What service do you expect from your boat dealer??

[finga]

As a community service to the many boat dealers out there.

What services and level of service DO YOU EXPECT FROM YOUR BOAT DEALER whether the dealer be for new or used boats??

What are the things that have ticked you off when you purchased a new or used boat from a dealer??

What would make you go back to a dealer/manufacturer when you want to update?

What would make you go to another dealer/manufacturer when you want to update?

What did you think, or assumed, would have been standard as a level of service, or equipement, on your new/used boat that wasn't??

Maybe if the dealers read this they might make their business more profitable, and in the longrun, more pleasurable and less stressful for those buying a boat.

No need to name dealers just ideas for them if you don't mind.

Cheers Scott :)

[Noelm]

I guess if I was an old customer, I would expect him/her to know who I am, be greeted as though they want me as a cutomer, be offered a good price on anything I am thinking of buying, if I need something ordered, then make sure they do order it, not tell me it will be here next week, but never do anything about it, if I have a drama with something I purchased there, and it is broken and under warranty, then get the item replaced or repaired ASAP, perhaps some others can offer other things they would like, but thats the things I expect and actually get from my local dealer, and local tackle shop, but then I have been a customer at both for a vey long time.

[mylestom]

As a community service to the many boat dealers out there.

What services and level of service DO YOU EXPECT FROM YOUR BOAT DEALER whether the dealer be for new or used boats??

What are the things that have ticked you off when you purchased a new or used boat from a dealer??

Incorrect information, dealer/manufacturer delivery time which I was advised was two weeks went to 7 months for outboard, then still no guarantee of delivery ordered different motor. New boat and trailer rego and insured sitting in shed (Paid for) and no outboard for this period.
Fact that dealership was going out of business and customers not advised.

What would make you go back to a dealer/manufacturer when you want to update?
Still in business, good service and good backup

What would make you go to another dealer/manufacturer when you want to update?
Untruths, unreasonable holdups, bad service and not good customer relations

What did you think, or assumed, would have been standard as a level of service, or equipement, on your new/used boat that wasn't??
Customer service, good equipment and all extra fitted (ordered) at time of pickup.

Maybe if the dealers read this they might make their business more profitable, and in the longrun, more pleasurable and less stressful for those buying a boat.

No need to name dealers just ideas for them if you don't mind.

Cheers Scott :)

Regards

Trev

P.S. hope you don't mind me setting it out this way

[finga]

If I ever brought a boat/motor/trailer package off a dealer (which I probably never will)
I'd expect all the rego's to be done.
I'd expect safety gear to be in the boat that would be suitable for areas that the type of boat is going to be used for ie smooth waters or partially smooth etc etc.
I'd expect a spare wheel on the trailer
I'd expect a full tank of fuel/oil
Really I'd expect to be able to go from the dealer to the water and use the boat for the day or so without going to another shop for anything bar the Paddle Pops on the way home.

I'd expect what I paid for...then and there at delivery.
I'd expect the package to be set up correctly including sounder if it was in the package. Setting up the trailer for the boat is one that is also neglected.
I'd expect courtesy during and after the transaction.
I'd expect good, prompt service IF something goes wrong with what I brought.
If the sounder dies then I do not want to be mucking about with warranty's. I'd be expecting to take it to the dealer and say fix this...and it's done not them say...well you have to take/send it there for them to look at it. And I don't want it too take 2 weeks to get fixed. If it's that bad bung a new one on and be done with it.

[Noelm]

yep, agree with that, I guess there is also the scenario of going to a dealer that you have never been to before, in that case I would expect to be treated like a person, even if I was dressed like a fisherman, and be offered true and accurate advice on what I was after, and not to have the salesman bag the competitors product, but rather sell me on what features the item I am looking at has, and be treated fairly even if I was buying a 50cent screw, or a 50 grand boat, cost nothing to be nice to someone.

[lutjanus]

Hows this for service from local dealer who charges over $900 for a service where they messed up a gasket in each motor causing both motors to run out of oil. Luckily no damage but needed VMR as had no motors
Had a warranty prob later on 1 of the motors-Took 2 weeks to initially come for a look then 3 months to get the replacement part--- Service????

[Noelm]

that is pretty sad example of service, but in the end it may bite them on the bum, you are likely to never go back for another service, (if you have an alternative) or maybe even another boat, so they lose out in the long term.

[Spaniard_King]

Scott if you ever found a dealer that operated like that .. take a picture as he wouldn't be around for long..

1. his price would be too dear so people would go elsewhere and he would go under

2. If his price was ok.. he would soon go under as the labor cost to accomodate those requests would cripple him.

Basically I am saying there arn't too many good guys left in the industry that havent been driven out by price. hence the cheap nasty work getting around. Dealers don't want a good job they just want it out the door .

[finga]

Probably too true Gary.
Definitely sad but true.
But on the other hand I do not mind paying a fair bit extra for good service and peace of mind that comes with it. Price is not everything to me.
But I've been told I'm a rarity too...thank God some say.

[cliffo]

Well, I had a great experience when i bought my new Yalta.

It was a boatshow package & i was told 8 to 10 week wait for boats to be built, fair enough i suppose. After my successful Sea trial i informed the salesman that i was a cash buyer and he could have my folding money tomorrow. 2 days later i received a phone call stating that a boat matching my requirements would be available the following week. They even made my Bimini & Clears 8 Inches Higher(I am 6'5")for no Charge.
I picked up my boat at the end of that week - very happy.

Only had 1 small issue - they had run out of tie down straps, so they tied the boat down with some rope and i had a set of straps couriered to my home 2 days later, so not even worth complaining about.

I saw the Same salesman at the boat show the following year and he looked at me and said G'day Brett hows your 535 going. Not bad when he sold over 30 boats the previous year and he can remember your name and what you bought, i don't reckon i could.

So they're not all bad. Everyone has bad days & the fact that i had a good experience doesn't mean everyone else will, but overall these guys were very proffesional on all accounts and if i need a new boat i will go back.

And I don't mind Naming them - Marine Tune - Burliegh.

Cheers

Brett

[honda900]

Honesty, be upfront when you tell me what you will supply, when the boat will be delivered and in general dealings with me.
If I have an issue with the package as supplied listen to my concerns, offer to have a look or make a recommendation of how I might address the issue, offer to have a look with me.
If I do have a problem honour the warranty that you agreed too and be happy to accept it, if it is genuinely not as a result of me doing something deliberately.basics of a good business.

I too have a yalta and apart from the delivery date ( manufacturer issue) have had good customer service from the guys at marine tune and after 4 years the guys remember me at the boat show and come over and have a chat with me to see how the boat is going.

Regards
Honda.

[bluefin59]

Itoo had agreat experience when i bought my bluefin ,everything was on the boat when i picked it up all i had to do was put my rods and placcies in . It was delivered the way i ordered it and it was delivered by the prearranged date it was a great experience and i would by from him again if they where selling what i was after . The dealer was Mr Ts Tinnies now out of business now such a shame great people and great service when they were in business ..Matt

[PinHead]

I would not be a boat salesman for all the ricei nChina..I could not put up with all the tyre kickers and dreamers.
What do I expect..minimum conversation..I tell you what I want..you tell me the price..if all is good..deal done. I don't want a run down on the good and bad of the product nor anything else. I just want to get out of the place.

[Steeler]

I would not be a boat salesman for all the ricei nChina..I could not put up with all the tyre kickers and dreamers.
What do I expect..minimum conversation..I tell you what I want..you tell me the price..if all is good..deal done.

Exactly how it should be, all this i'm not buying for at least another 6 months crock and so on.

What i want is, just what i paid for.Nothing more nothing less.
Don't want to be belly rubbed or sucked up to.

And Pinhead,go the Reggies !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Steve

[griz066]

I would not be a boat salesman for all the ricei nChina..I could not put up with all the tyre kickers and dreamers.
What do I expect..minimum conversation..I tell you what I want..you tell me the price..if all is good..deal done. I don't want a run down on the good and bad of the product nor anything else. I just want to get out of the place.

I HATE SHOPPING FOR ANYTHING

But I do all my research re; price, options, pros, cons etc before I go to the shop. Then I will go out and find the item I want, I don't want some salesman pi$$ing in my pocket Blah Blah Blah just want to buy the item and be on my way.

[Steeler]

And you my friend gri066 would be a great buyer to have, and no i am NOT pulling your chain.

Educated on what you want.
No unrealistic expectations because you have done your homework.
And ready to commit when you know a good deal staring you in the face.

Steve

[finga]

So...to you fella's that go in and say what's the price...
How do you know what your getting??
Do you take a list of everything you want and say...here's what I want. What's the price and delivery time.
Just curious because that sounds OK and you know exactly what your paying for.
It might be easier to gauge what sort of person the salesman is too.
If he says...yep no worries here's the price and delivery Friday the 12th. That sounds OK to me.
If he says...yep, no worries BUT we have this and that and the other as well. The price will depend upon supplier and delivery will be around next Friday...sounds like one to side track.
Is that how's it's done??

[PinHead]

I loathe and detest shopping in any form Scott..I usually know what I want before I go there..then ask for what I want and the price for it..if not in stock then how long. If all is good, deal is done and I am out of there.

[Jarrah Jack]

I expect to be treated by boat dealers the same way I treat my customers. So when I roll up I expect them to sneak out and see what sort of car I'm driveing and adjust the price accordingly.
I would expect to be attacked by a hairy dog then bitten by its mate on the calf.
I would expect the salesman to have tried to have a wash at some stage in the last few days and to be wearing boardies and thongs.
I would expect the salesman to be hungover and to spend most of the time explaining the fact and how he got it and what he is going to do with it.
If the salesman had recently been to a table top dancing venue I would expect to hear all the details at least twice.

I could go on but I won't bore you but I have found the above practises to be popular with my select cliental.

[marto78]

I expect the salesperson to pull out all the stops to make sure I am happy and get what I want. But after I've picked up the boat I've learnt not to expect anything else, they have their money for the purchase and their happy and dont want to know you afterwards especially if they have to get off their bums and order you something.
Marto

[krazyfisher]

respect and value..... no more and no less. doesnt have to be the cheapest

[finga]

I loathe and detest shopping in any form Scott..
I enjoy shopping. But only as long as it's in the shops I like....
Trade Tools is OK.
Some marine shops are OK
Hyperdome type places and all supermarkets are bad :P

Darrell Lee reject shop at Springwood is good.
And here's something just for you Greg while I'm thinking of Darrell Lee.
http://smileys.on-my-web.com/repository/Food/chocolate-bunny-29.GIF

[Steeler]

Marto

What if the salesperson can't give you what you want because it just can't possibly be done or is unrealistic,does this make him/her a bad salesperson ?.

Steve

[tin can marlin]

Marto

What if the salesperson can't give you what you want because it just can't possibly be done or is unrealistic,does this make him/her a bad salesperson ?.

Steve
Very good point there has to be a point were the salesperson has to say no otherwise everything would be free. I have spoken to Whayne at stones about this topic in depth and he said he goes to the end of the earth to help people but he also said it is importan to him that the customer show respect to him and leaves somthing in the deal so he can put 3 meals on the table everyday. It was great to hear the other side of the story. It is a 2 way street.

[MyEscape]

I don't mind naming a place that I've got good service from. Reef Marine in Mackay.

I've mentioned it before, when I wanted/needed to sell my Cruisecraft and downsize to a tinny (4.35 Seajay) Reef Marine were honest enough to say that my boat was worth more than what they could afford to offer for a deal, so they came up with a private buyer for me!

So as soon as my Cruiscraft was sold (no commission to Reef Marine except a bottle of bundy) I bought the Seajay.

Still very happy with the purchase and 2 years later the staff still know my name and what I bought etc.

No complaints, except towards the local Cruisecraft dealer who literally tried to take the p!ss out of myself and my wife when we took the Cruiscraft to them for a trade-in price.

Steve

[PADDLES]

some good comments on here. good salesmen (whether it be for goods or services) are a rare breed of cat. they have to try and figure out what type of person they are dealing with and adjust themselves constantly, they have to figure out whether someone wants to talk to them or whether someone wants to be left alone, they have to create a perception of value, which they then have to undercut to make the buyer happy, all the time trying to make a profit and keep food on their family's table. they have to deal with customers who 5 times out of 10 are rude and 8 times out of 10 are just plain unrealistic. if they do all this very well they get handsomely rewarded, and so they should. a good salesman will earn more than what most "nuts and bolts" type people (myself included) because of all the krap they have to deal with. i personally find a good salesman a pleasure to deal with and a bad salesman makes me want to poke myself in the eye. i generally shop like pinhead and others, i do a heap of research up front (this can sometimes include talking to a salesman) and then when i'm ready to talk turkey i don't want to mess around because i'm ready to buy there and then and either the cash is in my pocket or i'm going home with an invoice to transfer funds over the net within the hour. as far as what service i expect to get from my boat dealer, i expect premium service no questions asked, but unlike most people i do expect to pay for it because i don't believe my boat dealer to be a community service. i won't name who i deal with but they are northside brissy and have been through both the good times and the bad and are still trading strong, but they're not necessarily cheap and they're always there for me.

[Jarrah Jack]

some good comments on here. good salesmen (whether it be for goods or services) are a rare breed of cat. they have to try and figure out what type of person they are dealing with and adjust themselves constantly, they have to figure out whether someone wants to talk to them or whether someone wants to be left alone, they have to create a perception of value, which they then have to undercut to make the buyer happy, all the time trying to make a profit and keep food on their family's table. they have to deal with customers who 5 times out of 10 are rude and 8 times out of 10 are just plain unrealistic. if they do all this very well they get handsomely rewarded, and so they should. a good salesman will earn more than what most "nuts and bolts" type people (myself included) because of all the krap they have to deal with. i personally find a good salesman a pleasure to deal with and a bad salesman makes me want to poke myself in the eye. i generally shop like pinhead and others, i do a heap of research up front (this can sometimes include talking to a salesman) and then when i'm ready to talk turkey i don't want to mess around because i'm ready to buy there and then and either the cash is in my pocket or i'm going home with an invoice to transfer funds over the net within the hour. as far as what service i expect to get from my boat dealer, i expect premium service no questions asked, but unlike most people i do expect to pay for it because i don't believe my boat dealer to be a community service. i won't name who i deal with but they are northside brissy and have been through both the good times and the bad and are still trading strong, but they're not necessarily cheap and they're always there for me.


You're right, there's a lot of psychology going on with sales of more expensive items in particular. I once talked up the value of a table to a client so much so that when I gave her the price she was clearly deflated that it was too cheap and didn't correspond with the value I had set in her mind.

As they say a good salesman could sell anything but I don't want that bs what I want is intregity of the product and the service of the sales/aftersales at a competitive price.

[Steeler]

some good comments on here. good salesmen (whether it be for goods or services) are a rare breed of cat. they have to try and figure out what type of person they are dealing with and adjust themselves constantly, they have to figure out whether someone wants to talk to them or whether someone wants to be left alone, they have to create a perception of value, which they then have to undercut to make the buyer happy, all the time trying to make a profit and keep food on their family's table. they have to deal with customers who 5 times out of 10 are rude and 8 times out of 10 are just plain unrealistic. if they do all this very well they get handsomely rewarded, and so they should. a good salesman will earn more than what most "nuts and bolts" type people (myself included) because of all the krap they have to deal with. i personally find a good salesman a pleasure to deal with and a bad salesman makes me want to poke myself in the eye. i generally shop like pinhead and others, i do a heap of research up front (this can sometimes include talking to a salesman) and then when i'm ready to talk turkey i don't want to mess around because i'm ready to buy there and then and either the cash is in my pocket or i'm going home with an invoice to transfer funds over the net within the hour. as far as what service i expect to get from my boat dealer, i expect premium service no questions asked, but unlike most people i do expect to pay for it because i don't believe my boat dealer to be a community service. i won't name who i deal with but they are northside brissy and have been through both the good times and the bad and are still trading strong, but they're not necessarily cheap and they're always there for me.


Paddles

You have almost restored my faith in the end user consumer.

Steve

[ozbee]

cheapest is not always the best . i find if you ask for a package let them price it up , most likely if its too much ask what you can downgrade to meet your budget. this lets them now if your fair go, not a tyre kicker
and if they cant they may add on benefits to get you over the line like warranties etc. example was me last week put boat in ,over bar and under way the chart-plotter goes blank . quick call out they came fixed the lose wire . i had a lot of wiring changed when i sold the etec and put on the 300 zuk . the lowerance wasn't even fitted by them . when asked how much they said zilich there view is we look after you as a whole package . now that is service. and what a fishing trip it was .stopped in on the way back and gave them a feed of trout and nannys

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk123/ozbee_photos/fishpictures005.jpg