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PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 6:59 am 
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Location: Saint John, NB Canada sailing on Washademoak Lake
waldorf wrote:
I have ordered parts from Toronto dealer... Fogh and found them to be knowledgeable and helpful.. but the shipping for H 16 shrouds and a few drain plugs was $35.00.

Can you believe there is no Hobie dealer in Vancouver?????

Did you take the express shipping? I only paid 15$ for a set of shrouds and a few small things. But I'm half the distance you are.

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 7:03 am 
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Location: Saint John, NB Canada sailing on Washademoak Lake
RobDek wrote:
Any recommended US stores that will ship north and have a decent inventory in stock?? In particular, I'm in need of a Getaway rear crossbar end cap.

If you order from a US store, make sure they don't ship via UPS or else you will get charged extortionate brokerage fees unless the seller has a UPS Worldwide account.

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 7:26 am 
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Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
I used to go to Fastenal all the time, the one in Bathurst was great!!! The store in Dieppe is useless to me...large quantities only...I tried to buy 4 SS bolts last week...had to buy a min of 100...

At this point...just get me the damned part!!!


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 8:05 am 
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Location: Saint John, NB Canada sailing on Washademoak Lake
The one in Saint John sells by unit, but that's a long drive from Moncton just for a few screws.

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PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:14 am 
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Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
We have Maritime Fasteners which carry an excellent line...they haven't let me down yet.

Another update...

Quote:
> From: "OrderDesk"
> To: "'Rob Dekker'"
> Subject: RE: Fogh Marine - Order 33669 from Rob Dekker
> Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2012 10:50:32 -0400
>
> Rob,
>
> I have spoken with Hobie, the issue isn’t that they haven’t shipped the part yet but that they are backordered on it as well. As soon as they get the parts they will put the ones you have ordered aside and get them to us as soon as possible.
>
> I understand your frustration but this is the busiest time of the year for Hobie and they fall behind on stock because of it. I'm doing everything I can to get the parts here as quickly as possible.


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PostPosted: Tue Jun 19, 2012 10:50 am 
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Location: Saint John, NB Canada sailing on Washademoak Lake
If the update from Fogh is right, they are not to blame.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 8:34 am 
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I've followed this thread for a couple of days and rather than react immediately, I looked into the circumstances first.

Rob: You ordered parts from us on May 14, and we filled your order complete with the exception of the end casting for a rear crossbar on a Hobie Getaway. We've sold many Getaways and this is not a commonly replaced part, so we don't normally have it in stock. Hobie backordered us and we did drop the ball by not informing you about that. That's our mistake and I apologize. Our only defense is that it's mid-May and it's the week before the long weekend and the weather is hot, so we couldn't follow up without sacrificing sending one more order out. Normally, if the part is ordered with Hobie, they are pretty good with filling it. Every year, we seem to deal with one or two items that Hobie gets behind on and it's our achillies heal for that year. For the record, Hobie is outstanding at parts fullfillment when compared with the other 10 boat manufacturers we represent.

I'll accept full responsibility for not getting back to you to let you know Hobie had it backordered. In a seasonal business, it's frustrating to not get to everything you need to in a given day. In November, we have time to follow up, but there's little demand then. We can't just hire anyone to help in the Spring. Customers need knowledgeable people to talk to, so that makes May and June very challenging for us.

augaug: As for the owner having a bad attitude, I would really like to know the circumstances of this. I try very hard not to have a bad attitude with any customers. True, we all have our bad days, but I'm trying to determine when or what was said. Anything you can provide me would be helpful. If I don't know what I did, I can't correct it.

One thing I have learned: If you ever have a problem or complaint about a business (big or small) tell the owner/president/CEO. They have a stake in the business and can do something about the problem and fix it. Telling people on the internet what your problem is won't solve it. It only seems to get others going and then, in fairness to the situation, gets blown out of proportion.

I'm sorry for what has happened. If you ever feel that anyone, including myself, is not treating you properly and you feel you want to vent, please call me at 416-251-0384, or toll free in Canada 1-800-342-3644 or e-mail me at [email protected] As the owner and stakeholder I care very much about what people say about us and I can actually do something about it. It's comments like these that make us look at our systems and look at where and how we can improve. I really appreciate any comments. I like to know what customers think, both good and bad. We often get caught in our own little world and it's refreshing to get new perspectives.

No one is perfect, especially in a hectic seasonal business, but we do try to make it right, and if we don't, let us know.

I hope everyone has a great summer sailing, paddling, pedaling, or just enjoying the waters we have.

Yours Truly,

Morten Fogh
President
Fogh Marine Limited


Last edited by Morten Fogh on Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:07 am 
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Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
Thanks Morten for posting. It's so important to stay on top of such a niche market. You're correct...I double checked...the order date is indeed May 14th. And, I did state in my first post that all is good if the parts are in stock.


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 11:15 am 
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Rob, no hard feelings. Really!

We're dealing with your leisure time. That's important time for you and when something interferes with it, I'd be upset, too.

I just want you and anyone else reading to know, that if something isn't right, call us and let us know. Often we're the last ones to know and by the time I get involved it's often too late. Let us know right away!

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. All my staff have been informed of it and we'll continue to strive to do a better job.

And thanks for your understanding and your business. It's never taken for granted.


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:20 pm 
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Location: Ontario, Canada
Morten Fogh wrote:
I've followed this thread for a couple of days and rather than react immediately, I looked into the circumstances first.

augaug:... As for the owner having a bad attitude, I would really like to know the circumstances of this. I try very hard not to have a bad attitude with any customers. ...


I'll send a private message to you soon.

It's not my intention to knock a company online. There were two instances in particular that caused me to form my opinion. I appreciate you taking the time to make things right. I understand that times get busy, and I respect the fact that you came on here to do what you can to make things right.

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PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 12:28 pm 
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Location: MacLarens Landing,Ont.
Excellent post Morten!I personally have always had great service from Fogh,no matter what I have been trying to order for my H16.Keep up the good work.Thanks.


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PostPosted: Wed Jun 20, 2012 7:14 pm 
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Location: BC, Canada
robbor wrote:
Excellent post Morten!I personally have always had great service from Fogh,no matter what I have been trying to order for my H16.Keep up the good work.Thanks.


+1 to Fogh

Calgary dealer on the other hand... avoid at all costs. Arrogant, incompetent, and unreliable.
Sold me H18 spare part kit as H17. Then argued I dont know my boat. Ordered a black rudder, he send me a white one. On items he didn't have in stock got me waiting for months and still could not tell me what when they would arrive. Never again.

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PostPosted: Fri Jun 22, 2012 11:13 pm 
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Location: BC, Canada
Disappointed with current service in the West as well. Despite a "Hobie dealer" near Vancouver, it only has the kayak licence.

If it's a sailing part I need, there are no nearby Canadian options on the mainland Pacific coast. We are advised to either deal with an outfit 1,000 kms away in Calgary, presumably by mail, or take a $100+ ferry and go to Courtenay on Vancouver Island.

Seattle's four times closer to me than Calgary. It's also twice as fast to drive to than Courtenay.

Why all the restrictions on parts orders? Does it really matter if I place an order for a catamaran part through a kayak dealer, especially if I have the part number?


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PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2012 6:49 pm 
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Location: Ontario, Canada
I should point out that Morten Fogh and I have spoken. We cleared up some misunderstandings from the past, and all is well now. He even promised me a tremendous discount on my next sailboat purchase. (Right Morten? :) )

I think it's fair to say that the sailing industry is a tough one. There are struggles that we, as customers don't see everyday. That doesn't excuse poor service, or great questions like the one above about being able to order sailing parts through a kayak dealer, but we have to be thankful that we have these shops at all. It's a tough business.

When we get great service, we need to talk it up. It would be great if we could increase the amount of sailors in this country in particular. More sailors would mean more business for shops, and more reasons to have more shops.

Hey Hobie, if you want to hire me to talk up your boats in Canada, I'm ready to listen to your offer. I'll work cheap! Especially if it involved having access to a Wave. (or a Getaway I still haven't decided yet.) :)

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PostPosted: Sun Jun 24, 2012 8:13 am 
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Location: Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
It was good to see Morten step up but rather disappointed that we haven't heard from the Mothership regarding the supply of parts to Canada. These aren't isolated cases and must be very frustrating for dealers to contend with.


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