All five marine brands of Kennesaw, Ga.-based Yamaha Marine
Group Yamaha Outboards, Century, Cobia, G3 and Skeeter boats were named recipients of the 2003 Marine Industry CSI Award for Excellence in Customer Satisfaction on Feb. 13 at the Miami International Boat Show’s Media Breakfast.
The newly launched CSI Awards provide annual recognition to companies which actively measure customer satisfaction to pursue continuous improvement and which have achieved and maintained an independently measured standard of Excellence in Customer Satisfaction over the past year.
Yamaha Marine Group President Phil Dyskow said, “We learn by listening and have long regarded the opinions of our customers as important measurements of how our brands are performing to their expectations. It is especially gratifying for all of our brands to be recognized with these awards.”
The recognition for Cobia, Century and Skeeter was in the Fiberglass
Outboard Boat Category, Pontoon Boat Category for G3 and Outboard Engine Category for Yamaha’s Outboard Motors.
To qualify, companies must be enrolled in the Marine Industry CSI (Customer Satisfaction Index) Program and adhere to the guidelines of the program in implementing ongoing measurement of customer satisfaction. Participants must have achieved a 12-month average score of 90 or above in 2002 from new boat owners rating “Overall Satisfaction with the Boat.” To date, more than 50 companies are enrolled in the program.
“The spirit of the CSI program and this new award is to elevate the
importance of customer satisfaction in the marine industry and recognize
manufacturer best practices in this area in a positive manner,” says Arlene Baxter, NMMA vice president of Industry Programs.
According to NMMA, more than 120,000 surveys have been sent out to new boat and engine customers since the inception of the program, allowing manufacturers to monitor customer satisfaction on an ongoing basis, and benchmark themselves against industry averages.By: Mike Walker, Walker Agency
