Hardy Marine: how to be cr4p at the boat show

[MoodySabre]

What's so odd about not wanting handbags? Quite common in museums and historic houses were they don't want things scratched. These are new boats to be sold later. Respect other people's property and leave your shoes and bags outside or go one at a time. Not something to complain about IMO.

 

[Powersalt]

Shame I did not look on here earlier Jimmy, I was there today also. Will be Thursday, but not for very long.......It was so quiet today, I managed to look at whatever I wanted without a queue. Got a good deal on some rope, new Navionics maps and an AIS transciever. Damn those sales people

Ok, you have done the research, what ais did you buy as I was interested in the Raymarine unit, but its pricey

 

[Kawasaki]

Did years in high end car sales
Done some boat sales
Did Earls Court when the Merry Fisher 805 was 'launched'
The boat industry could learn lots from the Car Job, that's for sure
Inside knowledge helps too
I was selling Chryslers at one time
This scruffy farmer bobbed into the showroom
I knew he had won the lottery!
I showed Him my product
'I,ll just go and look at the Vee Dub's' he said (Multi Franchised dealership)
'No sweat' says I
'Pop back here after I,ll get a Demo for you to try' says I
So Worzel Gummidge saunters back, into me posh showroom
'Owed it go mucker' in me best farmin accent like
'They didn't seem interested' said Farmer
'Well, jump in this and see what yer think oh arr oh arr' I bleats
Comes back,
Will, yer take a Kite'? (check innit) he says.
'No sweat ' I says
Deal Done!
vee double you guys
Snarf Snarf!

 

[lisilou]

Fwiw, I wouldn't leave my handbag behind either. Daft request and a tad shortsighted from a sales perspective imo.
L

 

[rafiki_]

What's so odd about not wanting handbags? Quite common in museums and historic houses were they don't want things scratched. These are new boats to be sold later. Respect other people's property and leave your shoes and bags outside or go one at a time. Not something to complain about IMO.

Not sure I agree. Shoes etc, fully agree and understand, but for many ladies, my lady wife included, her handbag carries her life, so unless the stand is happy to look after the bag/contents, then it is not leaving her side. Many of the larger boats are already sold, note JFM's m1 and 2 have both been used by Fairline at shows. I expect the Pearl 75 is another sold order, as it is a huge inventory investment to make. Other manufacturers would do the same. The Hardy 62 at SIBS was a frustrated order I believe.

 

[Powersalt]

Very interesting to contrast Fairline's approach to punters at this year's show with the barriers etc of yore. This year, they have a lot of glamorous pr girls floating around, and they gently intercept you as you walk up the steps to the reception desk. Instant qualification. They asked me if we were already registered with Fairline (we are) and ... that was it, help yourself to the boats, no need to register, no 'wait here while I find your dealer'. A real lesson in how to strike the right balance between harvesting prospect data v not creating an unreasonable barrier to entry. Well done Fairline.

yes I had the same on coming up the stairs. Being very anti the Fairline attitude from the past I was already waiting for the "put you off" approach. Lady said , you have registered haven't you... " yes I said and was left to wander around.

Her question prompted my reply and it worked.

 

[Resolution]

Pathetic really !
Exactly what is the issue,-bomb?-scratches ? You gonna shop lift the fridge?

I suspect that scratches are the issue. Hard handbags and belt buckles on fat men do have the potential to damage the woodwork, just as hard shoes can damage wooden flooring. Many sympathetic boat users are aware of this and dress accordingly for the boat show. For those who haven't, and this is likely to include any first time buyers, there is a right way and a wrong way for the salesman to deal with them. Seems Ms Hardy has learnt the wrong one! No excuse for annoying the potential buyer.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

What's so odd about not wanting handbags? Quite common in museums and historic houses were they don't want things scratched. These are new boats to be sold later. Respect other people's property and leave your shoes and bags outside or go one at a time. Not something to complain about IMO.

Nope, I can't agree with you on this one. It's a boat show. Shoes fair enough, scratchy bags like those pointy-cornered branded paper bags with your brochures in it, yep, fair enough again. But handbags? Nah. That's a bit like saying to you 'leave your wallet with your shoes'. Would you? Thought not.

And as for the expensive soft leather handbag scratching the boat - that's just not going to happen. The boat is more likely to scratch the blimmin bag. Nope - I'm really clear on this: this Hardy woman was out of order.

 

[[2068]]

It's settled, then.
I'm definitely not taking my handbag to the Boat Show.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

It's settled, then.
I'm definitely not taking my handbag to the Boat Show.

This is so you as well

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

I suspect that scratches are the issue. Hard handbags and belt buckles on fat men do have the potential to damage the woodwork, just as hard shoes can damage wooden flooring. Many sympathetic boat users are aware of this and dress accordingly for the boat show. For those who haven't, and this is likely to include any first time buyers, there is a right way and a wrong way for the salesman to deal with them. Seems Ms Hardy has learnt the wrong one! No excuse for annoying the potential buyer.

Yep you know what, I'd agree with that if there was some sort of logic ie - your bag might scratch the boat because of x y or z reason - but there was none of that. Just - no you can't.

 

[maverickofpoole]

Why are some sales people so short sighted. There are several answers that would please everyone ie offer a soft outer bag for the duration of the potential clients visit or look after the bag giving a security tag (posh way of saying raffle ticket) for the return of said bag. That's 2 solutions without even thinking.....does it show

 

[[2068]]

The "soft outer over-bag" idea would solve the problem, unless they thought you were going to steal the ornaments.
I don't like checking in my handbag anywhere.

 

[DougH]

I suspect that scratches are the issue. Hard handbags and belt buckles on fat men do have the potential to damage the woodwork, just as hard shoes can damage wooden flooring. Many sympathetic boat users are aware of this and dress accordingly for the boat show. For those who haven't, and this is likely to include any first time buyers, there is a right way and a wrong way for the salesman to deal with them. Seems Ms Hardy has learnt the wrong one! No excuse for annoying the potential buyer.

Watched a lady place her handbag on the high gloss finish of of the saloon cabinet on a Sunseeker 28M last year.

When the salesman politely asked her to remove it she got very 'shirty'.

As she removed the bag by snatching it one of the metal studs on the bag base scratched the wood surface.

 

[aquapower]

The only thing I would never allow in a boat at shows was the big back packs, most people would be ok about it but some weren't happy, hand bags were never a problem.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

Nope, I can't agree with you on this one. It's a boat show. Shoes fair enough, scratchy bags like those pointy-cornered branded paper bags with your brochures in it, yep, fair enough again. But handbags? Nah. That's a bit like saying to you 'leave your wallet with your shoes'. Would you? Thought not.

I would have thought that a bloke with a fat Rolex or a woman with a massive diamond ring is far more likely to scratch something so why not ban them. Ban tall people because they'll scratch the door frames when they smack their heads on them. Ban kids because they're bound to draw on the walls with their felt tips and defecate in the heads and ban pensioners too because they're likely to involuntarily shed bodily fluids on the carpet. In fact it would be safer to ban everybody from boarding boats at boat shows

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

Watched a lady place her handbag on the high gloss finish of of the saloon cabinet on a Sunseeker 28M last year.

When the salesman politely asked her to remove it she got very 'shirty'.

As she removed the bag by snatching it one of the metal studs on the bag base scratched the wood surface.

Ah but Doug, at least she was allowed on the boat in the first place.

When I was in the process of buying the P42 from PMYS at Swanwick, I remember seeing a new stock boat there that had been on display at the show, and was in the process of being 're-PDI'd' if you will, afterwards. Somebody had gone round and marked with blue tape all the hundreds of little scratches in the woodwork that had been picked up during the show. The plan was to just refinish the boat so that all that show wear would be removed. In other words - a little bit of intensive usage is par for the course at a boat show, and it would be a surprising decision if you prevented punters from seeing the boat in a vain attempt to try and avoid some minor post-show remedial cost.

In a similar vein, jfm's Match was the Fairline headliner at a previous show, as you may know it's a beautiful boat, with white carpets. Iirc Fairline simply replaced all the carpets after the show, against just because of the inevitable wear from all the (forum) punters viewing the boat. It is just a cost of displaying a boat at a boat show.

 

[Ripster]

Understand that manufacturers don't want damage - I get that. But, customer experience is everything ang p1ss1ng off potential buyers is ridiculous. It's the sales staff responsibility to work out how to deal with both like using protective bags and shoes etc. Mrs Ripster would not give up or leave a personal HB out of her sight with someone she didn't know at some boat stand.

 

[jimmy_the_builder]

The only thing I would never allow in a boat at shows was the big back packs, most people would be ok about it but some weren't happy, hand bags were never a problem.

And again, I wouldn't argue with that, completely reasonable and justifiable.

 

[petem]

I doubt it's a scratching issue, more likely to prevent theft. I was talking to Nick Barke (EBY) at the little Hamble boat show earlier in the year on the first day of the show when there was hardly anyone about. I was aghast to learn that they'd already had stuff nicked off the boats (you know, towels, robes, soap, etc stolen already despite gluing it all down).

Pete