Issues with Dowsar Marine Supplies

[rszobel]

I was given a set of stern rail seats for my from a friend who could not use them (sad for him but lucky for me). I called Dowsar to ask them a question about the installation on 2 separate occasions and was basically treated the same way both times - very poorly.

The first time was about a year ago - I did not get seats installed due to major back surgery last summer, but i called them to ask for installation instructions and they told me they did not have any instructions available - end of story - i told them the seats were given to me and they refused to provide me with the instructions. Since then, my friend found the installation instructions and sent them to me. I have all of the original packaging and nothing was even opened up - all still factory brand new.

Last Friday I started to work on the install and was having a lot of difficulty. I called Dowsar again. This time i got the owner on the phone - he answered the call. When i asked him a couple of questions about the install, he immediately asked where i got the seats from and i was honest with him and told him. I explained the situation, that i was given the seats brand new from a friend that purchased them directly from Dowsar. He said he could not help me - that the gentleman who he uses to install them was retired. I asked if he could put me in touch with the gentleman and his exact words to me were - "I am choosing not to help you - I have to go now" and he hung up the phone.

I completely understand that he wants to protect his business and may think that i bought the seats from someone rather than from them directly (I was given them in brand new factory condition - items unopened). I simply could not get the seats to fit right at all and had nowhere to turn.

A little later i realized that my friends boat is a different year albeit an as well. I called back to ask one question - "did the seats change based on the year" - i got someone other than the owner this time. He answered the question and i went on to explain the situation - he put me on the phone with someone else who was nice and said i could send a few pictures and he would contact the installer himself. After he offered to do this for me - i told him about my prior two experiences and he said that i didn't buy them from Dowsar, but that under the circumstances he would do hat he could to help.

After all of this, I realized that one of the flanges on the seat i was working on simply needed to be bent a little bit to get it to fit right - the other seat had the flange pre-bent which is how i clued in to what to do. Now that i bent the flange on the first seat - i can proceed with the install.

I am only posting this because i simply cannot believe that a manufacturer, much less the owner, would treat someone like this and say flat out that they were choosing not to help me. In fact, as a manufacturer, I would want anyone using my product to be sure that it gets installed correctly just to make sure it is safe and that there were no repercussions from incorrect use or installation - even if it was purchased second hand or given as a gift - this is essentiall what my case was - a gift.

Just wanted others to be aware of their customer service - i have purchased other items from them and consider myself a customer. I would at least expect an explanation as to why the manufacturer could not (or would not) help - instead i received unnecessary rudeness.

Dowsar will NEVER see business from me again!

[NiceAft]

Thanks for relaying your experience.

Ray

[sailboatmike]

What many businesses fail to realize these days is poor customer service is akin to pointing a loaded gun at your head. In the modern world people are connected by social media and sites just like this, when once upon a time you may of told a couple of local friends about this experience now you tell the world and unlike your friends who may forget over time a Google search will find this for many years to come.

Companies really need to wake up to themselves, poor customer service will kill your business, maybe not overnight, but its death by a thousand cuts, positive helpful customer service will see your business boom.

[rszobel]

that's my point - some people don't think about how important customer service is today - which is why i posted this in the first place.

Honestly, I just shook my head in disbelief for a couple of hours as i have never had someone come right out and say that they were making a conscious choice not to help. It simply blew me away and i still cannot believe the actions and choice of words that the owner used in response to my inquiry.

Beware of Dowsar!

I hope to see them this October at the Sailboat Show - as i will be there. No confrontation whatsoever - just want to ask a simple question and see what the answer is -- this time around

[Starscream]

I bought my X from Dowsar (2002X bought used in 09).

The salesman was nice but did hurry me off the lot with very incomplete instructions. The starboard trailer tire blew up on the drive home...not their fault technically but the tires were not in good condition and they should have known the risk and been more proactive. In retrospect any experienced X owner would have identified the problem.

I interacted with the owner during the transaction and was a bit surprised by his, let's say, personality. It wasn't specifically bad, but Service and Image (which, combined with Product, will make or break a business) weren't high on the priority list.

I called back a year ago to obtain a copy of the sales transaction, the original of which had faded badly, so that we could federally register our boat with the appropriate docs but was informed that the records weren't kept after a certain (short) period of time. Again, the experience wasn't specifically bad, but it wasn't good either, and left me with the same strange feeling of un-satisfaction.

So, not surprising to hear about this experience. I haven't been back with my dollars either.

[bwygirl]

I am sorry to hear that you had trouble with Dowsar. We have always heard good things of them and have no reason to think they are not helpful. But, sometimes things are busy I guess...I don't know. The stern rail seats we sell are only made for the 26M, which made me think maybe you had a set that was not for your boat at all. But, hopefully you were able to get them installed on your boat. Cheryl

[DaveC426913]

I had a similar encounter with them. I had some questions about the canvas enclosure customized for stern rail seats on my 2000X, thinking it would have come through them.
It didn't, and that was pretty much the end of the conversation. Not technically poor service, but enough that I came away feeling orphaned.

That being said, most other dealings with them have been pretty straightforward and trouble-free.

[Drifter]

What many businesses fail to realize these days is poor customer service is akin to pointing a loaded gun at your head. In the modern world people are connected by social media and sites just like this, when once upon a time you may of told a couple of local friends about this experience now you tell the world and unlike your friends who may forget over time a Google search will find this for many years to come.

Exactly.

I literally just discovered the company from a comment on here, so did a search to ask what was the feeling about that company - and this thread come up.

So sites like this can be great advertisements - for the good OR the bad.

Looks like I'll be sticking with BWY where possible.