Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: JHoecker on March 28, 2018, 02:33:19 pm
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I emailed Earl, asking if would perform our walk through next month on our new 2552. He was honored to get the request, but said that this Friday would be his last day. Madonna and I were hoping to meet him, after working with in detail on our order and after watching all of his videos. Sorry to learn of his departure.
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Mr. Robbins seems like a truly good guy who put his time in doing a job he enjoyed, while helping his customers turn their dreams into reality. Cheers to him and many happy trails :)(:
And so Earl, if you happen to read this, I just wanted to say that while your Phoenix Cruiser videos will be missed, it is also known that a certain Stormy Daniels character is actively seeking new on-camera employment opportunities :beg
Keep on truckin’ , have fun, and always keep it right side up 🚌
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Wow! He was the face of Phoenix Cruiser. After meeting Earl and, at least to me, his laid back mannerism, I can't help wonder what he is like when he's relaxed. Sorry to see him go, but I'm sure much deserved. Best to you Earl!!! Enjoy!
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Earl, If you are reading this, I wish you all the best in your next adventure, whether it be a different job or retirement.....maybe in a Phoenix Cruiser.
Thank you for all you have done for the Phoenix Cruiser family there in Elkhart and for all us owners around the country.
Blessings!
Ron Dittmer
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Bummer! I was really looking forward to meeting him. He has helped me so much in putting my coach together via email. Seems like a lot are leaving very soon after company sale. Makes me wonder what other changes are on horizon.
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I wonder who else has quit and why? Has quality fallen off? My PC is finished, just waiting on paint.
Lynn
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Earl, You will be missed. Thanks again on all of your help in helping us in getting our PC. Happy Trails from James Deane and Georgianna
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Just spent this past Monday morning at the factory with Earl finalizing our 2552 build sheet. Our 4x4 chassis finally arrived from Quigley and was immediately sent to Mor-ride to be lengthened. Therefore, we had one more opportunity to sit with him and verify all the many details and changes we made during the extended order period prior to production. Very sorry to see Earl need to leave, his easy going sales demeanor and RV knowledge were key with us in making the decision to go with PC. Best to you Earl in your new job. - Dick and Chris
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Thanks for all your help. You will be missed!!!
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Thanks for all your help, the factory tour and your professionalism. You are truly a gentleman among men. :)(:
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I never met Earl but I talked to him a few times about PCs. Then, we found our 2350 eleven months old for sale less than 5 miles away and bought it instantly. I must say, we were sold on PC because of Earl's very detailed videos and his narration. We were preparing to fly up to Elkhart and work with Earl when we found our rig almost literally down the street from our home. I doubt if we would have pursued PC if it hadn't been for those videos and his matter of fact presentation.
Paul
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Earl is truly one of a kind and will be missed here at Phoenix. He's a great salesman, but more importantly an even better person. He's always treated his customers like gold, he is patient, kind, matter of fact, and a YouTube star. The posts here are a testament to that fact. As I told Earl today, we wish him nothing but the best, he's been great for the company, he will be missed, and I hope he will continue to stop in and check on his Phoenix family.
Best of luck Earl!!! tymote :)(:
Jim Byrnes
Owner
PC Enthusiast
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We had the pleasure of meeting with Earl a few times over the course of a year and a half, to see the factory, answer questions (many questions), and place our order. Earl was very pleasant, informative, and helpful. We will miss him when we visit again to see our build and when we pick up our new coach. Thank you Earl! tymote
That said, we've met some of the new folks at Phoenix. We are staying positive and looking forward to working with them as our new coach is completed. We are hoping for a bright future for Phoenix. :)
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When an RV company is sold, then key people start leaving (or are let go) and prices are jacked way up; this does not bode well for its future. I wonder if Kermit is holding any paper.
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Earl was a great guy, a valuable asset to Phoenix USA, but I would not fret about it. Give the new owners a chance to work things out with a new face of Phoenix USA, an Earl #2. Maybe one of the owners will be doing Earl's job, maybe it will be someone new. One thing certain, someone has to do that job right in being a great communicator, gracious with people, real good with organization, and an exceptionally fast learner of the product and company capabilities, or Phoenix will see their sales tank. Let's route for Phoenix!
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Right ON, Ron thanks for your input
Jim
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Earl, may the road on your new journey be smooth and sunny. All Di and I can say is "THANK YOU!" tymote
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I liked both Earl and Kyle though never worked much with either. People are assuming they've been there forever but they had not. Here is the timeline as I know it:
February 2013 - We ordered our rig from the old sales rep, Stuart. Two admin worked in the office: Karen and Stuart's daughter (both awesome)
May 2013 - We picked up our rig. Stuart and his daughter had left. Earl had just come on board part time. He was still working at another RV place and was just getting his feet wet. Kermit did our walk through.
I think Kyle was brought on board not too much later. His was a new marketing position that picked up some of the work that Kermit was doing and some the admin was doing.
So basically half of the office/admin side was swapped out (unexpectedly, I believe) and everything continued and Phoenix remained awesome. I expect panic will ensue when Bobby and/or Carol go but they have been there over 30 years and deserve to retire at some point also. If management recognizes this and has their successors fully trained and ready to step in, there should be fewer bumps in the road. I'll hate to see them go, but know it has to happen. They are as old as a lot of us retired folks and as wonderful as the new owners may be, the old timers can't stay on forever.
My plan is to continue to recommend our awesome motorhome for as long as it remains awesome regardless of the names of the people making it so.
Best of luck to you Earl! I'd love to run into you and your lovely lady somewhere down the road.
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Prior to the great recession in 2008/2009 when we bought our PC, John preceded Stuart who preceded Earl. You can hear John's voice in the narrated slide show of the Phoenix Cruiser Construction Tour (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2Mfp-jZIR0) made in 2007. John was a great guy. I was bummed out when I heard he left. But John's role was different being that we could not buy direct from the factory in those days. Still I could communicate with the factory via John to work through the details, and then adjust the price with the dealer. The one man dealer I worked with was Don Keller, his company called East Acres RV. It was a pleasure working with Don too.
Staffing is an ongoing change in every business. The thing about Phoenix is that employees stick around a whole lot longer than at most other RV manufactures. I saw a documentary on RV manufactures a year or two ago. Many such companies in the industry experience most of their shop floor technicians quitting in less than 2 years. Some of those companies with employee retention problems went out of business in 2009. Phoenix has a high percentage of employees with over 10 years of service, some with over 20 years of service, many are shop floor technicians who by the nature of their job determine "quality of workmanship". You can't maintain a high level of workmanship when your shop floor technicians come and go so frequently. Most of Phoenix employees have maintained a long term relationship with their employer. Their experience with the product and processes show up in well made motor homes.
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We met Earl in Jan of this year when we ordered our unit. Earl is a real gem and we wish him well - his knowledge of the units, laid back sales approach and "can do" attitude is rare. While I am a little concerned about his exit, the true quality of these units comes from the people who assemble them and the inspectors who make the final decisions on quality. Ultimately, they will decide the fate of any company's product. It's hard to get the kind of reputation that Phoenix enjoys, but if quality erodes, it's very easy to lose it. I'm hoping for the best!
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Glad we had the pleasure of Earl doing the delivery earlier this month. Best wishes to you in your future endeavors!
ps - Ron, he still IS a good guy, ha ha
Steve
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As newbies, my wife and I stumbled on P.C. by doing our research. Earl's was the first voice of the company we talked to, and his advice and help struck a cord with us for being
straight, honest, and looking out for our interests. We couldn't be happier. HAPPY RETIREMENT or whatever it is you find yourself doing Earl ! If memory serves, you enjoyed tinkering.
Jim