WTH is going on at oceanbreeze?

[Retired1]

This sometimes happens in business, it happens at my office occasionally. Every so often a customer has a bad experience at the beginning, an employee tells them the wrong thing, something takes longer, or the price we quoted isn't possible because of facts we didn't know at the beginning. Then they start flyspecking everything, which just makes everybody nervous and produces more screwups, which in turn produces more flyspecking from the customer.

It's a toxic relationship you have with this company. You're looking to critique them if their install estimate changes by $1.00, which isn't how marine estimates work, it's not a firm bid like in construction. It's almost always just an estimate that's subject to change. The company is trying to muddle across a bridge that's already been burnt, and that's not working out, as you'd expect. Sometimes all the mistakes your employees make in a week land on the same customer. It sucks when that happens, and it's embarrassing, but it does happen and it's not intentional. It doesn't mean they make bad products, or they can't do the job. Just means humans doing human stuff ruined the relationship.

Everybody should just call it a day and you should go with another company at this point. This has reached the point where no matter what they do, you're not going to be satisfied.

FYI I'm not defending them, just as a business owner I recognize this cycle. In my own business when it starts getting here, I just apologize, offer them their money back, and say exactly what I just said to you. Half the time they're like, yeah I see your point I'll chill out, the other half the time they take their money and leave, and I'm happy with that. Life's too short to try and make relationships work when they don't.

Sage advice. What kind of business do you own in Florida if you don’t mind me asking.

[cww]

Sage advice. What kind of business do you own in Florida if you don’t mind me asking.

I'm an attorney, we do a lot of real estate and (yeah, yeah, I know...) personal injury. The injury clients are almost always pretty chill, they just want you to help them. The real estate clients are like 80% nice guys I've worked with for years, and 20% nightmares. It has a lot to do with whether there are realtors involved, there's just something about them, they never feel like they're getting anything done unless they're being rude or cutting someone's throat.

This situation is something I've come to recognize over the years. Sometimes something goes wonky at the beginning, sometimes it's just the client's personality, and sometimes it's both. I have learned the hard way that when it gets to where they're calling you 5 times a week and it's stuff like the guy in this thread, except my version looks more like: "Look, I just checked the docket and you could have filed my motion for default final judgment on friday, but you didn't file it until monday, I am very dissatisfied!" then you have to give those clients the boot. They aren't going to be satisfied no matter what you do, and life's just too short.

In this case it's way past him ever being happy that they gave him the lowest bid and now they're replacing his a/c's, or them being happy with his money. The relationship has devolved to the point he's flyspecking everything they do and is enraged that they ran a couple extra wires. Everybody should just walk away at this point.

[Timeless72]

Well said! We had a massive falling out with an electrician during our refit. While just an awful person to work with, getting angry and trying to get blood out of a turnip was never going to work. I finally relented and let him work at his own pace, carefully controlling our payments. In the end, the work is still unfinished but close. Much closer than fighting.

[ageless]

This sometimes happens in business, it happens at my office occasionally. Every so often a customer has a bad experience at the beginning, an employee tells them the wrong thing, something takes longer, or the price we quoted isn't possible because of facts we didn't know at the beginning. Then they start flyspecking everything, which just makes everybody nervous and produces more screwups, which in turn produces more flyspecking from the customer.

It's a toxic relationship you have with this company. You're looking to critique them if their install estimate changes by $1.00, which isn't how marine estimates work, it's not a firm bid like in construction. It's almost always just an estimate that's subject to change. The company is trying to muddle across a bridge that's already been burnt, and that's not working out, as you'd expect. Sometimes all the mistakes your employees make in a week land on the same customer. It sucks when that happens, and it's embarrassing, but it does happen and it's not intentional. It doesn't mean they make bad products, or they can't do the job. Just means humans doing human stuff ruined the relationship.

Everybody should just call it a day and you should go with another company at this point. This has reached the point where no matter what they do, you're not going to be satisfied.

FYI I'm not defending them, just as a business owner I recognize this cycle. In my own business when it starts getting here, I just apologize, offer them their money back, and say exactly what I just said to you. Half the time they're like, yeah I see your point I'll chill out, the other half the time they take their money and leave, and I'm happy with that. Life's too short to try and make relationships work when they don't.

this is well said and I understand chit happens BUT there's NO business owner that is going to convince me that a "rogue installer" running up $10k worth of equipment and man hours without first consulting the owner OR their company is a "chit happens" moment. In the end I'm sure we'll get screwed, typical soflo marine industry experience. All the more reason to move from this chithole

[ageless]

I thought I would keep everyone apprised of our ongoing HVAC woe’s. As most have seen, the 120v galley unit isn’t receiving 120v so it’s inoperable until that’s diagnosed. Today, wake up to the salon 64 degrees, change to heat option and no heat, blows cold air. The Admiral is furious!!

[rsmith]

this is well said and I understand chit happens BUT there's NO business owner that is going to convince me that a "rogue installer" running up $10k worth of equipment and man hours without first consulting the owner OR their company is a "chit happens" moment. In the end I'm sure we'll get screwed, typical soflo marine industry experience. All the more reason to move from this chithole

SoFl rape van

[Pascal]

I thought I would keep everyone apprised of our ongoing HVAC woe’s. As most have seen, the 120v galley unit isn’t receiving 120v so it’s inoperable until that’s diagnosed. Today, wake up to the salon 64 degrees, change to heat option and no heat, blows cold air. The Admiral is furious!!

Didn’t your installer claim they had to rewire the controls or something ? Is your heat reverse cycle or heating element?

[Captain Ralph]

Didn’t your installer claim they had to rewire the controls or something ? Is your heat reverse cycle or heating element?

The first thing I thought of, What heat??
You ordered one with heat??

[cww]

The first thing I thought of, What heat??
You ordered one with heat??

All the ones on my boat have heat. Is that not normal? I thought they all did?

[Pascal]

It depends. Some aC manufacturer use reverse cycle others use heating elements in the the AH to reduce compressor wear and provide heat when the sea water is too cold.

When I installed my chiller system I ordered it without any heating option.