Recommended service people forum?

I was thinking that it would be nice to have a list of recommended service people in various locations. To me at least having people I can trust and depend on to do good work on my boat is very important. There are lots of wrenches, sewers and polishers but where do you go for a really good one in your area?

I guess what I have in mind is sort of an Angies list of people that you can personally confirm a long successful experience with. Not some guy you used once and never saw again or met on the dock but someone you have dealt with over several years and can confirm their work and area of specialization.


Does the group here think this would be worth a try?

Even if a marina is recommended...it may be important to name the service tech/mechanic as experience/talent can vary within a marina or shop.

The nice thing to now is will the marina stand behind it's work or fight every step of rectifying a botched job...but always better to have the right guy do it right the first time.

I think the list is really done 2 ways...go through the trouble of keeping up a list that may become outdated quickly or just post what you need and where you are and see if you get a response that's recent. I kinda thought that's what forums were all about when I started.

If I'm a local..chances are I'm going with word of mouth from locals I trust rather than the internet. When travelling...sometimes that's the best we all can do though.

And by the title I was expecting enlisted and officers....Service People....

I have a pretty good bunch here on the Treasure Coast. Electricians, Electronics, plumbing, air conditioning...all have been good tutors. No engine. One thing. If they are an established business and survived the downturn, that says something.

Other than bottom jobs I don't use marina shops because it is hard to control who actually does the work. I have an engine guy and a canvas guy that I recommend highly. AC and electronics less so.

bayview said:

I was thinking that it would be nice to have a list of recommended service people in various locations. To me at least having people I can trust and depend on to do good work on my boat is very important. There are lots of wrenches, sewers and polishers but where do you go for a really good one in your area?

I guess what I have in mind is sort of an Angies list of people that you can personally confirm a long successful experience with. Not some guy you used once and never saw again or met on the dock but someone you have dealt with over several years and can confirm their work and area of specialization.


Does the group here think this would be worth a try?

Click to expand...

It would be like Internet reviews of restaurants and other businesses. People could enlist their friends to post good reviews of their business and bad reviews of the competition. Besides, some people don't know the difference between good service and bad service. There's the guy who installs a brand new widget and charges the customer $500 and the other guy who repairs the existing widget for $100. Which is the better deal? Many people aren't aware that widgets can be repaired and the first guy may not know how to repair one.

Ron:
Maybe you are correct and people are too stupid or corrupt to give intelligent recommendations. I guess we will have to stick to the dartboard.

Bayview,
Don't give up yet. Interesting idea!

It is an interesting idea but Ron outlined perhaps the biggest problem, dishonesty. Not implying our forum regulars would be at all. We often have threads with folks asking for recommendations in specific areas.

Professionals often Google their own name to see what's being said. If they find negative reviews about themselves here they'll sign up and stink the place up, often times anonymously. Your best bet is when you have a specific need do a quick search then start a thread and ask if you don't find what you need. There's a day old thread here that's already sussed out the best of the best PNW surveyors.

Maybe Jeff could give it some thought for ActiveCaptain?


1983 Present 42 Sundeck
Twin Lehman 135's

An individual post asking for suggestions only gets viewed by those on line at that time. Something that retains info for a longer time might be more helpful.

bayview said:

An individual post asking for suggestions only gets viewed by those on line at that time. Something that retains info for a longer time might be more helpful.

Click to expand...

I see it as exactly the opposite...dated info is just that....

Indeed information that is too old may be obsolete however some people seem to refresh their reputation frequently.