Quote Originally Posted by Hamma View Post
I'll start a new thread when our boat goes back in the water - but this one point, above all others - drives me nuts.

When the people working at these marine companies deal with their own domestic issues (insurance, boilers, Tescos etc) do they expect and put up with 1970s service?

When their builder doesn't turn up for the third day in a row do they call him and say: "That's OK mate, I don't mind. I work at Foxs so I fully endorse failing to contact the client and missing deadlines as a corporate methodology."?

It would seem only a very small intellectual leap to apply their standards as a customer to their delivery to their own customers.

My experience seems to be that many of them have not made that leap.
Could it be that in the spring every single person at Crusader is busy all day every day making sails for impatient customers? Deal with them at a reasonable time of year and you'll find they are quite chatty - I had a tour of the factory when I picked up my sail because at that time of year they were quiet.
You'll find Tesco at mid day on a Saturday is a similar experience and you have to wait your turn but from what I hear they are doing remarkably well for themselves despite this lack of customer care during busy periods.