FRANK BATES ON THE BATES RV ADVANTAGE
FAMILY OWNED BUSINESSBates RV Airstream dealership has now owned the dealership for over 20 years. My wife and I are the sole owners and the one thing that we appreciate is our customers. We have a huge number of repeat customers and one way we do that is we let all the customers know that I am readily accessible.
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Quite honestly, the employees know it, too. And, all over - on my message on hold at the front desk, at the service desk you'll see my message saying that we do want you to be 100% satisfied with whatever your purchases or in any of your dealings with Bates RV. So, therefore, my home phone number is listed there and it's also here in the article. It's (941) 485-9542.
So, please if for any reason you're not 100% satisfied with the way you're treated, please give me a call at home. I will tell you I started this out slowly because I was a little bit concerned with how many calls I might get. But, over the past several years, I've gotten very few calls at home and the ones I've had helped me because I've been able to see that there's been a situation that needed to be corrected. So, I don't mind at all if you do have a reason to call.
But, the other thing that works really neat is it's kind of - I wouldn't say it's blackmail - but, all of the employees know that everyone has my home phone numbers so they all take pretty good care of you.
EMPLOY WORK KAMPERS
The other neat thing that we have going for us is that we employ a lot of Work Kampers A Work Kamper is someone that lives in their RV full time and also works and still makes a living. We have several that live on the lot so that they do security and lock and unlock the RV's.
And, then we have about three quarters of our sales force are Work Kampers. So, they live in RV's and have been all over the country and can really communicate to the customer - the lifestyle and the things they encounter on the road. And, they become real good friends with the customers and see them all over the country and so it works out really great.
And, if you do buy an RV from us and you'd like to maybe sell in the winter - we'd be happy or just work at the dealership - we'd be happy to talk to you because our employee force goes up quite a bit in the winter and then goes down in the summer.
OUR VERY OWN COAST-TO-COAST CAMPGROUND
The other thing that we have is we are the only dealership that owns our own Coast-to-Coast campground. So, when we give a membership, we truly give a membership to the customers. And, the campground is actually gorgeous in North Georgia in the Blue Ridge Mountains and you can look at it on this web site and see more about it. But, it is absolutely beautiful there and real quiet. Every site has a concrete pad and wooden deck. There is a big, Olympic size swimming pool, big club house, sports court - it's really, really nice.
LOW OVERHEAD - LOWER PRICES
One other big advantage about doing business with Bates RV is the fact that we do have low overhead. Our dealership has been here for over 20 years. We were here on I-4 before any of the other dealerships were out here, so, of course our land cost was a lot less than theirs.
We don't have huge, gigantic buildings but we can sure take care of you. And, therefore, we have a little more money to spend on the customer. We're not quite as tight but we don't need to make as much money, so, therefore, you get a better deal. And, that's where our "Save Moo-La" ads come from is the fact that we really can sell you something for less money.
BETTER PICK OF WHAT WE WANTED TO SELL
The other great advantage with us is that we, also, since we've been out here so long - we got a better pick of what we wanted to sell. So, we've got Airstream which of course is the #1 built trailer- best construction - in the country. I believe it's 64% of all the trailers that were ever built by Airstream are still on the road. So, that's a phenomenal thing.
Jayco, another phenomenal company, is still family owned, over 35 years in business and then we have several others - Alfa, the new Heartland Company in fifth wheels, Dynamax, Forest River, Pleasure-Way, Roadmaster, R-Vision, Starcraft, Teton, Thor and Trail Wagon.
CLOUT WITH THE FACTORIES
Now, the one, great advantage we have, too, is since we are in Florida, and we do a lot of business and we are low overhead, we're in the top 10 with almost every company that we deal with, and in the top 5 with a few of them and actually the #1 dealership with a couple of them. So, if you do have a problem with your trailer, we have some clout and we can get the trailer repaired for you by calling up the factory.
It's just kind of sensitive, you know, it's like anything else - 20% of the dealers do 80% of the business with the factories. So, if you're in that 20%, you're going to get taken better care of by the factory and they're going to take better care of our customers. Also, if you have any problems and really get into that situation, you call me at home and we'll get the factory on the speaker phone and we'll talk to them so you can hear what's going on, too. And, we'll talk to the president or the owner or whoever we need to talk to.
WE TAKE ALMOST ANY TRADE
One other advantage that we have at Bates is when we originally started out, the dealership was named Bates RV Exchange and so people thought that meant that we would exchange RV's for anything. Well, we actually started doing that and we've exchanged RV's, as you may read in the article below, where it's anything from mausoleums, to land, to airplanes, cars, boats, jewelry, motorcycles, washing machines - just about anything that you have that if you want to trade it in on an RV and you'll have a use for it, we'll take it. I mean we'll take homes if you want to go full time - whatever you need to do.
MAKE FRIENDS AND HELP PEOPLE HAVE FUN
But, again, the big thing for us is to make friends and help people have fun. And, I'm telling you what - if you get out there on the road and you start seeing new things, it's a whole lot better than sitting at home on that couch just watching the television. Again, my name is Frank Bates and if you need to get hold of me please don't hesitate to call (941) 485-9542. Thanks, again.
Camp Cherry Log Information
Meet Bob the Cow
The Long Long Trailer
ARTICLE DETAILS HISTORY OF BATESRV
Sarasota Herald Tribune Tuesday, July 25, 1995
Much has already been said about the interesting and unique history of Frank and Dorothy's efforts in developing Bates RV. Today, 11 years after the birth of their "baby" RV business, yet another interesting and productive chapter in their striving for doing the best that they can with that excellent entrepreneurial spirit is about to unfold in the oncoming adult stages of Bates RV's growth. Bates RV is growing again with the addition of about 18 acres just to the west of the current Tampa location along I-4. When Frank Bates and his wife Dorothy made the decision to enter into the business of selling and servicing RV's, that French now English word: entrepreneur came to the forefront. They recognized a need and stepped in to fill that need and began developing an empire: "The American Dream" incarnate.
Naturally many uplifting evolutionary and revolutionary occurrences took place in the industry and internally as well, that has brought Bates RV to today's accomplishments. As stated: these have been written about previously, but as Frank would say "lets not sit on our laurels, up, up and away we are a growing". Today, 11 years since the Bates' dream of making a real, viable business out of providing all manner of RVs to the public at good prices, and with amenities practically everyone can afford, they are now well on their way of developing their own spectacular empire. Naturally an empire that grows straight and strong needs assistance and nurturing by an able staff and team that all good, healthy businesses require to last and last like the Energizer Bunny that just can never be stopped. 25% of the Bates staff have been with the company for at least 7 years, with employees on the team still at Bates after 11 years, Frank said: "working with a good, professional, dedicated team has made his job a joy".
Planned now and on track for future completion on 18 acres of land just west of the current Tampa location next to I-4 is a beautiful new dealership, one that the many employees and customers both current and future would be proud of. Planned is a new state-of-the-art RV center and customer lounge with a nature area for customers to view the "real" Florida of yesterday. Here, visitors and customers can stroll along wooded walkways and view and photograph many different types of wildlife and flora. Also in the works for a special permit, is to have a Florida Panther living comfortably on the premises, an endangered cat that few Floridians have ever seen and fewer still, visitors to the Sunshine State have had a chance to experience their strength and grace. RVs will be displayed plugged-in for best showing possible. A new sales office and decorative fountains will help showcase the beauty and amenities of this new RV center. Bates now owns the property he was previously leasing and now with full ownership comes a tremendous push to beautify the Bates' RV property.
Frank and Dorothy wish to thank their employee team, their manufacturers, suppliers and high on the thank list their customers and new and old friends for helping to build their dealerships and businesses into who and what they are today.
DEALS ON WHEELS: HE'LL TAKE ALMOST ANY TRADE
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BY Patricia Ann McKanic
STAFF WRITER
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The showroom of Bates RVEE Exchange in Venice is a jungle, complete with stuffed lions and tigers and elephants, talking mechanical birds and a smoke billowing volcano.
Owner Frank Bates said that the theme is in keeping with the Safari brand RVs he sells, but mostly it helps put customers in a good mood.
"Nobody hates stuffed animals" Bates said. "When you come in the showroom you just sort of get happy, and once you get happy it's easy from there"
Bates has reason to be happy himself. Last year his two dealerships, one at 1000 S. US. 41-Bypass in Venice and another in Tampa, had joint sales of about $35 million.
Bates attributes the strong sales numbers to the fruitful Florida RV market and his open mind about doing business - reflected in the don't-worry-be-happy showroom and his willingness to take just about anything in trade for one of his RVs.
He's accepted everything from moose pasture land in Alaska to player pianos to small aircraft and loose sapphires.
Bates took a page from the jewelry exchange business in building his RV Exchange. "I said 'OK, let's try it', and it just took off," he said.
In addition to the Safari-model RVs, he also sells Gulfstream RV. They range in price from $100,000 to close to $300,000.
"I'm here all the time" Bates said. "If you're spending $100,000 on a piece of equipment, you want to be able to talk to the owner of the company you're buying it from."
After meeting Bates at an RV show in Tampa in 1992, Marvin Gorelick could pick up the almost 40 foot long vehicle at a factory in Indiana, Overland went bankrupt.
"Frank got me a different brand and treated me right on the price," the Albuquerque,N.M., salesman said." Everybody gets hurt in a bankruptcy. He could have left me hanging out to dry."
Bates opened his RV dealership in Venice in 1987 after purchasing a building that housed a car dealership and land totaling seven acres from a bank following a foreclosure. He opened the Tampa dealership near exit 9 off the Interstate 4 in 1993.
The Venice store includes close to 200 RVs, the showroom, a service and body shop, an RV accessory shop and an adjoining business called Truck Toys, which sells accessories for trucks and vans and provides customizing. There's also 2,700 square foot room where Bates stores the things he's received in trade for the purchase of RV's.
RV dealers in Southwest Florida said that Florida is a good place to do business.
Bates said his customers include people from as far as Germany who come with cashier's checks in hand, ready to buy. On a recent day, Bates' staff entertained two couples from Texas who had flown in separately to purchase RV's.
Others come to buy with stuff in tow, Bates said.
Among the items Bates has acquired in trade are a 1995 Harley Davidson Servi-Cycle, a Wurtlizer Jukebox. a player piano, an antique Coke machine that dispenses cokes in thick little glass bottles for five cents, a 1948 Buick Roadmaster and the 1960 Cadillac used in the movie "Mad Dog & Glory," which featured Robert De Niro. The Cadillac comes with lease papers and a script from the movie.
Bates said the car's owner. like others who come from outside Florida, heard about him and came to do business. He advertises with television informercials and other programs six times a week on Comcast Cable and Channel 62.
Recently Bates has been giving RV buyers one-foot-by-one-foot squares of Alaskan moose pasture land that he received in trade on a motor home.
Jewelry items including a Rolex watch valued at close to $7,500 that Bates took in trade for a motor home, are appraised and displayed for sale at a Venice jewelry store.
Bates said that when there's a gap in what customer has to spend and what he wants in a product, he'll ask "What have you got in your garage?"
It's usually the wife who'll start volunteering items, he added.
Bates said that attending auctions in the states across the country gives him an idea of the value of things. "If you're dealing with this stuff enough you just learn" to determine the value, he said.
"Most people are so tickled to death that somebody will take it." he said. "We have an open mind, we'll look at anything."
Bates said he's never done an exchange for a whole vehicle, but on occasion has taken $40,000 worth of merchandise toward the purchase of a $200,000 motor home.
He also does some consignment business, but favors the exchange business over others, including cash sales.
"I like exchanging something for something else. That way I have something else to sell," the 39-year old Bates said. "Once a cash deal is done it's over with. There's nothing left to generate more cash."
