CSI award winners recognized at IBEX

MIAMI – Seventy-four boat and engine manufacturers were recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction during the 2008 International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference held this week in Miami Beach.

The companies were honored by the National Marine Manufacturers Association, as part of its Customer Satisfaction Index program. The 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.

“We know that improving the customers’ experience and overall satisfaction is one of the best ways to grow and strengthen our industry,” said Thom Dammrich, NMMA president. “We’re excited to be able to offer a program that allows companies an opportunity to evaluate themselves in order to improve how they do business and ultimately foster an environment for long-term success.”

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

ALBEMARLE BOATS
Inboard Fishing Express Boats

AMERICAN SUZUKI MOTOR CORP.
Outboard Engines

AQUA PATIO
Pontoon Boats

AVALON & TAHOE MANUFACTURING INC.
Pontoon Boats

BAYLINER
Deck Boats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy and Express Boats

BENETEAU USA
Sailboats

BENNINGTON MARINE
Pontoon Boats

BOSTON WHALER
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

BRYANT BOATS
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats

CABO YACHTS
Inboard Fishing Express Boats

CARVER YACHTS
Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats

CENTURY BOATS
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

CHAMPION BOATS
Fiberglass Bass Boats

CHAPARRAL BOATS INC.
Deck Boats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats

CHRIS-CRAFT
Fiberglass Outboard Boats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats

COBALT BOATS
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats

COBIA
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

CORRECT CRAFT
Inboard Watersport Boats

CRESTLINER BOATS
Aluminum Outboard Boats
Pontoon Boats

CRUISERS YACHTS
Inboard Express Cruiser Boats
Inboard Motoryachts & Trawlers
Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats

EBBTIDE BOATS
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats

EDGEWATER BOATS
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

FORMULA BOATS
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats

FOUR WINNS
Deck Boats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats

G3 BOATS
Aluminum Outboard Boats

GLASTRON
Deck Boats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats

GRADY-WHITE BOATS INC.
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

HARRIS FLOTEBOTE
Pontoon Boats

HEWES BOATS
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

HONDA MARINE
Outboard Engines

HYDRA-SPORT
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

INDMAR PRODUCTS
Inboard Engines

ISLAND PACKET YACHTS
Sailboats

KAYOT
Deck Boats

LARSON
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats

LOWE BOATS
Aluminum Outboard Boats
Deck Boats
Pontoon Boats

LUND BOATS
Aluminum Outboard Boats

MALIBU BOATS
Inboard Watersport Boats

MANITOU PONTOON BOATS
Pontoon Boats

MASTERCRAFT
Inboard Watersport Boats

MAVERICK BOATS
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

MERIDIAN YACHTS
Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats

MONTEREY BOATS
Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats

MOOMBA BOATS
Inboard Watersport Boats

PALM BEACH MARINECRAFT
Pontoon Boats

PARTI KRAFT
Pontoon Boats

PATHFINDER
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

PROCRAFT
Fiberglass Bass Boats

PRO-LINE BOATS INC.
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

PURSUIT BOATS
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

RAMPAGE YACHTS
Inboard Fishing Express Boats

REGAL MARINE
Deck Boats
Inboard Express Cruiser Boats
Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats

REGULATOR MARINE
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

ROBALO BOATS
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

SAILFISH BOATS
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

SCOUT BOATS
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

SEA RAY BOATS
Deck Boats
Fiberglass Outboard Boats
Inboard Express Cruiser Boats
Inboard Fishing Express Boats
Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats
Inboard Motoryachts & Trawlers
Sterndrive Bowrider Boats
Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats

SEASWIRL BOATS
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

SEDONA MARINE
Pontoon Boats

SILVERTON MARINE
Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats

SKEETER PRODUCTS INC.
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

STRATOS BOATS
Fiberglass Bass Boats

SUMERSET HOUSEBOATS
Sterndrive Houseboats

SUPRA BOATS
Inboard Watersport Boats

SWEETWATER
Pontoon Boats

SWEETWATER TUSCANY
Pontoon Boats

TIARA YACHTS
Inboard Express Cruiser Boats
Inboard Fishing Express Boats

TIGE BOATS
Inboard Watersport Boats

TRIUMPH BOATS
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

TROPHY BOATS
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

VOLVO-PENTA OF THE AMERICAS
Sterndrive Engines

WELLCRAFT MARINE
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

WORLD CAT
Fiberglass Outboard Boats

YAMAHA MOTOR CORPORATION USA
Outboard Engines

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 500,000 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 110 boat and engine brands participating.

The Marine Industry CSI program meets the 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.

For more information on CSI Award recipients, or to get involved with the CSI program, contact Terry Leitz, NMMA director of CSI Programs, at (312) 946-6212; tleitz@nmma.org.

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