Marine technicians require industry's support

An apparent division amongst service technicians has been instituted by the marine industry for many years. Technicians are either classified as "authorized" or, "a non-authorized independent." For example, a quality dealer that is authorized to service Yamaha products may still perform service on a Mercury product. Another quality service provider may be an independent not authorized to do warranty work on a specific product, but they are still expected by the customer to provide service.

While all of these dealers may have the technical expertise and the ability to provide high quality service, they may find themselves unable to perform up to standards because they lack the proper support required to do so.

The trouble with this is most customers could care less when it comes to having their vessel serviced. They simply want it fixed.

Marine industry should support all technicians

As the marine industry advances in technology, it is important that all servicing technicians are offered technical support in order to provide the best service possible to its customers. This is a major concern of AMTECH.

When a customer brings his or her boat in for service, they expect the best possible service available. Many boaters have been using the same technician for years, regardless of the manufacturer of the boat or motor.

To this customer, the technician they have trusted for years represents the marine industry in total. However, if the technician has not been allowed to receive the technical information and support required to provide excellent service, then the resulting sub-standard service he provides could reflect negatively on the brand, as well as the entire industry.

Need for support

This is why AMTECH supports total cooperation for all technicians. AMTECH recently published a BII association column on the automotive industry's announcement of a Service Alliance for all automotive technicians.

This alliance is comprised of all auto manufacturers who have pledged to provide the technical support, presently furnished only to the authorized dealership's technicians, to all non-authorized auto technicians by the end of this year.

The auto industry realizes that many of their out of warranty vehicles are being serviced by non-authorized technicians. The marine industry has to realize that this is also a factor in our industry as well. In fact, it is even more of a factor in our industry than it is in the auto industry. Why? If you drive your Porsche into your local Ford dealership for service, you would not likely be successful in getting repairs. Car dealers are with very few exceptions brand specific. However, it's quite common to have a boat dealer that handles several brands of boats and motors.

Regardless of how much manufacturers would like to see this stop, it's not likely to change anytime soon. It would be in the industry's best interest to help all dealers to do the best job they can.

Putting the customer above all

The customer service our industry provides should be the industry's number one goal. Sure, we hear all the talk about how important the Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) is, and the marine industry strives to improve this. However, the industry has missed the boat on the real problem. Industry surveys have proven over the years that the number one reason boaters leave the marine industry for other recreational industries is poor or incompetent service. Yet we still have this lack of support, and the divisions within our ranks.

This narrow vision and lack of cooperation has to stop. While we're fighting over whom the customer will use in our industry, the customer is driving off in his new motor home and leaving the boat behind. It is important that we realize that we are not really in competition with each other, but we are all in competition with other recreational markets.

Fix the hole in the bottom of the boat

Failing to recognize that poor service is the main reason boaters become dissatisfied with boating is the problem. A good analogy for this problem is as follows — Poor service represents a hole in the bottom of the boat.

Unless the hole is fixed and we stop taking on water, all the industry's incentives that are intended to "Grow Boating" really amounts to passing out more buckets — we continue to bail out more water. This means we just keep replacing the old customers for the new. If, however, we recognize the problem, and start providing support for all service professionals, the new "Grow Boating" advertising programs and campaigns will actually lead to industry growth.

We can start immediately by supporting a Marine Service Alliance. It will require all boat and motor manufacturers to commit to providing their technical service bulletins, tools, diagnostic equipment, etc., to all marine technicians. AMTECH is in a position to work as a liaison between the manufacturers and the entire service community.

Association misconception

AMTECH was established in January of 1999 as an association to represent the entire marine service community. That includes all technicians, as well as companies that make parts, products and services for the service community. Anyone in our industry that knows that service is the glue the holds the industry together should be supporting AMTECH's initiatives.

Sure, selling new boats and motors are the initial profit centers for dealers. But it's the service department that keeps the customer in boating. If we do a good job at this, that customer will be available to buy a new boat or motor in the future. Regarding the authorized vs. non-authorized technician issue, most dealerships are not authorized on everything anyway. Yet most still bring competing product lines into their shop for service.

Without direct factory support this "authorized" dealer is now as non-authorized as any independent technician in the industry.

AMTECH through its interactive website can help all technicians with service-oriented troubleshooting issues.

Let's realize that our industry has too much competition coming from other recreational industries to worry about fighting ourselves. We must do everything we can to keep the customer in boating. It starts with technical support for all technicians, and a Marine Service Alliance can accomplish this. Visit AMTECH on the Internet at www.am-tech.org.

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Joe De Marco

President

AMTECH