Thor’s customer service

[Sundance1]

It’s a shame how long your on hold 45 minutes or more. Then to find out your part order is on someone else’s desk. Now three weeks have past. Crazy. Waiting for 45 or more minutes should tell everyone the quality of MHs have gone down hill. If you have that many calls five days a week. Not Good.

[Bob Denman]

Try sending them emails: it couldn't hurt...

[EA37TS]

RV industry is not alone. I have been trying to get a copy of the Service Invoice for my LG fridge since January. Apparently after numerous emails and phone calls to include to the CEO of LGE they can’t get their service contractor to provide a service invoice. At least Thor try’s to respond.

[Scubawise]

If you email or press 1 for a call back it is quick

[Sundance1]

That’s a joke after waiting three days I called back and waited the 55 minutes to talk to someone and she promised she would email me within 24 hrs. Well day three no emails. Bad customer service period

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Bob Denman

Try sending them emails: it couldn't hurt...

Or letting some air out of tires before calling?

[dkoldman]

Originally Posted by Sundance1

It’s a shame how long your on hold 45 minutes or more. Then to find out your part order is on someone else’s desk. Now three weeks have past. Crazy. Waiting for 45 or more minutes should tell everyone the quality of MHs have gone down hill. If you have that many calls five days a week. Not Good.

I actually think that is about par these days for companies like that. I have called Winnebago and they answered right away and I have called them where I went into queue #12 in line But when I call I expect a hold; so I have speakerphone and a plan to work on something else.

i.e I called Winnebago last week wanting to know what type of urethane sealant was used to seal the electrical and gas line behind my Norcold fridge. It was about 3:30pm CDT. They asked me many time to call back, but I prefer to wait. At around 4:00 they started reminding me they close at 4:30 pm CDT They took my call about 4:10pm CDT. They answered my question and all was good. The time you calls matters greatly. Next time ask Thor was is their best day and time for calls if you want a quick pickup?

[DavidEM]

Originally Posted by Scubawise

If you email or press 1 for a call back it is quick

Really!!!!

David

[Sundance1]

Perhaps I didn’t explain myself better. The option 1 call back is a joke. They don’t call back along with emails this is day four and I am still waiting on an email. Who ever said check the peek hours that’s a joke. Don’t any one wonder why the phone lines are always busy ????

[Judge]

I think you need to put things into perspective.....

I am on my second Thor coach. The one reason I have stuck with them is their customer service has been excellent in my case (as compared to dealer customer service) even though I have had more than my fair share of issues with two coaches. They have been responsive on the phone and e-mail. They honored my requests to ship me parts under warranty so I could do my own repairs, etc. They got me scheduled into the Thor Service Center a couple times.


Now introduce a pandemic and a huge influx of people new to RV'ing saying.... "Hey.... let's buy an RV and we can still have a life and be isolated. We've never owned one but how hard can it be? You just get in a drive to where you want to go and live like your home but in the outdoors!"

So the RV industry becomes overwhelmed in a 12 month period with sales they never forecasted. That means more customer service needed and the people to handle it. Hiring people and training takes a lot of time and effort so there is at least a 6 - 12 month lag in ramping up support to meet the unexpected demand.

Then add a boat load of newbies who are mostly clueless and have to call with questions about how their coach works (because the dealers spent about 15 minutes going over everything and now the new owner should be an expert).

Then there is the well known issue of a lack of quality and workmanship across 90% of the RV industry. Add having to make more units faster with even more unskilled labor and the quality and workmanship drops even more. Now there is an even bigger need for more customer service people because more things are breaking or not working as they should.

Then factor in that Thor and thousand of other companies can't get people to work because unemployment benefits have been extended and supplemented so many times I've lost count and the government thinks money grows on trees so lets just keep mailing people checks.... and the end result is people don't want to go out and work because they are living off those of us who do and pay taxes.

Here in Cape Coral we have had trouble with trash pickup and some people not getting their track picked up for weeks. Waste Pro can't get people to work so they are seriously understaffed. They have tried everyting including hiring recruiters. They can't get CDL drivers (who generally make well over $50K/year) or attendants who get full benefits including medical and a 401(k), bonuses and training to get their CDL so they can advance or even change companies and make more somewhere else with the CDL they earned while working as an attendant.

I cannot totally blame Thor if their customer service has dropped off significantly. When you look at all of the above factors, most of it is out of their control and is going to take time to fix.

Now I don't give them a pass on crappy quality control and workmanship but that is an issue the entire industry has had for a very long time... and the pandemic is only making it worse.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by Sundance1

Perhaps I didn’t explain myself better. The option 1 call back is a joke. They don’t call back along with emails this is day four and I am still waiting on an email. Who ever said check the peek hours that’s a joke. Don’t any one wonder why the phone lines are always busy ????

Based on your original post this is about the status of parts. Who ordered the parts and why aren't they getting the status updates and keeping you informed? You did not order the parts from Thor and the only reason Thor would send you the parts is if they agreed to send you parts so you can perform your own warranty repairs which they authorized.

How long has the RV been at the dealer waiting for parts and what warranty repairs are required?

[jjoster56]

Judge pretty much nailed it! We just returned from a two week trip and in every state they were begging people to go back to work. Everyone is short staffed. And the supply chains are still really disrupted. Components to make simple things are just not yet readily available.

I have found the best way not to drive myself crazy is to take advantage of the call back option (banks, Comcast, Thor, etc). I put the cell on speaker and finish a couple of other tasks while waiting for the return call. I usually get a friendly, helpful CS agent who has been able to help. A bit of patience also helps being thankful that they are still working and trying to help!

[The_Breeze]

I have to third that. While I chose to wait, when the rep (Sam) got on the phone, he went over and above and helped me talk through what I was trying to accomplish as well as providing alternatives.

I'm not writing for everyone and personally found attitude is everything. Walk with a chip on your shoulder and that shows - either physically or verbally. If I get some chump on the other end of a phone conversation, I'm more likely to hang up and call back in hopes of getting someone more pleasant. Just my personal experience.

[EA37TS]

We had an Entegra/Jayco Service Center visit scheduled for the beginning of the pandemic last year. That appointment got rescheduled until August and in the meantime I was getting no info from my Service Advisor. As the visit day started getting closer I called Jayco and was told that my assigned service advisor and customer service representative had both failed to come back to work when recalled. According to the person I talked to about 25 percent of their overall staff refused to return to work.

My service visit did happen but it took them a day or two longer to do what was needed.

Even the big names such as Entegra are having issues although they tend to hide the problems a little better.

Also, and this is to the heart of the OPs issue, look or read about the number of folks that are experiencing delivery date problems with RVs because of parts shortages.

[The_Breeze]

Originally Posted by Judge

...cut...

Then factor in that Thor and thousand of other companies can't get people to work because unemployment benefits have been extended and supplemented so many times I've lost count and the government thinks money grows on trees so lets just keep mailing people checks.... and the end result is people don't want to go out and work because they are living off those of us who do and pay taxes.

Hit the nail on the head with this paragraph

[Scubawise]

I have had 100% success with call back from Thor

[Edensob]

I too have used the email call back route with good success. Not the fastest but at least they get back to you.

[CDA]

I have called and optioned for a call back a couple of times and within less than an hour they called me back. Now I have spent 1 hr each time on the phone with them, so I can see how the hold times are long.

[TripleGGG]

This times 10. And for most businesses right now.

Originally Posted by Judge

I think you need to put things into perspective.....

I am on my second Thor coach. The one reason I have stuck with them is their customer service has been excellent in my case (as compared to dealer customer service) even though I have had more than my fair share of issues with two coaches. They have been responsive on the phone and e-mail. They honored my requests to ship me parts under warranty so I could do my own repairs, etc. They got me scheduled into the Thor Service Center a couple times.


Now introduce a pandemic and a huge influx of people new to RV'ing saying.... "Hey.... let's buy an RV and we can still have a life and be isolated. We've never owned one but how hard can it be? You just get in a drive to where you want to go and live like your home but in the outdoors!"

So the RV industry becomes overwhelmed in a 12 month period with sales they never forecasted. That means more customer service needed and the people to handle it. Hiring people and training takes a lot of time and effort so there is at least a 6 - 12 month lag in ramping up support to meet the unexpected demand.

Then add a boat load of newbies who are mostly clueless and have to call with questions about how their coach works (because the dealers spent about 15 minutes going over everything and now the new owner should be an expert).

Then there is the well known issue of a lack of quality and workmanship across 90% of the RV industry. Add having to make more units faster with even more unskilled labor and the quality and workmanship drops even more. Now there is an even bigger need for more customer service people because more things are breaking or not working as they should.

Then factor in that Thor and thousand of other companies can't get people to work because unemployment benefits have been extended and supplemented so many times I've lost count and the government thinks money grows on trees so lets just keep mailing people checks.... and the end result is people don't want to go out and work because they are living off those of us who do and pay taxes.

Here in Cape Coral we have had trouble with trash pickup and some people not getting their track picked up for weeks. Waste Pro can't get people to work so they are seriously understaffed. They have tried everyting including hiring recruiters. They can't get CDL drivers (who generally make well over $50K/year) or attendants who get full benefits including medical and a 401(k), bonuses and training to get their CDL so they can advance or even change companies and make more somewhere else with the CDL they earned while working as an attendant.

I cannot totally blame Thor if their customer service has dropped off significantly. When you look at all of the above factors, most of it is out of their control and is going to take time to fix.

Now I don't give them a pass on crappy quality control and workmanship but that is an issue the entire industry has had for a very long time... and the pandemic is only making it worse.