The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas is pleased to announce that more than 120 marine dealerships completed the inaugural year of the association’s Continuous Certification program.
The all-new Continuous Certification program was launched January 2018 as a powerful revamp to the previous “Re-Certification” process. The new program was built specifically for Certified Dealers and not only qualified dealers to maintain their Dealership Certification status, but also strengthen the dealership operations that were addressed in the initial Certification Program.
The 2018 educational curriculum focused on how dealerships could improve their customer relationship management processes, how to create a stronger customer experience, how to develop an accountable workforce and how to decide which growth or stability strategy marine retailers should focus. The courses included:
- Take Your Dealership from Good to Great with CRM, by Sam Dantzler
- Improve Loyalty with a Customer Experience Mindset, by Theresa Syer
- How to Create a High Accountability Dealership, by John Spence
- Strategy: A Path to Improved Performance, by David Spader
“Each educational course introduced new and challenging lessons and best practices that marine retailers should be integrating into their dealerships, in order to reach their greatest potential,” says Liz Keener, MRAA Certification Manager. “The participating dealerships were truly focused on improving their relationships with their customers, bettering their workplace culture and securing the success of their day-to-day dealership operations.”
In addition to the educational curriculum, dealerships participated in the Employee Satisfaction Survey process, which addressed the current culture of their company and encouraged retailers to look into ways on how they could improve the overall satisfaction of their employees. They also assessed their compliance with Certification standards, evaluated their facilities and completed a performance planning process.
“We were thrilled with the level of engagement that was demonstrated by the first year Continuous Certification participants,” says Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “Committing to continuing your education year after year is the best way that marine retailers can ensure continued growth and success as a Marine Industry Certified Dealership.”
Enrollment for the 2019 Continuous Certification Program is now open for Marine Industry Certified Dealers. For more information on Continuous Certification or the MICD programs, contact MRAA Certification Manager, Liz Keener at lizk@mraa.com.
About the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas
At the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas, we believe that for the marine industry to thrive, the retail organizations that interact with the boaters in their community must thrive. With that in mind, MRAA works to create a strong and healthy boating industry by uniting those retailers, providing them with opportunities for improvement and growth, and representing them with a powerful voice. For more information, visit MRAA.com or contact us at 763-315-8043.
