The Marine Retailers Association of the Americas (MRAA) recently launched a series of resources to help marine industry dealers get back to work in a safe and effective manner. 

Noting that dealerships around North America have remained only partially open in most areas—only 15 percent were “open for business as normal” at the end of March, according to an MRAA survey—and that nearly 30 percent had temporarily closed, re-opening their businesses will mean much more than bringing their staff back inside the walls of their physical location. It will mean continuing to adapt to the new normal of retail, where sales, service, deliveries and sea trials must consider new methods for keeping employees and customers safe.

In response to these needs, the MRAA produced four documents to help dealers navigate going back to work.

• 49 Best Practices for Operating Your Dealership Safely
• MRAA Sample Dealer Policy for Drop-Offs and Sea Trials
• How to Communicate Safe Boating With Consumers
• MRAA’s Boating Do’s and Do Not’s for distribution to boaters

“These resources were created to help dealerships navigate the redefined territory of keeping their employees, their customers and their communities safe,” explains Matt Gruhn, MRAA President. “No matter if a dealership is back to work already as an ‘essential’ business, or if they will be sometime soon, it’s critical that dealership leaders have a plan in place to operate safely in the new environment, which means implementing measures and best practices that will ensure their success.”

The 49 best practices document offers insights into how dealerships can safely sell, service, and deliver boats as well as offer sea trials safely. The site includes a sample dealer policy for drop-offs and sea trials, which is designed as a training tool as well as a means to encourage compliance with the new policy, as it features space for a dealership’s logo and a line for employees to sign and acknowledge understanding. And the final two documents offer insights into how dealership personnel can communicate safe boating with customers. One outlines the talking points and rationale for communicating safety in the new environment, and the second — Boating Do’s and Don’ts — offers a downloadable resource that can be printed and shared with consumers to help ensure boating remains open and available to all.

Click here to view the resources.