Worst mistake of my life. Would not recommend a ranger tug.

A quick update. Andrew and Tim arrived at the boat yesterday morning around 7 am as did the dealer Emile and Carl. I am happy to report Andrew and Tim jumped in and went to work. Forgoing any breaks or lunch they completed all repairs around 8 PM. All issues were identified and corrected. I was very very impressed with the level of knowledge, professionalism and background of Andrew and Tim. They addressed items that weren't even on the list that they felt needed addressed. We spent a lot of time talking and hammering out what went wrong and how there was break down in communication on both sides. I am extremely happy with the end result and outcome of this situation. I will post with more detail tomorrow as I will have more time to go into detail.
 
Bobby,
So sorry to hear your frustration and complaints. I just wanted to chime in and relay that I'm somewhat shocked to hear this. I have owned a Ranger Tug since 2012 and must say that I have found all at this company to provide the finest customer service of any company, of any product, that I have ever purchased in my life. I can assure you this is not at all what this company is all about. They will make it right. From a 110% satisfied customer.

Garry Anderson
 
Now that your getting satisfaction a public apology to the Ranger name seems in order. 😉
 
lone ranger":zg33gzvr said:
Now that your getting satisfaction a public apology to the Ranger name seems in order. 😉
Click to expand...
The boat owner doesn't owe an apology to anyone. The dealer owes an apology to the customer for allowing this to go on so long and an apology to Ranger Tugs for representing them so poorly. It would appear that the only way the boat owner could get this resolved was to become a very public squeaky wheel. Only then did he get attention to the multiple issues.

I'm a huge fan of Ranger Tugs. They produce great boats and provide great support not just for buyers of new boats but for those who have bought preowned as well. Best boat manufacturer I've ever dealt with. And one thing that made them successful is a system of knowledgeable dealers who delivered the same level of customer service the factory and company folks are known for. That clearly didn't happen in this case.
 
Jeff: I second all that you posted 100%. Ever since my first chance meeting with Jeff Messmer in 2009 and subsequent Ranger Tug ownership I continue to be amazed at the Customer Support Ranger Tugs provides. I've called their Customer service at all times of the day and on weekends to have a question or some issue dealt with. Some things/issues were self inflicted (user error), but they never ever blamed me or got irritated in any way. They simply want to help without questioning the customer. In this day and age you cannot find a better dealership.

[EDIT]
I really should have posted "In this day and age you cannot find a better boat manufacturers Customer Service team" rather than "In this day and age you cannot find a better dealership".
 
baz":2vxnknfv said:
They simply want to help without questioning the customer. In this day and age you cannot find a better dealership.
Click to expand...

"cannot find a better dealership"? In my opinion the "dealership" is what would hold me back from making a purchase outside of the PNW. I know some would say if you can't do your own maintenance on the boat, you shouldn't buy it. Well, maybe so. Evidently I was mistaken when I thought a dealer would perform warranty work similar to a car dealership. If I bought a new Ford truck and had a problem the dealer couldn't/wouldn't fix, I wouldn't be too happy. I still wouldn't be too happy if I then called the Ford factory and their response was they would send me the replacement part, for free. Ranger Tugs is a great company, with great people who care about the customer and are extremely communicative and helpful. Just wondering why all this help from the factory is needed, what is the role of the dealer? Not everyone has the time or ability to hang around at the dealer for a few days or weeks to find and get the problems repaired. Not all problems show up in the first week. Just think the system has much room for improvement.
 
Growing pains. In my opinion Ranger needs a stringent vetting process when selecting dealers. In the Pacific Northwest Ranger's close proximity to the end user works, but get out of the area and they need a dealer that can also be able to service the product. That does not mean that the dealer has to physically do the work, but he should have a reliable network of mechanics that can respond. The boat has several systems by different manufacturers. Finding an individual capable of handling all systems can be difficult, but not impossible. Also being familiar with the boat makes a huge difference. I commend Ranger for being as attentive as they are, but they could save themselves and the customer quite a bit of angst if they initiated a TQM (total quality management) program. This would prevent issues from happening in the first place, being found before delivery and a protocol on what to do if it hits the end user. The cost to implement isn't cheap, but it is far less than playing catch up later on.
 
We can all agree Ranger puts out a good product with fabulous customer service(as we see here the owner gets on a plane to investagate), my point is don't shoot down the BRAND because of a BAD dealer,smear HIS name through the mud so all can know.
 
Jake:
I edited my post with...

[EDIT]
I really should have posted "In this day and age you cannot find a better boat manufacturer's Customer Service team" rather than "In this day and age you cannot find a better dealership".

I agree with others here that RT's dealerships can drop the ball in a serious way and without RT's knowledge until a customer starts to shout out about issues in this forum.

Keeping an array of 'dealerships' in line is, and must be, quite a challenger for any business.
 
Boat dealers come and go for various reasons as explained by Marc of ex-RT dealer Wefings Marine:

Wefing’s Marine is no longer a stocking dealer for Ranger Tugs. From our point of view, Ranger’s business model has changed in a way which no longer emphasizes or requires dealers that are 100% dedicated to their craft. We believe that is not good for their brand, the Wefing’s brand, or the end user, and it no longer jibes with our own business model or our plans for our dealership. Our interest lies in building strong and lasting customer relationships, networking with other like minded boating professionals, and selling and servicing the best boats for a particular lifestyle and customer. We are not simply a broker, looking to make a sale and relying on someone else — with no real vested interest in you as a customer — to step in and take care of you when any problems arise. That’s not how we operate at Wefing’s Marine.

Just gotta roll with it I guess.
 
We all seem to agree that the factory is fantastic.. I think the next logical step would be requiring dealers to send a representative (s) to "Tug University" at the factory and learn the ways of the masters.. with refreshers once a year. This would of course require the factory to set up something.. But I really feel this would in the end save the factory time and grief and make for more happy "Tuggers"...
 
We purchased a used 2014 R31CB last year from Seagate. The Gastons had every survey item properly fixed. The few issues I have had were quickly resolved by them or the factory. RT has the best support I have seen. I have a friend with a Sea Ray and his dealers yes plural have then him for more than one ride with horrible service and no support.

I am sure Emile and staff will iron out your problems and you will enjoy your RT as we do.

Bill & Pat
 
All the information that we have on this episode has come from one point of view. I'm not impressed with the way the OP sort of backhandedly identified the dealer after getting the problems solved. I've had several good experiences with that dealer. I'm really interested in seeing the list of problems that were solved, and what the OP now thinks about buying a Tug.
 
What I do know is that this dealer has been in business for many years at this location. There is no way that they would still be there if their service was bad. I spend a lot of time in this area and they were there long before I came around.

This whole situation made me want to reach out and help this guy. Seems that a very high standard is expected and I have no problem with that but let's try to not forget there is a human factor involved and perhaps a parts availability problem.

I think it is outstanding that the factory got involved in this issue. I also think it is outstanding that the dealer was there with the factory personnel. Issues were addressed. I'm not sure what more anyone could ask for.

Brian Suggs
Disaster Relief
2017 Ranger Tugs R31-CB
 
Disaster Relief":2bltyafb said:
I also think it is outstanding that the dealer was there with the factory personnel. Issues were addressed. I'm not sure what more anyone could ask for.

Brian Suggs
Disaster Relief
2017 Ranger Tugs R31-CB
Click to expand...

You really "think it is outstanding that the dealer was there with the factory personnel"? I would be quite surprised if the dealer wasn't there. Kind of like your boss schedules a meeting because of a problem you are having and you don't show up. Again, great that the problem was resolved, not great the boss had to take care of it.
 
Jake":nr2qlo5s said:
Disaster Relief":nr2qlo5s said:
I also think it is outstanding that the dealer was there with the factory personnel. Issues were addressed. I'm not sure what more anyone could ask for.

Brian Suggs
Disaster Relief
2017 Ranger Tugs R31-CB
Click to expand...

You really "think it is outstanding that the dealer was there with the factory personnel"? I would be quite surprised if the dealer wasn't there. Kind of like your boss schedules a meeting because of a problem you are having and you don't show up. Again, great that the problem was resolved, not great the boss had to take care of it.
Click to expand...



.......

Yes I do! Ultimately it is the factory's responsibility to service what they make and provide warranty service through dealers if that is their business model. The dealer is merely a facilitator, a middle man so to speak. A dealers hands are tied without factory support. A dealer doesn't make the product, they support it the best they can under the factory guidelines. Maybe the ball was dropped somewhere, it happens, not necessarily anyone's fault, but, ultimately the factory is who is responsible. I like this dealer and have been treated well, that's my personal observation. I have stated why.

Do me a favor. If you disagree with my posts on here have a little respect for others opinions that differ from yours. This isn't really my problem or yours. I'm a new owner and was trying to help. I honestly feel for the guy that had the issues. I don't need to be called out on my opinions nor do I respect anyone that does that. If I have to not post or be a part of this forum to enjoy my Ranger then that is what I will do. I wish everyone well and my opinions are my own and last I checked I'm entitled to them.

Happy Tugging!

Brian Suggs
Disaster Relief
2017 Ranger Tugs 31-CB
 
Disater Relief. Sorry to hear you believe only your opinion matters. I have been on this forum for several years and always found other members willing to accept the opinions of others. Disagree, yes, but not attempt to shut them out. I'm sure you will enjoy your Ranger Tug and probably enjoy it even more if you don't have to read others opinions.

Jake
 
I was in business for over 35 years and bent over backwards to cater to my customers. Unfortunately there were times when my own personnel did something that threw a wrench in the works. When you have a downstream of people involved in a sale the music stops at the last person in the transaction and when an issue arises things start to go upstream against the current. I am sure there can be plenty of finger pointing going on. The important thing is the end user is hopefully in a position to enjoy his boat. Hopefully the manufacturer and dealer can figure out what went wrong in the whole scenario and try to prevent it in the future. We on the Tugnuts are not privy to the intimate details of how this unraveled and can only make certain assumptions. Any of us taking "sides" in this will only prolong the pain. With the many dealers and multiple boats sold these instances have been very rare. So I am hopeful this will be a memory soon forgotten and we can get back to the business of helping one another with our typical boat owner woes. 😀
 
Disater Relief. Sorry to hear you believe only your opinion matters. I have been on this forum for several years and always found other members willing to accept the opinions of others. Disagree, yes, but not attempt to shut them out. I'm sure you will enjoy your Ranger Tug and probably enjoy it even more if you don't have to read others opinions.

Jake

Sorry Jake, I never said anything like that, but good attempt to try and discredit my heartfelt and true intentions to reach out to an owner with problems. Obviously we disagree but I am curious.

Have you personally had any experience with this dealer?

Are you located in the panhandle of Florida?

Brian Suggs
Disaster Relief
2017 Ranger Tugs R31-CB
 
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