Southampton boat show ( Boats2020) cancelled

[ari]

I've always thought that boat manufacturers are missing a huge trick by not offering an active spare parts service to their customers. Manufacturers of products like cars and construction machinery understand that spare parts sales can be a huge profit centre for them. Not only that but spares turnover is usually less affected by economic downturns than sales of the finished product. And manufacturers often negotiate large OEM discounts with component suppliers which would allow them to sell parts from those suppliers to consumers at similar or lower cost than the component suppliers would sell to the consumer. How much easier would it be for boat owners if, every time they needed a part for their boat, they could simply phone the boat dealer or manufacturer, knowing they'd get the right part they needed, rather than trawling the internet looking for suppliers of that part and occasionally ending up with the wrong part

We're possibly getting a little off topic here!

Boat companies do - Princess for example: Princess Parts – Princess Motor Yacht Sales

Now you might say 'but that's the dealer', but when you want a new twissle wotssit valve for your Ford Focus, you don't buy it from the manufacturer (even if that's where it originates from), you buy it from your local Ford dealer.

 

[jrudge]

True, but ford dont produce 20 of your model Ford Focus a year , and they don’t have a mildly different bill of materials for each boat. They do have decent computer systems that show each and every part that is able to be at the dealer in 24 hours.

I have a fairline. If you contact bates wharf ( they are not great ) the answer to almost anything you want that is not an oil filter is we have contacted the factory. The factory then contact the supplier. The messages then flow back. The dealer adds their margin and in many cases 2 weeks have past ( fly bridge screens )

the dealer adds value only to themselves. To the customer they slow things down and hike the price.

 

[DavidJ]

Rules and laws are mainly to protect people from themselves.

Interesting!
My experience of life suggests that rules and laws are there to protect society from those who want to break rules and laws for their own individual gain.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

True, but ford dont produce 20 of your model Ford Focus a year , and they don’t have a mildly different bill of materials for each boat. They do have decent computer systems that show each and every part that is able to be at the dealer in 24 hours.

I have a fairline. If you contact bates wharf ( they are not great ) the answer to almost anything you want that is not an oil filter is we have contacted the factory. The factory then contact the supplier. The messages then flow back. The dealer adds their margin and in many cases 2 weeks have past ( fly bridge screens )

the dealer adds value only to themselves. To the customer they slow things down and hike the price.

Yes I know how it works now but compared to say, the construction machinery industry, where there are many companies making high value machines in relatively small numbers, the boat building industry is medieval. Firstly, making a relatively small number of semi custom machines does not preclude having accurate parts lists in these days of CAD production. My point was that manufacturers/dealers need to put some effort into the spares side of their business and if they did, it could be very profitable. By effort, I mean producing detailed and accurate parts manuals for each boat which shouldnt be beyond the wit of production boat builders and allocating 2 or 3 staff to run their parts operation with an online ordering system. Similarly dealers need to allocate 1 person to run their parts sales operation and stock a moderate stock of fast moving parts. Then the parts business could be a profitable sideline for both manufacturer and dealer

But parts sales is more than just a profit centre. Firstly it creates a dependent relationship with the customer who then is more likely to buy another boat from that dealer/manufacturing and secondly, it provides data on component performance and reliability

 

[ari]

Similarly dealers need to allocate 1 person to run their parts sales operation and stock a moderate stock of fast moving parts. Then the parts business could be a profitable sideline for both manufacturer and dealer

So like Princess Motor Yacht Sales do: Princess Parts – Princess Motor Yacht Sales

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

So like Princess Motor Yacht Sales do: Princess Parts – Princess Motor Yacht Sales

Thats good. If only other manufacturers did something similar!

 

[NGM]

So like Princess Motor Yacht Sales do: Princess Parts – Princess Motor Yacht Sales

But they don’t really !! Have you had a look through that site, it’s quite amusing what actual parts they have.

 

[Peterlewis321]

But they don’t really !! Have you had a look through that site, it’s quite amusing what actual parts they have.

Admittedly it is not perfect, but it is better than nothing!! I’ve bought some parts from there before and the content is slowing growing......

 

[stelican]

Admittedly it is not perfect, but it is better than nothing!! I’ve bought some parts from there before and the content is slowing growing......

Looks like a small amount of effort for a company selling such a high value product

 

[Time Out]

Anyone else get the Boats 2020 email stating you are not entitled to a ticket refund only a credit?

Its only 14 quid but that’s not the point.

2020 is fast becoming the year of the credit note !