Action plan for recreation industry
In an election update from RVIA released yesterday, Derrick Crandall president of the American Recreation Coalition explained that recreation leaders gathered in Washington last week to discuss troubles the recreation community is facing.Crandall explained in the election update that the ARC board created an outline of steps that need to be implemented immediately. Those steps include:
- Create a list of challenges facing recreation businesses
- Assess possible “grass-roots capabilities” focusing on obtaining congressional support and constituents.
- Create an action plan that would be a clear help to recreation businesses
The ARC leaders agree that until consumer confidence rebounds economic recovery isn’t likely.Are the above mentioned steps what the recreational community need to rebound from the current economic times?Do you plan to take action by contacting your elected officials to shed light on the issues facing the industry? As my publisher would say, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” What do you think?
December 1st, 2008 at 5:53 pm
I agree that all the sit down sessions and lists will not save the industry. We need to reduce production, consolidate same like operations and do away with satelite portions of the business and bring it back to company owned and operated factories. We need to listen to the customers and provide what they want a quality product at a reasonable price. We need to provide the most outstanding customer service possible and quit patting ourselves on the back for providing the RV dealers with all the eltronic gizmos that don’t work and are not complete. All the customers really want is a old fashion catalog system with a live voice on the other end of a phone call who knows what they are talking about and will do everything possible to ensure the customer is taken care of. Good old fashion knock your socks off customer service. Cost to a company employee salarys. Benefits to a company millions of dollars of customer goodwill.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
The RV Industry is now finding themselves on the extreme downside of an unstable economy. These ramifications have been felt since 2007 when Corporate ownership took over Dealerships; uprooting personel; downsizing, cutting salaries, restructuring, firing and designating unqualified management to lead. Customer’s fears of financial uncertainty and dealership’s arduous task of obtaining financing have slowed business. A solvent economy will resolve our industry - its that basic.
November 19th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Hi Guys,
In my view, the RV Industry is a “mirror-image” to the problems which have mired the automobile industry - but on a much smaller scale. From my perspective, the RV Industry is similarily mired in a “do it the way we have always done it before” syndrome.
So, what can be done in the present time?
First, gather the smartest guys and gals around a big table, drag in some big pads of paper, and make a lot of coffee.
Second, tell everyone assembled to come up with 10 of their best thoughts about what could be done to make the product better, easier to build, less costly, etc. Folks might be really surprised what comes out of these “Tiger-Team” meetings.
Third, scrape up every loose penny and put it all toward New Product Development. Make it a motto that what ever emerges from the New Product Development sessions will not look like anything that has been built in prior days, that is, with the exception of the hitch and wheels.
Fourth, create a new outlook for bringing the New Product to the marketplace. There must be serious thought given to reducing the cost to dealers while improving the marketing of the New Product to perspective Owners.
Fifth, instill the understanding among the Manufacturers that the focus will be to concentrate on building a few really great models the best that they can.
It should be well understood by this time that if the RV Industry desires to be in business for the next 10 to 20 years, it has to re-invent itself. That job may be tough for many of the folks who have grown up in the business, but in truth, that is the wave of the future and now is the time to act.
Good Luck.
November 19th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Sounds to me like the board members sat around for a while looking at each other , scratching their collective heads , never conceeding that they didn’t have a clue as to what they should or could do to help resolve the crisis, before coming up with the brilliant
1. make a list
2. make another list
3. make yet another list
They forgot the most important item:
4. set date for another meeting so they can make more lists.
I don’t have answers. No one has been faced with this set of circumstances before and it’s a problem that’s just too big to get your arms around. This is a financial meltdown with a National scope and requires a National resolution, patience, a hell of a lot less finger pointing and fewer lists of non-specific non-action.
November 19th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
WE need to all find ways of letting our elected officials know how important the RV industry, in every aspect and on all levels is to the american economy and the american way of life.
We have camping, exploring, vacationing and RV-ing in our blood. We have long traditions of these activities firmly rooted in our family values and we need to keep this industry strong.
The availability of smart credit options needs to be strong to keep all industries strong!!!