Dear Don:

I would like to thank you for the stand RV News has taken in regard to RV Brokers (February '99). Hats off to National RV as well. Any time you are feeling compassionate, remember the Affinity Group.

I am in the user end of the industry. We are asked almost every day by RV owners to assist in finding a place to get repairs/ warranty work. Don, you know that anything negative that happens to the RVer while staying in any RV resort reflects back on management. All segments of our industry must strive for customer satisfaction from purchase through service and enjoyable RV traveling.

For other RV Manufacturers: Please join National RV in culling out your dealers working with brokers.

Bob Cheever, CPO
General Manager
Houston Leisure RV Resort
Highland, Texas

Dear Editor:

RV Brokers, are they destroying dealer profitability?

I don't think so. You said, "the auto industry has been destroyed by brokers" .. I don't agree with that either.

The auto industry has recognized it is important to encourage their dealers to provide service regardless of where one purchases an automobile, and as a result the dealers receive warranty funds which are profitable for the dealer to provide warranty and other service work.

Based on your premise, regardless of where one purchases an RV, they should always return to the dealer that sold them the RV. That is not practical. Why do manufacturers and dealers encourage RV buyers to purchase RVs at a show, many times miles or even a state away from where they live? If one subscribed to your theory, a person who wanted to purchase an RV would be limited to purchase only from a dealer who could service the RV, and if not, the consumer would not be allowed to make the purchase. Great American freedom!

You then applaud a manufacturer that severs relations with a dealer because that dealer sold an RV through a broker. Look for other reasons that relationship was severed. If that national (RV) dealer was their #1 dealer, do you think National would have terminated the relationship? I think not.

I agree that manufacturers have a responsibility to be good partners with their dealers, and should in the areas that need the most immediate attention. Service agreements that are profitable for the dealer, long term dealer agreements for specific territories, agreements that allow a dealer to sell or assign their dealership, etc.

A California dealer does not have to sell through an RV broker. If they choose to do so, and make a smaller profit than a dealer in Pennsylvania, that is their right. The manufacturer is going to monitor their sales and if the dealers sell to only people over 42 years of age and give them larger discounts than they do to people under 42, does that mean the manufacturer may then decide to terminate the relationship? That is a good solid relationship between manufacturers and dealers. Where is the individual relationship I have heard you espouse many times in the past?

No, I think you are embarking on a socialistic course. Let free enterprise work to its fullest. If there is no room for RV brokers in this business, that will come to pass. You are acting like legislators. When they hear something that may create a problem for someone else, however temporary it may be, they want a new law passed to restrict everyone's rights and freedoms. Is that what you are advocating? Manufacturers to dictate to dealers how they do business and each time the manufacturer disagrees, to terminate that dealer relationship?

What a poor way to conduct business in our Free Enterprise system.

Frank Bryant
President
Bryant Consulting
Fountain Valley, California

Dear Editor:

After reading your article in the Feb. '99 issue I can relay the following experience which is only one of MANY we have experienced at our dealership.

Approximately a year ago a local resident purchased a pop-up from a Wisconsin BROKER after checking price and OUR thorough demonstration of a SKAMPER pop-up. When the furnace did not function this same customer brought the trailer in and demanded that we repair it since we are a service center for Hydro Flame/Atwood. My response was that we will honor the warranty service for Hydro Flame, but their trailer would have to wait in line along with others who have purchased elsewhere since we service customers who purchase from us FIRST.

The customer agreed to this and left the trailer. Within 3 days we tested the unit and found no problem with it ONCE THE T-STAT SWITCH WAS TURNED ON. Even leaving the trailer set up and running overnight, we found no problem. The customer was notified and came to pick up the tailer. When the customer found out that nothing was found wrong and he would have to pay $50 plus tax for our troubles he threw the money on the counter and stormed out.

About a week later I received a call from Hydro Flame/Atwood asking why I charged a customer for warranty service. I explained the situation to the representative and his response was, "Oh, the customer did not tell us all of the extra details involved with this claim". He further went on to explain that he would reimburse the customer for what we had charged him. I was quite furious and told the representative that he would be making us out as the BAD GUYS if he in fact reimbursed the customer. If we filed a warranty claim for this job, they would deny it.

I was then referred to an upper management gentleman who explained that they wanted to keep customers happy. My response was "at the expense of your service centers and their reputations?" He responded that Appliance manufacturers along with the RVIA were looking at the options to deal with this problem of having BROKER trailers serviced and would get back to me. I have heard nothing since.

We are a small dealership competing against some rather large local dealers with many more units of inventory than we have. Their customers get NO special treatment from us. Many of them have purchased 2 or 3 units from these dealers and get the shaft on every purchase, but they keep going back. We have tried many angles to get people to understand that they get what they pay for but they continually go back with a bigger jar of Vaseline!!

We pride ourselves on giving customers who purchase from us FIRST CLASS service and support besides giving them what we feel is a better product at a fair price.

What the answer is I don't know, but we have PUT OUR FOOT DOWN on more than one occasion trying to help the customer see what a great deal they DID NOT get.

Dave Guess
Camper's Corner
Service & Sales
Lake Delton, Wisconsin