Since then, JDPA has become well known in the US for its automobile CSI studies, where they are credited with significantly narrowing the gap between the top and bottom brands in terms of product quality and customer satisfaction.

CSI provides a benchmark for manufacturers to monitor and implement initiatives to improve the consumer's perception of their products relative to their competitors.

Companies wanting to sell boats into the US market should pay real attention to it because while it might sound somewhat "touchy feely" it is, in fact, an important programme that can result in a significant improvement in overall product quality, brand perception and sales when implemented over time.

There are two CSI initiatives currently taking place here in the US, one by JDPA and the other by the National Marine Manufacturers' Association (NMMA).

Customer satisfaction is one of the big strategic directions for the NMMA and the impetus for this was made clear in a recent address by its president, Thom Dammrich, when he said; "CSI is the best way to measure customer satisfaction. Studies and experience show that high satisfaction translates into customer loyalty and customer loyalty translates into repeat purchases."

What you really want, he said, is customers for life and what the marine industry really needs is boaters for life.

JDPA believes, as does the NMMA, that the gap between the top and bottom brands in the same areas in the leisure marine industry is too wide and that unless this is addressed, potential boaters will find other leisure activities to enjoy.

The difference in the two approaches is that the JDPA awards are on an annual basis, whereas the NMMA program allows the participants to monitor performance on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis.

The NMMA also makes the point that its programme is designed to be affordable to the smaller boatbuilders, regardless of the boat segment they are in or the volume of their sales.

JDPA surveys tend to concentrate of the bigger selling brands because of the need for there to be the same number of owners of each brand responding to the survey.

Are US boat builders paying serious attention to CSI?

"Absolutely, " says Dan Kubera, a spokesman for Brunswick. "You would be silly not to."

Kubera went on to say: "We take CSI seriously at the corporate level as well as at the operating level."

He added that it is up to each of the brands as to how they implement the improvements they see the need for; this is not dictated by corporate.

Kubera also made mention of the various internal CSI programs at individual builders, a point that Arlene Baxter, VP industry programs for the NMMA, expanded on by noting: "The companies named as top performers in the J.D.

Power studies could not have gotten there without long-term CSI programs of their own in place."