Labor Fees to the customer on Warranty Work

navyav8tr · 05-08-2014, 04:28 PM

Ok so I just wanted to see if this passed the sniff test because it didn't with me.

The heat in our camper isn't working so I took it in for warranty service along with some other issues that were supposed to be fixed but weren't. I got a call today from the dealership saying that they needed to remove a wall located in the storage area. I said "OK do what you need to do."
Well at this point the girl said that because we had items in the storage area in the camper that if they moved them to get to the wall that we would be charged a "labor fee" because Keystone would not cover the labor required to remove the items in the storage area. Now granted we have some stuff in this under storage area but I am thinking max 7 minutes to take this stuff out and set it to the side to do what they need to do.
I was just really ready to blow my lid over this, anyone else ever heard of such a thing?

Bob Landry · 05-08-2014, 04:49 PM

That doesn't sniff with me either.

You have to watch the dealers closely. I took my first trailer in for some minor non-warranty work and told the service writer that I needed a particular part, to leave it int he trailer and put the part on my bill, and I would put it on. When I picked up the trailer there was a n item on my bill for $22. The tech had charged me $22 for laying the part on the dinette table for me. Needless to say, that charge came off my bill.

**JRTJH** · 05-08-2014, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by navyav8tr

Ok so I just wanted to see if this passed the sniff test because it didn't with me.

The heat in our camper isn't working so I took it in for warranty service along with some other issues that were supposed to be fixed but weren't. I got a call today from the dealership saying that they needed to remove a wall located in the storage area. I said "OK do what you need to do."
Well at this point the girl said that because we had items in the storage area in the camper that if they moved them to get to the wall that we would be charged a "labor fee" because Keystone would not cover the labor required to remove the items in the storage area. Now granted we have some stuff in this under storage area but I am thinking max 7 minutes to take this stuff out and set it to the side to do what they need to do.
I was just really ready to blow my lid over this, anyone else ever heard of such a thing?

I wouldn't blow your lid over this, but I would get in touch with the dealership general manager and explain to him that you're not paying anything for "redistribution of personal property" and let him deal with the service department.

f6bits · 05-08-2014, 05:58 PM

If it's 7 minutes, then I wouldn't disagree with paying for .2 hours of labor. That should be less than $20. If I were doing warranty work, *I* don't want to spend the extra time to someone's junk pile. When I'm getting work done, I make sure the worker has a clear path and a clear area to work. I pity the workers who have to navigate through someone else's mess of a life.

7 minutes? Either bill it accurately, or let it slide as a goodwill gesture.

therink · 05-08-2014, 07:05 PM

I agree. Any time I have had an rv in for service work (warranty or not) I make sure that they have a clear path to any area that they need to get to. If. This means packing my truck before I leave the dealer, then that is what i have done. Not to mention, that I don't want them handling my stuff. They wouldn't reload it correctly anyway.

navyav8tr · 05-09-2014, 01:10 AM

Thanks for the replies. I guess I should have given some background story as to why I was so frustrated and this was the icing on top.
When we purchased the camper there were items that were supposed to be completed that still have yet to be done. It is not from me not taking the camper to the dealership. In fact it sat at the dealership from October to February waiting on a rear garage awning to be replaced. The dealership messed one up installing it, a second one had to be order (wrong one), and then they got it right with the third. When it was replaced they took the old one and threw it into the rear garage area along with all the boxes and trash that went with the new one. Not knowing any better and not checking, I took the camper home without looking in the garage area and the old awing tore up the carpet and stained the carpet, which still has yet to be fixed.
I also had to deal with a poor workmanship issues on the side awning. It had to be replaced and instead of correctly splicing the wiring to the motor and lighting they used a spade fitting which wasn't long enough and every time I extended the awning it would blow a fuse and neither the awning nor the slides would retract or extend. This took me about 4 days to figure out and it was all due to a "quick fix" from the dealership.
There have been multiple other issues so the backstory may help explain why I was so frustrated with them. This labor fee was also on top of the, "Hey we looked at your roof and it needs to be resealed, that is $150." I had just looked at the roof before I took it in and everything looked just fine so I just feel like they are nickle and diming me.
Thanks again for the input.

therink · 05-09-2014, 03:24 AM

I feel for you. It is very frustrating to drop that kind of $ and have a dealer hack it up and then proceed to nickel and dime you. I would definitely go to the top and make your concerns known until your issues are rectified. I then would never return to that dealer. Let us know how you make out.

jsmith948 · 05-09-2014, 03:31 AM

They are definitely nickel & dimeing you. It's called greed (some would say business). The only advice I can offer is vote with your feet and your money.
I had a Ford dealer where the tech broke/damaged the overhead console while removing the dash to repair the a/c air controls. I had to 'eat' the repair (no way their tech was at fault!). I have never darkened their doorway since and when we bought our new diesel, we went elsewhere!

{tpc} · 05-09-2014, 04:30 AM

Our dealer is close enough that I would just tell them I would call them back in a few minutes, then drive over there and move the offending items. Problem solved. Sounds to me they are trying to make a few extra bucks on you.

I always find it annoying that business's nowadays try to squeeze every penny out of you. If you're not making enough profit for your liking, raise the price. If that drives away customers than don't own a business. If you sell things that have a high rate of warranty returns, stop selling them if you don't want the hassle of warranty work.

Its like gas stations that charge more for credit/debit than they do for cash. Really? I understand a transaction via a card costs more, but it doesn't cost 10 cents PER gallon more.

Sorry went off on a tangent there. :P

Javi · 05-09-2014, 04:41 AM

Welcome to the new reality of corporate profit and loss.

Most if not all of the shop personnel are paid a flat rate based on a fixed hourly labor rate, ($150 per hour around here) and they usually have a minimum of a 1/2 hour up to 1 hour. It is a good system for the workers as they get paid for being faster than flat rate.

Javi · 05-09-2014, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by {tpc}

Our dealer is close enough that I would just tell them I would call them back in a few minutes, then drive over there and move the offending items. Problem solved. Sounds to me they are trying to make a few extra bucks on you.

I always find it annoying that business's nowadays try to squeeze every penny out of you. If you're not making enough profit for your liking, raise the price. If that drives away customers than don't own a business. If you sell things that have a high rate of warranty returns, stop selling them if you don't want the hassle of warranty work.

Its like gas stations that charge more for credit/debit than they do for cash. Really? I understand a transaction via a card costs more, but it doesn't cost 10 cents PER gallon more.

Sorry went off on a tangent there. :P

Generally it's 3% up to 10% depending on the processing company. so 10 cents might be a bargain..

Bob Landry · 05-09-2014, 05:12 AM

If it is in fact a warranty repair, there should be no charge to the customer. When I do a Dometic warranty repair, I'm paid on a flat rate that has imbedded it it, travel time, access(removal and reinstallation if necessary) and repair. If there are circumstances that hamper access or removal and it takes longer, then that, time is charged back to the OEM, but my customer is never charged extra because of me having to empty a locker or move personal items out of the way to do the job.

HappyCamperMN · 05-09-2014, 05:28 AM

IMO, it comes down to what a reasonable expectation of the work was to be and that there was a clear path to get that done. Certainly that doesn't mean that if you take a unit in for work on the fridge that you need to empty the storage area up front. However it probably means you need to empty cupboards adjacent to the fridge.

Establishing what clear path is necessary and/or may be required is IMO primarily the responsibility of the dealer, but I think there is some element of shared responsibility too. Should be obvious to anyone that the path to the furnace needs to be cleared. If it's common to need to remove that wall to complete that type of repair then they should let you know that so you have an opportunity to take appropriate action.

{tpc} · 05-09-2014, 06:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Javi

Generally it's 3% up to 10% depending on the processing company. so 10 cents might be a bargain..

I stand corrected then. I don't want to derail this thread any further.

navyav8tr · 05-11-2014, 03:23 AM

Thanks for all the replies. As for an update I sent a pretty lengthy e mail to the girl that runs the service department scheduling and warranty work. She let me know that they "waived" the fee.
I don't know, it still pisses me off that they are "waiving" the fee as if they are doing me some big favor. Our TH has had more problems than a math book due to poor workmanship on their part. I love our camper and overall am satisfied with it but..... the dealership is the face that represents Keystone and Fuzion and that has been my big beef.

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