Suncoast designers glass

[Grizz]

As mentioned in a previous post, I'm reporting on my experience yesterday at Suncoast glass in Hudson, FL.

After having a chance to look over the job in dry weather, I retract all the nice things I said about their work.

Here are a couple of examples. Peeled paint, damaged paint, cement on a blind, etc.

1353313534

[Grizz]

I don't know why the photos turn 90 degrees.

I have other photos of damage that Suncoast did while doing the glass work. When I was there and when leaving it was raining so I didn't see the peeled paint and chips, etc. before leaving their lot.

[coreygrubb]

Joe, let us know what they say. I was thinking about going there some time this winter to get the slightly foggy windows on the front and rear windows of the front slide fixed. I think we'll live with a while yet. Geo.

[Grizz]

Here is a response from Suncoast and below that is my answer to them


On Dec 17, 2014, at 9:57 AM, Jeff Heyen <jheyen@ccwindow.com> wrote:



Mr. Bottieri,I want to apologize for the damages caused during the repairs. I do want to inform you that based on the picture, it looks like it could be black caulk on the blinds, there would be no reason for cement to be in your RV, however I brought this to my managers attention and he has informed me to request that you go ahead and send us the bill for the blind replacement. In regards to the paint, what we use for the window template is painters tape, if your paint job was done correctly it wouldn't remove any of the paint. Therefore, unfortunately, there is nothing we are able to do for the paint. If there is anything else i can help you with, please, do not hesitate to ask.
Thank you,
Taylor




First, I'll inform Marathon about their paint quality. Second, the paint chips weren't there before you worked on the coach as I had personally touched up every nick and chip the weekend before heading to Hudson. Third, the cement on the blind is exactly the same as what is smeared on the paint below the window. It's not caulk. It won't come off either place.


I plan to be in Clearwater at Parliament coach the afternoon of the 8th of January (http://forum.prevostownersgroup.com/x-apple-data-detectors://0). You are welcome to come see the job in person. There's more mess than visible in the photos.


Joe Bottieri

Sent from my iPad

[Pete]

Grizz, I am sorry if my positive post about Suncoast encouraged you to use them for your glass issue. There have been several positive posts on this site about Suncoast. My only contact with them was by telephone, and I removed and re-installed the glass in my coach after sending the glass by UPS for repair. They could not have been any more helpful in all aspects.

[Grizz]

No Pete, I already had an appointment before reading your comment.

They fell down on this job from the beginning when I was told it took 24 hours and I'd be out of there. When I got there they told me minimum two days maybe three. I told them because of my time schedule I couldn't do the job and would have to come back, they jumped on it and got it done within the 24 hours. (Apparently the lady who made the appointment didn't hear Prevost when we talked.) They were very slow that Monday morning and didn't want to lose the job, so they got it done.

It appears to me the tech failed to 'cut' the paint from the Butal along the forward edge of the door window and pulled the paint off with it. That's the only area where the paint came off. They claim it came off with masking tape because Marathon did a poor paint job.

Whatever they used to glue the glass in with they got on the blind and some on the paint and there's no getting it off either.

They have a good reputation, but most of their work is on coaches with removable window frames so they remove and install the glass in the shop not while on the coach.

I should have spent the extra money and done the job at Prevost. Now it will cost me more than that to repair the damage they did.

i do not recommend them for Prevost glass repairs.

If they are really concerned about their reputation they will come look at the job next month when we are in Clearwater. I'll post the results.

[Grizz]

Here's the final correspondence with Suncoast. You can draw your own conclusion

(Obviously three quotes on a Marathon part is not possible.)

We are concerned with the quality of work coming out of our facility. If you desire us to look at the work, then you will have to bring the coach back to our facility. We do not have a mobile team of any sort and therefore only work out of our facility. We are also aware that Marathon produces a quality product, however we have worked on many Prevosts and this is not a typical issue. We are not accusing Marathon, it is whomever is responsible for the paint, whether it is Marathon or someone else. Regardless of whether it was raining or not, you signed off on it, it is not our fault that you did not more closely inspect your coach. In regards to the blind, we will require three quotes from three separate companies. Thank you,


JEFF HEYENGeneral Manager
jheyen@ccwindow.com

SUNCOAST DESIGNERS
*Custom Windows*RV Window Repair
15050 Labor Place (http://forum.prevostownersgroup.com/x-apple-data-detectors://2/0)
Hudson, FL 34667 (http://forum.prevostownersgroup.com/x-apple-data-detectors://2/0)
727-868-2773 (tel:727-868-2773) Office
727-862-4732 (tel:727-862-4732) Fax
www.suncoastdesigners.com (http://www.suncoastdesigners.com/)
AMERICA'S #1 RV GLASS SPECIALISTS


Subject: Re: Lousy workmanship
From: bottieri@me.com
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2014 10:43:08 -0700
To: jheyen@ccwindow.com

Jeff


I didn't ask you to repair the paint. I've brought this all to your attention because It was my impression that you are concerned with quality and would be interested in seeing some of what leaves your business if it wasn't top quality.


Your comment about my touching up stone chips has no relation to peeling off paint, and Marathon Coach does not put out shoddy paint jobs.


I don't know what the technical term is for the compound that is on my paint and blind, but it's also on the glass. I called it cement, but regardless of what you call it - it's there and got put there by your people. Take a good look at the photos and you'll see it smeared on the glass and down onto the paint.


Yes, I signed off on the job - in the rain which made it impossible to see the problems.


I've invited you to come see for yourself. If you really care about what your shop is producing, you should take that offer before claiming it wasn't done by your people.


I've contacted Marathon about a new blind and will get back to you with the cost.


Joe Bottieri

Sent from my iPad

On Dec 18, 2014, at 10:12 AM, Jeff Heyen <jheyen@ccwindow.com> wrote:



First, i want to inform you that it clearly states in your warranty about the responsibility for paint damages, which you signed stating your understanding of this warranty agreement. In addition, you signed our checklist stating that you were satisfied with the work done prior to you leaving our facility. Due to the damages to the paint, it is clear that you have a very shotty paint job, which is an issue to take up with those responsible for your paint job, not us. In addition, the fact that you touched up the paint yourself, you have already admitted that you had damage to the paint, prior to ever entering our facility. Therefore we are not responsible for any of the damages mentioned. In lite of this, and the fact that we do not use cement, nor anything like cement, we have still offered to replace those blinds, despite the fact that it is not our responsibility. Thank you,



JEFF HEYEN

[coreygrubb]

Well... now we know. Suncoast has a plastic coach mentality and evidently doesn't care, We'll stick with Prevost, Jeff at ETLC and Parliament, thank you very much. Geo.

[cthalfman]

So basically he is saying if they screw up your coach and you don't catch it when you pick it up it is not their fault. Wow! Is the only conclusion I can draw. Did they all high five and say "we are in the clear on screwing that one up" as you drove away?

[TG Transport]

I took my coach (2003 Xlii) to them two years ago to "fix" one of the hinged windows in our salon. I was somewhat unimpressed when I got there the night before but shrugged it off. That night I talked to two or three of the campers who had various windows out. All said the process was taking longer than they had been led to believe. The day of was the crowning blow. Two workers knocked on my door at least 2 hours after they opened and started the process of removing the window. They used no interior protection on the sill or furniture underneath. Their ladders outside were dangerously close to my paint job and had no protection on the corners. One said they had never done a "preeevoste" (phonetic spelling) before. After an hour of banging and prying I got cold feet and asked them to stop. My pneumatic hinge has not worked well since.

Subsequently I had the glass panel replaced at Prevost in Nashville. They gave me a time and material estimate and completed the work 3 hours under their quote. Although it was three or four times more than the Suncoast "fix" would have been, I know it was done properly and I'm happy to be sitting in my euro-recliner looking out a clear window. I guess this once again proves that, at least usually, you get exactly what you pay for.

That said, and after reading the above, I feel bad for not sharing this experience with the forum at that time.

[Gil_J]

Wow! I've been in sales, service, and end customer support for a long time selling multi-million dollar networks. Maybe window guys are different. I will say not all customers are right and some customers are better being someone else's customer. In this case, I can't see any hostility on Joe's part. So, if one of my customer facing members ever came across with a message like this, "Regardless of whether it was raining or not, you signed off on it, it is not our fault that you did not more closely inspect your coach", they would likely be looking for a job.

Why have so many service focused companies gotten rid of their quality assurance person? I see similar dissatisfaction posted here and other unrelated forums far too often.

[JIM KELLER]

Looks like their creditability is dropping. I used them once and had mixed feelings about their workmanship. I was happy to have my fogged windows repaired but unhappy about their attention to detail.

[Larry Sturm]

Great information about Suncoast. I know I would never go there for any work on my coach!

[Dick in Wisconsin]

If the owner of Suncoast reads this thread and sits back (every single customer of his or hers posting in this thread is had some level of unhappiness with his business), he would have a great roadmap to make his company better. It will be interesting to see what happens with Suncoast.

[Richard J Warren]

After you guys got through bad mouthing SUN-COAST are they repairing windows on Prevost? They have always
taking great care of us, they have always done great work and have an unbelievable warranty.

PS
One should try using a little common sense before running off at the mouth," only my opinion "

[BenC]

The interesting thing I would like to point out is that yes, they really mostly do fiberglass Class A coach window replacement. We do use them to construct or reconstruct some Prevost thermopane windows, but we take the windows out and up to them to be repaired. We never send a Prevost customer to their facility to have them do the removal and reinstall, only the repair of the removed window itself. They are the only people doing such work that actually warrant their product for 10 years. Duncan and others offer no warranty at all. So, if you need thermo windows that have become aquariums, lol, often times we will utilize them in conjunction with our own removal and reinstallation. This has been working for us pretty well without incident. Just something to consider.

[Gil_J]

Occasionally, I drive by Suncoast and there lot seems to always by near full. Almost always it's plastic coaches. I know this isn't the only site where people have complained about their service. Maybe, the method Parliament uses would work best.

Given XLs only have 4 double panes of glass I changed mine out for 1/4" tempered single pane and couldn't be happier.