I recently finished reading the avionics satisfaction survey report in the December 2023 issue of Aviation Consumer, and while the thrust of the article is correct, I believe you missed two critical points.
Picking a shop to do the installation does not buy you future support. It all depends on the product vendor, and if they will continue to allow that shop to be in their network. My GPS navigator was installed by a good shop and worked perfectly the first time out. But the next year they did not sell enough units, so they lost their dealership and I had to go to a second shop for some upgrades.
I just called that second shop back for a software upgrade only to find out they are no longer a dealer. The closest dealer is now over 150 miles away and I am the new kid on the block with an unknown installation to them. This business model controlled by the product vendors will eventually drive the little shops out of business and force us all to a shop where there is a one-year wait to commence the installation. It also makes the product vendors look bad as shops open and close to their products. I’m currently in the queue for an autopilot upgrade at the closest major shop that is an approved dealer.
Unless you are a Garmin fan, and right or wrong—I am not—it is just about impossible for me to find a shop that can even upgrade the software on all the boxes. Right now, I cannot find a shop to upgrade my Aspens, my Avidyne and my NGT-9000 in one location. Even if I did, it could mean they may not be able to do it in the future if they don’t sell enough. I still don’t understand why a shop and its existing customers are penalized because a new customer comes in wanting box A and not enough of box B. Ultimately, it makes it hard on their users to get service and it’s a stupid policy from the user standpoint to constantly be hopping to different shops to do the initial installation, only for them to not be there for the long-term support.
On a side note about customer support at Aspen Avionics: I’ve been a user since 2007 (I own one from the first batch of displays) and have nothing but good things to say about their support, albeit with the very few times I have had to call them.
—Alan Williams, via email
We see your point, which is why it’s important to ask a shop how many retrofits it has done of a given brand or even model of avionics, and how long it’s been maintaining the dealership. We’ve asked manufacturers about dealer policies in the past and were told that to adequately support a product (troubleshoot, repair, upgrade), it needs the installation experience. On the other hand, we know firsthand that it costs manufacturers money to maintain their dealerships and those that don’t perform aren’t worth keeping. Still, we think manufacturers pull dealerships as a last resort—either they blatantly violate the terms of the dealership (not paying invoices is one) or simply do little to sell the product. And we agree that Aspen’s field support is quite good thanks to dedicated field engineering.
… And More on Service Tips
I’ve owned my Grumman for 24 years. For the first decade, I changed shops regularly for a variety of reasons until I landed at a good shop, Shearer Aviation in Lebanon, Pennsylvania, in 2011. From the first annual, we had an excellent working relationship. From time to time, I would tip the shop $50 or $100 to let them know they were a valued partner.
That appreciation—given to the shop over time—ultimately paid off huge in 2017 when I discovered on the preflight that I had no right brake (Grummans steer by differential braking). I called the owner, Jay Shearer, to see how he can help with the problem since I couldn’t fly to his shop. Jay immediately flew his Piper Comanche to my airport with all the necessary parts and repaired my plane. Two hours after the call, I was in the air. That is extraordinary service—forged by reasonableness on both sides of the relationship.
—Bob Reed, via email
