Factory Tour!
There is not much that I can add to what has already been posted about the tour. I intended to write something last night but was too tired after an 11 hour ride home.
To say that it was fascinating is to understate it. Like others I was part of the 2008 Homecoming; at that time we were divided into groups of about 20 and we went from station to station where someone explained what was going on. I learned a GREAT deal about my new 2008 Spyder but what I learned on Friday was far more important for me as an owner. For example, the air filter has a tubular filter rather than the rectangular one of the 2008. Also, there is a round "lid" on the side of the airbox where the filter can be removed and installed (no more unclamping the lid to get the filter put in place).
I also learned about the PROCESS of constructing the bike and the position of the major systems. For me, that is going to be important as I remove the panels to find and repair/replace a single part.
(I have to admit that I could have watched the assembly of green Sea-Doos for hours! That process, for me, was mesmerizing. I really didn't want to leave and move to another place in the factory.)
It has been posted here that we could hear what the guide was saying because we had radios and ear phones. We spent an hour in the part of the plant where they make Sea-Doos and an hour where they make Spyders. Normally, they have about 200 workers on the floor so, had we visited then, we would not have been able to wander on the floor as we did. Pierre Beaudoin, the manager of the Spyder part of the plant, was incredibly friendly and totally informed about Spyders and how they are built. We were lucky to have him guide us through the process.
From the moment we arrived Eric Paulin saw to our every need. He, and his staff, had every minute organized but in a friendly, positive way. There was food, movies, guides, explanations, time to ask questions and make comments. We were never rushed or ignored and I, at least, NEVER felt that this was something they had to do, that they had been ordered to do and that they were merely going through the steps to get rid of us at the end. The tour was more like a group of friends sharing information about what they and we love -- the Spyder.
Finally, I came away absolutely convinced that BRP cares and IS listening. There has been a good deal of discussion here recently about whether they hear about our problems and whether they care enough to fix them. They Do! I was convinced when I met Eric and was even more assured when I met Steve Mansour. For example, I believe it was Eric who said that his Consumer folk meet once a week to discuss what they had learned from us that week and what might be done about our concerns.
BRP is a largish company (2100 employees); they make complex machines in very complex ways. They have, of course, hundreds of thousand of customers. Given the competition of our times, they would be foolish to ignore customer complaints. They don't! But, and here is where some of our frustration comes from, they can't respond immediately to a specific issue. When I say that something isn't working right on my Spyder, is that accurate? Is it something that I have done or that the dealer has done? Is it something that endangers my safety or is it just my perception and there really isn't a problem at all?
These, then, are complex machines, enjoyed in complex environments, driven but an incredibly wide variety of users. We would do well to consider these issues before we insist on action from BRP. Just my opinion.
I hope BRP will continue offering these tours. I applaud Steve and his staff for coming up with the idea and for such a warm and friendly attitude about us. I wish they would have tours for dealers. For new owners. For experienced owners who maintain their own Spyders.
My thanks to Angelina, Giovanni and Benoit; to Pierre Beaudoin, Eric Paulin and Steve Mansour. You make me proud to be a part of the Spyder family.
ken tompkins
ps: the photographer was incredible and he must have taken thousands of pictures during the day. Some of them will be available soon at an online site.
