avigating the landscape of RV dealerships can often feel like traversing uncharted territory. With myriad options and varying levels of service, the choice of dealership significantly shapes the RV ownership journey. This column kicks off a multi-part series designed to demystify RV dealerships — offering consumers a roadmap to identify the hallmarks of exceptional service and support.
At Campers Inn, we know that there is a large segment of our customer base that feel that dealers are more similar than different, and that after-sales service isn’t important to most dealers. However, we’ll explore and explain the nuances that set dealers apart — from sales and finance to after-sales service to engaging with the community — ensuring you’re equipped to make informed decisions.
The profitability of service departments within RV dealerships presents a unique industry landscape distinct from the automotive sector, where service often drives profits. In contrast, RV dealerships frequently view their service departments as “necessary” for customer satisfaction rather than profit centers, with service being a cost center for the average dealership. This economic reality underscores the importance of local patronage — choosing to buy and service your RV locally supports the dealership’s ability to provide quality after-sales support. It also is the reason that many dealerships choose to only service what they sell. While not the policy of the Campers Inn RV family of dealerships, it is a real challenge faced by our industry. Understanding this backdrop is crucial for consumers, as it affects the quality of service and the overall RV ownership experience.
Investing in Service Certifications
A dealership’s commitment to certifying its personnel is a clear indicator of its dedication to customer satisfaction. It’s crucial to assess how a dealership invests in its team’s expertise, particularly in certifications from the RV Technical Institute (RVTI) and the RV Dealers Association Mike Molino Learning Center (RVDA). RVTI is the gold standard of technician training and oversees Levels I-IV technical certifications across the industry. If a dealership has a lot of certified technicians, you can assume it is investing in training. In addition, the Mike Molino Learning center is the gold standard for service and parts staff, such as service advisors, parts associates, warranty writers and other dealership personnel.
Customer Satisfaction as a Priority
Another key differentiator is a dealership’s focus on customer satisfaction. The best dealerships have initiatives such as customer surveys for all customers, including those that come in for service after the sale. The best dealers will even compensate their management team and tie incentives directly to customer satisfaction. While most dealerships will ask for feedback on the sales process, many don’t desire the feedback to the service process. However, dealerships that seek this information recognize it as invaluable feedback, helping to refine service practices. If your local dealer isn’t interested in this feedback, it is a warning flag.
Resources and Accountability in Fixed Operations
The allocation of resources to service and parts departments is a testament to a dealership’s commitment to excellence. Resources can be in the form of buildings, mobile service vehicles, and personnel. Probably the most important, however, is investing in a depth of talent in service personnel. While buildings and fixed infrastructure are nice, RVs are fixed by people — preferably, knowledgeable ones. Having trainers on staff, directors ensuring processes are completed and key support staff to enforce standards all increase the customer experience. Effective resource management, standardized training and accountability measures are key factors distinguishing the best dealerships. This is a harder measure to determine, but is something to ask about when shopping a dealer — the ones that put resources into their service and parts departments will be proud to brag about those investments.
Online Reputation
Evaluating a dealership’s online reputation — particularly through unbiased platforms like Google reviews — offers insight into its reliability and customer service quality. While dealerships, like all businesses, ebb and flow with personnel and turnover, looking at how it is trending through reviews is a good way to identify the quality of a dealership’s service over time. However, it’s important to note that online reviews can manipulated both positively and negatively, and as such should not be the only source of information when deciding where to service your RV. That said, this is a good indicator for potential buyers to understand a dealership’s service standards.
The decision to where to purchase and then service your RV is exceptionally important. Local service is often more than a convenience — it’s a crucial support for quality after-sales care. At Campers Inn RV, we practice what we preach in all of the above aspects. Service is a part of who we are and why our company was started by my grandparents. As we continue this series, we’ll delve deeper into what makes a dealership stand out in sales, community involvement and overall customer experience. Understanding these aspects will empower you to make informed decisions — ensuring a fulfilling RV ownership journey.
Ben Hirsch is the COO of Campers Inn RV, the nation’s largest family owned-and-operated RV dealer group with more than 35 stores across the country. Ben joined the family business in 2013 and helped the company acquire or develop 30+ locations in eight years. He previously served in the U.S. Army, achieving the rank of Captain, and was a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot. Ben is a graduate of West Point and holds an MBA from the Wharton Business School.