Friday, May 22, 2009

Warranty and customer service....

I know it isn't nice to talk about "problems" with new boats. Let's be clear, boats are made by people and therefore are never 100% perfect. What really matters is how the company selling the boats stands behind them. Here is an example of why I like selling quality boats backed by reputable builders!



This photo is of a couple of really great Beneteau Techs who were just flown in from the wood factory in France to fix a small issue with the finish on this bulkhead for a customer of ours. By the way - it is important to note that this is a 2005 boat being repaired for a 2nd owner - pretty unheard of!!

At Passage Yachts, we are lucky to have support and help from the builders we represent. Beneteau and Island Packet are two of these that really shine. Outside proof of this is that these two manufacturers were the only two US sailboat builders who won the NMMA 2008 CSI Award. Here is the press release....


NMMA Announces 2008 CSI Award Recipients
Seventy-three boatbuilders, engine manufacturers receive awards

CHICAGO, July 14, 2008 - - The National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) today announced recipients of the annual 2008 Marine Industry CSI Awards. A total of 73 boat and engine manufacturers were recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction, as part of NMMA’s Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) program.
Award recipients will be formally acknowledged during the annual Industry Awards Breakfast at the 2008 International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), taking place October 6-8 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
The Marine Industry CSI Awards program honors participating companies actively measuring customer satisfaction to pursue continuous improvement. Award recipients achieved and maintained an independently-measured standard of excellence of 90 percent or higher in customer satisfaction over the past year, based on information provided by consumers purchasing a new boat or engine during the period between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008. Participating manufacturers must survey all new boat buyers during this period. For this reporting period, more than 66,000 consumer responses were collected. “It is a pleasure to recognize the recipients of this year’s Marine Industry CSI Awards,” says NMMA president Thom Dammrich. “These seventy-three companies have made a solid, long-term commitment to continuously improve quality and customer satisfaction—steps that are sure to pay dividends not only for award recipients, but for our entire industry.”

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