Problems with ordering from SCAMP plus delivery issues - Page 6 - Fiberglass RV
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Old 08-03-2013, 09:02 AM   #101
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Name: Miranda
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Hman I asked him about options that were available not listed in the printed brochure and their website and used specifically the example of my desire to have crank out windows and he said that everything listed is correct being that is all there is re: options and they equip their campers with and had stopped selling sliding windows on their campers years ago. I've run into this before the last time I called. I just got the impression he knowingly gave me incorrect info to support my choice just a cheap and lazy sales tactic to put it politely. I considered myself a professional in sales and I knew what he was doing. It just ticked me off.

1st Scamp has a dedicated sales department and they sell directly to their customers so it's not like these guys are working at a big RV dealership selling multiple RV brands trying to remember or look up if they don't know regarding all the info from brand to brand what a customer may request. Scamp sells one brand being Scamp and the luxury these sales people have is that not many changes occur from year to year so that sales staff should have it fairly easy regarding being able to help answer customer questions and concerns. Knowing all that and given my background I just have a little less tolerance to having a salesperson giving me answers they pulled out of their rear end or I've finished the phone conversation feeling the need for some password to get the real correct info on what is really available.

I tend to give Parkliner a break knowing that they are new and working hard to get their business going but still coming from a sales background communication is so vital. Even though you may not have the time to fully answer their questions it would be still good to take a little time to touch base in a brief e-mail letting explaining that they are swamped which is great and will answer their questions as soon as they can rather than just leave people hanging wondering what is going on. Scamp is established so they should be on top of this. I'm a little less forgiving. lol

Who knows I might in the end just get an Escape since the model I'd be interested in is a little bigger and their process seems so much easier but I always wanted to go to Backous and see the famous and much loved Scamps. lol
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Old 08-03-2013, 10:34 AM   #102
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Originally Posted by Dakota View Post
Well let me give you a scenario. Lets say you need a new tow vehicle that can safely tow your RV yet be very economical and fill your needs. 3 engines are offered in this vehicle being a 4 cylinder, V6 and a V8. The standard 4 cylinder is known to be slightly underpowered when matched to this particular vehicle but keeps the price down and competitive. The V6 is known to be the most well rounded engine for towing and fuel economy and just happens to be their top selling option by far. The v8 option is more performance oriented but the fuel economy will suffer and it's known to be a gas guzzler which could affect resale especially if fuel prices go up.

You go to a car dealership and let your salesperson know what vehicle and engine your interested in, how you will be using it and what weight range you will be towing. Unfortunately you find out from the salesperson that the dealership is sold out of the V6 option but they have the standard 4 cylinder or v8 available which the salesperson says will work perfectly with your rv and everyday needs.

Basically you realize the dealer is not interested in arranging a dealer trade that day or ordering the v6 equipped vehicle your interested in from the factory in which either option is readily available. Instead that dealer and salesperson are focused in making the sale today and will hammer you on the standard 4 cylinder which being slightly underpowered by itself will really be struggling towing your RV and it will most likely be shortening the engine and drivetrain life besides all the other issues that will arise or they will push the v8 which costs more than the v6 option wise but will be a gas guzzler and is way more vehicle than you need and it's a slow seller which will affect resale in the future.

You repeatedly bring up concerns and your salesperson either ignores them or laughs, shrugs it off and treats you like you are an idiot. That salesperson knows what is best for you and is an expert since he does this every day.

So you know this guy is pulling stuff out of his rear end to put it politely to high pressure you into a vehicle you don't want.

What would you do since there is some shared responsibility?

Go ahead and reluctantly purchase the 4cyl or v8?

Ask for the owner and see if you can bypass your salesperson and go ahead and basically do his job by arranging either a dealer trade or ordering from the factory the v6 equipped vehicle you want and asking the owner to just give you what he would of paid that salesperson for the sale?

Just blow off this knucklehead dealership and find another that will be a easier to deal with and save you time and aggravation?

The example I gave you may be a little extreme but it all comes down to actually listening to the customer and making every attempt to give them what they need whether it be correct information and be sincere and listen to their concerns. This is just fundamental in sales and good customer service.

I really like Scamp and feel it's a great product and price point but it just needs to be tweaked(door seals for example) and updated a little bit rather than the customer having to bear the additional expense and burden to update it themselves to what is trending or now established in the RV industry. Having lived in Minnesota and being next door in South Dakota it almost feel like I'm supporting the home team but the few times I've called them I feel like I'm talking to some old school stereotypical used car salesman wearing an old polyester leisure suit and there is a secret handshake or password needed to get the correct information on what is actually available for options on their trailers not listed in the brochure or website.

Like I've said I'll go up there to Backous in a few weeks and meet their staff face to face and see how it goes hoping it will be a far different experience but if I run into a "stick in the mud" attitude I'll just move on and purchase another brand.
When you find a disinterested salesman, you talk to the owner and ask if he has an interested salesman available. If they try to sell you something you don't want, you politely insist that they do build what you want and that you won't compromise.

I liked the Casita Patriot, I contacted them and was pretty much told that "having it my way" was an option only advertised at Burger King.
They also insisted that I would be unhappy with the Patriot anyway and that I should consider at least their 16 if not their 17.

I then contacted Scamp and found a world of choices and a salesman who worked to get it my way. The only glitch was when I said I wanted a pair of cabinets not offered.I thought "what does Custom mean anyway?"
So I contacted the cabinet shop and arranged to have them built.

Developing a hypothetical situation as you have above is pretty much the same as developing a real life situation. You put together a bunch of assumptions and act on them.
Usually you get what you expect. If not, tell them what you want!
whether it is a sliding window over the kitchen or just more attention and deference.

Don't buy something you don't want, but don't let a few silly obstacles prevent you from getting what you want.
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Old 08-03-2013, 10:43 AM   #103
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That's how I felt Dakota and actually changed my first sales person after the first call. Good points on them not having much of a challenge knowing their product. As noted many times, communicating that knowledge in a helpful professional manner is the real issue. Relative to their...time....if they would update their brochures and web site to include ALL possible options and include prices, we wouldn't have to keep calling to get these answers, thus granting potential customers time to evaluate their needs and, in the end, make less yet more informative phone calls to the sales dept. this would save everyone involved 'time'.
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Old 08-03-2013, 10:44 AM   #104
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Hey Floyd, I basically had the same experience from a different salesperson at Scamp about a year ago or maybe a little longer. It sounds like you have had an excellent experience with them so is there a password I should use when I call them prior to my visit to Backous so I can cut through the BS? lol I'm just kidding.

When I get to Backous it will be during a weekday so I can check out the factory and try and make sure the owner is there so I can try and visit with him while I'm there. I'll definitely give him an opportunity.

Can I say Floyd sent me?
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Old 08-03-2013, 10:48 AM   #105
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I suspect Floyd, seeing the overwhelming evidence, from multiple people, on these 8 pages combined with other sites, much has changed in the sales process in the 13 years since you purchased a new one.
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Old 08-03-2013, 10:51 AM   #106
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Use Floyd's employee password...lol!
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Old 08-03-2013, 10:56 AM   #107
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Oops fat fingers on my keyboard...9 years. Dakota, it's great you will be able to express all our comments directly to the owner. Thank you for doing so on behalf of all future prospective buyers
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Old 08-03-2013, 11:08 AM   #108
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Hey Floyd, I basically had the same experience from a different salesperson at Scamp about a year ago or maybe a little longer. It sounds like you have had an excellent experience with them so is there a password I should use when I call them prior to my visit to Backous so I can cut through the BS? lol I'm just kidding.

When I get to Backous it will be during a weekday so I can check out the factory and try and make sure the owner is there so I can try and visit with him while I'm there. I'll definitely give him an opportunity.

Can I say Floyd sent me?
Please do tell them Floyd sent you! And that I said you are a valued customer!
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Old 08-03-2013, 11:30 AM   #109
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I suspect Floyd, seeing the overwhelming evidence, from multiple people, on these 8 pages combined with other sites, much has changed in the sales process in the 13 years since you purchased a new one.
It's been only 9 years.
Please read post #89 again, I have pretty much kept abreast of the situation.
Fortunately, not much has changed except the recent attempt to incorporate some of the electronic communication playthings like facebook, twitter, and the internet, all of which "see through a glass darkly". these things can supplement the process, but all, unfortunately, are poor substitutes for "face to face".
I can see this conversation is at an impasse...As the great lyric poet Paul Simon once said...."All lies in jest, Still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest"
Perhaps that is true of each of us, but as for me... maybe Kodachrome is best....
So here is my last word on this thread....
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Old 08-03-2013, 12:03 PM   #110
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New kid on the block....
I think Escape DID learn from Scamp ....
It's often not who enters the market first, it's who gets it "most right". Google was not the first search engine, Facebook not the first social networking site. Anyone remember AltaVista or still use MySpace?

The other key is recognizing your market. Cadillac and Chevy don't compete for the same customers as a rule. I think to some extent the same may be true of Escape and Scamp considering the price difference. Looks like Parkliner may be aiming for a market between the two.

I agree with Dakota that sales people need to know their product. Well enough to deal with knowledgeable customers, and help the less knowledgeable make an informed decision.

Without debating the supposed cost of an employee, it's pretty simple would a part-time person to support customer communications increase sales enough to pay their cost and yield a profit. Now if Scamp is running at production capacity and can not sell more trailers the short term answer is the additional hire is not a good move. Long term may be a different story. By the time a damaged reputation hurts sales to the point of creating surplus production capacity it may be even less affordable, and more critical.

Options can generate sales and profits OR tie up capitol and lose money. So the options need to be those that the market served will purchase fast enough to generate a return on investment. Reason stores sell items going out of season at or below cost is to free up the capitol invested to purchase goods appropriate to the coming season which they can sell at a profit.

Some items such as LED lights, while a valued option for boondock camping may have too small a market segment to warrant stocking the parts. Consider the number of manufactures of RV's that offer 100% electric as an option. Or things like microwaves that are only of use if you don't boondock. Others such as AC or awnings may allow fast enough turn over of stock to warrant investment. If I could make more profit putting the money in T-Bills not much point putting it on the shelf in my warehouse.

I guess if I was Scamp I would love to have a 6 month waiting list, running at full production capacity, and plenty of customers wanting to get on that list.
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Old 08-03-2013, 12:07 PM   #111
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I think it is worth mentioning Kodachrome is no longer available, can not even be processed since the special developing chemicals are not made anymore. One could even say Kodak as a company kind of focused on what they had always done and got left behind by the advent of the digital camera.
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Old 08-03-2013, 01:05 PM   #112
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Exactly Roger. We moved to Gulf Shores from Knoxville, Tn and I traveled to Kingsport on many occasions for many years. I watched the slow and painful deterioration of Eastman Kodak and knew some of their MGT team. They were stubborn and stayed their course while the world moved on past them...sound familiar! They didn't listen to the majority, but kept looking through rose colored glasses. It has devastated the area with the loss of jobs and the factory is an eyesore now. A truly objective man is one who listens and hears all sides, then ajusts his course of action. Blind loyality, and lack of progressive business practices, will ultimately lead to the decline of any company no matter how long they have been in business. Dakota....carry the message, for all those who are rooting FOR Scamp to continue to prosper
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Old 08-03-2013, 02:19 PM   #113
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Thanks for the video Floyd; it made my day.
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Old 08-03-2013, 02:36 PM   #114
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Originally Posted by Hman66 View Post
Dakota....carry the message, for all those who are rooting FOR Scamp to continue to prosper
Absolutely, positively absolutely
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Old 08-20-2013, 02:12 PM   #115
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Adrian...you cracked me up. Ok, update, today we received the DVD in the mail and much to my surprise and wonderment, my wife liked the non deluxe (wood) interior and felt just the fiberglass and wood looked fine. This is obviously much less expensive...less weight, a concern with our Jeep wrangler and...maybe we can get it sooner!! Now, we will see Monday if I can communicate our change in our order once we actually got to see one, at least via a DVD. Its only been 3 days thus far so...I'm hopeful. I was thinking about adding the heat strip on the AC for $80. Any thoughts on this one vs carrying a small ceramic heater. Being the...non Syracuse type...it can get chilly at night in the winter down here.
I have a Jeep Wrangler JKU and I also am looking at the Scamp or Casita 16 model. I visited both factories and the Scamp sales center is old school, I haven’t called to work up a price yet because I am still between the two makes. I like that the Casita doesn’t put the AC on the roof and it has a bit smaller profile but the Scamp with the wood has a much bigger bed and I think the bed is winning out over MPGs. Please let me know how you do with your purchase and how your Jeep does with it.
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Old 08-20-2013, 02:30 PM   #116
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Scamp is definitely easier to deal with in person.. we are fortunate to live only 5 hours from the factory so it was easy to do the deal in person.
When we did have problems they were taken care of without hassle or question.
This past winter we had a convertor problem and Kent helped us solve it over the phone.
Having said all that.. we bought a new Casita this year and dealing with them over email, telephone and in person was much better
I am looking at both a 16, or 17 Casita or a Scamp 16, what are your thoughts on your experience with the two.
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Old 08-20-2013, 02:42 PM   #117
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Limited experience with the new Casita but we are enjoying it. Hard to compare a 13 Scamp to a 17 Casita Deluxe Model. They just aren't even comparable.
The Scamp is a great trailer and lives up to the heritage of a fun camping experience while the Casita is more like a traditional travel trailer only it's molded fiberglass.
I think the quality control is better at Casita.
I would think in your tv situation a Scamp is probably better suited. The Scamp will have a lower profile for towing and will be lighter depending on how you option it out.
We live about 6 hours from the Scamp factory but choose Casita. We toured the Escape factory last year as well but just didn't like them.
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Old 08-20-2013, 03:07 PM   #118
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Limited experience with the new Casita but we are enjoying it. Hard to compare a 13 Scamp to a 17 Casita Deluxe Model. They just aren't even comparable.
The Scamp is a great trailer and lives up to the heritage of a fun camping experience while the Casita is more like a traditional travel trailer only it's molded fiberglass.
I think the quality control is better at Casita.
I would think in your tv situation a Scamp is probably better suited. The Scamp will have a lower profile for towing and will be lighter depending on how you option it out.
We live about 6 hours from the Scamp factory but choose Casita. We toured the Escape factory last year as well but just didn't like them.
Thanks, for the reply. We looked at a Casita 17 today it was used but well taken care of.
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Old 08-20-2013, 09:15 PM   #119
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Will do Keith...pm me with any questions.
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