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Quality is a problem.

Yahoo Message Number: 13356
Having toured one of Country Coach factories this year, I sent them an email about their quality problems. Many years ago I was on the staff of a "big eight"(now "big four") CPA firm as an Industrial Engineer. Every time the audit department found a client having financial problems, we were called in to analysis the operation and recommend solutions. In one case, it was an RV manufacturer. They were having quality and production problems. They wanted us to set standards. After a few days of observing, the problems were very evident. The production workers spent a great deal of time looking at blue prints of the coach they were working on. It seems the sales department reported back on competitors designs and options with the demand that all had to be met. No efficiency was gained and the defects generated were not acceptable. The solution was to determine with an accurate market analysis the best layout and options for any given coach and build them. The sales department then had to sell the improved product without changes, but they still had 20 different models. They built a particular model for a couple of weeks before switching to a new one. The results were a dramatic turn around in profitability and quality. The firm is still in business.
Country Coach builds each unit as a custom and they are proud of it! Mistakes are repeated, hours are wasted reading prints, and the manuals supplied with the coach may or may not reflect what is in it. The quality control at the end appears to be designed to repair only the most obvious defects and let the rest slide in hopes the purchaser will not notice or complain. It takes an inordinate amount of time to build and assembly each coach. I am amazed they operate as well as they do. They have a well intended and intelligent production work force. With so many variables including cost cutting with resultant change in suppliers, it is little wonder that the end product is suffering. No response was received from my email which is typical from a company putting out daily fires without thinking through why the fires occur.

Those of us owning older coaches with most of the bugs worked out may find them more and more valuable in light of the 2007 engine requirements and the serious quality problems with many of the new coaches. John
2002 Allure
#30702

Re: Quality is a problem.

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13358
John,

You might receive a response if you took your email, prepared it as a letter, addressed to Jay Howard or one of the other executives of CC, an mailed it to them. Esp. if you mailed it return receipt requested. >>

It appears that emails don't mean much to executives, but paper letters do get their attention.

Carol

No response was received from my email which
Quote
is typical from a company putting out daily fires without thinking > through why the fires occur.

Those of us owning older coaches with most of the bugs worked out

may
 

Re: Quality is a problem.

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 13359
Re: [Country-Coach-Owners] Quality is a problem. At 04:07 +0000 12/6/04, countryjrc wrote: