Yamaha has been ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Four-Stroke Outboard Engines" in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Marine Engine Competitive Information Study. This is the fifth time Yamaha has been recognized in J.D. Power and Associates studies, and the announcement comes on the heels of Yamaha's winning its sixth consecutive Customer Satisfaction Index (C.S.I.) from the National Marine Manufacturing Association (NMMA) last fall.
"We are honored, and we accept this recognition on behalf of our dealers and boat builder partners," said Phil Dyskow, president of Yamaha Marine Group. "Our goal has long been to strive for the highest level of customer satisfaction for outboard motors in the industry."
Prior to the fielding period of the J.D. Power and Associates study, Yamaha Marine Group created a customer relations department specifically for outboard motors. This occurred during a time when many industries were outsourcing functions such as customer relations.
The move, along with many other smaller, less visible changes, has improved Yamaha's relationship with owners.
"Customer service belongs in the same building as the rest of the company," said Dyskow. "When and if customers have a problem, they want a knowledgeable voice on the other end of the phone and access to all of the product technical experts."
Yamaha received the highest numerical score for EFI four-stroke engines in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Marine Engine Competitive Information Study. The study was based on 6,973 responses, measuring four EFI four-stroke engine brands and owner opinions for the 2006 and 2007 model-year boats registered from June 2006 to May 2007. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of owners surveyed in September and October 2007.
Yamaha Marine products are marketed throughout the United States and around the world. Yamaha Marine Group, based in Kennesaw, Ga., supports its 2,200 U.S. dealers and OEM partners with marketing, training and parts for Yamaha's full line of products and strives to be the industry leader in reliability, technology and customer service. Yamaha Marine is the only outboard company to have earned NMMA's C.S.I. Customer Satisfaction Index award every year since its inception. Visit www.yamahaoutboards.com.
