - dinghy on FB etc....

But my point in this thread is that Princess started from a better position because they had the open viewing approach that Fairline IMO block with their gate (style)


EDIT: - Note from SWMBO
She uses the word "intimidating" in connection with the gate systems and some of the girls are distinctly unhelpful (applies to all gated systems). She says that this applies to everybody – not only those who are just sight seeing but those who have the wherewithal to actually buy.

 

[jfm]

This happened to me with Fairline when i was about to deliver my deposit cheque - I was buting a Fairline at SIBS walked down the pontoon and went on a Princess. The rest is history.

mjf, you are late to this thread! Well, your's is the first case on this thread of someone really not buying a FL there-and-then because of boat show stand treatment. Fair point then: they missed a clear sale here then and ought to review their practices and improve. (That said, I do find this strange. Everyone knows that keeping appointments on a boat show stand is near impossible and i would have cut them some slack on that point, rather than buying my 2nd favourite boat and forever driving it around the sea thinking "this is my second favourite boat ". But of course each to their own)

Thanks for the info on Princess maagement seeing customers. I stand corrected. Well, actually if you read what I wrote I don't think I was wrong even with your correction but let's not get pedantic! It's good to hear Prin had senior management present. Though I think Fairline do it better: I spent 40 minutes on the Prin85 and can actually buy it, and I am of course thinking about next boat or next-but-one. The salesman knows me - he has showed me Princesses at perhaps the last 4 or 5 boat shows and he sold a Sunseeker 70 to a colleague of mine and we all met together then. He knows I have a new Sq78 and it's obvious that any Sq78 owner is a good prospect because FL don't make bigger. Despite all that, no management said hello to maybe 1% or turnover (though, the salesman was perfectly nice and totally competent). In contrast Fairline's directors/shareholders and some days the CEO was on hand to talk to all large customers/prospects and did actually do so (I saw them at it - indeed they introduced some s78 prospects to me to tell an owner's side of the story). Now, none of this would actually drive my buy/not buy a Princess for the BMW dealer reasons given above, but subtley it forms part of a builder-customer long term relationship and as I say Fairline do this better than Princess imho.

 

[benjenbav]

I dunno what the fuss is about. Surely anyone who has upwards of half a bar to bung on a boat is going to have the gumption to pick up the phone to EBY and say: "Hi, I'm in the market for a Fairline but didn't get to see the XYZ model at the boat show last week. Could you show me round". And I would be stunned if they were not then given every opportunity to relieve themselves of a satisfyingly large amount of cash.

 

[Hurricane]

I was buting a Fairline at SIBS walked down the pontoon and went on a Princess. The rest is history.

This typo/slip depicts the feeling we get

 

[Hurricane]

I dunno what the fuss is about. Surely anyone who has upwards of half a bar to bung on a boat is going to have the gumption to pick up the phone to EBY and say: "Hi, I'm in the market for a Fairline but didn't get to see the XYZ model at the boat show last week. Could you show me round". And I would be stunned if they were not then given every opportunity to relieve themselves of a satisfyingly large amount of cash.

Yep - but my point is that we had ALREADY made up our minds - their loss as well.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

As I say, difficult because even now, Fairline dont have what we want - in fact nobody does - our P67 has features that we now cant find on Princess either - internal stairs - dinghy on FB etc....

Er ... I can think of one Squadron 78 Custom which has both internal stairs _and_ a tender on the fly...

Cheers
Jimmy

 

[Hurricane]

Er ... I can think of one Squadron 78 Custom which has both internal stairs _and_ a tender on the fly...

Cheers
Jimmy

Not rising to the bait, Jimmy

 

[mjf]

Yes tardy start for me jfm - sorry but was busy elsewhere earlier.

FWIW we had looked at only Fairline and Sealine at LIBS and got keen on a Ph38.

We had fab service from Peters and had a sea trial etc - to make it an occassion we decided as SIBS was so close and the build date was to be 1st Q the following year anyway we would meet our man at 1000hrs on preview day and hand over the cheque and spec the boat there at the show (curtains / carpets et al). We arrived on time and our man was not available so we walked up the pontoon and in those days Princess had a sort of mini stand reception desk with a P38 behind it. we stopped in this area whilst we 'killed time' before heading back to Fairline. Quite how we had overlooked princess before is beyond me but we had..... So, long story short, we were invited to look at the 38 and both preferred the saloon woodwork and several other Princess vs Fairline differences. We then had a re-think and did a deal. We owned up to fairline btw .

I only say this to support Deleted User view above.

A missed appointment can cost.......I arranged 1000hrs to ensure i was number uno on the stand QED

 

[MY littlebirchwoo]

I dunno what the fuss is about. Surely anyone who has upwards of half a bar to bung on a boat is going to have the gumption to pick up the phone to EBY and say: "Hi, I'm in the market for a Fairline but didn't get to see the XYZ model at the boat show last week. Could you show me round". And I would be stunned if they were not then given every opportunity to relieve themselves of a satisfyingly large amount of cash.

Ah it seems out experience has been echoed above exatly in other posts! As I originally said, this was no reflection of EBY who we had dealings with previously, instead we ended up looking at a different product from a different manufacturer and SWMBO (and I too) liked it so much we are off to take a closer look.

I find that the buying experience also forms a great deal of the feel good factor you build with a seller and manufacturer and so far everything is going well and we like the boat very much. Having said that the whole 'change the boat' thing started in St Kats over the summer whilst admiring a TGT so EBY may still get that call but at the moment Fairline have dropped off the list

 

[jfm]

We had fab service from Peters and had a sea trial etc - to make it an occassion we decided as SIBS was so close and the build date was to be 1st Q the following year anyway we would meet our man at 1000hrs on preview day and hand over the cheque and spec the boat there at the show (curtains / carpets et al). We arrived on time and our man was not available so we walked up the pontoon and in those days Princess had a sort of mini stand reception desk with a P38 behind it. we stopped in this area whilst we 'killed time' before heading back to Fairline. Quite how we had overlooked princess before is beyond me but we had..... So, long story short, we were invited to look at the 38 and both preferred the saloon woodwork and several other Princess vs Fairline differences. We then had a re-think and did a deal. We owned up to fairline btw .

Good story and poor show by the goon salesman. But let's be clear: that sale was lost I think because he missed the appointment, not becuase there was a front desk/pre-screen on the boat show stand.

And on the punctuality thing I completely take your point. Even my-haphazardly-self is punctual when circumstances demand, this being a good example of such circumstances.

 

[Reds]

It could be worse ! At the Palma boat show 12 years ago we decided to buy a Jeannau. We had never owned a boat before and presumably that was obvious to the salesman but we were very enthusiastic and had the cheque book out . He then excused himself for "5 minutes". Half an hour later we were still standing in the sun waiting his return, 45 minutes later we walked off and bought a Sea Ray !