It’s always awesome to hear about great gear from readers out in the field. Echo 4×4 is praised for their outstanding service backup after being stranded in Khutse, Botswana.
Straight from the field: Echo 4X4
It is with a proud and easy heart that I say I am the owner of an Echo 5 off-road trailer.
The service received on purchase in 13 August 2013 outstanding to say the least, but it is what happened there after that holds this bunch of guys close to my heart.
My wife left Johannesburg with our new Echo 5 trailer for a trip up through Khutse and the Central Kalahari, on to Maun, Victoria falls and Namibia to meet me. I was a nervous time for both of us, but with the right planning we were happy she could accomplish this on her own.
Trouble
All went well until the first night in Kutse, when the trailer wiring burnt out, the inverter blew and the battery had a hole burnt into it due to heat in the wiring.
Needless to say I received a frantic call to say “what do I do now”.
Just call Echo 4X4
I managed to contact Dieter from the Boksburg Echo 4X4 branch where we purchased the trailer at 14h00. By 16H00 I had the shock of a life time. Without knowing why the wiring burns, Dieter had arranged the following.
A brand new loom, battery, and power pack was leaving Johannesburg the next morning at 07H00 with a technician (Werner). Arrangements were made to meet at a camp site, and the next day the guys, true to their word were on the road. They drove all that day and worked late into the night to fit the new parts. Then Werner helped my wife pack up, made sure everything was working and saw her out onto the road up to Maun.
Why was it great service?
- It was later determined that the wiring blew due to a fault in the inverter. What if it had been due to owners misuse? Not an issue. Dieter was not interested in my statements of we must contact the insurance etc., his main concern was to repair and get the trip back on track. His words to me. “ We will sort it out when you get back, go and enjoy the trip”
- The repair took place within 1 day in another country.
- The total issue was solved in 48 hours, by phone.
My question. Where in this day and age do you get service like this? Answer. At Echo 4X4 Boksburg, and you will be hard pressed to find it elsewhere.
Back on track
The trip was back on track, my wife spent time in Maun and the Okavango Delta, and is now with me in Rundu, Namibia. Her trip will continue to the West coast of Namibia and within 2 months back to Johannesburg. Only possible due to the service we received at Echo 4X4 Boksburg.
Word of mouth is an amazing sales pitch, and others should take a leaf from Dieter, Werner and their team at Echo 4×4 Boksburg.
Well done guys, you make me proud to be associated with a great bunch. Keep up the excellent service.
By Gary Ives
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