By Edward MacFawn, President of BiT DMS, an MRAA Platinum Partner

A new boat owner can leave the dealership feeling ready for the water. They have walked through the boat, learned the controls and asked the questions they knew to ask. Then they take their first trip.

Launching may take longer than expected. A feature that seemed simple during delivery is harder to remember at the dock. By the time they get home, they may have a list of questions they did not have when they picked up the boat. That is why one of the most useful conversations you can have with a new owner happens after their first weekend on the water.

Set up the follow-up before delivery

Let the customer know that someone from your dealership will check in after their first outing. Confirm how they prefer to be contacted and give them a clear way to reach you if a question comes up sooner. Make a note of anything they seemed unsure about during the walk-through. Did they want more practice docking? Were they unfamiliar with trailering? Are they learning a new electronics system? Those details give your team a place to start when it is time to follow up.

You do not need a complicated script. You need a conversation that shows you care about the customer and the boat they bought.

Ask More Than ‘How Was It?’

A general check-in may get a quick “Great, thanks,” even when the owner has questions.
Instead, try asking:

• How did your first trip go?
• Was anything harder than you expected, such as launching, docking or trailering?
• Did any questions come up once you were operating the boat yourself?
• Did you notice anything you would like our service team to check?
• What would help you feel more comfortable on your next trip?

The answers may surprise you. An owner who had a great day might still be unsure how to use a feature. Another might mention an issue they assumed was normal. Give them room to describe the experience in their own words before deciding what they need.

Make Sure Each Question Reaches the Right Person

A follow-up only helps if someone at the dealership takes action on what the owner says. A question about a control may call for a quick explanation or even another walk-through. A concern about how the boat performed may need the service department’s attention. If the owner asks about equipment or accessories, connect them with someone who can give them an accurate answer.

The person making the call or sending the text does not have to solve everything. They do need to record the question, pass it to the right team member and let the owner know what happens next. That handoff matters. Few things are more frustrating for a new owner than explaining a concern during a follow-up and then having to tell the whole story again when they contact service.

Keep the Conversation Going

Record what the customer asked, what your team promised and who is responsible for the next step. When the owner calls back, your sales, service and parts teams should have the context they need to help. This is where a connected dealer management system can support a more personal experience. A DMS brings customer information and dealership workflows together, especially if it has embedded two-way texting that lets your team communicate with owners while keeping the conversation stored within the customer record.

Your DMS software helps your team follow through; the relationship still comes from your team using it. The first-weekend follow-up does not have to be long. Sometimes a new owner just wants to share how much fun they had. Other times, one question answered promptly can make their next trip much easier.

Either way, checking in shows that your dealership’s commitment did not end when the boat left the lot. It gives your team a chance to help a new customer become a more confident boat owner, one outing at a time.

About the Author

For more than 21 years, Edward MacFawn, President of BiT DMS, has helped boat dealers and marine service centers increase profitability by bringing greater efficiency, visibility and control to their operations. Drawing on his background in finance and operations, including experience with KPMG and Honeywell, Edward has focused BiT on solving the real-world challenges that affect marine businesses every day.

Under Edward’s leadership, BiT has helped dealers connect sales, service, parts, inventory, slips/storage and customer communication through one integrated system. He spearheaded what industry reporting identified as the first web-based marine dealer management system in 2013 and later championed embedded two-way text messaging within the DMS. These innovations have helped marine businesses reduce administrative friction, improve customer responsiveness and make better decisions using more accurate, accessible information.

Today, Edward continues to guide BiT in developing practical technology around the way boat dealers and service centers actually work. His mission remains clear: Give independent marine businesses the tools to operate more efficiently, serve customers more effectively and build stronger, more profitable companies without sacrificing flexibility or personal service.

Editor’s note: MRAA publishes partner-contributed articles to provide marine retailers with practical education, subject-matter expertise and industry perspective. MRAA maintains editorial oversight of partner-contributed content and may edit submissions for clarity, relevance, AP style, search visibility and alignment with MRAA’s dealer-first educational standards. Recommendations should be considered alongside each dealership’s goals, processes, team capacity and business needs.