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Old 04-14-2009, 03:08 PM   #1
cmawendy
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Keystone warranty work

I hope anyone that has to have warranty work done has better luck then we had with ours. The microwave and surround sound both quit working so we took the 5th wheel down to camping world to get warranty work started. That was on March 13th, well after 1 month and many phone calls from my husband to Keystone they are finally getting us a new microwave. First we were told they didn't make our model anymore (our 5th wheel is a 2008) and they gave Camping World 110.00 to buy us another one. Ha what a joke that was. Ours is a microwave/grill/convection oven. So needless to say the 110.00 does not cover that. Today we were told they have a replacement one and will be sending it. Very poor customer service at Keystone, my husband asked to talk to the manager of customer service and the manager hung up on my husband. What a hassle and we still aren't done as we haven't got either product yet.
 
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Old 04-14-2009, 03:20 PM   #2
helmick
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Thats has not been the norm for us, our dealer we will never go back to. Keystone factory customer service has been great. My sound system went out and after 15 months and I said if you send me one I will instale it. Had one in five days.
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Old 04-14-2009, 03:26 PM   #3
cmawendy
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We didn't have trouble when we went through our dealer and Keystone. But this time I don't know Keystone was not too nice. Maybe they didn't want to give us a 650.00 microwave. Who knows, just kind of a pain. Otherwise they have been fine.
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Old 04-14-2009, 04:05 PM   #4
swanny
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my first encounter with keystone didn't go real well either. my 09 3465sa didn't get prewired. (generator) one tech looked at our local dealer and one tech that i sent pics to. both said no way did they do it.
the lady at keystone told me to tell the techs, "if they don't know what they are looking for they could call her she would explain it to them" still waiting to hear from the tech at Churchville, at this point i send emails and hear nothing.
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Old 04-14-2009, 04:46 PM   #5
ols1932
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Sorry to hear that you are getting such poor service from Keystone. I can't understand why we are hearing more and more about poor service from Keystone. That has certainly not been our problem. We've been treated like royalty. It has seemed that they couldn't do enough for us. I'm sure you've talked calmly to them and stated your case succinctly. Sometimes you may talk to someone whose day just didn't start right and they're having trouble themselves. That doesn't excuse bad customer relations.

If I were to be talking to Keystone, I'd want them to know that good customer relations starts with listening to the customer and not hanging up on them. Very poor business practice.

Again, our experience with Keystone has been wonderful and I attribute that to the relationship our dealer has with Keystone.

Don't give up. Hang in there and keep trying. Ask to speak to Team Montana manager.

Orv
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Old 04-14-2009, 04:51 PM   #6
swanny
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i was very calm Orv, but those techs sure lost it. can't blame them though ,they were told they didn't know what they were doing.
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Old 04-14-2009, 05:37 PM   #7
Wayne and Carolyn Mathews
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I am sorry that you're having a bad experience with Keystone. If you've read my posts under "Hey Keystone" on the forum, you know that I have had more than my share of problems, not so much with our RV but with getting the warranty work done on it.

Like ols1932, we, too, have been treated like royalty by Keystone. I know how maddening it is to deal with a rude service person, but we never encountered one at Keystone. Everyone I talked to, everyoe who called me--all of them were exceptionally courteous and willing to go the extra step to make things right. Not only that, after Keystone stepped in to help, my dealer/dealership returned to being the great place it used to be.

Don't get discouraged. Once you reach the right person, magic happens.

Carolyn

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Old 04-15-2009, 03:36 AM   #8
SlickWillie
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It amazes me when I see folks that want to slap Keystone on the back, and say how great they are, then give a list of six or eight items that have gone wrong and had to be replaced. Not just on this forum, but on other boards. Also, I consider dealers that sell Keystone products an extension of Keystone. After all, they cannot sell those products without the approval of Keystone.

I have had to call CS at Keystone probably three times, and never got any satisfaction out of them.

BTW, if you don't get satisfaction, be ready for the "you didn't talk to them nicely" line if you complain. It always happens. I've talked to them nicely, plus gave them way more than their RV was worth. Perhaps it would help if we all attended the rally near the factory.
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Old 04-15-2009, 04:45 AM   #9
ols1932
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I don't believe that phrase "you didn't talk to them nicely" is meant to demean anyone. It's just that you always get better results (even if they aren't to a person's liking) by being as nice as you can be. You automatically cause the hearer (in this case, Keystone personnel) to get defensive. I know when someone talks harshly to me, I get my dander up and don't really respond always in a positive manner.

Why is it that so many have had such positive results when dealing with Keystone? There has to be a reason, since the one on the other end of the telephone line cannot see the person calling.

Orv
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Old 04-15-2009, 06:28 AM   #10
SlickWillie
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Fact is, most on here are retired, or near retirement. I don't think anyone needs lectured on how they talk to any one they deal with they have purchased a high dollar item from. Surely at our age, we have figured that out. If not, they'll never figure it out.

Not returning calls is not good customer service. Having a unit sit at a dealer for months on end is not good customer service. If Keystone will not admonish a dealer for such, they are simply dropping the ball. I do know they will admonish them for advertising too low of prices. So, what do they care about?

For one, I am thankful my unit is out of factory warranty and on the extended service plan. That way, I don't have to deal with Keystone; someone else can. JMHO
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Old 04-16-2009, 02:48 AM   #11
richfaa
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We have noticed what appeares to be a decline in service and quality from Keystone on this forum and other forums. Perhaps it is a "sign of the times" although no excuse. I would suggest that one deal directly with the vendor on vendor supplied products. We have always done that with excellent results. We have never had a problem in our dealing with Keystone and there have been many although we have not had to speak to them since we went out of warranty and now use our extended warranty(service contract) or call the vendor directly. BTW.. You ahould not need to reach the "right person" they should all be the right person or out of a job..
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Old 04-17-2009, 06:54 AM   #12
cmawendy
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Well after 1 month we finally got our surround sound. However, we are still waiting for our microwave/convection oven. After being told several times they didn't have a replacement they finally came up with one....well we haven't seen it yet so I will believe it when I see it
I would think that a manager of customer service should not be hanging up on customers. My husband asked him where the parts department was on his end (keystones) and he said across the parking lot, my husband stated don't you think it would be good customer service if you just walked over there and find out what the mix up is on my microwave....that is when he hung up on him!! Bad day or not that is POOR customer service.
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Old 04-17-2009, 07:29 AM   #13
richfaa
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These are hard times for the Rv industry. With all the RV manufacturers that have gone belly up it is surprising that Keystone/Montana is still operating although from the tone of things they may be in serious trouble. What we are hearing is not at all like the Keystone customer service that many of us have dealt with. When the employee is uncertain of his status day to day or has information that they make be losing their job or worse the company is about to go belly up, everything suffers. Montana has been number one in 5th wheel sales for many years and if they are failing the RV industry is indeed in bad shape.... I wish them the best of luck.
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Old 04-17-2009, 08:33 AM   #14
SlickWillie
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[Thor Industries, Inc. (NYSE:THO) announced results for the second quarter and six months ended January 31, 2009. Sales for the quarter were $226,683,000 versus $599,170,000 last year. Net loss for the quarter was $14,860,000 compared to net income of $21,602,000 last year. E.P.S. for the quarter were (27¢) versus 39¢ last year.]

Well, that is a C&P from Thor's site. Doesn't look like they're doing all that great overall. I didn't see a breakdown by division. I sure hate to see more folks lose their jobs, but being arrogant on the phone sure does not help sales. If I found out one of my CSR folks hung up on a customer, they would be in the unemployment line immediately. They definitely wouldn't have to speculate on whether they would get laid off or not.
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Old 04-17-2009, 10:11 AM   #15
richfaa
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I think that same reports indicated that the only part of Thor that showed a profit was the commerical bus divison. The Rv division was way, way down. The manner in which these employees's are performing may indicate that they are aware of far worse news than we may know about. It is not a excuse for their actions..but reality.

According to the local Goshen, Ind newspaper the unemployment rate for March 09 in Elkhart county is 20.7%..It was 7.2 % in March of 2008.
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Old 04-17-2009, 11:48 AM   #16
HughM
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I think that if I had a Thor product under warranty then at the first opportunity I would get ALL warranty work done quick. A friend bought a upper end Fleetwood fifth wheel and 2 months later Fleetwood gets out of the travel trailer business files for bankrupyc but keeps the motorhome division.
Hugh
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Old 04-21-2009, 07:03 PM   #17
Art-n-Marge
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It has been my experience that bad service will be bad service no matter what the bottom line says. I've always professed, if you don't like your job then get another job for unreasonable customer service personnel. Someone else will be willing to take that job!

It took me over a month to get my refrigerator repaired on my new unit. I bought my 2006 Montana in Mar 2006 (and they were PROFITABLE). The Refrigerator went out on the second trip we took within about 2 months of ownership. We refused to abort our trip and used our portable icemaker running 24/7 for about 5 days to create ice and we turned the refrigerator into a vertical cooler. That sucked because with having to keep so much ice to keep things cool, we were shopping almost daily since fridge room was sparse. On our way home we dropped off our 5er at the dealer and we told them we don't want it back until it's fixed. It took over 6 weeks to get the part we needed and get it repaired. When I picked up the trailer I found out from the service manager that I could have requested a brand new replacement due to "infant mortality" (a failure of a component within 3 or 6 months - I forget) on purchase of a brand new unit. I didn't find this out until after I picked up my 5er after the repair was done and I also found out afterwards Keystone had these in stock. I call that a failure of the service manager not trying hard enough. He was awful at getting back to me even after promising to do so (I would contact him AFTER waiting 2-3 days from when he said he'd give me status. So I blame Keystone for not knowing their policy and the service manager not being enough on the side of the customer.

You can imagine my ire because the last 15 years of my career in Engineering R&D included managing our company's Tech Support department. I would constantly warn my subordinates that if they EVER treated a customer like they were second best that I would kick the crap out of them! I am so glad I had a great team working for me, and we treated the customer as Top Dog.

I hate warranties and insurance but I have both. What can I say? Those businesses are very protective of the money I paid them, so I can borrow it back at exhorbitant interest rates. Capitalism, gotta love it, but there aren't too many better options out there.

Happy camping everyone!
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