RCR the 8 day wait I could just manage but the need to tell lies???

[jim and pat dalton]

Before relate my story can I just say that I still think the RCR deal is a good one and that the staff who attended my boat have always been polite as have the office staff.

 

However


http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=55940&&page=2

 

Further to the above thread, Today is day 8 of our drive plate failure at Great Haywood

 

It started off with being told by the attending engineer that the Centa Antriebe drive plate was a special "new style" one that had a rubber centre section and had disintegrated completely. when asked "wot even the bit that engages the spline" the answer was yes. Hindsight showed the the centre section was actually still attached to the gearbox

Then I was informed that it would take two days to get another one at £300 (not to worry only £50 excess to me)

 

Two days passed no show and no contact and I had to phone to get an update. I was told that the model of plate was no longer made or that any were in stock in the UK and that a new model that supercedes the old would fit and was being flown in (£365+vat) at their expense. I will arrive on Monday. they explained that they wanted it excately right and as the builder had planned and also right for warranty purposes

Monday no show, called for update and told part arriving pm. great got an update by phone pm (fab!) parts arrived engineer working elsewhere will fit later. engineer arrives at 4pm whay hey!!! Not quite. The holes are in wrong place. Nice parts lady comes down for a gander, points out to engineer that the old centre piece is still on gearbox!! and reassures me it will be resolved and they will source new parts first thing tomorrow (pump out loo is now full and we are out of gas)

 

Tuesday arrives bright as a button and so are we! and we busy ourselves with dragging the boat to the pump out and refill the diesel plus replace gas bottles at same time.

 

Lunchtime (after I had to phone for an update again), we get told that they have a plate that needs to go to Bradford to be re-engineered but that a member of staff is not too well and they will do it tomorrow. No worries says I, I'm just down the road from your office and will take said part to Bradford and wait for it to be done at my expense. OK, they say just let us arrange things and we will get back to you in 1/2 hr. Two hours later I phone for an update. Oh we have an engineer on call out up that way he has plate and will drop it in to be done, "we will have an engineer with you first thing tomorrow"

 

Wed first thing nothing, phone for an update, we will get back to you. 40 mins later I get an answerphone msg, We haven't got any available engineers, so we have contacted the marina, the plate will be delivered and the marina engineers will fit it!

 

Hurrah! I'm getting some confidence back now that we actually have proper engineers to hand.

Pop up to marina office (who I must say have been super helpful as have the marina engineers) and they tell me that RCR had said both engineers are on a course today, talked to marina engineer who said RCR had said the same to them. (So how could RCR have promised me an engineer 1st thing then!)

 

Anyway the rub was that the marina engineers were snowed under and I was forced to wait another day (today)

In the meantime this engineered part arrived (along with old one), you know the one I said was no longer made or in stock

Well the engineer who made this is fantastic I must say, he even went to the bother of detailing the original manufacturer details and part no onto the plate, inc old model number!!! or is it that RCR think I must be really gullible or something! the "well done" for getting the part was drowned in the lie.

 

Today, along with the Engineer (or should I say fitter) the new general manager arrived to do some stroking. I explained politely and bluntly all of the above and that the marina staff and engineers are all laughing "at RCR" and that lying to customers is not a good thing!! He has promised to take it all back and deal with it. Mentioned the £50 excess, but no chance of that being refunded for my 8 day wait (I assume the lies and delays then, are a feature of the service)

 

 

Yeah I'm not happy!!!

 

Right now the plate is being fitted and we are keeping fingers crossed nothing else goes wrong during it.

 

Despite everything I still think the RCR offer on paper is a really good deal and I want to support them plus I have seen the previous posts about rescue etc So I wont walk away or discourage others from joining, cos I think we need people like these,

Also maybe my case "is" an exception but the truth is RCR have been on the back foot and whilst trying to sound professional they have felt the need to be dishonest. Communication has been intermittent to poor.

Had we been bluntly told some truth it may have been that I could have returned to my base and earn't some money rather than always waiting on the lie about "to-morrow" so I am out of pocket grrr!!!

Somewhere there is a need for good shaking up and for the sake of that £50 non gesture and being treated like I have the brain of an idiot I feel I should vocalise my experience today and will whenever asked.

Great Haywood Marina BTW. top class people, thanks to them our stay was made more comfortable and as a newby I have learnt a lot from them whilst here

Hopefully we will be en-route to Floods Ferry in Cambridgeshire later today

Edited April 25, 2013 by jim and pat dalton

[Mike Tee]

First rule of 'Customer Service' - tell the customer what you think he would like to hear rather than the truth.

[Gypsey_Kings]

First rule of 'Customer Service' - tell the customer what you think he would like to hear rather than the truth.

 

....may have been twenty years ago...now-a-days it ends in goodbye Customer.....

[nicknorman]

Before relate my story can I just say that I still think the RCR deal is a good one and that the staff who attended my boat have always been polite as have the office staff.

 

However

 

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=55940&&page=2

 

Further to the above thread, Today is day 8 of our drive plate failure at Great Haywood

 

It started off with being told by the attending engineer that the Centa Antriebe drive plate was a special "new style" one that had a rubber centre section and had disintegrated completely. when asked "wot even the bit that engages the spline" the answer was yes. Hindsight showed the the centre section was actually still attached to the gearbox

 

Then I was informed that it would take two days to get another one at £300 (not to worry only £50 excess to me)

 

Two days passed no show and no contact and I had to phone to get an update. I was told that the model of plate was no longer made or that any were in stock in the UK and that a new model that supercedes the old would fit and was being flown in (£365+vat) at their expense. I will arrive on Monday. they explained that they wanted it excately right and as the builder had planned and also right for warranty purposes

 

Monday no show, called for update and told part arriving pm. great got an update by phone pm (fab!) parts arrived engineer working elsewhere will fit later. engineer arrives at 4pm whay hey!!! Not quite. The holes are in wrong place. Nice parts lady comes down for a gander, points out to engineer that the old centre piece is still on gearbox!! and reassures me it will be resolved and they will source new parts first thing tomorrow (pump out loo is now full and we are out of gas)

 

Tuesday arrives bright as a button and so are we! and we busy ourselves with dragging the boat to the pump out and refill the diesel plus replace gas bottles at same time.

 

Lunchtime (after I had to phone for an update again), we get told that they have a plate that needs to go to Bradford to be re-engineered but that a member of staff is not too well and they will do it tomorrow. No worries says I, I'm just down the road from your office and will take said part to Bradford and wait for it to be done at my expense. OK, they say just let us arrange things and we will get back to you in 1/2 hr. Two hours later I phone for an update. Oh we have an engineer on call out up that way he has plate and will drop it in to be done, "we will have an engineer with you first thing tomorrow"

 

Wed first thing nothing, phone for an update, we will get back to you. 40 mins later I get an answerphone msg, We haven't got any available engineers, so we have contacted the marina, the plate will be delivered and the marina engineers will fit it!

 

Hurrah! I'm getting some confidence back now that we actually have proper engineers to hand.

 

Pop up to marina office (who I must say have been super helpful as have the marina engineers) and they tell me that RCR had said both engineers are on a course today, talked to marina engineer who said RCR had said the same to them. (So how could RCR have promised me an engineer 1st thing then!)

 

Anyway the rub was that the marina engineers were snowed under and I was forced to wait another day (today)

In the meantime this engineered part arrived (along with old one), you know the one I said was no longer made or in stock

 

Well the engineer who made this is fantastic I must say, he even went to the bother of detailing the original manufacturer details and part no onto the plate, inc old model number!!! or is it that RCR think I must be really gullible or something! the "well done" for getting the part was drowned in the lie.

 

Today, along with the Engineer (or should I say fitter) the new general manager arrived to do some stroking. I explained politely and bluntly all of the above and that the marina staff and engineers are all laughing "at RCR" and that lying to customers is not a good thing!! He has promised to take it all back and deal with it. Mentioned the £50 excess, but no chance of that being refunded for my 8 day wait (I assume the lies and delays then, are a feature of the service)

 

 

Yeah I'm not happy!!!

 

Right now the plate is being fitted and we are keeping fingers crossed nothing else goes wrong during it.

 

Despite everything I still think the RCR offer on paper is a really good deal and I want to support them plus I have seen the previous posts about rescue etc So I wont walk away or discourage others from joining, cos I think we need people like these,

 

Also maybe my case "is" an exception but the truth is RCR have been on the back foot and whilst trying to sound professional they have felt the need to be dishonest. Communication has been intermittent to poor.

 

Had we been bluntly told some truth it may have been that I could have returned to my base and earn't some money rather than always waiting on the lie about "to-morrow" so I am out of pocket grrr!!!

 

Somewhere there is a need for good shaking up and for the sake of that £50 non gesture and being treated like I have the brain of an idiot I feel I should vocalise my experience today and will whenever asked.

 

Great Haywood Marina BTW. top class people, thanks to them our stay was made more comfortable and as a newby I have learnt a lot from them whilst here

 

Hopefully we will be en-route to Floods Ferry in Cambridgeshire later today

Frustrating!

 

But now you have seen the drive plate being fitted, was it that difficult or just a bit fiddly, dirty and uncomfortable? My point being that if you want to avoid these sorts of frustrations in the future, the best way is to be able to fix things yourself. None of us is born with this ability, its something that has to be learnt. You either make the effort to learn it, or have to put up with the frustration!

[jim and pat dalton]

yes, with hindsight its not something that is beyond my capabilities coming from an amateur motorcycle racing and hobby flying background. But not knowing about boats it was something I needed expertise with. We are very new to boats (like two weeks) I shall be attending thier couses in the future and I did attened the survey of the boat plus I attended the general service and mods, so I'm keen to lear.

 

So I accept about learning, bit. But putting up with the frustration??? I have paid for that service and specifically Drive plate replacement is advertised no where in there paraphernalia did they advertise the other features.

[cheshire~rose]

I feel your frustration, the fact that the failure happened when you were close to a reliable boatyard was very helpful. Without the use of a vehicle to fetch parts or the tools to do the job yourself then what would you have done if this had happened in the back of beyond?

 

How quickly would you have managed to source the part yourself (and how much would your mobile phone bill be) that is assuming you had a signal and did not have to walk half a mile to the closest bridge to get one.

 

It is incredibly frustrating when a delay like this happens and when you feel the delay has been compounded by poor service it does hurt but be thankful you had cover and you were not in the depths of the countryside 6 miles away from the nearest road.

[Paul C]

What is the root cause for these delays? Does your boat have some kind of non-standard/specialist drive plate or are parts suppliers slow in getting standard stuff to you/RCR, or is someone at RCR bungling what should be a simple job?

[nicknorman]

yes, with hindsight its not something that is beyond my capabilities coming from an amateur motorcycle racing and hobby flying background. But not knowing about boats it was something I needed expertise with. We are very new to boats (like two weeks) I shall be attending thier couses in the future and I did attened the survey of the boat plus I attended the general service and mods, so I'm keen to lear.

 

So I accept about learning, bit. But putting up with the frustration??? I have paid for that service and specifically Drive plate replacement is advertised no where in there paraphernalia did they advertise the other features.

But presuming that because you have money and give it to someone else to do a job, means it will be well done, is your big mistake! If only life were like that, but unfortunately its not!

[jim and pat dalton]

Paul, it has a 1.5 bmc engine and a Delta20 (prm150) gearbox. the drive plate is a Centa Entriebe CS DF 10

 

Job is now done and they advised me that I have a leak in my calorifier pipe to calorifier has new bend and is now fractured.

 

 

thanks!!

 

local engineer on hand

 

Edited to say. looking closer at it, I decided to have a moan at RCR about this as this pipe has been bent and straightened out again and I know it was ok the other week after the service as the engineer pointed out which pipes were doing what. The break in the pipe is fresh and shiny. so I explained honestly what has happened and they have come back and without admitting fault have said they will get a plumber and asked for photos to send to him. so have stopped local engineer from having a look and asked if they could reserve two seats for the Marina Xmas party!! :-)

 

 

We shall wait and see

Edited April 25, 2013 by jim and pat dalton

[MtB]

This seems to be a problem with all insurance-type maintenance plans. I see it in the world of boiler repairs too. The punter pays up front for the service, then oddly, he tolerates a whole load more flannel and bullshit than he would if he was employing the engineers directly on an hourly basis. I think it's because having paid for the service in advance, they feel unable to go elsewhere.

 

How long do you think it would have taken to get this fixed had you asked Great Hayward's technicians to do it? Even given they are rushed off their feet? Less than eight days I'd expect.

 

MtB

[jim and pat dalton]

They have been very supportive of our plight and helped in many other ways such as letting us moor next to the workshop advising on best curry house etc etc The say they would have gone to midland chandlers and if not avail R & D would have made the plate in two days had I gone when they had capacity last Wednesday.

 

Yes I agree MtB having paid for a service (£125? membership £50 excess ) and invoked that service your right. Balanced against the cost of engineer per hour plus spares would have been hundreds more. Hindsight says a lot of things sometimes and remember it was always going to be tomorrow!!

 

and I'm still supportive of what they offer.

Edited April 25, 2013 by jim and pat dalton

[bizzard]

A spare plate for when it happens again is a good idea.

[Chris Pink]

never having had a drive plate (as far as I know, though I have a feeling one of my boats might) is it difficult to replace?

[bizzard]

never having had a drive plate (as far as I know, though I have a feeling one of my boats might) is it difficult to replace?

Easy enough job but often severely hampered in rear engined narrowboats by junk, clutter ie calorifiers, pipes, wires, cables ect strewn about which you have to work around ''often standing on your head or lying across an engine ending up with sore or broken ribs, general cuts, bruises and grazes and strangely enough claustrophobia and many other unusual maladies that you didn't suffer from before'', reasons why folk often tend to find something busted down there ''perhaps trodden on''after work has been done.

Not to mention the gloom and spookiness, filthy oil and crap in a great many boats engine space.

These reasons I think often put an owner who IS capable of doing the job, off from doing it, they take one look down there and get some one in to do it for them.

But its a nice job really.

[Tony Brooks]

never having had a drive plate (as far as I know, though I have a feeling one of my boats might) is it difficult to replace?

 

It all depends on how easy it is to get the bolts out of the gearbox to flywheel housing adaptor plate and/or if there is no adaptor plate if the rear mounts are on the flywheel housing. On the 1.5 I suspect the mounts are on the flywheel housing and unless it is an old engine there is probably no adaptor plate.

 

You also need enough space between the shaft coupling and gearbox coupling to pull the box clear of drive plate. Usually with the rudder hard over the shaft will go back far enough though.

 

If you are into a bit of DIY it is perfectly doable but you may need a jack to lift the engine clear of the mounts and a bit of grunt to lift the gearbox free. Just work methodically.

 

The only engines I know that may not have drive plates are the 100% marine engines, often with the flywheel at the "wrong" end and some Self Changing Gears, Lister and BMC DCA/B boxes.

[ditchcrawler]

Paul, it has a 1.5 bmc engine and a Delta20 (prm150) gearbox. the drive plate is a Centa Entriebe CS DF 10

Was it like this

[frangar]

Hmmmmm.........

 

Not the first time I have heard of all not going smoothly with RCR.....

 

This is what I posted last year after some dealings....

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=51398&hl=

 

Seems despite what they said to me afterwards that nothing much has changed.....Its a shame as it has the potential to be a good service but does appear let down by the people (Owners i think!) in the office!!

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

[MtB]

never having had a drive plate (as far as I know, though I have a feeling one of my boats might) is it difficult to replace?

 

The drive plate replaces the clutch assembly on a marinised automotive engine. You don't need a clutch but you DO need something to physically connect the input shaft of the gearbox to the flywheel!

 

MtB

[LoneWolf]

Hmmmmm.........

 

Not the first time I have heard of all not going smoothly with RCR.....

 

This is what I posted last year after some dealings....

 

http://www.canalworld.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=51398&hl=

 

Seems despite what they said to me afterwards that nothing much has changed.....Its a shame as it has the potential to be a good service but does appear let down by the people (Owners i think!) in the office!!

 

Cheers

 

Gareth

 

In my case it was the Contractors, not the RCR staff who were the lying gits

 

spot on mike, which is why i didn't renew with them - i've got a phone and the internet i'll find someone by myself that i can tell to get stuffed if they start messing around.

 

 

This seems to be a problem with all insurance-type maintenance plans. I see it in the world of boiler repairs too. The punter pays up front for the service, then oddly, he tolerates a whole load more flannel and bullshit than he would if he was employing the engineers directly on an hourly basis. I think it's because having paid for the service in advance, they feel unable to go elsewhere.

 

MtB

 

Apologois for the top post reply. I couldn't work out how to put my reply below your post mike.

 

is the upgrage more difficult or am i just an oldie struggling with change?

Bah!

[MtB]

pologois for the top post reply. I couldn't work out how to put my reply below your post mike.

 

is the upgrage more difficult or am i just an oldie struggling with change?

Bah!

 

The former. This new version is a backwards step in dozens little ways you come to notice as you use it. You've just identified one of these ways. A perfect example of how perfectly good software is fecked up by developers who don't realise their job is done. Windows Vista is another example.

 

It seems to be related to editing of the text being quoted when you reply. It is fiendishly easy to erase not just a line of text but the username of the quote too, then all sorts of weird stuff happens. Best to close the window and start again. You HAVE to do this as there is no longer a CANCEL button!

 

MtB

[Paul C]

Have you tried pressing the "down" key several times, to take the cursor to below the quoted section?

[bizzard]

The former. This new version is a backwards step in dozens little ways you come to notice as you use it. You've just identified one of these ways. A perfect example of how perfectly good software is fecked up by developers who don't realise their job is done. Windows Vista is another example.

 

It seems to be related to editing of the text being quoted when you reply. It is fiendishly easy to erase not just a line of text but the username of the quote too, then all sorts of weird stuff happens. Best to close the window and start again. You HAVE to do this as there is no longer a CANCEL button!

 

MtB

There is a cancel button Mike. If you click on ''More reply options'' on the right of the ''Post button''.

[MtB]

There is a cancel button Mike. If you click on ''More reply options'' on the right of the ''Post button''.

 

I knew that really, but honestly, why should you have to load a different page to cancel a fecked-up post?

 

I wonder if it is possible to revert to the old software. Far superior coding.

 

Another thing that annoys me about this new software is the absence of a PREVIEW button. I know it's supposed to be WYSIWYG but I still find errors easier to spot in a fresh window.

 

MtB

[LoneWolf]

The former. This new version is a backwards step in dozens little ways you come to notice as you use it. You've just identified one of these ways. A perfect example of how perfectly good software is fecked up by developers who don't realise their job is done. Windows Vista is another example.

 

It seems to be related to editing of the text being quoted when you reply. It is fiendishly easy to erase not just a line of text but the username of the quote too, then all sorts of weird stuff happens. Best to close the window and start again. You HAVE to do this as there is no longer a CANCEL button!

 

MtB

 

oh you are so right

 

i find it irksome.

I liked the old version where you could see the [codingthings] and copy them get what you wanted.

and there is no automatic spell chack - where are my wiggle red lines as i type?

 

i will persevere for now

[MtB]

No.

 

Have you tried pressing the "down" key several times, to take the cursor to below the quoted section?