Our biggest challenge is a unified commitment to quality, which will enhance the boating experience for both new and current boaters.
This touches on many aspects of boating, from the boat and accessory manufacturers constructing a quality product, to dealers and marina owners striving for top-notch customer service, to having dealers and manufacturers work together to quickly resolve customer problems, to providing basic educational information to make the boating experience more comfortable and enjoyable.
There are a number of companies in the industry committed to this concept already, but unless everyone is on board, we will continue to face growth challenges. No, a boat is not like a car and who knows if we will ever get to a parallel form of sales and service. But the purchase of any size boat is a substantial investment to the owner.
Every company involved in the creation and sale of that boat must work toward gaining or keeping a lifelong boater, instead of having another craft end up with a "For Sale" sign plastered to the windshield. Marketing efforts to attract new people to boating will be worthless if the experience is not positive for those first-timers, as bad news spreads 10-times faster than good news.
Kelly Flory
General Manager
Martin Flory Group