The "Trick" to Working with Lazy Days Service Department

floridarandy

Well-known member
I was impressed when we first toured the Lazy Days facility in Seffner, just east of Tampa on I4. Acres of coaches and an equally impressive number of acres of service. And, not just routine service, but lots of specialty work like custom paint and body work with spray booths, for example, big enough for the largest coach. And, a specialty wood shop that can custom build "anything" for the inside of your coach.

If you take your rig to Lazy Days for service its CRITICAL to understand how they recieve and schedule service. Since many fulltimers schedule service at Lazy Days they must wait for the work to be done. Lazy Days even allows them to stay in their coaches at nite while work is being done as they have hook-ups in their service bays! As a result "waiters" service work is done FIRST!

If you're "local" and simply plan to drop off your rig for service....like taking your truck to the car dealer...you're in for a surprise. Rigs that are dropped off ARE NOT SERVICED UNTIL ALL WAITERS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED. This time of year that could mean weeks...or months...before your rig is serviced. This was not made clear to me when I called to schedule service several weeks ago...nor was it made clear when I dropped the coach off 4 days ago thinking 5 days would give them a leisurely timeframe!

What I discovered is that you need to find out who the Service Advisor is who's been assigned to your rig. The Scheduler that you speak with when you call to set up the time to show up IS NOT your Service Advisor. My recommendation is to contact the Service Advisor directly and work with them on the specifics of your schedule.

In our case, after dropping the rig off on Monday, we were planning to return on Friday to attend the first Florida Rally. Only today, Thursday, was I able to actually make contact with my Service Advisor and "negotiate" getting the work done....hopefully by tomorrow. She's "telling" me she's changing my status to "waiter" so the rig will go in directly. Time will tell.

Also be advised that if you want a written estimate BEFORE work begins this will also delay the start of work. Under Florida law you are required to state, at the time you drop off the rig, if you want a written estimate in advance, a not to exceed without calling $ number, or OK to complete without estimate. Scary but again I think this is about working with your Service Advisor in advance. Shop time there is billed at $120/hour and I'm assured that strict "clock-in clock-out" time is kept. Again, time will tell.

My belief is that Lazy Days CAN do anything....the question is how best to interface with their system. I'll update this post as I learn more about the process. For now wish me luck!
 
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floridarandy

Well-known member
Duane - this place is unbelievable. there must be several hundred big coaches driving in each day and waiting. once i understood their system it makes sense that they take those who wait first. like any other system you can work it once you understand it. and as for the rate, i'll let you know. with the right equipment and training $120 might be cheap compared to someone at half the rate who doesn't know what they're doing. i'm just not equipped with the time or knowledge to do it myself and i'm in a business of my own that works on the same premise.
 

Bob&Patty

Founders of SoCal Chapter
WOW, $120.00 per hour?? I never made that much working on automobiles and they are a lot more complicated than a RV. To me a RV is really pretty simple.....not rocket science.
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Great info Randy. Thanks for sharing. I agree - their operation is on a massive scale, the likes of which I have never seen before.

I needed the pump replaced in my new Splendide washer. Called Lazy Days and asked if they were Splendide warranty authorized. They said I needed to go next door to Camping World for that.

Called Camping World and was able to get an appointment for the next day. Got me in at 11 and out around 3. They called me to get authorization for an hour of labor not covered by Splendide to remove the door and frame to get the washer out of the closet and then to put that back together. I told them yes, to do it as I knew it had to be done. But, as I had already taken the door and frame off to remove the dryer to turn on the water to the washer, I knew this was a 10 minute job x 2, tops. I asked that they treat me right on this. And they did - charging me a 1/2 hour only ($57 for the 1/2 hour). Washer works!!

I tell this story as I am not sure that Camping World has their own bays and service personnel. I didn't see any bays connected to their building. My guess is they rent bays from Lazy Days, just like the RV wash crew does. Got the rig washed the other day and was surprised to be told cash or check, no credit cards. Got it done, paid cash and found that it was a separate company that rents about 50 bays from Lazy Days for their business.

I've been enjoying my stay here in site 288 and look forward to moving to the rally area on Friday. The "included" breakfast and lunch for guests each day has been nice too :)

YMMV

Jim
 
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