I have been blessed to meet some wonderful people in the boat business , when it seems dismal [which it is does sometimes, especially in winter ] something will happen that will restore your vigor and remind you of why you do what you do . We are still in the midst of selling through our inventories , and the folks that make those key purchases are doing a great thing for us . I am very grateful for them and lately have met some mighty fine folks . Having some employees that count on me drives me to a great extent to make things happen and find our way in the long recovery process. It also teaches you a lot about your business and might even cause one to do some soul searching.
But back to those people , from all over, many backgrounds and beliefs, one common interest . Enjoying their time on the water and the products we sell,one of which is intangible but very important, the experience of great service . We will be trimming down our inventories, manufacturers that dont meet our expectations, expenses, but not our service . That’s why we meet great people and why they come back !
Marc
It's all true, honest.
31
Oct
I was driving across the 6 mile bridge that I traverse every morning on my way to work in Eastpoint this morning. Otis Redding was singing “Dock Of The Bay” through my truck’s stereo and I glanced off towards the mouth of the 5 rivers that feed this vibrant Apalachicola Bay. I spotted a boat in the morning light and as I got closer I observed it was one of my customer’s boats that we had recently picked up, serviced and delivered back to the Fish Camp where it is stored. They were peacefully at anchor fishing in near perfect conditions.
Fishing Apalachicola Bay
I thought about the changes we have seen in the industry this year and had a sense of pride to be heading to work and opening the gates for another day of “reinvention”.
I say reinvention because we have had to change our model as a business to some degree, to remain in business. First of all I have a service department that has really stepped up and worked hard. I have had to change the strategies of our business in the areas of sales [there weren't many]. Many of our boat lines simply dissapeared over the last year with one of the biggest in the industry [Genmar] announcing just yesterday they wont be reorganizing ,but selling out ,from an an unexpected [by most] bankruptcy declared in June. Consignment sales that seemed like a waste of energy a couple years ago are now a valued part of our new business model.
I have found myself acting as a purchasing agent for a number of folks that are not willing or able to purchase new boats. They trust that I will find them what they are looking for and will reward me with a fee for my services. That’s the value of relationships working to help make those ends meet.
I have had to find ways to market that did not cost as much but were effective. No more Yellowpages ads for instance as we discovered our buyers were generally doing their research in front of a computer screen, not a book and a telephone. We have a much complimented, ever changing web site [thanks Mike!], I write this blog, a newsletter, have nearly daily participation in the owners groups of our most popular boat lines, I tweet, facebook, use boatradderonline, boats.com etc…..
I still believe in boat shows. Not as a pressure tool for generating immediate sales [although we certainly wont turn you down], but as a means to introduce folks to boats they have never seen or experienced in person, like our C Dorys and Ranger Tugs, to meet and start a personal relationship with a potential future customer, and to be a part of the industry. I still enjoy the people who enjoy boats, and go out of our way to meet them. Even at a Waffle House on the way to a show.
We are not out of the woods. I have a new perspective and we are still in an industry in turmoil. I dream about this business, and sometimes lay awake. Winter is coming, and we will work that much harder. I feel a sense of responsibility to my staff, and my customers. But for now, I suppose it’s business as “unusual”.. I appreciate the support of our customers more than you know. Without them, there would be nothing to “reinvent” and observe.
Marc
13
Jun
Sometimes I feel as though I am running a boat orphanage. Through no fault of the boat , their families have abandoned them and they come to live at my dealership .
They all start out as foster boats in a sense when we get them , with the hope of future support from their original parents. All formerly from good families, some are victims of the economy whose parents just couldn’t keep up the responsibility of having a family of boats and have filed bankruptcy, some are there because their parents died [or closed up shop] unexpectedly, some became orphans because the family’s assets have been transferred to another family, and they didn’t take the liability with the acquisition. All were originally chosen by us because they are good boats, with intelligent features and unique functional traits, and were selected without knowing they come from a troubled family background.
But like Steve Jobs, Leo Tolstoy, or Johann Sebastian Bach and many more [all successful/important people that were orphans] these boats can do great things for their new families. They can bring joy and happiness that comes from being cared for ,played with and coming from one good family [Wefings foster home for boats] to another good home [the end user] . Our family is dedicated to supporting these boats new families with the best support we can, that is part of what makes us who we are. If you have a problem we will try to make it our problem, if you have placed the faith in us to do business with us. If you simply want to get the lowest price and do not care about the genealogy you are missing the point of my post.
The point is that if you like what we have, orphan or not , and appreciate any kind of relationship or service after the sale , and have an understanding that even an orphanage has employees , overhead costs [just like your business] and really is trying to make a reasonable profit , you wont beat us down for fun, pointlessly waste our time just to see how good of a deal you can get with no real intention of doing business and make unrealistic and uninformed offers on our kids. And please don’t expect us to bend over backwards and jump through hoops for you on that bargain boat you shopped us on and bought somewhere else. Our family comes first .Always. You shopped, you conquered, and YOU became an orphan as a result.
We consistently find these types to be our most unappreciative and demanding customers.
I don’t know if its human nature to think “Its ok for me to make a living, but I have to make sure those I do business with do not” , Or if there is an unreasonable perception of what a boat dealer/ marine foster parent makes for profit , but its time to realize there will be no service to be had, perhaps at any price, if the new game is to buy everything you can for pennies on the dollar every time you make a purchase.
Reminds me of an experience I had a week or so ago. A local fellow was coming in to price a generator. I happened to be on the auction web site for scratch and dent Honda Power Equipment. There was exactly what he wanted available, at a better price that he could have gotten anywhere else. He hemmed and hawed .It ws a one time deal and I guarantee he will ask for that price again if he changes his mind. Then the subject of outboard motors came up. I was told” I know what you boat dealers make on them outboards; you make 40 or 50 percent. I know cause I used to do security 20 years ago at a motor dealership and I looked at them invoices”.
I had to laugh and choose to try to educate him that things might not be that same as they were 20 years ago, and the motor [and boat] business is no more than a crazy commodities market now with a 10 or 12 percent deal being a “home run” . I didn’t even try to explain the profound effect that the internet has had on all retail sales . Its now dominating the wholesale world as well. Far too deep of a concept for this old timer to understand. But he is still convinced we have giant margins and are all rich.
In his defense, he did come in to our store. He probably assumed you could get it cheaper if you go out of town .But at least he came in. 500 miles for 500 dollars at 3 dollars a gallon ,even the old timers that KNOW have to think twice about starting the car.
I feel so much better right now I think Ill go to the orphanage and give the kids a bath.
Marc
13
May
Had a great ride on the little Ranger 21 yesterday. Had some interested folks from Texas here to see what the 21 footer is all about . We took a fully loaded [with options that is]Tug out across our 7 mile wide bay and through the pass at St George Island [Bob Sikes Cut] and ran around in the slop with 2′ whitecaps and some rain and stormy weather approaching.
The boat handles like a commercial fishing boat in those conditions which is to say it bobs like a cork in the water much like the Bristol Bay Alaskan Salmon Trawler it was modeled after . We were dry and comfortable in the cabin as well as in the spacious cockpit. Had it been warmer we could have cruised in air conditioned comfort with its 12 volt air conditioner but with the approaching front we did not need it.
We had cold beverages in the fridge and had a very relaxing cruise back to Apalachicola. We put her on the trailer and with a quick rinse we were off! Total fuel use was probably in the neighborhood of 2.5 gallons of diesel cruising at between 6 and 8 Kts for about 20 miles. The diesel has a relaxing and almost hypnotic sound to it and the Yanmar is as proven of an engine as there ever was built. As I like to say 10 million boats and tractors cant be wrong ! Please call us for a demo appointment on one of these fine vessels .
You can find out more at www.rangertugs.com
Marc