Hi I'm Chris and I ♥ Wildcats!

I probably should have done this a long time ago...

My name is Chris Barth and I work in sales for Forest River's Wildcat division based out of our production facility here in Elkhart, IN. I've been in the RV industry for over 15 years, both on the supplier side and in manufacturing, and have worked with many other Forest River brands as well as most of my competitors and their various brands. My territory is the midwest region and I travel to RV shows and dealerships extensively, especially during the early spring show season. I'm actively involved with our design process and always looking for ways to improve our product! This forum has been a great resource to me (as is going to RV shows, open houses, dealerships, etc.) since getting feedback from our customers is key to continuous improvement. I appreciate the candor here and hope I can be helpful from time to time.

I should also note that Forest River does not sell directly to the public, instead using an independent network of dealerships as partners. That being said, my intentions here are to provide helpful and interesting information about the Wildcat brand and the RV lifestyle in general -- I hope I can do just that without ruffling any feathers with "sales speak."

Well, it's about time you introduced yourself! Thanks for telling us something about you and what you do.

You DO get kind of hot and heavy with the "sales speak" sometimes, and that really turns me off. Makes me think of Slick Willy the used car salesman. But the members who are looking for something new know they have someone here who can tell them about the latest models and features. We really appreciate any helpful info or thoughts you can give regarding the good and bad issues we have with our Wildcats.

Keep doing what you are doing, but, you probably know this by now, when I feel like being candid, I am.

I really am a harmless, little ol' lady......... really!

Tater

Chris,

Thanks for the intro; it's good to know some more about you and your role in FR WC.

I have to admit a certain level of ambivalence about a direct FR prescence in our group. While I can understand your desire to gather and provide information from/to users, and I like learning about new things coming (such as an under 30 foot bi-slide) I am also a little "put off" by the possibility that there could be an attempt to manipulate (that is not an accusation). I will keep an open mind.

It's totally understandable to me that a "sales" presence here wouldn't be met with open arms. However, please realize that while the members here are my end users, I sell RVs (in mass quantity) to dealers, not to consumers. For the most part, everyone here already bought a Wildcat, so I'd be preaching to the converted.

I'll simply have to show, over time, my intentions are about info and support (with a dash of "here's the future" for good measure). I do appreciate the open mind approach.

And I'll try to keep my manipulations to myself.

from Ft. Worth!

I agree with Earl and appreciate Chris' candor. He has certainly learned that the members here are not shy about expressing opinions. If done with mutual respect and in good faith, maybe the members here can help bring about positive changes to the Wildcats of the future.

BUT:

And I'll try to keep my manipulations to myself.

sounds like a subject for a completely different kind of forum. XXX

BobnPi wrote:

BUT:

And I'll try to keep my manipulations to myself.

sounds like a subject for a completely different kind of forum. XXX

This is coming from a guy who likes girls with big eyes painted on their chests.

Scruffy and Tater wrote:

BobnPi wrote:

BUT:

And I'll try to keep my manipulations to myself.

sounds like a subject for a completely different kind of forum. XXX

This is coming from a guy who likes girls with big eyes painted on their chests.

Great observation. This is too funny.

Thanks Chris,Like Earl I too appreciate having any rep. here to listen to our pi$$ing and moaning about things we don't like.Keep up the good work,I love hearing about the new and upcoming stuff.

Welcome Chris! You're presence on the forum tells me that you have a true interest in the product that you represent. As you mentioned, almost all on here have already purhcased your product so not much potential for immediate sales. If I were in your position I would certainly be doing the same thing. I feel your presence certainly is a benefit for our members as much as it is for Forest River. Hopefully some of us can benefit from changes to your product that are brought on as a result of input from the forums members. While issues with my unit have been very minimal ( DW and I are very pleased with it )some members have had and do have some very serious issues which would certainly upset me. Hopefully they keep in mind that you are only a messenger that is gathering anad providing information. As well maybe you can be of assistance to some in guiding them through the proper channels to get the help that they need and deserve as consumers. As a member I appreciate being one of the first to know about new products that you are bringng to the table.
KH