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Old 02-03-2017, 09:04 PM   #1
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Maybe instead.....

As we work to finish our build sheet, sometimes I am amazed at the myriad of choices and options ETI offers, and then all the special customizations beyond those options that they have done for customers. I doubt that there is another trailer manufacturer that even comes close in that regard.

Yet, there is post after post in threads throughout this Forum with complaints about this or that special "thing" that ETI won't do.

Maybe instead of focusing on the special requests and option requests that ETI has to say no to in order to keep the production line moving; folks could focus on the facts that Reace, Tammy and all the folks at ETI go out of their way to work with customers to help them make their trailer special to them.
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Old 02-03-2017, 09:10 PM   #2
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I agree.
And, maybe Safeway...
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Old 02-03-2017, 09:10 PM   #3
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Absolutely Eric! Even if ETI refused to do anything extra except upholstery and Formica, that alone would put them ahead of the other all-molded manufacturers who won't let you select anything beyond what they offer. Those of us with ETI builds should know how lucky we are
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Old 02-03-2017, 09:25 PM   #4
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I was told "no" by Reace more than I would have wished with my last build, but they still did a lot to make what I planned to do a lot easier for me. I just accepted it, knowing full well that with the increased production they are facing, along with increased staff, facilities and other overhead costs, they have to be very streamlined in what they do.

There were even a couple custom options they had done in the past they are no longer doing, to save some time and eliminate the possibility of mix ups.
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Old 02-03-2017, 09:37 PM   #5
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I was told "no" by Reace more than I would have wished with my last build, but they still did a lot to make what I planned to do a lot easier for me. I just accepted it, knowing full well that with the increased production they are facing, along with increased staff, facilities and other overhead costs, they have to be very streamlined in what they do.

There were even a couple custom options they had done in the past they are no longer doing, to save some time and eliminate the possibility of mix ups.
Sounds like a great business opportunity for someone close to ETI. Similar to all the people pulling out of the Casita factory and going right over to Larry at Little House Customs.
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Old 02-03-2017, 09:50 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by thoer View Post
As we work to finish our build sheet, sometimes I am amazed at the myriad of choices and options ETI offers, and then all the special customizations beyond those options that they have done for customers. I doubt that there is another trailer manufacturer that even comes close in that regard.

Yet, there is post after post in threads throughout this Forum with complaints about this or that special "thing" that ETI won't do.

Maybe instead of focusing on the special requests and option requests that ETI has to say no to in order to keep the production line moving; folks could focus on the facts that Reace, Tammy and all the folks at ETI go out of their way to work with customers to help them make their trailer special to them.
We only asked for items that others had done and that were not unusual. We ordered little beyond the regular options. Still, we had several they would not do. We have that long long list that we chose. Nobody else has our trailer! They certainly do more than plenty that people want.
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Old 02-03-2017, 10:00 PM   #7
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Originally Posted by Jim Bennett View Post
I was told "no" by Reace more than I would have wished with my last build, but they still did a lot to make what I planned to do a lot easier for me. I just accepted it, knowing full well that with the increased production they are facing, along with increased staff, facilities and other overhead costs, they have to be very streamlined in what they do.

There were even a couple custom options they had done in the past they are no longer doing, to save some time and eliminate the possibility of mix ups.
Reace and Tammy are still working through all the expansion requirements to their premises. They are shortly expanding into the front building at their factory and have quite a lot on their plate at any one time; trying to juggle all this with many "extra" personalizations might cause unnecessary quality control issues. You can;t blame them.
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Old 02-03-2017, 10:04 PM   #8
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Reace and Tammy are still working through all the expansion requirements to their premises. They are shortly expanding into the front building at their factory and have quite a lot on their plate at any one time; trying to juggle all this with many "extra" personalizations might cause unnecessary quality control issues. You can;t blame them.
Tammy took us for a tour through the front building last Friday, showing us what was happening and planned. She is rightfully quite excited for it. It will certainly up their game real nice too.
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Old 02-03-2017, 10:11 PM   #9
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There is no doubt in my mind ETI does what it can to accommodate requests. In order to keep a business healthy, choices need to be made. Business is business.
But look at all the "it's Friday" threads, look inside each and every one's trailer! You hardly find any the same!!
We all end up, within limits, with our "own design" Escape trailer. Every single one unique!
All my two thumbs up for ETI!!!
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Old 02-03-2017, 10:38 PM   #10
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Absolutely Eric! Even if ETI refused to do anything extra except upholstery and Formica, that alone would put them ahead of the other all-molded manufacturers who won't let you select anything beyond what they offer. Those of us with ETI builds should know how lucky we are
When we were in the process of buying our last trailer , I asked if we could get some custom changes / options installed .
The answer was a definite NO , when I persisted I was told if you want custom then buy an Escape.
After reading about the extensive list of changes & options that Escape is willing to do , the list of what they won't do seems rather short .
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Old 02-04-2017, 03:46 AM   #11
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There is no doubt that ETI is not offering all the "custom options" it has in the past and as some have stated, expansion of facilities and increased demand are likely the factors that are driving the changes. I do, however, offer a different point of view. Customization, when not a perceived safety hazard, is one of the things that has made ETI so special when compared to other manufacturers, such as installing a customer supplied sink. If Reace is concerned about "mix-ups," that worry could be addressed by hiring a "customization overseer" for the production line, whose only responsibility would be to make sure the custom touches are completed as requested. This persons salary could be paid by increasing the cost of customizations. If a customer wants something bad enough, they will pay for it. I did not request many "changes" in my build other than options, but if all they had offered was Formica and fabric as Donna has suggested, my trailer would not have been adapted for me as we stuck with the standard Formica and fabric. While it may create some problems, I would tend to believe that not "taking the road less travelled" or taking fewer trips down it will result in dulling the gloss that ETI has established on its image. It isn't always a wise decision to "push the easy button".........just my opinion.
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Old 02-04-2017, 07:12 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by thoer View Post
As we work to finish our build sheet, sometimes I am amazed at the myriad of choices and options ETI offers, and then all the special customizations beyond those options that they have done for customers. I doubt that there is another trailer manufacturer that even comes close in that regard.

Yet, there is post after post in threads throughout this Forum with complaints about this or that special "thing" that ETI won't do.

Maybe instead of focusing on the special requests and option requests that ETI has to say no to in order to keep the production line moving; folks could focus on the facts that Reace, Tammy and all the folks at ETI go out of their way to work with customers to help them make their trailer special to them.
So pleased to see this thread started; after reading some other posts this morning, I was thinking of starting a similar thread.

ETI has a months-long waiting list of people standing in line to buy their trailers. Stopping or slowing the production line to satisfy the whims of a single customer would be an irresponsible business decision.
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Old 02-04-2017, 07:52 AM   #13
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From what I hear Provost may customize more then Escape, so there is an alternative.
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Old 02-04-2017, 07:59 AM   #14
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Zardoz hit the nail on the head, a good business practice should satisfy 95% of their customer base, and not to worry about the other 5%.
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Old 02-04-2017, 08:26 AM   #15
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Zardoz hit the nail on the head, a good business practice should satisfy 95% of their customer base, and not to worry about the other 5%.
That might have worked years ago. The problem today is those 5% go on social media and tarnish your image.
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Old 02-04-2017, 08:27 AM   #16
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Maybe Escape should doubled ,tripled or quadrupled the price for custom options so that their price represented the true cost .
Criticizing Escape for saying NO to some trivial customer request seems petty and childish to me.
Zardoz summed it up perfectly .
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Old 02-04-2017, 08:31 AM   #17
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I'm very glad that we are able to make so many option choices and have our 21 going into production in less than a month. Occasionally as I read posts I try to put myself in Reace's shoes reading those posts. He must be MUCH more patient than I am.

I think if I had a huge backlog of orders, worked that hard and all those many hours making a quality product I was proud of, my reaction might be to allow far fewer special requests.

I hope that the seemingly constant drone of squeaky wheels here doesn't take choices away from future Escape customers.
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Old 02-04-2017, 08:32 AM   #18
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Old 02-04-2017, 08:55 AM   #19
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Don't you think that sometimes "squeaky wheels" are a good thing? Maybe Escape uses some of it as a point well taken or as a barometer of how badly people want something different than what they are offering.


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Old 02-04-2017, 09:00 AM   #20
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Don't you think that sometimes "squeaky wheels" are a good thing? Maybe Escape uses some of it as a point well taken or as a barometer of how badly people want something different than what they are offering.


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No. Many requests for the same option have caused ETI to constantly make more things standard and can be positive. Coming here and complaining because ETI will not meet every whim accomplishes nothing in my opinion
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