If Sea Ray started their Owner's Club from scratch, they should definitely....

S

SeaRayCorporate

Member
Jul 17, 2013
139
Knoxville, TN
Boat Info
2014 350 SLX
Engines
T350 MAG
The title says it all. If we were re-imagining the Sea Ray Owner's Club with a blank canvas, what would you most like to see? What would strike the best balance between helping current Sea Ray Owners get the most out of the Sea Ray experience while also encouraging current and prospective boaters to choose Sea Ray for their next boat purchase?

Keep in mind that A) SROC currently has over 200,000 members and B) The SROC is paid for out of current income

The current SROC is free to join and open to all Sea Ray owners. The and major current components of the program include:

  • Sea Ray Living magazine
  • Passages digital publication
  • Points system toward discount on next boat
  • Several money-saving partnerships (NBOA, concierge travel services, towing services, etc)
  • A few special event gatherings

The club exists for the benefit of Sea Ray owners, so consulting with one of the largest gatherings of Sea Ray owners seems like a natural fit. Thanks for your insight.

-- Matt
 
In my opinion, the points system needs to heavily revised. Not to sound ungrateful but what is $500 cash back off a $70,000 Sport Boat or $1,000 back off a $400,000 Sport Cruiser to most people? I realize you are trying to encourage people to buy new boats but I just don't think this is really going to do that. I mean that is basically a free tank of gas in these boats. I think people would get much more use out of the program if you allowed people to use the points at the Sea Ray wearables site OR towards a new boat rebate. It would be nice to be able to use the points at a dealer for service as well but that would probably be too difficult to manage. At least letting people buy Sea Ray gear with points you could get lots of Sea Ray owners really using the program and get some low cost advertising to boot. That way people who do not buy new boats can take advantage of the program as well. I realize new boat sales keeps the lights on at Sea Ray but it takes a strong group of used boat buyers dedicated to the brand to keep resale up by purchasing used Sea Ray boats. The stronger the resale potential, the more likely new boat buyers will be to trade up.
 
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In my humble opinion, I say let's get back to reality. I mean look at how Sea Ray dresses the models on the boats. Who dresses like that? I haven't been at the marina and seen these folks. Wine and cheese, you might find on the yachts, but a 240? Everytime I go out to the sand bar, or hang out in the marina I see chips, beer, tee shirts, and bathing suits. I see average folks doing average things, even thoes whom are on the 480's.

An example I'll give is, this year while sitting on the dock (In Grand Bahamas, Port Lucaya, I take my 240da!) talking to an owner of a 580 Sun Sport, a guy came walking up and ask me if I owned the boat. He asked me because I was wearing a Sea Ray tee shirt! The real owner had on some obscure golf shirt.

The other thing, which will never happen though, is maybe stick an average looking person in there. Guy or gal. Just every now and then. Everybody that ownes a Sea Ray isn't beautiful. You won't have to look any farther than me to figure that out.
It's just that when I look through the magazine I don't recognize anything, even the boats are different! Heck maybe I don't belong in the Sea Ray club and only think I do! Hmmmmmm............
 
1) Magazine - have a historical section which may have a restored or older model explaining the owners loyalty to Sea Ray. This will relate to lot of the owners on this board and beyond. Also will stress durability. You need to keep the new boat features but most owners are not buying the new bigger boats. That is a select few - we all can dream.

2) Magazine - Maybe a " how to" section. a) how to dock with the new ______ system. b) How to find old parts, etc. c) anything that may relate to owners while on the water. (best restaurants/marinas here and there) Best areas for Sea Ray owners to mingle blah, blah, blah.

3) Some expert advice via questions and answers - available through the magazine or internet.

4) the point system has to be worth something or toward something else.
 
+1 on the option to use points for SR gear, T-shirts, accessories, etc. (At the local dealer preferably... but through SR corporate if not).
 
SeaRayCorporate said:
If Sea Ray started their Owner's Club from scratch, they should definitely....

The title says it all. If we were re-imagining the Sea Ray Owner's Club with a blank canvas, what would you most like to see?
Click to expand...

Find the most customer focused person at Sea Ray to lead the way. Let Rusty Higgins run it.
 
mistercomputerman said:
Find the most customer focused person at Sea Ray to lead the way. Let Rusty Higgins run it.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Whew!!
 
I never even used the points from my new 2001 180 br because at the time I bought the 205 I didn't remember I even had points. Then I only had the original $100 in my account because I didn't use my card for purchases at my Sea Ray dealer. It was one more thing to deal with after the fact and wasn't worth it.


I think having gear after the purchase with apparel and maybe electronics, water toys, which you can earn through purchases at your dealer would be more appreciated by the customer.

Maybe you could earn some kind of Sea Ray getaway which focuses on the best boating in your region and provides a trip on a new model Sea Ray. Set the mood and make them fall in love with the best Sea Ray has to offer for a weekend. Then their old Sea Ray won't seem as fun inciting a desire for a NEW boat.
 
Matt,

I offered to drive to Knoxville to meet with you on this subject and if your schedule didn't permit, offered to do it via phone at your convenience. You never called to take me up on my offer so I guess my opinion and view didn't matter. For that reason, I'm going to sit this one out......................
 
fwebster said:
Matt,

I offered to drive to Knoxville to meet with you on this subject and if your schedule didn't permit, offered to do it via phone at your convenience. You never called to take me up on my offer so I guess my opinion and view didn't matter. For that reason, I'm going to sit this one out......................
Click to expand...

That's very unfortunate for everyone. :(
 
I agree with the points being able to be used for Sea Ray stuff (at the dealer or wearables or other SR functions/gatherings). Owning a 290DA, it will be decades if I am ever able to move up to a new boat. For the foreseeable future, I will have to do my part to maintain the used boat market.

To the points above, I live IN Knoxville and would be happy to be a part of any customer survey or focus group testing out ideas on the public or looking at design suggestions. Since I am local, I'd happily drive over to the headquarters and participate. I had told this to SR personnel a few years ago when I attended a model year preview for customers (a year or two before the homecoming - which I also attended). Just as Frank offered, if you want the current owners' opinions, all you have to do is ASK! I believe we have all voiced our support for this company and our willingness to perpetuate the brand in whatever way we may be able to.
 
Pseudomind said:
I agree with Lucky
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+2

Despite the encouraging nature of this post I doubt this is going anywhere when two of the largest boosters of the Sea Ray brand are sitting on the sidelines. Perhaps some of the folks at Brunswick should read the classic business text, "In Search of Excellence" by Tom Peters (and ?). Despite being thirty years old, the message in this book is still true today. One of the key signs of great companies was that they empowered employees and customers who freely got up on the soap box and sold the brand. By the way, I read the book when it was published in 1982 and still remember this lesson.

Henry
 
I haven't been on this site for very long, but I've now owned two Sea Ray's, 18 years apart. Models and wine and cheeses didn't make me want my second Sea Ray, the reliability and style did! Classic Sea Ray's are everywhere one looks and goes, real people own, fuss over, and sometimes cuss these boats. how many of these big bucks boats am I seeing?, non to very few. Real folks own Sea Ray boats, from the largest to the smallest and the boat and the owners of these boats...talk to them. Rusty would be a very good place to start!
 
All,

For what it's worth, Frank and I had a productive talk this evening. When I joined Sea Ray at the end of 2012, after working for Brunswick for nearly 10 years to get that opportunity, I felt strongly that Sea Ray was missing an opportunity to get more closely connected with our customers. Frank and I spoke about it in February, shortly after I took the job, and I let him know that the Owner's Club was an area I felt we could improve. I was probably premature and over-eager to bring it up at that point, as we had a lengthy contract in place and -- frankly -- more important pieces of the puzzle that needed to be addressed. So the Owner's Club focus tailed off for a bit and with it, my interactions with Frank. We've finally finished putting out some of the fires out and I'm back to this area that I care deeply about. Frank was gracious in taking my call and offering his perspective on the last half year. It is a conversation we'll continue over the next several months as we seek to put in place the best possible Sea Ray Owner's Club we can. -- Matt
 
From memory when I have looked at the Sea Ray website and SROC, it is only open to Residents of the USA.

Yet Sea Ray is international. this forum is international.

Cant comment on the points system as I cant join the club because I live in Australia. Would points win my loyalty, judging by previous responses probably not.
What Would
Discounts on apparrel, accessories
Emails with the latest fashion items, accessories etc
Newsletters
Get togethers
Invitations to private viewings etc
An SROC area at a boat show etc
 
Coming from a second generation SeaRay owner, the existing Owners Club really has had little to no relevance to me or my dad. However, I agree with the previous posts, let us use the points for apparel to help promote the SeaRay brand. That is basically free advertising for the company.
 
I agree with most of the above so no need to repeat it.

How about access to some big group buys?

HIGH QUALITY shirts, towels, floor mats, canvas bags, jackets. Items that the owner could have thier boats name embroidered with their boat's name and the like. I realize that the SR website offers some of these items, but frankly, they are not of the quality one (I) would have embroidered.
 
Sales come from brand loyalty. Take a look at Apple - the core Apple user is a dedicated consumer of Apple products who willingly pay more. (I know, I'm one since 1985!) But consumers can't upgrade to a new boat every two or three years so your model has to be a little different.

First, dump the magazine and the points system. Print and paper are obsolete. The points can never amount to anything that might be useful given the cost of a new boats. Instead, focus on supporting current owners who will spread the gospel for you. All you have to do is look at this place. I know that there are other websites devoted to owners groups, but none are like this. So you need to build a better Internet presence.

But the Internet alone is not enough. You need to bring the boats to the masses. It is not enough to go to boat shows or offer factory events. Get down to the local level by increasing events at the dealer and marina level open to owners only. Build a network so that current owners can sell or trade their boats to trade up to a newer (but not likely brand new) Sea Rays.

Go beyond the auto dealer model of support. Find a way to reach out to owners of Sea Rays that are 10 - 20 years old. If you help them maintain their boats, it not only reflects well on the brand, but a better maintained boat retains more of its value creating the impression that the brand is premium, which it is (or should be).

Gene
 
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