A Roadmap to Winning in Service

• Pre-order the MRAA Service Management Special Report to help your dealership improve your service department’s overall performance.

By Jerrod Kelley & MRAA Education team

We have all heard the wise words: “Sales sell the first boat, and service sells the second, third and fourth.” Indeed, dealership service departments play a vital role in customer experience, business reputation and boat sales. Therefore, it is crucial to develop and apply effective service processes and best practices to keep this department and your dealership running on all cylinders.

Valuable Data & Resource
In the summer of 2023, the MRAA launched a Service Management Study to collect applicable information and priceless insights from service professionals across North America. Once the survey closed, the MRAA education team analyzed the data, using this analysis to create a new MRAA Service Management Special Report, packed with metrics, insights, resources and tools to help marine retailers advance their business.  

The report compiles data from top marine businesses, breaking down tangible differences that help the industry’s best shops excel, even in challenging times. The report explores multiple aspects of service management, including:

  • HR and management strategies
  • Dealer demographics
  • Service & parts operations
  • Employee & staffing resources
  • Department pain points
  • Process insights
  • Key service performance indicators

The Service Management Special Report will help dealerships – who struggle with resource limitations, staffing issues and managing day-to-day pressures – create better results and improve the service department’s overall performance.

By focusing on being a premium service provider, dealerships will not only meet the needs of their customers but also improve the environment for and retention of their staff, both of which are crucial for long-term success. The Service Management Special Report is a modern roadmap for winning in service and reaching a peak of excellence.

You can pre-order the 2023 Service Management Special Report, which will be delivered virtually in February 2024, to determine where you stack up against other dealers in the marine industry.

The report is $299 for non-members and $249 for MRAA Members. Dealer Week 2023 attendees in Tampa and Dealer Week Online participants receive an additional discount. See the QR Code on page 69 of the Dealer Week Float Plan. 

Dealer Week & Premium Service
Want to learn more about becoming an elite service provider? Be sure to register for Dealer Week Online (including the five Service & Parts Pathway courses) and explore the Service Management Certification produced in partnership between the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) and the American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC). Learn more and register at: MRAA.com/ServiceCertification.

Finally, if you’re an MRAA Silver Member, visit MRAATraining.com on March 2, 2024, to watch Ziebron’s course “Get on the A-List for Premium Service Success,” where you will learn to:

  • Understand how becoming an A-List shop benefits everyone at the dealership.
  • Uncover the elements of premium service success.
  • Identify beneficial areas of improvement for your shop.
  • Apply significant elements to become an A-list service shop.

Savannah Boat Works Commits to Supporting MRAA Through Platinum Partnership

MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announces that Savannah Boat Works has joined the MRAA at the Platinum Partner Membership level.  

Through Platinum Partner Membership, Savannah Boat Works supports the MRAA, its programs and the opportunities the association provides the dealer body in an effort to fuel the success of the industry. Commitments from Platinum Partners like Savannah allows for the expansion of MRAA’s offerings and creates a positive, long-term impact for its members.

“We are very excited to partner with MRAA and be a part of such a wonderful organization,” says Alesha Strickland, Representative at Savannah Boat Works.

Savannah Boat Works, headquartered in Four Oaks, N.C., was founded on a dream. Born from the owners personal pursuit of his own perfect boat – a versatile fishing boat that could be an inshore and offshore fishing boat or family boat, crafted in every detail to match the boat he had envisioned for years. Now occupying a 20,000-square-foot facility in North Carolina with future plans for expansion.

“It’s rewarding to add another Platinum Partner that will align themselves with our mission of supporting marine dealer success,” says Allison Gruhn, MRAA VP of Business Development. “We look forward to the unique perspectives that Savannah Boat Works will bring to our member community as we collectively work to enhance the boating experience and industry.”

About Savannah Boat Works
Savannah Boats offers seven vessels from bay boats, skiffs to deep Vs. Savannah vessels feature state of the art materials with no wood, 100% composite hull construction and foam floatation. All seven models offer a smooth and exceptional ride separating Savannah boats from its competition. For more information, visit: https://savannahboats.com/ or contact info@savannahboats.com, (+1) 919-495-6388.

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.

2024 Discover Boating Boat Shows Set to Kick Off

• The New Year of Boat Shows Begins Next Week in Atlanta, Boston and Chicago

Kicking off the 2024 winter boat show season, in partnership with Progressive Insurance®, are the Discover Boating Chicago Boat Show, January 10-14, and Discover Boating New England Boat Show, January 10-14, and Discover Boating Atlanta Boat Show, January 11-14. To engage current boaters and bring in new customers, plans for 2024 Discover Boating boat shows include an increase in floor plans and exhibitors, robust marketing plans and a host of immersive experiences and entertainment.

The Discover Boating Beach Club, which launched in 2023 in New York and Chicago, is expanding across four markets, and will return to Chicago and launch in New England next week. Similar activations will take place across Discover Boating boat shows, including the Lake Life Lounge in Atlanta, reimagined with a host of new activities for show goers.

Boat Finder returns in 2024, engaging customers now in the boat-shopping process ahead of the show they plan to attend. The 2024 tool features a new design and layout to drive more shoppers to boat brands and dealers.

2024 Discover Boating boat show schedule:

Marketing Resources
The Discover Boating Boat Show Partner Toolkit includes a host of marketing assets for dealers and manufacturers. Make sure to also follow and engage with Discover Boating shows on social media across Facebook and Instagram. Contact Sarah Salvatori for more information and media requests, ssalvatori@nmma.org.

Intentional Action

• MRAA Guide to Navigating 2024: 11 Strategies & 60+ Tools to Help Your Dealership Find Success in the New Year

Some economic experts out there are predicting impending challenges in 2024. From the banter about election-year concerns to a bound-to-happen recession, the picture that is being painted by many is that the sky may actually be falling. I like Chicken Little, but I think even he would realize that by adjusting his mindset, he can maintain his clarity and confidence to focus his energy on controllable things, not the areas he cannot control.

On Sunday, Dec. 31., my pastor shared his word for 2024 — Intentional! He went on to say that things don’t happen by accident but through intention. “Having your intentions in the right order is important for 2024,” he added. I am sharing this to remind you that being intentional this year will help you, your employees and your dealership.

Siri defined intentional to me as “done on purpose, deliberate.” Similar words are intended, voluntary and conscious. And Merriam-Webster.com suggests intentional differs from these other adjectives because it “stresses an awareness of an end to be achieved.” To me, this sounds a lot like you and your team building a plan for 2024 rather than letting it haphazardly happen to you. You can directly influence how the new year goes by being intentional with your actions, efforts and objectives.

I am a fan of retired Navy Seal, author and podcaster Jock Willink. While he is known for many things and phrases, I particularly like his use of “here and now.” I have heard this saying used by Jocko and in other motivational podcasts to inspire people to overcome procrastination, obstacles and bad habits. It’s also a way to remind yourself to be intentional. From your dietary habits to your education to your physical and mental fitness, it’s about being intentional in your approach and doing it here and now!

But how do you seize the day, every day, to ensure you are being more intentional and plotting the right course for 2024? That’s where we come in. The MRAA created a brand new resource to re-establish your confidence and help you make the best decisions to drive success for you and your team.

business navigation guide for 2024 with tips for intentional action

The brand-new MRAA Guide to Navigating 2024 offers 11 strategies to help strengthen your dealership to help it withstand any uncertainty in the year ahead. The guide also supplies you with more than 60 tools and resources you can use to implement these strategies so you can confidently face your obstacles head-on.

Intentional is a meaningful word for the marine industry and its leaders in the new year. Your year of intentionality starts here and now! Download the 27-page Guide to Navigating 2024.

Not an MRAA Member? Get a Special Preview to Guide to Navigating 2024 here.

Providing Customers with Answers to Enhance Their Boating Experience

You need to know what your boating customers are reading and seeking more information about to help create a better boating and boat-ownership experience for them. You must support your customers, especially first-time boat buyers, in their yearning to create positive experiences by enhancing their knowledge and skills.

Sites like DiscoverBoating.com can help you share educational and safety content with your customers. The “Top 10 Discover Boating Articles for 2023” below showcases the most viewed resources boaters (your customers) read last year to improve their ownership. These articles included boat model research, tips for operational safety and enhancing the boating lifestyle.

Boating article about buoys and channel markers
From articles about boat operation to parts of a boat to searching for the right vessel, Discover Boating recently shared it’s Top 10 most viewed stories of 2023.

The Discover Boating top 10 articles broken down by theme:

  • Boating operation
    • Navigation (buoys and channel markers)
    • Propellor pitch
    • Safety checklist & equipment
    • How to trim a boat
  • Boat knowledge
    • Boat anatomy
    • Living on a boat
  • Purchasing a boat
    • Affordable boats
    • Guide to small boats
    • Boats for families
    • Boats for fun & entertaining

Ideally, you can blend your dealership’s expertise with articles from DiscoverBoating.com and resources from b2bDiscoverBoating.com to create compelling articles and a library of materials to support their new boating lifestyle and keep them informed and educated. This level of sharing also helps your team connect with them in your follow-up calls, texts and emails. It also creates opportunities for you to share more information with them about the vessel they purchased from you and your experience in the local boating community.

Finally, these Discover Boating articles should inspire you to gather as a group at the beginning of each quarter to discuss blogs/articles your team can create to share your team’s knowhow about the boats and products you sell, address the most frequently asked questions you get from your customers and to provide operational tips for more successful outings on the water. When you provide them with answers and create more ownership success, you create happier boaters (and customers) who keep boating longer.

For more insights to help keep your customers boating in 2024 and beyond, check out the MRAA resource “Guide to a World-Class Customer Experience.”

Native Rank Joins the MRAA as a Partner Member

MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) announces the addition of Native Rank as a new Partner Member.

Marine manufacturers, suppliers and service providers, through Partner Membership, commit to aligning their brands with the programs and opportunities that MRAA offers in its efforts to fuel the success of the marine industry. Support from Partners allows the Association to expand its offerings and create a positive, long-term impact on MRAA members’ business.

Native Rank, headquartered in Denver, Colo., delivers solutions that provide businesses the opportunity to compete for qualified leads, resulting in new customer acquisition through the use of advanced targeting technology.  

“It’s hard to think of a better way to end 2023 than welcoming a new Partner Member who supports our mission and cause,” says Allison Gruhn, MRAA Vice President of Business Development. “We look forward to what our partnership with Native Rank will bring in the New Year.”

Be sure to take a look at the comprehensive list of companies backing MRAA across all partnership levels. View the full list.

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.

Veranda Luxury Pontoons Commits to Platinum Partnership

MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas announces that Veranda Luxury Pontoons has joined the MRAA as a Platinum Partner.  

Through Platinum Partner Membership, Veranda supports the MRAA, its programs and the opportunities the association provides the dealer body in an effort to fuel the success of the industry. Commitments from Platinum Partners like Veranda Luxury Pontoons allows for the expansion of MRAA’s offerings and creates a positive, long-term impact for its members.

In 1966, innovation which birthed Veranda Luxury Pontoons was studied, learned and refined within an old school house located in the rural community of Friendship, Ark. It was from these prophetic beginnings that Xpress Boats, sister company to Veranda, established the first series of the “original” all-welded boat manufacturing processes. In the subsequent 55 years, three generations of the founding family have continued to flourish, revolutionize and invest in creating and applying these technologies for solving the inherent problem of rotting wood decks. After successfully patenting their all-aluminum, all-welded, interlocking deck system, Veranda Luxury Pontoons began crafting some of the finest engineered pontoons in the luxury pontoons industry in 2006.

“Veranda’s rich history of innovation and problem-solving is something that we value here at the MRAA,” says Allison Gruhn, MRAA VP of Business Development. “We look forward building a fruitful relationship with them and discovering all of the ways that we can learn from each other in order to champion a thriving marine industry.”

About Veranda Luxury Pontoons
Over the years we have continued to refine the manufacturing processes and provide the opportunity for thousands of Veranda Luxury Pontoon owners, like yourself, to discover the rewarding benefits of boating and make memories that last a lifetime. With recent expansion and investment growing our skilled workforce, the Veranda Luxury Pontoons team is even better suited to our commitment to crafting the finest luxury pontoons available. We want to welcome you to Veranda’s lineup of luxury pontoons. To learn more, visit www.verandamarine.com/ or contact: nkyzer@verandamarine.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.

Forest River Marine Joins as Platinum Partner

MINNEAPOLIS — The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) announces that Forest River Marine has joined at the Platinum Partner membership level.  

Through Platinum Partner Membership, Forest River Marine supports the MRAA, its programs and the opportunities the association provides the dealer body in an effort to fuel the success of the industry. Commitments from Platinum Partners like Forest River Marine allows for the expansion of MRAA’s offerings and creates a positive, long-term impact for its members.

In 1996, Forest River founder Peter Liegl had a vision. He foresaw an RV company dedicated to helping people experience the joy of the outdoors by building better recreational vehicles. After purchasing certain assets of Cobra Industries, the Company started manufacturing pop-up tent campers, travel trailers, fifth wheels and park models. Continually growing, Forest River now operates multiple manufacturing facilities throughout the United States producing Class A, B and C motorhomes, travel trailers, fifth wheels, toy haulers, pop-up tent campers, truck campers, park model trailers, destination trailers, cargo trailers, commercial vehicles, buses, pontoons and mobile restroom trailers.

“Forest River Marine’s commitment to Platinum Partnership demonstrates their dedication to advancing our industry,” says Allison Gruhn, MRAA VP of Business Development. “Their support empowers our dealer community and enables us to provide valuable resources and programs. This partnership, rooted in our shared vision, promises a brighter and more prosperous future for our members.”

About Forest River Marine
At Forest River, Inc., your needs, interests, budget, and lifestyle are at the forefront of everything we do. This affects every step from design, to the manufacturing floor, and on to you, our Customer. Whatever your need — recreation, transportation, or cargo hauling — we strive to bring quality products within reach of everyone. It’s not just a slogan: “Customer Satisfaction is Our #1 Priority.” To learn more, visit https://www.forestriverinc.com/ or contact rcasey@forestriverinc.com; (+1) 574-825-0315.

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.

What is RECT and How to Measure for Best Results

By Rob Grant, Director Manufacturer Solutions, Lightspeed

Rob Grant, Lightspeed
Rob Grant

I know what you are thinking … not another industry acronym to have to remember. RECT, or Repair Event Cycle Time, is simply the measure of time that it takes you to repair a customer’s boat, motor, or trailer in your service department. With many parts of the country having a limited boating season, any time a customer’s boat is in the shop for service is time they are not enjoying it on the water.

As Lightspeed has worked with the MRAA and other industry partners to determine ways to improve customer experience in the industry, we discovered service departments play a huge part in the overall customer journey.

Below, we have outlined key metrics you should be reporting on to begin your journey to reduce your RECT. Once you understand how you are currently doing, you will be able to create an action plan on ways to improve your processes and results.

What and How to Measure
In your service department, you typically have two types of customers:

  • Internal – Sales Department, general maintenance, etc.
  • Customer – This includes all work done for customers, whether it’s warranty or the customer paying for it.

It is best to strictly focus on the customer-facing service work since the idea of measuring RECT is to identify ways to improve the customer experience and ensure they are retained as boaters in the industry and customers of your service department.

Now that we have narrowed it down to just customer work, we want to identify the key areas in the service process that affect RECT. These include:

  • Labor Metrics
    • Start Days – Time between write up to the first labor entry.
    • Job Days – Time between the first labor and last labor completed.
    • Delivery Days – Time between the last labor and customer pickup/RO completion.
    • Days to Complete – The total time between the write up and customer pickup.
  • Part Metrics
    • Identification Days – Time between write up and ordering parts.
    • Lead Days – Time from ordering parts to receiving parts.
    • Repair Wait Days – Time between parts being received and customer pickup/RO completion.
    • Days to Complete – The total time between the write up and customer pickup.

In your Dealership Management System (DMS) reporting modules, you can create a report or access templated reports that will allow you to report on these metrics. Knowing where you stand will help you identify areas for improvement.

Once you know your situation, it’s good to see how you stack up with others. Lightspeed has created an industry aggregate report available for your service department to benchmark against. You can find it on our website: www.lightspeeddms.com/resource–hub/data–services/

Also, you can subscribe to Lightspeed Industry Benchmarks, which provides a side–by–side comparison of your performance vs. the national RECT numbers and other department metrics.

In this RECT overview series the next few months, we will offer best practices that you can implement to work as efficiently  as possible for the upcoming season.

Lightspeed

About Lightspeed
Lightspeed, an MRAA Strategic Partner, offers ongoing product innovations to help dealers service units more efficiently, getting marine customers out on the water faster. To learn more about Lightspeed, visit www.lightspeeddms.com/.

Seeking Greatness

• Interest in the Great Dealerships to Work For awards criteria suggests a commitment to excellence.

After I sent out the recent MRAA press release announcing the 22 Certified Dealerships that earned a 2023 Great Dealerships to Work For (GDTWF) award at Dealer Week in Tampa, Fla., I received an email response asking what is required to earn a GDTWF award.

I immediately shared this follow-up question with our Dealership Certification team of Stevie Cook and Liz Keener. They said any dealership seeking to be recognized as a Great Dealership to Work For must meet these parameters:

  1. Be a Certified Dealership.
  2. Receive a 90% score on their Employee Satisfaction Survey (ESS).
  3. Complete and submit the survey to the MRAA team before the deadline.
Seeking greatness, GDTWF trophies on table
Twenty-two marine retailers received the coveted MRAA Great Dealerships to Work For in 2023 at Dealer Week in Tampa, Fla.

Let’s inspect those numbers above. Of many remarkable and fabulous-to-work-for dealerships in North America, only 332 are Certified Dealerships (as of this writing). The field is narrowed immediately when considering the first requirement above. This doesn’t diminish the dedication of other deserving dealerships. While they excel in supporting their employees, they haven’t completed the Certification process required for GDTWF eligibility.  

No. 1
However, our team considers dealers who earn Certification the cream of the crop because they have invested in strengthening nearly every facet of their business. This includes creating and implementing process maps, installing better employee and HR programs to enhance workplace culture, issuing the ESS for authentic and anonymous feedback and adding best practices, checklists and other proven tactics to become even more successful.

No. 2
A key component within the Certified Dealership program is the ESS. Without it, some of this polishing and refinement from participants would feel procedural and less meaningful. However, when you throw in authentic, honest feedback from the heartbeat of your store — your employees – you help develop a culture of accountability and trust and an environment that is open to feedback and showcases a willingness to change for the betterment of everyone, from the top down.

No. 3
This step is a process in and of itself. Meaning, that if a Certified Dealer has their ESS results but fails to submit on time, they miss out on an opportunity to shine amongst and in front of their industry peers. They also miss a chance to showcase to their community, state and marketplace that they are a great workplace.

This year’s deadline was Sept. 15. Chances are next year’s ESS results will be submitted around that same time frame in September of 2024. Mark your calendars now!

The selection process for the 2023 MRAA Great Dealerships to Work For list resulted in 22 dealerships meeting the stringent criteria. Notably, many other businesses demonstrated significant progress through continuous Dealership Certification, highlighting its effectiveness in fostering ongoing improvement.

It’s worth noting that the inquiring dealership, despite performing well with an ESS score near 80%, wasn’t deterred. Instead, they were motivated to reach the next level and strive for the 90% benchmark. Their interest in the Great Dealerships criteria suggests a clear commitment to excellence. With the Certified Dealership program as their guide, I believe they’ll achieve their aspirations.

Seeking greatness? Learn more about the Certification program, the ESS and more on the MRAA Dealership Certification webpage, or email Stevie Cook, MRAA Certification Specialist.

Editor’s note: We have participated in an ESS at the MRAA. Our survey results identified focus areas, produced adjustments within, and our culture, camaraderie and leadership have improved, too. The ESS results are gratifying even if your dealership doesn’t score 90% (4.5 out of 5) or higher, as the ownership, management and everyone can benefit from reviewing the results and it can lead to positive change and progress.