By Mike Davin, online editor, Boating Industry — On Friday, Apple held a press conference to respond to accusations that its wildly popular iPhone 4 features a defective antenna that drops calls when users hold it the wrong way. Read more >>
Tags: customer service, Internet
By Jeff Scherer, Associate Partner, Callbutton LLC — Everybody likes white teeth, right? I have yet to meet a person, however, who enjoys going to the dentist. Boaters like to be out on the water enjoying their time with friends, family, and fish, but similarly, I have yet to meet the person that enjoys bringing his boat in for service. Read more >>
Tags: customer service
By Christopher Kourtakis, director of sales and marketing, 360° Industry Solutions — Never let a customer out of your dealership mad or without a solution to their problem. Read more >>
Tags: customer service, Guest Blog
This past Saturday was my five-year-old’s birthday party. Nine boys and their parents had pledged to join my husband, son and I for a two-hour romp at a warehouse full of inflatable slides, rock climbing walls and even a basketball court. Read more >>
By Mike Davin, online editor, Boating Industry — One lesson at last year’s Marine Dealer Conference and Expo that I think surprised a lot of dealers was the importance of getting back to online leads immediately — within minutes if possible — when they ask a question. Read more >>
I was going about my normal boating news searches this morning when I stumbled across an article written by a stock analyst who had recently visited a handful of stores along Chicago’s Michigan Avenue. Like many of us, he has kids, and after being gone for a week on business, he was headed to the Disney store to pick up some “missed you while I was gone” presents before traveling home. Read more >>
Last week, I stayed at the Rosen Plaza in Orlando. It’s a potential home for the 2010 Marine Dealer Conference & Expo, and we were scouting the site to determine its capability of housing this growing event. We were on a tour with two of the facility’s sales managers when I happened to notice a vacationing middle schooler wearing a t-shirt with the letters “BMOC” proudly touting his claim that he was, indeed, the Big Man On Campus. The happenstance that I noticed this only provided a backdrop for what I had just experienced. Read more >>
A week before Christmas, I was delighted to receive a $100 clothing store gift certificate as a “thank you” for a favor I’d done for a family member. After a little research, I discovered the items I wanted to purchase with it were only available online. Now, I have to admit, I’ve never purchased clothing online because I like to try it on before I buy. This time, I made an exception. Read more >>
About 10 years ago, I learned a great lesson about finding a service shop you can trust. The anti-lock brake light was illuminated in my old Dodge Dakota, so I did what any naïve car owner would do: I took it to the closest shop, a national chain that promised impeccable brake service. Hours later, the store manager called with the news: I needed my brakes replaced. I was bemoaning the $800 quote over lunch with a buddy, and he recommended I take my car to “his guy,” who he promised would be trustworthy. Read more >>
By Chris Kourtakis, Owner, H20 Limos Marine Service — The October issue of Boating Industry magazine featured a story on preventing a blood bath. If we are to have a blood bath over the winter, will the dealers that survive have the resources to take care of the customers from the dealerships that went out of business? Or will customers be put on an infinite waiting list to have their boat serviced? Read more >>
Tags: customer service, Marine Dealers, OEM
