Regal ranks highest in the small runabout boat segment with the strongest performance yet seen in this segment, improving substantially in satisfaction and quality from 2005. Bennington, Premier, Harris FloteBote and Aqua Patio, respectively, follow Manitou in the rankings. ![]() With year-over-year gains in customer satisfaction, Manitou receives its first award, ranking highest in the pontoon boat segment. Regal, with substantial gains from 2005, and Rinker follow Sea Ray in the rankings, respectively. With particularly high ratings in product quality, owner loyalty and dealer sales and service, Sea Ray ranks highest among express cruiser boats for a fourth consecutive time. Following Grady-White in the rankings are Triton, Parker, Scout and Sailfish, respectively. Grady-White ranks highest in the coastal fishing segment for a fifth consecutive time, receiving the highest segment ratings in the areas of engine and ride/handling, as well as sales satisfaction. Bass Cat, Ranger and Champion all received a boost from using high-technology, high-horsepower engines. Ranger, Champion and Triton, respectively, follow Bass Cat in the segment rankings. Six boat brands have been added to the study for 2006: Sailfish, Parker and Sea Boss are included in the coastal fishing segment Champion in the bass boat segment and Sunchaser and Bentley in the pontoon segment.įor a second consecutive year, Bass Cat ranks highest in the bass boat segment. “We are seeing a lot of success in the ski/wakeboard segment in attracting new boaters, while pontoons have declined substantially in this area,” Sorensen said. While the industry is making efforts to grow boating, there has been a decline in the percentage of first-time buyers, falling from 28 percent of all respondents in 2003 to 26 percent in 2006. Customers who get their boats fixed right the first time are 60 percent more satisfied with their dealers and boats overall. The study finds that service is done correctly 77 percent of the time. One of the reasons is a frequent inability to fix the boat right the first time it is brought to the dealer for service. While marine sales and service is improving, it still lags behind other industries, including automotive. However, less than one-half of the dealers are offering their customers a test ride, which is a simple way to improve overall sales and product satisfaction.” The dealership is a crucial component of the boat manufacturer’s success. On a positive note, it appears some of the industry initiatives to improve dealer satisfaction are working, with trending continuously improving over the past four years. In particular, we see a substantial decline in quality in the pontoon and bass boat segments. “This drop is driven in part by an increase in the number of reported problems per boat. ![]() “This is the first dip in product satisfaction that we’ve seen in five years,” said Eric Sorensen, director of the marine practice at J.D. ![]() However, a positive trend with dealer performance continues as customers rate their experiences higher than in past years. All of the boat segments decline in product satisfaction, with the exception of large runabouts and express cruisers, which improve slightly from 2005. The study finds that as expectations among new boat owners increase, overall customer satisfaction has declined in five of the seven boat segments. Overall customer satisfaction index scores are based on performance in nine categories: cabin, engine, ride/handling, helm/instrument panel, design/styling, sound system, maintenance, water sports, and fishing. The study, now in its fifth year, measures owner satisfaction with new boats among 78 boat brands in seven segments: ski/wakeboard, fiberglass bass boats, small runabouts (16 to 19 feet), large runabouts (20 to 29 feet), coastal fishing (17 to 28 feet), pontoons and express cruisers (24 to 33 feet). Power and Associates 2006 Boat Competitive Information Study released yesterday. – Bass Cat, Correct Craft, Cobalt, Grady-White, Manitou, Regal and Sea Ray rank highest in customer satisfaction in the seven boat segments included in the J.D.
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