CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: OWNERS FEEDBACK
At the first decade of the Twenty-First Century,
regular, significant customer feedback with the
Grady-White bills itself at “The Ultimate in
establishment of the company’s Owners’ Forums.
Customer Satisfaction,” and every product detail
Kris Carroll explains, “Several times each
is shaped by customer influence.
year, our executives travel to our Owners’ Forums,
Grady-White has maintained and valued a
which we have held in many places around the
direct conduit to customers almost from the day
country. Our main agenda is simply to listen to
the Smith era began, and not just at dealership
our customers. We invite input. We ask these
visits, boat shows, customer plant visits and
customers to tell us how they are really using
at dealer events. One of the earliest outreach
their boats, and we ask how we should evolve our
efforts–the Grady-White Anchorline, born in
boats to meet their future needs. We look to them
1981–may well be oldest continuously-published
to tell us what they want in a Grady-White. We
customer newsletter in the marine industry. It
don’t know what they’re going to say, these 35 or
was an immediate hit with customers and invited
40 people per meeting, but the exercise always
feedback from the very first issue. (At the time,
energizes us and increases our resolve to do great
Eddie wondered why he had not been doing a
things for our customers. We are never afraid of
newsletter for years.) The Anchorline is now in
criticism, and sometimes we hear strong words,
its 28th year, and has remained a strong facet of
but we listen and we are confident in our product,
Grady-White’s marketing effort and is just one
and believe that feedback is necessary whether it’s
of the important elements in propelling Grady-
positive or negative. I believe that the initiation of
White’s powerful and important relationship
these Owners’ Forums have been one of the best
with its customers.
things that we have done in the 2000s.”
In late 1998, Grady-White began something
Owner input at Grady-White doesn’t begin
that remains unprecedented in the industry. In
and end with informal meetings at boat shows or
order to take the concept of customer feedback
at dealer events, or even with the unique Owners’
to a new level, Grady-White began a system of
Forums, either. Grady-White invites customer 120