Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/164037
d e , nd r," to he mer ga ke. tehe ha me he F&I FOCUS PSB m www.PowersportsBusiness.com Powersports Business • September 9, 2013 • 19 customer, not between Yamaha and the customer," said Colin Haugh, Y.E.S. department manager. "The dealership is going to touch the customer the most. It has to be program that's sold and not forgotten about." And while some prepaid maintenance programs can be formulated with the intention of profiting on the forfeiture of prepaid services, the Y.E.S. Maintenance solution simply drives consumers multiple times back to the dealership. "The opinion among dealers of what prepaid maintenance should be is divided," McCarthy said. "Some dealers want to collect the money, and they don't want the customer to come back because they get to keep the money if the customer doesn't come back. When prepaid maintenance was originally conjured up as an F&I tive," he said. "We didn't know what the dealers' response would be, because dealers can do their own prepaid maintenance plans. There are also aftermarket plans. But we wanted to offer a plan so that Yamaha dealers who do not have such a program could easily get involved, and allow that customer to return again and again to the dealership." A variety of factors will determine which dealers opt in, Haugh said. "To those dealers that have a successful prepaid maintenance program, more power to them. I'm glad they're successful," he said. "But some states are very restrictive on these type of things. Other dealers may not have the volume. This allows the dealership to take part in Y.E.S. Maintenance, whether you sell one contract a month or 10 or more. It's another F&I product that you can offer." In addition, McCarthy says that lenders "are extremely fond of extended service products and prepaid maintenance. They're going to keep the vehicle operating and paying for it." And Haugh says that customers who buy Yamaha extended warranties have a better history of paying off their loans. Haugh added that while the list of maintenance tasks performs appears exhaustive, dealers are already asking for a more entrylevel maintenance plan, and Yamaha is already considering those options. PSB Yamaha's new Y.E.S. prepaid maintenance plan applies to the company's motorcycles, scooters, ATVs and side-by-sides. STAR MOTORCYCLES 4-YEAR SERVICE PLAN Up to 12,000 miles/18 months Service at: 600 miles/30 days 4,000 miles/6 months 8,000 miles/12 months 12,000 miles/18 months Services covered Oil & filter change Transfer case/final drive oil change Spark plug replacement Fuel injection synchronization Lubricate all pivot points STAR MOTORCYCLES 6-YEAR SERVICE PLAN Service at: 600 miles/30 days 4,000 miles/6 months 8,000 miles/12 months 12,000 miles/18 months Services covered Oil & filter change Valve adjustment Spark plug replacement Fuel injection synchronization Brake master cylinder rebuild Coolant system flush Clutch master cylinder rebuild Brake caliper rebuild Steering bearing repack Transfer case/final drive oil change Lubricate all pivot points product, the real purpose was to bring the customer back. You want to see them over and over again, because they're going to buy apparel, or parts, or kick tires on their next dream machine. Yamaha has a very clear focus with this." As part of the OEM's commitment, the Y.E.S. department will send Y.E.S. Maintenance customers a reminder directing them back to the dealership when services are due. It's available in 4-year service and 6-year service plans. Registration occurs online through the Yamaha Dealer System. And after 30 years of selling extended warranties, Yamaha and its dealer network should be able to profit from an added F&I product. "I think in terms of the penetration rate, the number of contracts sold to the number of units, we're in better shape today than we ever have been," Haugh said. And while other OEMs have launched prepaid maintenance programs, Haugh says Yamaha plans to aggressively market it and encourage dealers to take advantage of it. "The dealer feedback has been really posi- P10x21-PSB11-Focus.indd 19 8/28/13 10:50 AM