“If you’re torn between two or three models from different brands, the quality of the dealership and its staff may well sway your decision,” Jim Hendricks advised readers in the February issue of Boating magazine. The five-page feature article relayed a story of a couple that experienced a problem with their brand new 23-foot leaking pontoon boat and their frustration with getting the selling dealer to do the warranty work. “Within just a few days of signing on the dotted line,” Hendricks wrote, “the couple was caught between a leaky boat and the sinking feeling that they had selected the wrong dealership.”
As an industry, we constantly talk about the importance of doing right by the customer. Stories like these in national publications don’t help us, albeit they can serve to bring home the point. “Don’t just shop for a boat — shop for a good dealer,” Hendricks urged readers. And, to do it, he offered a dozen ways to rate a prospective dealer, even providing a handy score sheet to select the best one. Here, briefly, are the ones I consider his top 10. How would your dealership rate?
1. Does the store staff seem happy to see you? Does anyone come over to say hello? Are they engaging and enthusiastic?
2. Check them out online? Use search engines to look for mentions or reports about the dealership. One or two negative comments aren’t of major concern, but a rash of bad experiences, poor warranty handling and long delays are a red flag.
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