Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/570649
October 2015 | Boating Industry | 35 [ Customer service + ] www.BoatingIndustry.com We also surveyed the readers of Boating Industry – dealers and man- ufacturers – about their thoughts on CSI programs to give a wider look at the issue. That survey was conducted via email in late July 2015. 'Immediate pulse' One of the most important benefi ts of regular customer surveys, ac- cording to those we talked to, is the ability to quickly identify areas of concern. That was also the most common benefi t cited by Boating Indus- try readers in our survey. (See the sidebar on p. 36 for a representa- tive sample.) In the case of the NMMA CSI program, boat and engine buyers receive two surveys: one mailed shortly after delivery and a second about nine months later. A third-party company, the AVALA Marketing Group, collects and reports the data. "We get an immediate pulse of the customer experience after the delivery of our boats," said Donna Giddens, CSI coordinator for Chap- arral and Robalo. "We know within 30 days of delivery what the cus- tomer experience was at that dealership, with the engine we selected on that boat, all the aspects of our boat that we want to measure." That holistic approach to the experience is an important compo- nent of the program. It's about measuring the entire customer experi- ence – recognition that the dealer, the boat and the engine all shape how buyers feel about their purchases. "We have always kept in mind that it is much less expensive for our dealers [and Monterey] to keep a customer than it is to fi nd a new one – a CSI program helps you do that," said Sue Koehler, customer service coordinator at Monterey Boats. Of those companies that conduct customer satisfaction surveys, 57 percent said it was very important to them in our survey. Another 22 percent said it was at least somewhat important. The best companies know they have to embrace customer feed- back as an important part of improvement. "We've always believed that listening to our customers, and our dealers for that matter, is the way that we can keep continuing to grow and develop our products and services to meet the ever-chang- ing needs in our marketplace," said Shelley Tubaugh, vice president of marketing at Grady-White Boats. Twenty-six years ago, well before the advent of the NMMA program, Grady-White had its own system in place to measure customer satisfaction. "We've always been fortunate to have a very high percentage of returns on our customer surveys and we have always communicated that information back to our dealers," Tubaugh said. "Before there was ever an NMMA-fostered system we were already reporting that back." For many manufacturers, CSI scores have become an important part of their evaluation of dealerships. At Monterey, for instance, the company requires potential new dealers to provide CSI reports from an existing boat or engine manufacturer partner. "It gives you an idea of how they operate, because we don't know them or their business practices 100 percent," Koehler said. Many manufacturers hand out their own CSI awards for top- scoring dealers, as well as rewarding dealers that receive good ufacturers – about their thoughts on CSI programs to give a wider look at the issue. That survey was conducted via email in late July 2015. 'Immediate pulse' One of the most important benefi ts of regular customer surveys, ac- cording to those we talked to, is the ability to quickly identify areas of concern. try tive sample.) receive two surveys: one mailed shortly after delivery and a second about nine months later. and reports the data. delivery of our boats," said Donna Giddens, CSI coordinator for Chap- arral and Robalo. "We know within 30 days of delivery what the cus- tomer experience was at that dealership, with the engine we selected on that boat, all the aspects of our boat that we want to measure." 50% 31% 33% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Participate in NMMA or other CSI program Measure customer satisfaction ourselves Do not measure customer satisfaction Percentage 37% 31% 26% 23% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Customer participation too low Not offered by brands we sell Too expensive to participate Don't see the value in them Percentage DOES YOUR COMPANY CONDUCT CUSTOMER SURVEYS? WHY DON'T YOU CONDUCT CUSTOMER SERVICE SURVEYS? Of companies that don't conduct surveys Source: Boating Industry survey, July 2015 scores with discounts and other benefi ts. "We do fi nancially reward the dealers at the end of the year for achieving above 90 CSI," Baldree said. "That's money that they can earn to help support the program within their dealership. We provide POP material to the service writers, and customer gifts for answering the survey." Other manufacturers base discounts or warranty labor rates partially on CSI scores. Not all dealers are happy about those types of programs, though, as several mentioned in our survey that they felt they were held responsible for manufac- turer defects that weren't their fault. "The factories use [CSI scores] as a hammer to beat up dealers," said one