Ra Ra Rally

atom ant · 08-08-2015, 10:41 PM

I just got through watching the Redwood open session from the rally on Periscope through Ken's filming. (you need to do it on a phone or tablet)

I was a popular person in the discussion (or not so popular) - Although not called out by name, I was called out several times in quote, and actually I was even contacted personally by Redwood the day before the rally asking me to stop telling lies about Redwood because it makes the workers angry.

I encourage you to all watch the video, ESPECIALLY those of you that have been denied warranty for reasons you feel to be unfair. Basically, those that claim they were denied warranty for brakes, bearings, suspension for reasons of not following the service requirements are essentially being untruthful according to Redwood - it just did not happen that way. At least how you presented it on the Forum. After you watch, you should form your own opinions.

I left the Board because I felt they were not moving fast enough to resolve some of these issues owners were having. I read some of these posts about warranty and I get just as mad and frustrated as Redwood does evidently, however I'm thinking of owner frustrations and they are thinking of reputation frustrations. I know now that these posts are read by Redwood, and I encourage everyone to openly post their issues, just be extremely factual, as it can hurt others including Redwood, if facts are missing. I have always tried to be extremely factual in my posts.

Anyway - I agreed to settle down. I've formed my own opinion of Redwood and some members of their team, and I'm sure they've formed one of me and we will just let that ride itself out.

coloradolivin · 08-09-2015, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by atom ant

I just got through watching the Redwood open session from the rally on Periscope through Ken's filming. (you need to do it on a phone or tablet)

I was a popular person in the discussion (or not so popular) - Although not called out by name, I was called out several times in quote, and actually I was even contacted personally by Redwood the day before the rally asking me to stop telling lies about Redwood because it makes the workers angry.

I encourage you to all watch the video, ESPECIALLY those of you that have been denied warranty for reasons you feel to be unfair. Basically, those that claim they were denied warranty for brakes, bearings, suspension for reasons of not following the service requirements are essentially being untruthful according to Redwood - it just did not happen that way. At least how you presented it on the Forum. After you watch, you should form your own opinions.

I left the Board because I felt they were not moving fast enough to resolve some of these issues owners were having. I read some of these posts about warranty and I get just as mad and frustrated as Redwood does evidently, however I'm thinking of owner frustrations and they are thinking of reputation frustrations. I know now that these posts are read by Redwood, and I encourage everyone to openly post their issues, just be extremely factual, as it can hurt others including Redwood, if facts are missing. I have always tried to be extremely factual in my posts.

Anyway - I agreed to settle down. I've formed my own opinion of Redwood and some members of their team, and I'm sure they've formed one of me and we will just let that ride itself out.

WTF ??? Are you kidding me ?? I have been listening but not saying much lately, but that is BS. Where do I find this video ??

RomanyLife · 08-09-2015, 01:51 AM

I think the periscope version of the video is only saved for 24 hours. Hopefully Ken has a copy because I think he taped it on a high def camera as well.

atom ant · 08-09-2015, 02:00 AM

You must be right, I only see one video now, and it's the one with the bad audio. Shoot - but I think Ken has some from his other video camera.

Sorry Coloradolivin, there were three up there this morning. You have to access from a droid or I-phone. Download Periscope app, then follow redwoodrvowner. click on the left where it says "recent"

RomanyLife · 08-09-2015, 02:06 AM

It is imperative that RW owners get an opportunity to view the video. I am sure the ROG would not keep it from them, it's executive management at RW... that's why we are all here. When the rally is over, I am sure Ken will make it available. That's why they were there!! It is a MUST WATCH.

Shane Wood · 08-09-2015, 02:35 AM

I just noticed when I went in to periscope there is a button to click if you want to save these downloads. Unfortunately like you I to can only see the one there. Ken said he would post these on the other forum for us.
Brad
The bottom line is like you said, and I have been there that we need to have very accurate info before we jump into a cause. I know Dave has gone to battle against redwood and the person he was helping was not giving him the whole story. I get mad when I hear some of these things to but I to have been burnt taking on someone's cause with inaccurate info.. There is always 2 sides to every story. When we as consumers have these problems we have to document dates times who we talked to everything. Email to confirm the just of the phone call. Unfortunately this is the world we live in. I do this mainly cause the old memory is disapearing. I know that Redwood had their eyes opened up. Preception of a company can be very detrimental to its existance. The meeting with redwood was good as I watched the entire thing. We all have to remember that the speakers are all salesmen from Jim down so we can take this with a grain of salt.

RomanyLife · 08-09-2015, 02:39 AM

Agree Shane. This is why I would like everyone to view the video for themselves. It's too important to have a bunch of people relaying it as Brad said. It speaks for itself in my opinion.

trfield58 · 08-09-2015, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RomanyLife

Agree Shane. This is why I would like everyone to view the video for themselves. It's too important to have a bunch of people relaying it as Brad said. It speaks for itself in my opinion.

I REALLY hope I get to see this clip because I missed it too.

Piper Guy's Gal · 08-09-2015, 06:48 AM

Okay folks, let's calm down.

I was present at the meeting. In fact, I was the person who raised the topic of the alleged denial of valid warranty claims. And I was the person who followed up by specifically asking Andy if he was saying that these stories we're hearing are untruthful (or words to that effect). His response was a clear, bold, and unequivocal "yes." In my opinion, it was also sincere. And by that I mean he truly believes that Redwood is being unfairly portrayed. Keep in mind that no one with an allegedly wrong denial of a warranty claim was present at the meeting. Or if they were present, they didn't speak up. In fact, people actually voiced the opposite: how pleased they are with their Redwoods and the service they've received. Frankly, Vaughan and I are in that category. We've never had any major issues and the problems we did have were addressed to our satisfaction.

My concern is with the "stories I hear"; not with first-hand experience. I think we all need to be careful about how much accuracy/credibility we give to the "stories we hear." Are there real problems with some of the coaches? Yes. Isn't that true for any RV? So then the question becomes how well does the manufacturer address those problems. I'm certainly not in a position to say either whether someone with a gripe is telling the truth or not, but I have seen where we haven't necessarily been given all of the information. Case in point: the gentleman with the brake issue (I think that was it). The last I recall reading about his situation was that Redwood was working on it. That sort of leaves us all hanging, doesn't it? And it's pretty unfair to Redwood. If you have had a problem with the Redwood product, a warranty claim, or customer service, and you get it worked out to your satisfaction, follow up and let us know about it.

There is a communication problem for sure. I have suggested that Redwood be more proactive in responding to criticisms raised on this forum as a means of improving the communication. The more accurate information we have, the better off everyone will be.

Lastly, kudos to Redwood who did provide "minor" repairs/service work on units at the rally. (Max of 2 items per unit). For example, we had slide seals replaced and a creak from joint in the plywood panels in our floor fixed (and I'm not sure I would have characterized that as minor.) The two men that worked our unit, Troy and Nick, were amazing. This "service" was a new addition to the rally. I'm not sure whether the owners' group was behind this (which is what I suspect) or Redwood offered it on their own, but it was a great idea. Likewise, the Escapees rig-weighing seemed to be a hit as well.

scott&phyllis · 08-09-2015, 03:33 PM

First we would like to thank everyone involved in organizing the rally. We had a great time. We did not have any "minor" repair items scheduled so no time built into a busy weekend for us. Much to our surprise, on the way here, the rubber in the pin box started working out. We did not know this until we arrived. I showed this to Randy from Crossroads on Thursday morning and he took a picture to send to Lippert to see if I could repair it myself. Also that night at the meet & greet, we mentioned this to our Michigan Redwood sales rep, Vinnie, who we just happen to meet less than two weeks ago. Anyway we mentioned the pin box issue to him and he said he would also follow up. Friday morning about 8am Randy and two other guys from Crossroads were at our site to install a replacement pin box, all at no charge. Now I call that great service! Oh...I forgot to mention we are out of the 2 Year warranty. I had a chance to talk to Jim Lazzarino later Friday and mentioned this to him. He said he had heard about this that morning. In fact, by the time he heard about it, the guys from Crossroads had already taken care of it. Could not be happier with our Redwood, in fact so happy our new 2016 38GK should be delivered in a couple weeks. Thanks again to everyone involved and already looking forward to next years rally.

RomanyLife · 08-09-2015, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RomanyLife

It is imperative that RW owners get an opportunity to view the video. I am sure the ROG would not keep it from them, it's executive management at RW... that's why we are all here. When the rally is over, I am sure Ken will make it available. That's why they were there!! It is a MUST WATCH.

There were some pretty major announcements made in this video and some commentary regarding the forum participants that are worth hearing. I am not going to "scoop" the ROG with the announcements, I am sure they will have one coming!

Many people in the "forums community" have expressed the opinion that they wish RW would participate more (or even just READ) the forums to get feedback, suggestions and just generally know what their owners are talking about and to understand their struggles. Others wonder if RW reads the forums at all. This video is very insightful from that perspective!

Rick and Mindy · 08-09-2015, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RomanyLife

There were some pretty major announcements made in this video and some commentary regarding the forum participants that are worth hearing. I am not going to "scoop" the ROG with the announcements, I am sure they will have one coming!

Many people in the "forums community" have expressed the opinion that they wish RW would participate more (or even just READ) the forums to get feedback, suggestions and just generally know what their owners are talking about and to understand their struggles. Others wonder if RW reads the forums at all. This video is very insightful from that perspective!

I hate to admit this but we don't use "smart" phones so it appears we will not be able to view the video. I'm sure I'm not the only one still using a slide phone but maybe the only one admitting it. Is there any other way to see this video. I'm very curious as to what everyone is talking about.

RomanyLife · 08-09-2015, 08:49 PM

Haha! I bet some of us wish we had the more simple phones back. Much less demanding! I think Ken is going to make the video available, I am sure he is working on it right now, and I expect it will be a link that you click on the ROG website. Not sure.

atom ant · 08-09-2015, 08:57 PM

Rick, they are gone anyway. We may have to ask Ken how to get them back. I think they expired.

RomanyLife · 08-09-2015, 09:00 PM

I read somewhere that Ken also videoed the session on a separate HD camera, so he will still have that. What a great thing he did for the owners by doing that. There is nothing better than getting your information directly from the source.

atom ant · 08-10-2015, 09:27 PM

Here is one - the open discussion I believe

https://youtu.be/Bt5A64rVYBs

RomanyLife · 08-10-2015, 10:50 PM

Brad, thank you for posting the link, and Ken thanks for uploading the video of the Redwood open forum.

As I said before, it is a must watch, in my opinion.

Tracy, I want to applaud your effort to get answers on behalf of those who were not represented at the meeting. I must say that I think everyone IS "calm" and we are simply doing what is best: discussing and making everything available to as many RW owners as possible, not just those that were lucky enough to attend the Rally. As mentioned in the video, there are almost 5000 Redwoods on the road now. There were less than 70 rigs at the rally, hardly a strong representation of all owners, by a long shot. Most people have no idea even about these forums, let alone attend a rally.

I would also like to offer the opinion that just because others did not speak up at the rally about these issues, it does not mean that they are in a strong minority or that these things are or are not happening. I would like to ask everyone to consider that a "RALLY" by definition is a gathering of enthusiasts to celebrate something they enjoy together. That is a rally. IF I was an unfortunate owner who had suffered (real or not) through my purchase of a Redwood, (which thankfully, I have NOT, but that doesn't mean others have not) there is NO WAY I would spend the time, the money and the heart to attend their RALLY. It is to be expected that they would not be represented.

My Redwood has NOT been trouble free, but it has been tolerable, and Redwood has been great with warranty claims for us. That does not mean that I believe that others are being dishonest in their trials with Redwood. I simply do not have enough information to know that, but I want to know.

As forum participants, I expect many of you will recognize some of the things talked about in the video.

Your Redwood Owner's Group (ROG) is your advocate here. They were at the rally and they are working to make sure ALL owners are represented and give them a collective voice at Redwood. I was not at the rally, unfortunately, but I would assume that is what they did.

Please watch the video, and gain access to your opportunity to have the story straight from the source and then you will be better equipped to have an informed opinion. I am intentionally NOT giving my opinion, I am asking you to make your own. I also ask that we keep our minds open and see things as close to as they truly are as possible. From there we discover how to make owning a Redwood as enjoyable as we possibly can. That's why I am here, I hope that's why you are too.

Ford truck guy · 08-10-2015, 11:09 PM

Thank You for posting the video..

I too just watched it as I was unable to attend. My opinion is that Andy and the folks at Redwood are trying.. trying hard to hear us . I applaud Andy and his comments on all things.. Being involved in a business also , it IS hard to keep all stages of that business , from customers to employees and all things in between happy at all times.. I also welcome the case by case plan as that is far BETTER than a flat out NO ! !

RomanyLife · 08-10-2015, 11:55 PM

Well, case by case is fine when you get the "yes" but not too fair when they are handing out "no's" that day. I prefer black and white it's covered for everybody or nobody and not subject to an arbitrary secret criteria. But that's just me.

Piper Guy's Gal · 08-11-2015, 01:40 AM

RomanyLife, I think you are making some great points.

Here are my thoughts/concerns:

As for the "case-by-case" comment, I think it is actually a fair representation, but was ill-timed when provided here on this forum in response to a concern about either a denied warranty claim or the 200 mile brake inspection thread. I can't remember which. When it's said in reference to a denied warranty claim that certainly appears to the customer to be a covered matter, then it seems quite like a way out to me. However, all claims for warranty are assessed initially on a case-by-case basis when you think about it and perhaps that was all Andy was saying. (Just ended up coming across like rubbing salt in the wound.)

As for the Owners Group, well you can listen to the video and hear for yourself what they had to say during this exchange: not a single word. Now the ROG did meet with Redwood behind the scenes and perhaps it was discussed then. But nothing was voiced at the public discussion with Andy and Jim Lazzarino.

Also pay attention to the answer given when I asked about a customer satisfaction survey. Apparently none is conducted by Redwood itself. That is unthinkable to me. Redwood is missing out on a valuable tool here. Don't rely on the talk on a forum or two, which is likely to contain a good deal of negative comments, or the remarks of .0002 percent of the owners who attend the rally, which, as said, are likely to be quite happy, for accurate feedback. Give your new customers a satisfaction card to mail back. Make a phone call 60 or 90 days after purchase to see how things are going. Then you can brag about your customer satisfaction rating, assuming it's worth bragging about.

You may also like: