Let down by Marquis again!

Re: Marquis Suffolk

Well we finally have our heating sorted & thank fully covered under warranty only due to MrsCC ringing up the warranty company as they refused to cover it when Marquis contacted them 

Marquis charged a total of 7 hrs  to replace the heater element, it was a long wait on our return journey home from the south coast and New Forrest, they replaced the Truma frost valve as well without querying if we actually wanted it replacing, so glad I hadn't bought one or ordered one while away like I very almost had! 

Anyway to cut a long story short.... The fitter Stefan was going to demonstrate the heating and water heating before we left as I didn't want to have to bring it back again. 

At 5.15pm there was a commotion following a Motorhome being driven into the workshop area sounding its horn, with this our Broadway was reversed out of the workshop, the workshop doors all closed and everyone buggered off home 

After a few mins was told by the office staff the van was ready to go, at this stage despite not having any kind of handover or demonstration of the heater we just wanted to get home so paid up for the Truma frost valve which they charged £100 labour!!! (+part) for what I consider a 10 min job  two screws in the floor, and two push connector pipes! 

Anyway paid the bill, got our keys and went to drive away when MrsCC pointed out the wardrobe trim was all hanging off! (See pic below)





Went straight back into the office to tell them, comments were made about the staff having left, then person in charge (manager?) said lets have a look, when in the van he added further insult to injury by asking us if it was like that when we bought it in? You can probably imagine my reaction!  Anyway he hit it with the palm of his hand and said "there you go" I had to point out that the trim was still loose and not fixed like before, you could grip it and pull it away from the wall! 

Anyway we did get an apology, was told the fitter shouldn't have left it that way, but as all staff had now gone home he could do nothing about it, obviously I was not happy at this, so he then said he would ring the next day and hopefully arrange for a local caravan repairer to come out and rectify the problem at the expense of Marquis, that was 10 days ago & I've heard absolutely nothing!

I've since fixed the trim myself, and re-removed the panel beneath was the wardrobe which was removed by them to access the combi, the panel had not been fitted back correctly with a step in the joins on both sides (see pic 2)  and one screw was found on the floor so I wasn't surprised to find that out of 8 screws holding it together 3 
were missing!

I wouldn't have minded so much... But if it was knocking off time, why wasn't it arranged for a fitter to stay behind to finish the work? Earlier in the day we watched with bemusement at the fitter walking back and forth, drinking tea and eating biscuits, throwing items back and fourth with other fitters in the workshop and generally just prattling around! No wonder someone has to pay 7 hrs labour.

I don't blame the workshop fitter, instead I blame management for allowing this situation to even arise, surely a job should be finished and a proper hand over done before staff sod off home, or someone in authority should have been telling him to pull his finger out as the end of the day approached.

What started out as a reasonably good experience at the Suffolk Marquis branch has left some doubt over compentcy and professionalism once again! 

CC

I had the circuit board replaced on my Truma heater recently, for which he had to remove the elements to get access. Was charged 1 hr labour + board cost.
 
Work done in local caravan repair workshop, not Marquis/AS. MG Caravans Royston. Highly recommended.

Cruising Comet, you are having some very bad luck and some abysmal sevice aren't you.
My next step would be to the head of Marquis, informing him of all the problems with you Vehicle and the poor service from his organisation.

Keep your complaint on a business footing, therefore, don't loose your cool and explain exactly how you feel, but don't get abusive, although this maybe how feel.

My experience of Marquis Tewkesbury  has been good, long may it remain so.

Good luck whichever road you take.

Leighton.

Now my experience with Marquis Tewkesbury was dreadful.
Never again

Cruising Comet wrote:Re: Marquis Suffolk

I don't blame the workshop fitter, instead I blame management for allowing this situation to even arise, surely a job should be finished and a proper hand over done before staff sod off home, or someone in authority should have been telling him to pull his finger out as the end of the day approached.

What started out as a reasonably good experience at the Suffolk Marquis branch has left some doubt over compentcy and professionalism once again! 

CC

In the circumstances I would send chapter and verse of your experiences, plus photos , to Marquis head office. Unless people complain to the top there is little incentive for poorly managed branches to improve. 

We bought our Broadway from Marquis and have no complaints about the service etc of the branch we use but still consider ourselves lucky to be close enough to take the van back to Autosleepers for service and so on.

Looks like you have had a run of bad luck and incompetence from your Marquis branch, don't know how you kept your cool when dealing with their management.
My Sigma is much older with a few owners before me,so has a few dings inside here and there, I know I would have blown a gas kit if the van was handed to me with those defects.
Boaby

The Chap who heads up Marquis Group After Care is below

e-mail
ad1@MarquisMotorHomes.Co.UK

But don't hold your breath!


Alan Doherty
Group Aftercare Manager
Marquis Motorhomes

Google 'Alan Doherty Marquis'.........




and Mike Crouch's email address  -    mc1@marquismotorhomes.co.uk

and I could take a guess at Geoffrey Scott's being gs1@

copies to all may get some response.

I thought my experience of Marquis left me wanting but the suggested google search reveals a very interesting story!

Hi CC

No help or consolation now, but I would be inclined to think of a mobile fitter in future, for anything other than warranty jobs. They are usually a lot cheaper, most of them are fully certified and use genuine parts, and they have to rely very heavily upon reputation and word-of-mouth recommendation to get new customers.

The added advantage is you can sit and watch them if you like, and the two I have used didn't mind that at all. Both were excellent, but unfortunately the first one was so successful that he bought premises and stopped the mobile service. Second one was just as good though - but he drank a lot more tea!!

Dave

If I could find a local fitter who I could trust to be competent Dave I wouldn't hesitate, there's one guy I found but he's pretty much booked up six months in advance which makes him totally unavailable for anything other than pre booked Hab checks 

The reason for returning to Marquis is purely for the Marquis warranty, otherwise wouldn't give them a second look. 

After hearing absolutely nothing from Marquis Ipswich who were going to call us the very next morning to arrange for a local fitter to come out to us I sent the manager an email pointing this out and also that this is the second Marquis branch with have dealt with with an unsatisfactory outcome, as before they don't really give a toss! This is the response we got:

''Firstly our apologies for not getting back to you regarding the ill fitting trim and the results in you having to repair. I am sorry to read that your experiences with Marquis has not been to your complete satisfaction and once again I apologise for the poor workmanship.''


I initially did a video and uploaded it to YouTube my usual kind of rant  but afterwards, actually felt embarrassed for Marquis so pulled it down again! I've just come to the conclusion that they are a very unprofessional outfit and Auto-Sleepers HQ should be embarrassed that they treat customers of their expensive vehicles the way they do, my own personal experience is shocking and I could write a book on their failings but to be honest they've worn me down to the point where I no longer have the energy  

I get no pleasure in finding fault with Marquis... I'd much prefer to say what an amazing service they offer & how competent they've been, but when you have a head office and directors of a company that don't even care enough to acknowledge the appalling service you've received is it any wonder their service staff care so little! 

Alarm bells rang at the Marquis Suffolk branch on our first visit when one of the service staff along with the branch manager spoke to a wheelchair bound customer who was in the waiting room with us, asking if his toilet flushed? "The toilet pump makes a noise but no water comes out?" Was the question, the disabled guy said "have you put any water in it?" Err.. No was the response, so disabled guy with rolled eyes said "Well that's why" and no I'm not making this up! 

Another failing on their behalf... It's took us over 18months to finally get our details updated, despite requests as all bills and paperwork we've received to date are still in the previous owners name and address!


CC

Cruising Comet wrote:
I initially did a video and uploaded it to YouTube my usual kind of rant  but afterwards, actually felt embarrassed for Marquis so pulled it down again! I've just come to the conclusion that they are a very unprofessional outfit and Auto-Sleepers HQ should be embarrassed that they treat customers of their expensive vehicles the way they do, my own personal experience is shocking and I could write a book on their failings but to be honest they've worn me down to the point where I no longer have the energy  


CC

The video is still there on Youtube. Coincidentally, last night we discovered we had a You Tube section on our home TV and, to try it out, we keyed in "Autosleeper Broadway". Your film was one that came up and, recognising your name from the forum, we watched it.

I don't see that as a rant; simply a very fair piece of reporting. It brought home to us, more clearly than even your posts, just what you have gone through with your van. 

It almost had us in tears as we could sense your sheer frustration and what the loss of use and continual problems with the van mean to you.

Send the link to Marquis and Autosleepers. The only problem we had with viewing was that the field of view was very narrow but this might have been our TV.

Hi Quilter... I don't think the last video is still there as I deleted within 24hrs of posting, it was specifically about the wardrobe trim they left hanging off and the missing screws and ill fitting panel? 

Yes, I must remember when using the iPhone to record to use it in landscape mode rather than portrait orientation. 

Thanks for sensing my frustration and disappointment at what really should have been straight forward simple tasks for Marquis to carry out. As for complaining to Marquis or Auto-Sleepers I've tried previously with no success and don't feel I have the energy or the enthusiasm to do so any more, as it just results in very negative feelings towards both companies. 

On a positive note... 
Everything is now working as it should and there are no problems that I'm currently aware of. 

Having said this, in the back of my mind I'm still concerned about the damp reading from Auto-Sleepers when they did the last Hab check and reported a 30% reading at the offside rear wall and which I want to get re-checked independently as that really would be the final icing on the cake...


CC

Ah! That would be it. The one online is about the shower wall, fridge front and Brabantia drying rack etc.

I have just watched that, poor guy. When people talk of Autosleepers being a quality product it does seem to be in the past.

It does worry me somewhat. 

I wouldn't use Marquis anyway, thankfully they're nearest branches are 80 miles away, but over the years I've visited two and not been impressed. All flash interior design and snide salesmen and nobody actually customer focussed. A business intent on making as much money as quickly as possible now, rather than building strong lasting customer relations.

My last motorhome was a new '58 plate Adria Compact which in 2 years ownership had a Thetford cassette blade retainer remove itself (substitute a suitable self tapper) and the PVC shower door retaining strap snap (substitute a pipe cleaner whilst awaiting a replacement from Slovenia).

Maybe that's why 2008 models like mine are still selling at the same price 6 years since I sold mine.

I do worry about getting into supposed 'quality' Auto-Sleepers and being let down.

It does worry me somewhat. 

I wouldn't use Marquis anyway, thankfully they're nearest branches are 80 miles away, but over the years I've visited two and not been impressed. All flash interior design and side salesmen and nobody actually customer focussed. A business intent on making as much money as quickly as possible now, rather than building strong lasting customer relations.

My last motorhome was a new '58 plate Adria Compact which in 2 years ownership had a Thetford cassette blade retainer remove itself (substitute a suitable self tapper) and the PVC shower door retaining strap snap (substitute a pipe cleaner whilst awaiting a replacement from Slovenia).

Maybe that's why 2008 models like mine are still selling at the same price 6 years since I sold mine.

I do worry about getting into supposed 'quality' Auto-Sleepers and being let down.

Hi There Andy.... The problems we've had in all honesty are more down to the lack of compentancy of Marquis staff and managers more than the build quality of Auto-Sleepers in fairness. 

Things like fridges, heaters are manufactured by by the likes of Thetford and Truma etc, so can't blame AS for their failings, my main gripe is with Marquis obviously but as a sister company owned by Auto-Sleepers I'm very disappointed that Auto-Sleeper don't insist upon a better standard for their customers.

We're now on our third Auto-Sleeper but having looked at many other Marques I'm not 100% convinced that their constant bragging about high end quality "Motorhomes of excellence" is actually worthy, when you glance over an Auto-Sleeper they generally look good, but if you start looking more closely and in detail the quality isn't so evident imo. I think they trade mainly on their past reputation than their more recent conversions. 

CC

The problem for any company is how to keep costs down, to improve profitability, whilst retaining the loyalty of regular customers, a very fine tightrope to walk.

Building to the standards of yesterday is a sure fire way to lose customers who see more advanced products as having greater appeal, so there is a constant battle between traditionalism and innovation. The secret with successful innovation is to ensure that when you do change something it's absolutely and totally for the better for everybody. It's no good introducing something that's easy or cheap to install/build but the end customer won't like and the corollary of that is also true. 

As far as Marquis is concerned I think the attitude of senior management has always been suspect and it has 'rubbed off', been 'grafted onto' their local management and has inculcated into the psyche of their total staff. The same thing happened with Discover Leisure and it seems to be par for the course in multi-outlet leisure industry businesses.

In Discovery's case they were heavily over-borrowed and the need to service their enormous debts became all consuming so sense and customer service disappeared in a frantic scramble to try and preserve the business by scrabbling cash from anywhere. Now Marquis don't seem to have the same issues as far as we know, being privately owned, but a lot of the management philosophy appears the same.

The transition between 2012MY and 2013MY Symbols has got to be a classic case.

Doing away with the GRP roof extension saved the cost of the item itself and associated trim, though meant the cost of the relevant moulds was amortised over a lesser number of pressings than it would have been if continued. There was also the saving in workshop time in not having to cut the original roof off vans before fitting the GRP 'hood'. Added to that are possible savings in not having to seal any leaks around the GRP addition, if there ever were any. A downside was that the roof lockers reduced in height which meant slightly less storage.

Of course the reduction in headroom caused by the standard X250 roof meant using the original van floor for the main part of the van, rather than a raised floor and still the headroom would only be marginal at 6ft 3ins instead of 6ft 5ins. So a downside for taller potential buyers.

The use of the original floor meant that there would have to be a step down from the cab, a potential risk of tripping. In addition it meant the cab seat cushions were above the height of the habitation seating and could no longer be used as part of the bed make-up which meant a re-think of the nearside single bed which would otherwise struggle to be 5ft long, let alone 6ft plus.

That puzzle was resolved by adopting a gas tank and allowing the gas locker to be used as a bed footspace.

Then the GRP washroom lining could no longer be used, so they left it wallboard lined and the fridge had to stay at its original height because of the wheelarch behind, meaning its top was higher than the oven and sink.

So a lot of changes resulting from one decision to change the roof. 

One could argue that the 2013MY Symbol should have been several £,000's cheaper as I'm sure the model's costs must have plummeted but whilst some traditionalists would hate the passing of the flat floor, the lack of headroom, the 'bump' in the worktop, the 'higher' cab seats etc, others felt, on balance that the changes were just about acceptable and yet others thought they were brilliant. 

Sales seem to have continued well since 2013, so those changes weren't the death knell for the model, but just changing the roof alone would have been a disaster.

There's also the "Wow" factor Andy.

Like stepping into a beautifully bright and airy interior, courtesy of a huge window in the cab roof.

Until you stop and think for a minute . . .
Where do we put the duvets?
Do I want the scorching sun to broil the bald pate as I drive?
What's the point anyway?

Or the fixed bed . . .
Why would we need one? It only takes one minute to make the bed!
How many compromises are there when we much prefer a small <6 metre van?
Most of them are too short for taller users.

I wonder how many options such as these could be offered as just that - options! It would make a lot more sense than virtually forcing people to accept a "must have" item that they really don't want - dare I mention the Whale water filling system here!!!!

I don't know, I'm not a businessman - but if I wanted a small Continental built motorhome it would be difficult to find one without a fixed bed, with side benches for lounging rather than a "sit up and beg" dinette, and with a cooker.

Dave

It would be wonderful to buy a new van and have perfection from Day 1 but, experience and an addiction to forums and blogs tells me it doesn't happen very often, if at all. This is largely, not totally because, as mentioned above, a motorhome is an amalgam of parts sourced from many different companies. 
Expecting perfection is unrealistic.

What we should be able to expect however is that our concerns are taken seriously and put right with reasonable speed and efficiency. So far over the past 15 years,  we have been lucky with our dealers ( West Country Motorhomes and Marquis Berkshire) and, even luckier with Autosleepers who, we feel fortunate in being close enough to return to for snagging issues and hab checks. 

Reading of the ghastly time many have over even the simplest of issues, with both UK and foreign manufactured vans and dealers, makes me wonder why there isn't better industry regulation. 

As an aside Dave: the overcab window is an option with AS: we love it, like the light and ventilation it supplies, draw the blind when travelling on sunny days and store the duvets in duffle bags under the bed, or roll them in throws to make bolster cushions for the long bench seats. Where would we put books, fruit bowl, clock, first aid kit, umbrellas, binoculars, multimeter and plug tester, straps, bite and sting kit  etc if we didn't have the 2 overcab storage bins and wide shelf  ?!

Quilter wrote:As an aside Dave: the overcab window is an option with AS: we love it, like the light and ventilation it supplies, draw the blind when travelling on sunny days and store the duvets in duffle bags under the bed, or roll them in throws to make bolster cushions for the long bench seats.

Yes, but you have the van we would very much have liked, but that extra couple of feet meant we couldn't store it at home.

As I said to one of the A/S executives who suggested storing the duvets under the bed, "OK - but where do I put the stuff that's already under there?" Using them as bolster cushions is a neat idea, but it might not work so well on our considerably shorter bench seats.

Friends of ours have just changed from a Nuevo like ours to a Broadway like yours, and they can't believe the extra storage space they now have. (But I'm not envious of them, or you - honest!! )

Dave

Fold the duvets in half widthways and then roll them in the throws. That way they should go along the back of the shorter bench seat. They do make a difference to comfort as they mould to the small of your back.  If you've got bouncier hollofill type duvets then a length of wide elastic sewn into a band is useful at each end to stop them unrolling. We also keep our pillows in cushion covers so that they don't have to go away either, and ditto spare fleecy blankets for cold nights ( when we wrap ourselves in them rather than turn the heating up if on an aire )