Paul Schlagel
08-03-2010, 11:03 AM
A1 Marine blew me away again with their outstanding service and the quality of their work. A couple weeks ago I found myself stranded at the landing, unable to hit the road at the end of a guide trip, due to a partially-crippled tilt/trim mechanism. I could raise the motor, but not high enough to get down the road. Working alone, very late at night, I finally got the motor up and hit the road. After a short stop at the cabin to power down and to grab a mountain of dirty fishing clothes, I started the drive to A1. Though I hadn't slept, I continued driving right past my house and kept going another half hour to arrive at A1 shortly after they opened. They looked at the motor shortly after I arrived, ordered the parts, and everything was already fixed the following day. I was blown away and relieved that I had my boat back so fast. I had a 12-day stretch of consecutive guide trips on the line, so it was crucial to get my boat fixed quickly, and A1 surpassed my expectations.
From the north end of Mille Lacs where I was stranded, to Annandale MN is about a three hour drive when pulling a boat. Along the way I passed Lybacks, Mille Lacs Marine, Prince Marine, and probably about 20 other marine shops. Some of those other shops are OK, I'm sure, but I drove past them all and kept going all the way to A1. They've never done any work to my boat that wasn't 100% perfect the first time. Time and again I hear horror stories from guys who where frustrated with a nagging problem that persisted even after several trips to the shop. I've never had that problem with A1; everything has always been fixed right the first time, no exeptions. They're also pretty quick. I won't say they're always as fast as they were this time, but they're pretty fast. I've heard plenty of stories from guys who has their boat tied up in the shop for 3-4 weeks. I've never had to wait anywhere near that long. Their shop rate is pretty reasonable, too - lower than most and definitely lower than the shops around Mille Lacs or in the Metro. They're probably not the cheapest shop of all, but I'd be nervous taking my boat to the cheapest shop.
I want to especially thank Ryan and Bruce. Ryan is the poor guy who had to deal with me when I walked in the door tired, stressed-out, and very crabby. He was patient and did an outstanding job putting up with me and getting the ball rolling. Bruce has worked on my motor before, and as marine mechanics go I would say he's a surgeon. I went straight from A1 back to the lake for a guide trip without test-driving it first, but I had no worries because I knew the motor would be perfect. Everything's working great, Bruce fixed it perfectly. Thanks guys.
If you're in the Metro area, Mille Lacs area, or anywhere within a couple hour drive of Annandale, MN, I strongly recommend you do a little extra driving and take your boat to A1 Marine for service. You'll become a regular too.
Here's a link:
http://www.a1marineinc.com/
From the north end of Mille Lacs where I was stranded, to Annandale MN is about a three hour drive when pulling a boat. Along the way I passed Lybacks, Mille Lacs Marine, Prince Marine, and probably about 20 other marine shops. Some of those other shops are OK, I'm sure, but I drove past them all and kept going all the way to A1. They've never done any work to my boat that wasn't 100% perfect the first time. Time and again I hear horror stories from guys who where frustrated with a nagging problem that persisted even after several trips to the shop. I've never had that problem with A1; everything has always been fixed right the first time, no exeptions. They're also pretty quick. I won't say they're always as fast as they were this time, but they're pretty fast. I've heard plenty of stories from guys who has their boat tied up in the shop for 3-4 weeks. I've never had to wait anywhere near that long. Their shop rate is pretty reasonable, too - lower than most and definitely lower than the shops around Mille Lacs or in the Metro. They're probably not the cheapest shop of all, but I'd be nervous taking my boat to the cheapest shop.
I want to especially thank Ryan and Bruce. Ryan is the poor guy who had to deal with me when I walked in the door tired, stressed-out, and very crabby. He was patient and did an outstanding job putting up with me and getting the ball rolling. Bruce has worked on my motor before, and as marine mechanics go I would say he's a surgeon. I went straight from A1 back to the lake for a guide trip without test-driving it first, but I had no worries because I knew the motor would be perfect. Everything's working great, Bruce fixed it perfectly. Thanks guys.
If you're in the Metro area, Mille Lacs area, or anywhere within a couple hour drive of Annandale, MN, I strongly recommend you do a little extra driving and take your boat to A1 Marine for service. You'll become a regular too.
Here's a link:
http://www.a1marineinc.com/