Ideas for Boat Dealers

[saltshaker]

the stock photos are aggravating and i always thought 'call for price' was annoying. maybe its just me.

[Slough]

No stock photo's

No call for price ( isnt going to happen )

Treat me the same whether I am buying a new boat or a 1/2 flatwasher.

[Erie Skipper]

Yep, got called out on a stock photo today by a potential buyer and fixed it right away. As dealers, our websites must be monitored daily and updated very frequently. Sadly, some of the lesser known boat for sale websites don't remove products nearly as quickly as we ask them to. Aggravating for everyone when that happens. I also agree that pricing up front is very important.

[dockside]

I've always thought that was funny over there. People pile on Mike for answering Pro Line questions but no one says boo to the 10 other manufacturers there answering questions and posting pictures of boat builds.

I am actually going to begin targeting marine industry representatives this week and invite them to become a part of ReelBoating.

What happened at THT near the end there was a shame. Where most new industry faces to the site were unwelcomed and anything they posted was taken as being self-serving, spammy.

[dockside]

I would have to add that the Pro Line bashing was legitimate.. Those of us who know the inside truth understand that both had what was coming... just sayin...

Edited January 12, 2010 by dockside

[pmagrady]

I won't return to my selling dealer for service. Why? because the new boat purchase experience was so bad, I had to write to the manufacturer to get the dealers attention.

Realize that the buyer is counting every second until he or she takes delivery, so manage expectations. If I had been given real delivery dates and warranty service completion dates I would have been OK with the process.

If you don't want the sales guy to be the point man after the sale, have a very good, honest, "people person" on staff as a Manager and contact person after the sale. Remember the customer just spent a lot of their hard earned money in your store. There should be someone that expedites any service issues and follows up with the customer after the sale. I don't care how much the buyer just spent, it was a lot of money for the buyer.

Edited January 12, 2010 by MrPat

[saltshaker]

Erie Skipper, are you with Everglades? I never really understood the dealer region thing. I understand it, but i don't understand it. Dealers outside my area didn't really want to talk to me because of this. Unfortunate to see new leftovers sitting in some places around the country. Maybe this has been relaxed and maybe it's the same with other manufacturers, I don't know.

[Erie Skipper]

Erie Skipper, are you with Everglades? I never really understood the dealer region thing. I understand it, but i don't understand it. Dealers outside my area didn't really want to talk to me because of this. Unfortunate to see new leftovers sitting in some places around the country. Maybe this has been relaxed and maybe it's the same with other manufacturers, I don't know.

Nope, no relationship with Everglades. Dealer regionality varies from builder to builder and is rarely enforced if ever. And if a product is a non-current, in my experience all bets are off and the dealer can do whatever he wants with it and sell it to whomever, wherever.

[autobaun70]

If you are in the parts & service game, STOCK any and all common maintaince items for all brands that you sell. Oil filters, plugs, water pump kits, thermostats, ect. Don't rape me on the parts, and don't try to give a do it yourself person greif for doing a oil change themselves. That said, I understand manufacturer parts are more expensive than napa parts, but don't act like they are gold.

[saltshaker]

ah sorry bout that. thought it was someone with a similar handle that was an everglades dealer.