Good afternoon all.
This post is intended to be constructive critisism, and not a bashing of the manufacturers. Simply put, I feel that the companies that makes the sleds we love to ride could all do a much better job, and I have some suggestions for all of them to perhaps take notice. I do realize they are in business to make money for their shareholders, but the bottom line is that the consumer should have a voice.
- In the automotive world, when you factory order a vehicle, it is assigned a VIN and a tenative delivery date. No reason we shouldn't be able to "check up" on our spring orders
- How about putting in place a customer service phone number, rather then the "call your dealer if you have a problem." Sorry, but a poor design is not the dealer's fault - he didn't build it, and he isn't the guy making the bulk of the profit.
- Quit flooding the market, and devaluing our trade ins. Hard to trade in a used sled when the dealer is selling 1,2, or 3 yr old non current iron for half of it's original MSRP.
- Quality control. While it is true that a new sled isn't $50K like a new loaded truck, they run about $14000 - 17000 her in Canada, depending on model. For that price you are entitled to a 1,2, or 3 year warranty that is VERY limited, on a machine that is used for 3-5 months (if you're lucky) each year. Most riders may put on 2500 miles in a year max. My truck has a much longer warranty, is worked harder, and has a life expectancy of 300,000 kms if I maintain it. Cost per km (or mile) is far less on the truck, and it serves more then just one purpose.
- If you are brining a product to market, ensure it is ready, and have parts readily available to repair it in a timely fashion. Nothing worse then having a new snowmobile in the shop for half of your riding season, yet you are still making payments on it. All major auto manufacturers offer some sort of concession (rental allowance) to keep you on the road.
- Listen to your dealers, and perhaps your customer base as well, by reading these forums, and then doing something about it. Fix the issues that pop up in a timely fashion. Don't hand build a couple prototypes and then pound out a lesser product to the consumer.
- Spring order pet peeves: offer color choices, better shock packages, and options that we actually want, other then a different color. I realize the aftermarket has to make money too, but I'm tired of having to "fix" your poor designs and quality control at my expense. By gosh, we pay a lot of hard earned money for these machines, and what you call "new features and improvements" every year are simply changes to poor design. Throwing a fancy paint job, stickers, and a different shock caliberation doesn't do it for me. I don't applaud mediocrity.
I'm done with my rant. I've ordered 2 new sleds from different manufacturers this year, and unless they meet at least 2/3 of my expectations, I will be done with this sport, something I've enjoyed actively for 36 years. Manufacturers, you had better start taking better care of the consumer, because this is fast turning into a rich man's (or woman's) sport, and if you lose us, good luck getting newcomers to the sport, especially in light of the world economy. "toy sales" usually take a backseat to food, shelter, and clothing. Food for thought, thank you for your time.
This post is intended to be constructive critisism, and not a bashing of the manufacturers. Simply put, I feel that the companies that makes the sleds we love to ride could all do a much better job, and I have some suggestions for all of them to perhaps take notice. I do realize they are in business to make money for their shareholders, but the bottom line is that the consumer should have a voice.
- In the automotive world, when you factory order a vehicle, it is assigned a VIN and a tenative delivery date. No reason we shouldn't be able to "check up" on our spring orders
- How about putting in place a customer service phone number, rather then the "call your dealer if you have a problem." Sorry, but a poor design is not the dealer's fault - he didn't build it, and he isn't the guy making the bulk of the profit.
- Quit flooding the market, and devaluing our trade ins. Hard to trade in a used sled when the dealer is selling 1,2, or 3 yr old non current iron for half of it's original MSRP.
- Quality control. While it is true that a new sled isn't $50K like a new loaded truck, they run about $14000 - 17000 her in Canada, depending on model. For that price you are entitled to a 1,2, or 3 year warranty that is VERY limited, on a machine that is used for 3-5 months (if you're lucky) each year. Most riders may put on 2500 miles in a year max. My truck has a much longer warranty, is worked harder, and has a life expectancy of 300,000 kms if I maintain it. Cost per km (or mile) is far less on the truck, and it serves more then just one purpose.
- If you are brining a product to market, ensure it is ready, and have parts readily available to repair it in a timely fashion. Nothing worse then having a new snowmobile in the shop for half of your riding season, yet you are still making payments on it. All major auto manufacturers offer some sort of concession (rental allowance) to keep you on the road.
- Listen to your dealers, and perhaps your customer base as well, by reading these forums, and then doing something about it. Fix the issues that pop up in a timely fashion. Don't hand build a couple prototypes and then pound out a lesser product to the consumer.
- Spring order pet peeves: offer color choices, better shock packages, and options that we actually want, other then a different color. I realize the aftermarket has to make money too, but I'm tired of having to "fix" your poor designs and quality control at my expense. By gosh, we pay a lot of hard earned money for these machines, and what you call "new features and improvements" every year are simply changes to poor design. Throwing a fancy paint job, stickers, and a different shock caliberation doesn't do it for me. I don't applaud mediocrity.
I'm done with my rant. I've ordered 2 new sleds from different manufacturers this year, and unless they meet at least 2/3 of my expectations, I will be done with this sport, something I've enjoyed actively for 36 years. Manufacturers, you had better start taking better care of the consumer, because this is fast turning into a rich man's (or woman's) sport, and if you lose us, good luck getting newcomers to the sport, especially in light of the world economy. "toy sales" usually take a backseat to food, shelter, and clothing. Food for thought, thank you for your time.
