Discussion
Bad news always travels faster than good, and all too often we are more than happy to tell anyone who will listen about bad customer service.
It is for this reason that I want to tell anyone who will listen/read about what I consider to be fantastic customer service from Phil Raby from what could so easily have been another one of those bad experience situations.
About 10 weeks ago I found myself in the position to be able to obtain my dream car, a 996 C4S.
The deal was done with Phil and off home I went. A few weeks later and I am reading one of the Porsche monthlies where my suspiciouns were awoken to sooting around the left tail pipe. Being a worrier I had a bore scope conducted on cylinders 4,5 and 6, only to have my fears confirmed. The cylinders were scored.
On my way home I pulled over to call Phil and tell him what had happened. This was the point that I was expecting things to turn sour and every reason under the sun to come out about how it was down to me to sort out and to use the warranty that had been provided with the car to get back what money I could.
I couldn't have been more wrong. In his usual calm way he told me to get an approximate price on the rectification and get back to him.
For me the only people that I wanted to conduct the work were Hartech and so got an approximate price and contacted Phil to tell him, but to also suggest that he spoke to them directly which he did. To my astonishment later the same day I get a 'phone call from Phil to say that he has arranged with Hartech for them to collect the car from my home address 2 days later on the back of a lorry and that he was going to pay for the work. Could this really be right?
No denying any form of responsibility? No going for sharing of costs? All arranged and off to the garage within 72 hours? Could this really be just good old fashion customer service?
The simple answer is yes. It was.
The guys at Hartech were fantastic especially Grant who really must have been bored (no pun intended) with my constant 'phone calls to see how things were going and to add jobs to the list (at my expense), whilst they were there.
Yesterday I had the 4 hour drive to Bolton to pick the car up, (I wanted to see Hartech's set up for myself), and the long journey back home again in my dream car. A 996 C4S with almost every modification that Hartech offer done to the engine.
Whilst the guys at Hartech were fantastic it is without doubt the speed and professionalism that I experienced with Philip Raby that has stood out as one of those rare moments in this day and age where I feel compelled to shout about the customer service that I recieved, and believe that a main dealer wouldn't have been able to have been so proactive so quickly.
I have no idea if Phil is active on the forums (I know that he advertises on Ph), but just wanted to share my experience and give someone a pat on the back in an industry where good customer service isn't always acknowledged.
Stu.
It is for this reason that I want to tell anyone who will listen/read about what I consider to be fantastic customer service from Phil Raby from what could so easily have been another one of those bad experience situations.
About 10 weeks ago I found myself in the position to be able to obtain my dream car, a 996 C4S.
The deal was done with Phil and off home I went. A few weeks later and I am reading one of the Porsche monthlies where my suspiciouns were awoken to sooting around the left tail pipe. Being a worrier I had a bore scope conducted on cylinders 4,5 and 6, only to have my fears confirmed. The cylinders were scored.
On my way home I pulled over to call Phil and tell him what had happened. This was the point that I was expecting things to turn sour and every reason under the sun to come out about how it was down to me to sort out and to use the warranty that had been provided with the car to get back what money I could.
I couldn't have been more wrong. In his usual calm way he told me to get an approximate price on the rectification and get back to him.
For me the only people that I wanted to conduct the work were Hartech and so got an approximate price and contacted Phil to tell him, but to also suggest that he spoke to them directly which he did. To my astonishment later the same day I get a 'phone call from Phil to say that he has arranged with Hartech for them to collect the car from my home address 2 days later on the back of a lorry and that he was going to pay for the work. Could this really be right?
No denying any form of responsibility? No going for sharing of costs? All arranged and off to the garage within 72 hours? Could this really be just good old fashion customer service?
The simple answer is yes. It was.
The guys at Hartech were fantastic especially Grant who really must have been bored (no pun intended) with my constant 'phone calls to see how things were going and to add jobs to the list (at my expense), whilst they were there.
Yesterday I had the 4 hour drive to Bolton to pick the car up, (I wanted to see Hartech's set up for myself), and the long journey back home again in my dream car. A 996 C4S with almost every modification that Hartech offer done to the engine.
Whilst the guys at Hartech were fantastic it is without doubt the speed and professionalism that I experienced with Philip Raby that has stood out as one of those rare moments in this day and age where I feel compelled to shout about the customer service that I recieved, and believe that a main dealer wouldn't have been able to have been so proactive so quickly.
I have no idea if Phil is active on the forums (I know that he advertises on Ph), but just wanted to share my experience and give someone a pat on the back in an industry where good customer service isn't always acknowledged.
Stu.
Ginos said:
A good story, and he deserves the plug.
What mods did you get done?
Thanks Ginos.What mods did you get done?
On top of the work paid for by Phil which included the removing and stripping of the engine, the fitting of 3 new cylinders, 3 new pistons, crank shaft oil jets, gaskets and seals including the RMS, crank shaft thrust bearings, spark plugs and low temperature thermostat, I also went for an overhaul of the cylinder heads (skim, de-coke heads & valves, re-lap valves and seats.) Re-ground bank 1 cylinders and the fitting of restraining rings. New timing chain set, cam to cam chain guide rail kit, crank to intermediate chain horseshoe guide, 3 cam to intermediate shaft chain rails, new intermediate shaft , the other 3 pistons, crank shaft main and big end bearings, new air/oil separator and 6 new ignition coils.
Stu.
Thanks everyone.
For me it had to be the 4s just because of the shape of the back end.
I really do hope that Phil does get something off the back of this, as has been stated forums can so easily ruin reputations (just look at the M96 engine!), so it would be good to be able to enhance a reputation for a change.
For me it had to be the 4s just because of the shape of the back end.
I really do hope that Phil does get something off the back of this, as has been stated forums can so easily ruin reputations (just look at the M96 engine!), so it would be good to be able to enhance a reputation for a change.
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