Over ten years ago, Glassic Boatworks was built with an old fashioned idea that still today makes it successful. We’re not out to get rich overnight or be the next “Big Box” boat company in the industry. Instead we feed on a passion for boats and Customer Service. When we leave after the first visit, you go from being another client to another friend. Engine/Trans repair, Electrical, General Maintenance, and Education/Operational Training are the specialties of the house. It is this passion that provides quality service, honesty, communication, and dedication all wrapped up in a flat rate price schedule that makes it affordable as well. Ask our Customers. We don’t advertise!! They do! (References gladly provided upon request)
See what makes us “different”
Glassic Boatworks provides marine repair services to sailboats, powerboats and motor-yachts throughout the United States in customers’ home ports. The company specializes in engine, electrical, and comfort systems repairs to any and all fiberglass boats, including, but not limited to, the classic Chris Craft Commander line of motor cruisers. Starting in 1999, operating on weekends only, the company has grown exponentially from a small home based side business to its current customer base around the country with repeat customers constituting approximately 80% of its current business. Its success is based upon a reputation for exceptional personal service and uncompromising quality of workmanship. Based in Mooresville, NC, near Charlotte, Glassic set out to redefine the marine service industry one customer at a time by providing fair pricing, quality service, and customer education.
Glassic Boatworks was developed and is owned by Lee Dahlen. Lee grew up on boats and always has been near the water, starting on the Chesapeake Bay, and later relocating to Lake Norman in 1977 near his current residence in western North Carolina, outside of Charlotte. He has tinkered with boats and boat engines his entire life. After graduating from high school, Lee received a degree in Gas and Diesel Technology from the Nashville Auto Diesel College in Nashville, Tennessee in 1987. He created this business as a part-time venture to respond to a growing frustration expressed by fellow boat owners that quality workmanship is becoming increasingly difficult to find in the marine industry. It since has grown to a full time company, with 4 technicians, but hasn’t sacrificed that basic customer service philosophy.
Business Model
By letting customers be present, assist, and learn the many different aspects of marine maintenance aboard their own boats, Glassic Boatworks contradicted the understanding in the industry that “if we teach them how to do it, we will kill our future because they won’t need us anymore.” In fact, quite the opposite has occurred! What we found was that it created more of an understanding in the "billing area" and less calls saying "How can it be this much" People now more understand the hurdles, the busted knuckles, the tight areas, and see that it's more than just a number pulled out of thin air and subsequently business has grown at a much faster rate than projected because "they don't want to do it!"
The underlying tenets of this model are threefold:
1) Integrity - Glassic Boatworks put honesty and trust back into the service field. When the customer is allowed to hang over the mechanic’s shoulder and ask questions during maintenance and repair work, there are no secrets. Simply put, the driving philosophy is that the company has nothing to hide. Glassic Boatworks believes this, and proves its success daily.
2) Transparency - Glassic Boatworks’ customers always understand the cost of services. Our mode of communication is mainly text when they can’t or don’t want to be there. They know when the service provider arrives and departs, and they watch the work that is done in between, or are provided detailed pictures and/or a sea trial video upon the final sea trial. Customers have 2 options for service rates: (a) $125.00/hour or (b) $750.00/day (daily up to 8 hours for a job list that will keep us there)
3) Accountability - Glassic Boatworks justifies and puts accountability into its billing process. This provides assurance to the customer that its rates are reasonable based upon the services rendered.
Growth through Vision
Today, Glassic Boatworks enjoys a consistent and comfortable annual growth and has developed a reputation that surpasses most other marine service facilities. In short, the company continues to defy the odds. By keeping overhead as low as possible and emphasizing correct diagnosis, quality repairs, and personal customer service, Glassic Boatworks has developed a strong base of customers located throughout the country. The company intends to continue its steady growth, pleasing one customer at a time before moving onto the next!
Social Media
Are you following us on Twitter or Facebook? This is where our most current updates, specials and news will appear. Look to the top right of your screen and click the icons to keep up with the latest!
Whether it’s our Flat Rate pricing, our Customer Service, or our ability to Travel Anywhere, Glassic Boatworks breathes a fresh breath of air into the Marine Service Industry by thinking “Outside the box” to SERVE you! (It is the root word of “service”) and thus what we live by each day!
Our Website
First the site is very smartphone friendly. The display size of the pages was intentionally designed to fit smartphones. The speed of loading and content size makes mobile navigation a breeze. Enjoy the site, be sure to comment as you wish with new ideas and we’ll do our best!! Thanks as always for being the greatest customers in the world! From here, you can either simply scroll down and look at ongoing or completed projects, or look to your right and select what you want to see, Don’t forget our Facebook and Twitter sites as well. (Top right) Thank you for visiting!
Lee
If you don’t have time or the money to do it right the first time, how much time and money do you have to do it over?” Too many times we hear the same story. “The work was not finished.” “The work was lacking in quality.” “The work failed and I paid him again to fix it….. and he didn’t.” At Glassic Boatworks, we build our business on our reputation. Sure things will go wrong and sometimes fail. The key ingredient in any successful business is how you react to the situation. Our number one goal and focus has to be what you will tell your friends after we leave. All of our work is Insured, and guaranteed. We don’t know the meaning of “give up”, or “walk away” We only know happy customers who become long term FRIENDS. Think about what you spend on your current mechanic. Is it fair? and are you getting your money’s worth? meaning are you getting VALUE for the dollar you’re spending? Do the cost analysis of your maintenance program and then compare it to our rate schedule below.
Plan A: (Hourly, mostly used in local areas) Start with a Labor Rate of $125.00/hr comparatively speaking is modestly low in some areas, and competitive in others, and add to it the fact that you are getting a dedicated technician to your job.
Plan B: Flat Rate Pricing: By the day: $750.00. A day is considered complete at 8 hrs but at our discretion will sometimes go 9 or 10 hours depending on fatigue factor and progress. Again this is our call. You are guaranteed 8 hours for a day ($750.00 / 8 hrs = $93.75/hr). This is ideally the best savings if you have a large honey-do/wish list. We have had days where we got one or two huge jobs completed ( Engine lifted and repaired or transmission repaired) and other days with a list of over 20 electrical, cooling, and other maintenance items that needed to be repaired. So think of it this way: a dedicated tech aboard your boat for an entire day or more for around $94.00/hr knocking out the list you’ve been “getting to” for years. NOTE: Plan B may be split between two customers in the same area.
Travel Pricing: We travel anywhere in the US and we only work from Tuesday through Saturday, 8 am to 6 pm Eastern Time. We bring our own tools and equipment, and in some cases have it forwarded ahead of time to your location. Travel is based on two things that define the bottom line cost for you: mileage and “out of pocket” cost. There is no profit made on travel. What it costs me, it costs you. If it’s more expensive to fly and less than 350 miles one way, then I drive. For instance. Baltimore/ Annapolis area costs $340.00 to drive, and about $500.00 to fly. So we fly, because the drive time is 16 hours round trip. For $160 it’s worth it. Travel is paid in advance when you reserve a service date, and a copy of the tickets/reservations is emailed as your receipt. Some clients elect to use miles they have accumulated to pay for travel. In this case we let you book the ticket. This allows you to save in out of pocket cash and put some of those miles to a good cause!
We offer several convenient ways to pay your bill. All payments are due upon completion. In some cases and at our discretion a deposit is required on larger jobs.
We now offer online direct payment with a credit/debit card through our Quickbooks Invoices.
Or:
Credit Card via PayPal: You can also pay onsite via credit or debit.
Zelle: 704-287-3914
Check or Cash: In Person. The old fashioned way. Put a check in my hand, or cash… Either way is fine. If you have any questions, feel free to Facebook, Email, or call anytime from 8am-6pm Eastern.