Mark at AS service dept ... shame

CC wrote:That’s the end of the service center then if Mark leaves... No way anyone can replace him. 
Got a feeling he was unhappy last time we were there by something he said. 

Boaby... Mark is fit cycling daily but he’s had health issues suffering with ‘Graves Disease’ (like myself) I wish him every success for the future, and hope he goes on to bigger and better things and that he’s appreciated more than he was by Auto-Sleepers!

He started work at AS when he was just 16, cycles from Evesham to Willersey daily. 

Will certainly make me think about going there anymore in the future, he was a Top Guy!

No wonder he is fit cycling that distance daily, really hope he finds a good job to match his skill set.
Boaby

Herewith an edited email with Mark dated April 2016. 

Hi Mark, our grateful thanks for your prompt reply and most happy to learn that we gained the 80 watt panel. Now realise that you are the same 'Mark' who receives much praise and respect from the ASOF where help and advice is greatly sought.

"Mr R........., thank you for the kind words that you have gathered from the forum, as you can appreciate I have a difficult job to do and it is nice to have some positive feedback. Please ......."

Wouldn't it be nice if someone from this forum who may still have direct contact with Mark, could collate all the comments and gratitude mentioned and pass them on to him. It would be a great shame on leaving A/S that his excellent customer service was never acknowledged.

I've sent a personal email to Mark, drawing this thread to his attention. But I don't know if he's still at the factory and has access to his works email.

Cymro

Colleagues:  I've received the following - typically modest - reply from Mark:

"Mr .......,  thank you for you kind words and the link to the forum. If you could kindly thank everyone for me on the forum for being patient with me either over the phone, email or in person while I have been trying my utmost to help as many as I can and for their kind words as it does really mean a lot me and I shall take them with me. I am not staying in the motorhome industry but leaving to work for a company called Listers which are a VW garage near my home to work as a service advisor. My last day at Auto-Sleepers after 30 years is on Friday March 1^st.
Best wishes to all.
Mark"


In the hope that Mark sees this, I know that I speak for all Members of the Forum when I send him our thanks and very best wishes.

Cymro

JMet Mark twice for service/warranty work and  I would echo all the positive comments.

Yes Cymro, our thanks also for your initial enquiry and update with regard to Mark. Regards

How lucky are Listers to be getting such a commited worker - Huge loss to Auto-Sleepers and us as customers, not sure if I want to deal with the service centre anymore without Mark to arrange stuff with, he was always helpful & accomodating even when really busy.

CC wrote:.... not sure if I want to deal with the service centre anymore without Mark to arrange stuff with, he was always helpful & accomodating even when really busy.

No pressure on his replacement then ? !

His are big shoes to fill.

We are booked in for a service and for minor repairs in mid April and look forward to meeting Mark’s successor ( Mark 2 ? ) I always feel reassured when the van goes to AS as who better to do a good job than the people who know it best because they built it ?

Personally I've never met Mark, but a few years ago I did have occasion to email him regarding availability of a severely damaged interior bulkhead panel in my van. He replied that sadly the panel had been discontinued by AS 6 years previously, however he sent me a PDF attachment of the original panel blueprint from their archives. From this a local carpenter made me a new part from scratch.
Outstanding service from Mark, above and beyond the call of duty, as the company didn't profit at all from this.

I wish I shared your optimism Quilter

Having been to the service centre more times than I care to remember I don’t think there has been even one occasion where we have had work carried out on our Nuevo or Broadway at the service centre where I haven’t had to go back to Mark before leaving to get it put right (apart from servicing or hab checks) had it not been for his swift action in getting the vehicle back in the workshop and rectified I would have absolutely NO confidence in the workshop staff

I can give you a multitude of examples (but won’t) but the one that stands out for me still is the Brabantia bin fitted to our Nuevo door that fell off along with the frame and screws each time the door was slammed shut, the solution was to use bigger and longer screws until it held, at one point I looked on horrified that the screws were going to come through the outside skin of the door! it took three attempts and even then it fell off as I turned the corner at the end of the road, out of the factory! I fixed it myself on my return home by using 3 short posi drive self tapping screws which were a 1/4 of the length of those used by the workshop. The staff members attitude was “don’t worry we get paid by the hour” which says it all really. 

No longer having the reassurance of Mark being there to get any issues sorted before leaving will probably result in us no longer going there... Others will say otherwise, but either they have been very lucky or just aren’t as fussy as me, who knows? 

CC

CC wrote:
CC

Are you the "Cruising Comet" from youtube?

A similar thing happened to a Moto Guzzi dealership in London.
The service manager there was a extremely respected expert in all things Moto Guzzi, having been a top mechanic for 30 odd years. Customers from all over the country went there because of his expertise.
After a spat with management he left and set up his own business.
All his loyal customers followed him.
His business is now thriving and the original dealership he worked for folded a few years later.
A shame Mark is leaving the MH industry..
Al.

AutoSleepy_Don wrote:

CC wrote:
CC

Are you the "Cruising Comet" from youtube?

Yes guilty as charged 

Peter Brown wrote:I've been at the Factory today and spoken with Mark.

With his permission, I can tell you that he has read this thread and is overwhelmed and embarrassed by the contents.  He thanks you all for your comments.

Hope you took him for a wee half Peter. 
Boaby

Bet he can tell his new employers a thing or two about VW T4s & T5s !!

Thanks Peter.

Very pleased to see Mark at AS Service Centre today, the day before he sadly finishes at AS. He will be greatly missed and from what we understand they still don’t know who his replacement will be! Whoever it is, they are big boots to fill. Carol will be still be there and we hope that she will be looked after in the next phase. 

As we all know tomorrow will be Mark’s last day at AS, and we wish him all the best for the future.

Our Broadway got through its fifth AS habitation check with flying colours, and once again no damp issues.

I wonder how the new guy is doing?
Has anyone been to AS since Mark left?

When I was there in last week of Feb, Mark told me that his successor wouldn't be starting for 6 weeks. Mark was being very discreet and so I didn't press him. 

Cymro

I was there yesterday for habitation service and poor Carol is really missing Mark both for his encyclopedic knowledge and as a friend. Alan was taking calls and emails and he seemed a bit frazzled but he did find time to call my husband to check if I got home safely after both nearside tyres were damaged while putting the van on the ramp! They swapped the spare for the worst damaged and I had fingers crossed that the other would be OK. So now that’s another job for me to sort. Ho hum.