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Old 04-30-2019, 11:11 AM   #50
BandB
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City: Fort Lauderdale. Florida, USA
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 21,449
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tom.B View Post

To me it is a no-win. Especially in Eastern NC where it is really hard to get good people to do good work. I WANT to help the small businesses and get a more personalized experience, but that is turning out so poorly for me. Unanswered emails... unreturned phone messages... no-shows... wildly inaccurate estimates... It make me want to scream sometimes. I may just have to either stop trying to do these projects, or open my wallet further than I would like and get big businesses like Jarrett Bay to do all the work I am unable to do... generally just fiberglass work.. (although I don't know they won't just follow the same model).

/rant
I think that's part of the problem many are having, jumping from one small vendor to another, rather than going to those who have the people and the skills and the structure. As I read your first three paragraphs and then the first sentence of the one i quoted above, the first name that came to my mind was Jarrett Bay. I'm sure there are others, but if I was needing service in NC, the first two I'd think of would be Jarrett Bay and Bennett Brothers. Now, I have heard criticism of Jarrett Bay and the waiting time if not a regular customer of theirs. Still, fiberglass work is a great off season job I'd think they or anyone would love to have.

One difference I believe exists in the larger yards versus the small independent is in warranty of their work. With the small independent, if you have an issue, it's the same guy back to fix it. The one who messed up to start. With larger yards, they can escalate it to someone different and often more experienced. They also have the financial resources to allow them to stand behind their work.

As to opening the wallet wider, does it really require doing so? When you go with the types you outline, are you really saving money? Saving in labor rate only is beneficial if you don't require more labor or return trips and aren't deprived of the use of the boat.

I understand why many of you are frustrated with the service you get and as Diver pointed out to my wife, it's far more difficult in many areas. However, selection of yards remains critical wherever you are, if you choose to do one. Definitely, if a yard you choose does a lousy job then DIY looks even more necessary.
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