By Mike Davin, Online Editor, Boating Industry — Every month, we publish the results of Info-Link Technologies Inc.’s Bellwether Report, which shows a rolling change in unit sales for various powerboat categories. (See the most recent report here or view the charts here.) Read more >>
Tags: Marine Dealers, Recession
Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of customer-service-related blogs I’ll write to wrap up 2009. Through a series of recent consumer experiences, I feel I’ve learned a number of things worth sharing about satisfying customers. Last week, I shared the incredible experience I had with a Disney employee who went above and beyond to exceed my expectations and ensure my satisfaction. This blog picks up where that one left off… There was stark contrast between how Disney’s “cast member” treated my situation and how the cell phone company and its representatives treated it. Rather than detail the story of what happened at the store and come across as though I’m whining or as though I somehow feel entitled to better treatment, let me just itemize the differences in how the two companies handled this situation. Read more >>
During the Marine Dealer Conference & Expo last month, I was thrilled to hear Joe Verde talking about the importance of marine businesses getting the right people working in their companies and leading and training them well. That is essential if dealerships are to recover from the effects of the recession and grow. Read more >>
It’s the holiday season, and it’s all about the consumer. And as a consumer, I’ve been fortunate (or unfortunate, as it may be) to have had a series of experiences — both incredibly good and horribly wrong — that I believe contain worthwhile lessons on customer service and are therefore worth sharing. So with that as a backdrop, I’m going to focus an entire series of blogs on customer service. Enjoy… Read more >>
Welcome to the photo showcase for the 2009 Boating Industry Top 100 Dealers Club 100 Gala, brought to you by the Leadership Alliance and Boating Industry magazine. This gallery showcases the entire event, held on Nov. 18, 2009, from the cocktail reception through the awards and the after Top 100 networking event. You can view all of the photos and download, for free, any individual photos you’d like. Just click on the photo you want to download and save it to your desktop. You can also add comments to the gallery if you’d like. And as always, feel free to contact the Boating Industry staff for further questions or needs by e-mailing or calling Managing Editor Jon Mohr at jmohr@affinitygroup.com or 763/383-4466. Read more >>
If it’s true that what happens in the recreational vehicle industry foreshadows developments in the boating business, then a release yesterday from Citigroup may offer a glimmer of hope that market conditions will improve in 2010. Read more »
By Peter Granata, President, Granata Design and the Marine Design Resource Alliance — There comes a time in everyone’s business life when we are faced with having to make a critical decision that requires action. We’re getting very close to being “there.” Read more >>
Tags: Marine Dealers
By Chris Kourtakis, Owner, H20 Limos Marine Service — The October issue of Boating Industry magazine featured a story on preventing a blood bath. If we are to have a blood bath over the winter, will the dealers that survive have the resources to take care of the customers from the dealerships that went out of business? Or will customers be put on an infinite waiting list to have their boat serviced? Read more >>
Tags: customer service, Marine Dealers, OEM
