Boat Owner's/Buyer's Opinions

A question for the boat owners/potential buyers:

Would you consider buying a new, name brand Wake boat from a dealer that is not generally associated with the watersports industry? If the dealer was successful, widely regarded to have the best of the best as far as service and technicians, but has been a fishing boat only location to date?

This dealer would provide sales, they have staff on hand that been in and around the watersports industry for years. They have service techs who know direct and V drive units well. They have a 35 foot tank to float complete units on site and check running, ballast pumps, etc. They do not and will not have a pro shop on site....there are plenty of local board shops that offer better selection and knowledge than most dealership pro shops.

Would the average buyer give them a go...or would that buyer be more inclined to buy from a dealer with a big on site pro shop, riders on staff, etc.....??

Depends on the brand of boats they carried and their overall attitude

I would consider it. So long as mechanical service and warranty work would all be smooth. Sounds like it would be, so who cares about the pro shop. I buy from other places anyway due to selection like you stated. Price and Service are the major factors for me as a buyer.

I wouldn't have a problem buying or getting my boat serviced at a shop like that. In fact, I do take my boat to the non-wake non-inboard specific shop for service instead of the only local inboard / wake shop dealer. Lets just say the MC shop thinks really highly of their service work.

Overall I think it depends a lot on the local competition and if people are used to buying inboards at wake shops or more general marina type sales outfits.

I would definitely consider it but would have two concerns, both service related:
I think that the dealer would certainly be capable of servicing an inboard with the right training for his staff but......
- The volume of boats in for service would be higher which would likely lead to longer wait times. If a dealer was just servicing a specific inboard or a couple brands of inboards they would have a smaller pool of boats in for service and you would likely get yours back faster to be able to maximize use. Whereas if the dealer carried and serviced fishing boats, runabouts, personal watercraft, etc. there would be issues.
- Second and relatedly, service on most newer inboards is relatively straightforward with the correct equipment. We pay so much money for these boats to get things like standardized marine EFI inboards. So the dealer hooks up a computer, figures out the problem, grabs the parts in-stock and gets it fixed. If your boat is behind an old fishing boat with a carbeurated (sp?) outboard and the techs have to completely disassemble it to get it fixed, it increases your wait time even if all you need is a fuel pump that is a quick fix.

If this dealer would attest that they have a single or a team of techs who specialize in inboards and your boat would get some priority status when it came in, especially during the season, I wouldn't have any reservations. (I don't know where you are but in the Pac NW the season is 7/15-9/10 really good, 6/1-7/15 & 9/10-10/15 OK, the rest rainy and cold).

The dealer would only service what he sold..no outside work. Maximum wait time currently in the heat of the season is two weeks.

Another plus: All boats, both for sale and service, are inside overnight. Absolutely nothing gets left outside, or rained on, at any time. Zero theft, vandalism, etc.

As far as working on old stuff: Since we only work on what we sell, the oldest product we have out there is 5 years old.

The dealer principle has been around a long time, and knows first hand all about BAD service...and thinks that a positive service experience could make the difference in the area.

It all sounds great meathead, but I doubt that place exists. If it does, why not focus on fishing boats and don't piss off the old timers that want their ob's taken care of.

just out of curiosity, what is the point of this thread? Are you thinkin about buying from a dealer like this? or are you the dealer?

My shop is currently kind of going through this transition. B & L Marine has always been the place to get your bass boat or I/O in this town. Now i am introducing a pro shop into this facility. I am having extreme difficulty gettin the name out there but its slowly comin. I have also ordered 2 Crownline boats with nothing but wakeboarding in mind for these boats. The sad thing is that these will probably be 2 of the best wake boats in the area. We have a a mastercraft, moomba dealer with a extensive shop in town. but the only people who can afford anything from him are doctors and lawyers. We have determined that he is askin retail plus on alot of his boards and bindings. My shop has always been the place where anyone could get a boat from the high roller to the average joe. And we will remain the same. But i have seen a whole bunch of interest in wakeboard products in my store. even to the point that i was allowed to order those 2 boats.

It strikes me that some of you guys think all "fishing" boats are old outboard powered 12 foot skiffs.....Don't underestimate the size and buying power of those guys. For every high end wakeboat sold, there are 5 times as many high end glass and aluminum fishing boats sold with equal or greater retail prices. Not every "fishing" boat store is composed of three old men sitting around a wood stove spittin' chewing terbacky....

A good marine retailer is just that, regardless of what he specializes in. Modern four stroke and direct injected two stroke motors are every bit, if not more so, advanced as the V8 inboards common here. High end fish boats have WAY more systems, both electronic and plumbing related, than any wake boat.

Anyway..thanks for the comments...they pretty much re-inforced what I was thinking. In my area, bad service is the norm rather than the exception, but maybe perceptions hold more value than I thought.

Sounds like you got yer feathers ruffled there feller.....

Not ruffled at all....I've been doing this way to long to get excited over that.

Just an observation. It would do everyone well to not fragment this industry..everyone is going to have to pull together as the enviro's and others try to ban any and all access to waterways. Fishermen: Don't support bans on watersports on any body of water, because once they get the watersports boats off the water, the fish boats are next. Boarders/Skiers/Riders: watch closely as they attempt to close various waterways to sport fishing, because once they get the fishermen off the water, you guys are the next target. There are not enough private tournament style lakes for all you guys to ride on.

I don;t see anything wrong with making a deal with them if they have service guys that know their stuff

I'd take my current boat to anyone who could do the service, do it right and do it under warranty if warranted. I don't care if they are an exclusive Nautique dealer or sell Bass Trackers.

Get me in, treat me right, take my money and send me on my way.

One thing to consider… Some manufacturers required you to do warranty work on a boat even if you did not sell it.

Oh....so I guess, yes...I would also buy from anyone who can treat me right, take my money, send me on my way feeling like I got a fair deal........after the sale, see my response above.

I get mine serviced at a shop that sells everything from 16 foot I/O's to 60 foot yachts. Great service - no problems.