rangerbait
Member
Greetings,
I recently purchased my second Heartland Travel Trailer, but had my first interaction with the company. I had read numerous horror stories about the brand, but the same can be said for most rv manufacturers out there, so I chalked it up to a general opinion of the industry.
I wanted to order a simple lighting bezel (the oval piece of wood that a lighting fixture mounts to in the ceiling; my trailer came equipped with the basic rv lighting fixture that you find above your head for reading in bed, and I wanted to fancy it up a bit by installing a pendant light fixture), and was pretty happy with how helpful the parts rep was via email. She asked for the last 6 numbers of my VIN, then quickly replied with the part number and said there would be a 2-3 week lead time due to the need to stain the wood to match my rig's color scheme (that's what the VIN was for, presumably). She also provided a part number and price for the stock light, which I wasn't interested in, so I just disregarded the information.
I asked her what the next step was to get the thing ordered, and she said that "If you wish to place an order I will need your shipping address and telephone number. On the day the order is ready to ship we will call you for your credit card."
I gave her my address, and about a month later, I got an email from a different parts clerk saying that the parts were in, along with an invoice for the $20.24 bezel, the $48.38 light fixture, and $47.44 for shipping...$111.06 total!
I quickly replied and apologized if there was a miscommunication, but that I was only interested in the bezel...and that $47.44 was a ridiculous amount for shipping.
I was then forwarded back to the original rep (Michelle) with whom I was initially dealing. Instead of amending the order to reflect the part I had inquired about, she attached my original email and said "I clearly stated the pricing and parts I would order for you. These parts were custom made and ordered for you."
Really? The part in dispute was the stock lighting fixture that came on the higher end models...Heartland apparently has those custom fabricated on an on demand basis? Unlikely.
My point is this: it's not the fact that the order got messed up, or even the ridiculous shipping charge which nearly doubled the order. The problem is that Heartland has public-facing personnel who are so quick to go on the offensive over such a low level issue. I mean really, how hard is it to draft an email in a polite tone, even if you feel like the recipient is a deserving of both barrels? C'mon. This is customer service kindergarten.
Aside from this drama, I took my new travel trailer out for its first trip recently; the fridge didn't run on AC power, and the water heater burned up some electronic component while operating on AC power, filling the trailer with smoke. We still had a great time, but seeing this side of Heartland really has me thinking about looking elsewhere when we upgrade in a couple of years.
The bottom line is that any company should go to great lengths to ensure that such easy chinks in the armor are identified and immediately remedied. Honestly, I'm more offended as a professional that I am as a customer.
Anyone else have any similar experiences with Heartland?
I recently purchased my second Heartland Travel Trailer, but had my first interaction with the company. I had read numerous horror stories about the brand, but the same can be said for most rv manufacturers out there, so I chalked it up to a general opinion of the industry.
I wanted to order a simple lighting bezel (the oval piece of wood that a lighting fixture mounts to in the ceiling; my trailer came equipped with the basic rv lighting fixture that you find above your head for reading in bed, and I wanted to fancy it up a bit by installing a pendant light fixture), and was pretty happy with how helpful the parts rep was via email. She asked for the last 6 numbers of my VIN, then quickly replied with the part number and said there would be a 2-3 week lead time due to the need to stain the wood to match my rig's color scheme (that's what the VIN was for, presumably). She also provided a part number and price for the stock light, which I wasn't interested in, so I just disregarded the information.
I asked her what the next step was to get the thing ordered, and she said that "If you wish to place an order I will need your shipping address and telephone number. On the day the order is ready to ship we will call you for your credit card."
I gave her my address, and about a month later, I got an email from a different parts clerk saying that the parts were in, along with an invoice for the $20.24 bezel, the $48.38 light fixture, and $47.44 for shipping...$111.06 total!
I quickly replied and apologized if there was a miscommunication, but that I was only interested in the bezel...and that $47.44 was a ridiculous amount for shipping.
I was then forwarded back to the original rep (Michelle) with whom I was initially dealing. Instead of amending the order to reflect the part I had inquired about, she attached my original email and said "I clearly stated the pricing and parts I would order for you. These parts were custom made and ordered for you."
Really? The part in dispute was the stock lighting fixture that came on the higher end models...Heartland apparently has those custom fabricated on an on demand basis? Unlikely.
My point is this: it's not the fact that the order got messed up, or even the ridiculous shipping charge which nearly doubled the order. The problem is that Heartland has public-facing personnel who are so quick to go on the offensive over such a low level issue. I mean really, how hard is it to draft an email in a polite tone, even if you feel like the recipient is a deserving of both barrels? C'mon. This is customer service kindergarten.
Aside from this drama, I took my new travel trailer out for its first trip recently; the fridge didn't run on AC power, and the water heater burned up some electronic component while operating on AC power, filling the trailer with smoke. We still had a great time, but seeing this side of Heartland really has me thinking about looking elsewhere when we upgrade in a couple of years.
The bottom line is that any company should go to great lengths to ensure that such easy chinks in the armor are identified and immediately remedied. Honestly, I'm more offended as a professional that I am as a customer.
Anyone else have any similar experiences with Heartland?
