Did you know the North American recreational boating industry has a comprehensive dealership certification program? Marine Five Star Dealer Certification helps boat dealerships deliver the best possible experience for their customers. The North American recreational boating industry launched this certification in 2005 to differentiate dealers who go above and beyond to improve their business, while creating a better sales and service experience for their customers at retail.
Approximately 10 percent of all boat dealers in the U.S. and Canada have achieved Marine Five Star Dealership Certification. This certification is a comprehensive process, administered by an independent, third party organization, Five Star Solutions. It involves training, customer satisfaction and follow-up protocols, employee performance measurements and facilities standards. An onsite inspection and assessment is also required. The process takes eight months on average to achieve, though some dealers may complete it in as few as three months and some will require the maximum 12-month window.
In the market to buy a pontoon or deck boat or possibly just have your current boat serviced? Test your knowledge on buying or servicing from a certified versus a non-certified dealership.
1. What document outlines the sales and service experience boat buyers should expect when working with a Marine Five Star Certified Dealership?
a) Taking Care of the Boating Business
b) The Boater’s Handbook
c) The Consumer Bill of Rights
2. Who administers Marine Five Star Dealership Certification?
a) An independent, third-party organization – Five Star Solutions
b) A group of boat dealers – Dealer Certified Task Force
c) An internal boating industry association – Boat Retailers R Us
3. The road to achieving dealership certification is a:
a) One-step process – dealerships submit an entry form and pay a fee
b) Somewhat simple process – dealerships submit entry form, pay a fee and participate in a telephone interview.
c) Comprehensive process – dealerships submit an entry form and participate in training, webinars, process mapping, customer follow-up and employee satisfaction measures; plus, detailed documentation of all operations as well as a thorough on-site review
4. What percentage of boat owners prefer buying from a certified dealership vs. a non-certified dealership?
a) 79%
b) 64%
c) 34%
5. Are customers of certified dealerships more satisfied with their experience than those working with non-certified dealers?
a) Customers of Marine Five Star Certified Dealerships were equally as satisfied with their experience as those working with non-certified dealerships.
b) Customers of Marine Five Star Certified Dealerships were more satisfied with their experience than those working with non-certified dealerships.
c) The facts are unknown.
6. What areas are dealerships evaluated on for certification?
a) Customer satisfaction
b) Training
c) Employee performance
d) Facilities
e) All of the above
7. Is Marine Five Star Dealership Certification a one-time achievement?
a) Yes – once a dealership is certified, it is always certified.
b) No – a dealership renews every three years by submitting a payment.
c) No – a dealership renews annually by verifying and validating ongoing compliance to all program requirements.
8. How do I find a Marine Five Star Certified Dealership near me?
a) Ask your dealer.
b) See if the dealership has the official Marine Five Star Dealership Certification logo and Consumer Bill of Rights posted in its showroom and website.
c) Visit DiscoverBoating.com for a listing of all certified dealerships.
d) All of the above
Answers:
1. C. Familiarize yourself with this stringent set of guidelines that all certified dealerships must employ: www.discoverboating.com/buying/certified/billofrights.aspx.
2. A. Five Star Solutions is an established certification organization which previously managed dealership certification for a major automotive manufacturer involving 4,000 dealers. Oversight of Five Star Solutions and Marine Five Star Dealership Certification is provided by a committee of industry professionals and administered by the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA).
3. C. Certification is a voluntary program top dealers choose to undertake to improve their operations and differentiate their business from other boat dealers. On average, certification takes eight months to achieve, though some will complete in as few as three months, and others may require the maximum one-year window.
4. A. Nearly eight out of 10 boat buyers would rather buy from a certified dealership based on results from a national study by Left Brain Research, a third-party not affiliated with MFSDC.
5. B. A 2012 Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) study conducted by Avala Marketing found Marine Five Star Certified Dealerships outperformed non-certified dealerships in all scoring categories, including demonstration of boat/equipment/features, satisfaction with sales personnel, service reputation, sales reputation, and overall satisfaction with the dealership.
6. E. Certification reviews and evaluates all aspects of a dealership’s sales and service operations, while providing best practices as a means for continuous improvement.
7. C. The integrity of the Marine Five Star Dealership Certification program requires annual review and validation by Five Star Solutions to ensure all requirements continue to be met (or exceeded).
8. D. Dealerships that achieve certification prominently post the Consumer Bill of Rights and the logo at their facility, as well as on their website. Find an online listing of all certified dealers.
A compete list of Marine Five Star Certified Dealers is available on DiscoverBoating.com.
