BLOG: CUSTOMER SERVICE ON THE ROAD
Service is obviously important to most people, but it becomes more so when you are on the road, away from your contacts at home, and something goes wrong with your RV. We have all experienced a problem at some time, and a repair guy or someone to solve your problem in the area won’t always be around. What do you do?
Denyse and I recently had a problem with our inside door handle on our caravan, when it cracked inside the fitting and would not reliably open the door. We were in Pottsville, on the north NSW coast, about 30 km south of the Qld border and it was two days before Easter.
I phoned On-Site Caravan Repairs in Duranbah, about 30 km away, but owner, Jeff Miethke was flat out repairing hail-damaged caravans. I also phoned a locksmith, but he did not know much about caravan locks, and they are a bit complicated. I managed to drip super glue into the cracks, and it held together enough to open the door. I carry a spare lock, as one had cracked previously, but didn't feel confident to undertake the repair myself. They can be very tricky to install and I didn't want to be in a position where I couldn't lock the door at all.
We were due to leave for Casino next day when the handle broke again, and after I phoned Jeff a second time, he agreed to drive down that afternoon and replace the broken bits with my spare. Jeff arrived right on 4pm as he told me he would, but could not get my spare handle to operate correctly. After taking the spare to pieces, we found it was also broken. They are made of plastic, and we had carried it around for about eight years.
Oh hell! What to do? The caravan dealers in Tweed Heads had shut. Jeff thought he may have a spare handle lying around at his workshop, but was it for a right hand lock? They come in both right and left hand.
Jeff decided the only thing to do was to drive the 30 km back to see. He duly arrived back at our van, and the parts fitted. It took him very little time to have us back in action again.
By now it was after 6pm, and the least I could do was to offer him a beer and very gratefully pay his bill.
We found his account very reasonable, plus he fitted us in when he was so busy. Despite the frustration of the wasted time, he maintained his good humour. It’s not every day you find such excellent service from a tradesman, which is why I feel he deserves a mention.
If you need a van repair and you are in the Tweed Heads / Pottsville area, call Jeff on 0413 515 901 or Phone/fax (02) 66777566 email: onsitecaravanrepairs@live.com.au
YOUR SAY: Tell us about a time you experienced excellent service. Did someone go out of their way to help you like Jeff from On-Site Caravan Repairs? Maybe a dealer or manufacturer exceeded your expectations? Or perhaps a van or park did something that really stood out for all the right reasons? Too often we get caught up with telling people about negative experiences. Here’s your chance to someone about the positives.
