sunseeker on BBC2

[Time Out]

He always looks like that !!

 

[Bigplumbs]

He always looks like that !!

Perhaps the poor bloke is always stressed !

 

[jon and michie]

Great show but just one episode? They could run to at least 4 X 1 hour.....

Maybe they'll do another one on a different company.
Ch4 did a programme in January on mega Yachts
Jon

 

[rwoofer]

Perhaps the poor bloke is always stressed !

Given the way many large companies work I imagine he earns a lot less than the numpties in sales who sell that size boat.

 

[Seahope]

I just watched the program on iPlayer. Really enjoyed it. They are selling 'a dream'. Sadly, one I will never be able to afford, but I don't resent that others can. Happy with my lot and thankfully never divorced as that would really mess up my retirement plans!

 

[Tradewinds]

Firstly, I enjoyed the programme.

IMO his 'stressed' look could be down psoriasis (I'm a sufferer).

OK, stress doesn't help the condition but judging by his general demeanour I thought he was coping pretty well and looked on top of things - to me he didn't look 'stressed out'.

Perhaps the poor bloke is always stressed !

 

[Greg2]

Watched on iPlayer last night and would echo the comments already made. Sunseeker came out well and clearly have some good people working for them. Not a fan of 'Black Legend' but each to their own I guess. Overall an enjoyable watch

 

[greenace]

Just caught up on iPlayer.

Great insight into what it takes to make demanding customers happy, and a great bit of content marketing by the back door for Sunseeker.

Oddly enough, it didn't make me want a SS any more than I already do, but it did make me think I'd quite like to work for them!

 

[ChrisJefferies]

A really interesting show, enhanced my respect for the SS team.
Would be nice to see a similar one on Princess.
And if you're interested in Black Legend, we featured it in the Sept 2015 edition:
http://marinedirectory.ybw.com/reprints/results_related.jsp?tem=ybw&id=90260

 

[henryf]

I have just watched on iPlayer.

A very well balanced programme which avoided the temptation to judge or exploit stereotypes.

It was easy to identify with the various characters.

If I'm being honest the water wall didn't really do it for me, would have preferred to see bubbles in a thicker fluid to make them slower if that's your thing. Just looked a bit cheap & nasty but hey, if we were all the same the world would be a boring place.

I liked the marble

Reflected very well on the Sunseeker brand particularly within the factory. Professional, discreet and dignified. Sales people are and will always be sales people particularly within that product and clientele.

Henry

 

[bigwow]

Watched it last night on catch up, thoroughly enjoyed it. How did they manage to keep Eddie Jordan from talking to camera?:encouragement:

 

[EME]

Caught up with it myself on i-Player today. All the folks who we work with it had seen it in real time and they all said not only enjoyed it but they could 'relate' to the factory, its people, and what goes on there and Id told them what all boat owners were like so the 'requirements ' came as no surprise to them !
I thought it reflected well on Sunseeker, all the individuals involved, and , consequently, the British boat-building industry as well.

Why hasn't RB been knighted ? Seems to have done more for British industry generally and 'our' hobby in particular than others and is a really nice person as well.

 

[jfm]

I just caught up with it too on I-player, after a long trip away

I agree - it reflected very well on sunseeker the manufacturer, their team of boat builders and RB personally. It notched up my liking for their product and their business.

I've been involved (as sort of innocent bystander) in 3 TV programs and I would take a lot of the plot with a pinch of salt - as said above editors choose just the lines that help with whatever daft point they're trying to make, and they dump the rest on the cutting room floor. I bet the charter party on High Energy were a nice group of people just enjoying their holiday, and I bet the customer on the 131 hull #1 was just a boater seeking as much perfection as he could, like plenty of other boaters.

I have to admit that the show also compounded my struggle with Sunseeker salesmen. They seem to know nothing about real boating and they think their aim is to build relationships with the customers. Urgh! It's nice to know your sales folks well when they are straight talking and make a difference, but there is a whole section of the population who run a mile from people who only think of their watch and their Porsche, and go on TV saying they make £300k pa as a boat salesman and that allows their wives to buy shoes that perhaps they shouldn't. Cringe city. The session where they had a training day and came up with "talk to the wife as much as the husband" made me both cringe and laugh and the guy who said something about bonding with a customer by helping get a table at Club 55 was laughable (anyone with clout can get a club 55 table; I wonder whether he can get a short notice Saturday night table at a serious restaurant)

Anyway, overall I enjoyed it and -salesmen aside- I thought it showed sunseeker's product, team and business in deservedly great light. EME, I agree that RB ought to be offered a knighthood

 

[petem]

Finally got round to watching it. I thought the waterwall was a bit crap, very noisy and rather ugly construction. Ok for the lobby of a Chinese restaurant but a tacky on a big boat IMO.

Foie Gras burgers, yummy. Bet you can't get them at SCM.

As others have said, the whole thing reflected well on Sunseeker. All seemed very slick but at the end of the day if they're not making any money then it's all for vanity.

Still, it was nice to see some Fairline flags ant the Cannes boat show .

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I have to admit that the show also compounded my struggle with Sunseeker salesmen. They seem to know nothing about real boating and they think their aim is to build relationships with the customers. Urgh! It's nice to know your sales folks well when they are straight talking and make a difference, but there is a whole section of the population who run a mile from people who only think of their watch and their Porsche, and go on TV saying they make £300k pa as a boat salesman and that allows their wives to buy shoes that perhaps they shouldn't. Cringe city. The session where they had a training day and came up with "talk to the wife as much as the husband" made me both cringe and laugh and the guy who said something about bonding with a customer by helping get a table at Club 55 was laughable (anyone with clout can get a club 55 table; I wonder whether he can get a short notice Saturday night table at a serious restaurant)

Just caught the show myself on iPlayer. I have to agree with the above. If thats how Sunseeker sales people operate generally, I'd run a mile as well, to another manufacturer. The negotiations with that northern bloke and his wife were particularly cringeworthy. If a salesperson tried to manipulate my SWMBO in a similar way, she'd have him for breakfast. I can only think that they can modify their sales methods when they get the message that their usual way isn't working. I wouldn't want a salesperson that 'bonded' with me, just one who understood what I wanted and moved heaven and earth to provide it in a professional manner. Thankfully there are sales people out there in the boating industry who can do that

Overall though I thought the program reflected well on Sunseeker. They are one of the UK's major manufacturing success stories and an iconic British brand so if their sales methods don't come across well to us, they must work with their target market. They're going to need to up their game in the superyacht market though because I suspect their 'difficult' and 'detail driven' buyer for the 131 is the norm in that market rather than the exception and rightly so when the buyer is spending that kind of money

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Just caught the show myself on iPlayer. I have to agree with the above. If thats how Sunseeker sales people operate generally, I'd run a mile as well, to another manufacturer. The negotiations with that northern bloke and his wife were particularly cringeworthy. If a salesperson tried to manipulate my SWMBO in a similar way, she'd have him for breakfast. I can only think that they can modify their sales methods when they get the message that their usual way isn't working. I wouldn't want a salesperson that 'bonded' with me, just one who understood what I wanted and moved heaven and earth to provide it in a professional manner. Thankfully there are sales people out there in the boating industry who can do that

Overall though I thought the program reflected well on Sunseeker. They are one of the UK's major manufacturing success stories and an iconic British brand so if their sales methods don't come across well to us, they must work with their target market. They're going to need to up their game in the superyacht market though because I suspect their 'difficult' and 'detail driven' buyer for the 131 is the norm in that market rather than the exception and rightly so when the buyer is spending that kind of money

I've always liked Sunseeker as a Company (I'm local and know quite a few of their workforce) and I thought the Poole lads (and Lindsey in SoF) came out excellently and all credit to the BBC for presenting the company as a British success story that has adapted to a changing marketplace.

You've pretty much summed up my thoughts on the sales team though. I'm not sure that some of their sales staff will cope with the move from selling to people with an aspirations to selling to those with expectations, which basically is the difference between those with a good disposable income and UHNW individuals. It's a totally different market and a very unpredictable one - each client is different basically but they are largely unlikely to be swayed by the offer of getting a table at a restaurant or being taken shooting, nor will they normally see the salesman as anything other than exactly that.

I didn't think any of the customers came across badly - even the London family that chartered. Some of the comments were slightly crass when taken out of context but I don't think they stood out at all when seeing the whole programme. I don;t think the mystery buyer came across badly either. Most people would want it right when spending £20MM on something - I get narked at things wrong in a £20K car for heavens sake and people are well used to bizarre requests from rich folk, especially celebrities. Most of his "complaints" were understandable and probably something I'd not accept either if I was paying.

All in all I thought the programme was mainly a very good showcase for a British company and quite interesting to boot.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I didn't think any of the customers came across badly - even the London family that chartered. Some of the comments were slightly crass when taken out of context but I don't think they stood out at all when seeing the whole programme.

Its easy to take the piss out of some of the people portrayed in the program but it should never be forgotten that it is their wealth which is supporting several thousand UK jobs at Sunseeker and in their supply chain. The country ought to be grateful to these people for spending their cash on UK products. Some of the comments on YouTube were clearly made by people who don't have the slightest understanding of how jobs are created and how their precious NHS is paid for

 

[rwoofer]

If a salesperson tried to manipulate my SWMBO in a similar way, she'd have him for breakfast.

Precisely what my SWMBO would do. Makes it damned difficult buyings boats cause I can only introduce her at the appropriate moment. For my last new boat that turned out to be when we went to the factory before signing the dotted line.