Archive for January, 2011

My First Show!

Saturday, January 22nd, 2011

For the first time in my life, I went to the Minneapolis Boat show last night as a spectator…not an exhibitor! It was truly a strange feeling…Wayzata Marine was one of the original dealers in the Minneapolis show…and for 41 years we were a participant. I saw and spoke with many boating industry veterans from in-town and out-of-town…the majority of what I saw on display was fish boats, pontoon boats, and towboats. Occasionally, I would see a runabout or a cruiser, but the show has changed into much more of a fishing and pontoon show. Another interesting thing that I noticed in a very short time was that even though the show had shortened its daily hours and was open one less day, the salespeople were already tired and treating customers poorly! As a spectator, it was hard to tell which companies were really to be trusted. Organizations that I knew to have relatively no service department or showroom looked to be just as respectable as organizations that had the facilities and personnel to treat boaters the way they deserve to be treated.

The best part of our Parade of Boats is that customers get the full attention of our dealership and the opportunity to see our entire operation that they are choosing for their purchase. I really believe that most boats manufactured today range from adequate to good, but the difference between happiness and frustration is the dealerships ability to prepare and service the boats. What customers often don’t understand is that boats only break three months out of the year in Minnesota, but dealerships must staff for 12 months to service them. Dealers must prioritize their resources and help the customers who are most important to the dealership. To do so, the dealership must have the right people and parts to quickly and effectively fix and maintain your boat. Enjoyment without frustration is our goal for every customer…it isn’t easy…and on a rare occasion we fail…but…we are 100% committed and dedicated to superior service…we will do everything in our power to make our customers boating experience the best anyone could ever offer. That is, and always will be, our priority and promise to the customers who put their trust into Wayzata Marine.

Dave

2011 New Year’s Resolution

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

I have a New Years resolution…it is to do better with the Wayzata Marine blog! Since writing doesn’t come natural to me, it has been a challenge to be blogging as much as I know I should. My pledge is to do better this year! Happy New Year to all!! In Minneapolis, right after New Years, is “The Parade of Boats”. We go from a very slow time on the sales floor to a very busy time in just a few short days. The parade started on the 10th of January and will end on the 31st of January. Every day we have gotten a little busier, and today we have been overwhelmed with eager shoppers. The last few boats showed up late, but are now on display. Between our Minnetonka Marine and Wayzata Marine showrooms we have 68 boats inside on display, ranging from 18 feet to 37 feet. We have many new never before seen boats on display. Brand new for 2011 from Chaparral are the 246SSI sport boat, 310 Signature cruiser, and 330 Signature cruiser. We are also introducing Regal sport boats, cruisers and yachts to Lake Minnetonka. They are a great line of boats from 18 to 52 feet. After 35 years of not selling pontoons we finally found a line up worthy of our Lake Minnetonka customers…it is South Bay! They make outboard and sterndrive boats from 16 to 28 feet…careful, these aren’t your grandfather’s pontoon! Stop by the Minnetonka show room…there are 12 different styles to choose from. So…January brings the Parade of Boats with fantastic selection and pricing on all of our brands; Chaparral, Regal, Four Winns, South Bay, Chris Craft, Tige and Yamaha Jet Boats! AND…we back them up with award winning service. It sounds like this is truly a Happy New Year!

Dave