CSI award winners break record

MIAMI – Fifty-six boat and engine manufacturers were recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction at the 2006 International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference in Miami Beach last Friday, receiving awards from the National Marine Manufacturers Association’s Customer Satisfaction Index program, the association reported in a recent statement.

The awards were presented Nov. 3 during the annual IBEX Industry Breakfast at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

The Marine Industry CSI Awards program recognizes 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 more than 50,000 consumers purchasing a new boat or engine during the period between July 2005 and June 2006. A minimum of 25 consumer responses are required to quality.

The following companies were honored this past year for their efforts to increase customer satisfaction levels in the boating industry:

Albemarle Boats
Inboard Fishing Express Boats

American Suzuki Motor Corp.
Outboard Engines

Aqua Patio
Pontoon Boats

Baja Marine
Sterndrive Cuddy Express Boats

Bayliner
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Bennington Marine
Pontoon Boats

Boston Whaler
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Cabo Yachts
Inboard Fishing Express Boats

Carver Yachts
Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats
Inboard Motor Yachts & Trawlers

Century
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Champion Boats
Fiberglass Bass Boats

Chris-Craft
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy Express Boats

Cobalt Boats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy Express Boats

Correct Craft
Inboard Watersport Boats

Cruisers Yachts
Inboard Express Cruiser Boats

Edgewater Boats
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Four Winns
Deckboats
Fiberglass Outboard Boats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats

G3 Boats
Aluminum Outboard Boats

Glacier Bay Boats
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Glastron
Fiberglass Outboard Boats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats

Grady-White Boats Inc.
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Harbercraft
Aluminum Outboard Boats

Harris Flotebote
Pontoon Boats

Hatteras Yachts
Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats

Honda Marine
Outboard Engines

Hydra-Sport
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Indmar Products
Inboard Engines

Kayot
Deckboats

Larson
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats

Lund Boats
Aluminum Outboard Boats

Manitou Pontoon Boats
Pontoon Boats

MasterCraft
Inboard Watersport Boats

McKee Craft Boats
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Monterey Boats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats

Moomba Boats
Inboard Watersport Boats

Pathfinder
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Premier Marine
Pontoon Boats

Pro-Line Boats Inc.
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Pursuit Boats
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Regal Marine
Deckboats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy Express Boats

Regulator Marine
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Robalo Boats
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Sailfish Boats
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Sea Ray Boats
Deckboats
Fiberglass Outboard Boats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy Express Boats
Inboard Express Cruiser Boats] Inboard Fishing Express Boats
Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats
Inboard Motor Yachts & Trawlers

Seaswirl Boats
Fiberglass Outboard Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy Express Boats

Sedona Marine
Pontoon Boats

Skeeter Products Inc.
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Stratos Boats
Fiberglass Bass Boats

Supra Boats
Inboard Watersport Boats

Sweetwater
Pontoon Boats

Tiara Yachts
Inboard Express Cruiser Boats
Inboard Fishing Express Boats

Tige Boats
Inboard Watersport Boats

Volvo Penta of the Americas
Sterndrive Engines

Wellcraft Marine
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

World Cat
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

Yamaha Motor Corp. USA
Outboard Engines

“The fact we have more CSI Award recipients this year than ever before validates industry efforts to improve product quality and customer satisfaction across the board,” said NMMA president Thom Dammrich. “These 56 companies are leading the charge to make the best times in every boater’s life every day they are on the water, and to make boating the number one choice in recreation.”

NMMA launched its CSI program in 2001 to provide boat and engine manufacturers with an independently-measured, cost-effective tool to help improve customer satisfaction in the boating industry. Since the program’s inception, more than 400,000 surveys have been sent out to new boat and engine customers, allowing participating manufacturer companies to monitor customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis, and to benchmark themselves against the industry and their competitors. The program currently has 96 boat and engine brands participating.

The Marine Industry CSI program meets the 2007 model year CSI requirements of the NMMA Boat/Yacht Certification program. For manufacturers that are full participants in the Marine Industry CSI process, the included reporting also fills the dealer level CSI requirements of the Marine Industry Dealership Certification program.

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