Avionics News January 2014 - 58

feature

What Do Dealers Want?
Navigating the TWO-WAY STREET of
MANUFACTURER-DEALER relationships
S T O R Y

B Y

P A T R I C I A

sychoanalyst Sigmund Freud famously asked, "What do
women want?"
We're not sure if he ever learned the answer to this question,
and avionics manufacturers no doubt ask a similar question:
What do dealers want?
Dealers come in all shapes, sizes and levels of service. From
big city airports to out-of-the-way strips, dealers are there on the
front line, ready to sell, service, install and repair the avionics
and instruments in every kind of aircraft.
So let's start with an easy one. Dealers want banners
and signage. According to Jim Prince, president of
Peninsula Avionics in Miami, Fla., "Hangar banners and metal signs are a nice benefit. They
are promotional items that help us a lot."
Prince likes dealer advisory boards
as well, which indicates the manufacturers are truly reaching out to improve the
relationship with their dealers. Prince's wish
list also includes demo units to display and use in
sales efforts.
At Peninsula Avionics, Prince has a cockpit panel with
various manufacturers' equipment installed. It makes it easier
for a customer to understand exactly how a piece of equipment
works, and how the unit looks and feels in an airplane. He said,
"We pay for that display," so he thinks the manufacturer whose
equipment he features should recognize him by giving his dealership some extra attention on the dealer listing at the manufacturer's website. Prince feels that perhaps this could include a link
to the dealer or his company's name in boldface type, but there
should be some way for his shop to stand out for the investment
made to market a manufacturer's products.
58

avionics news

january

2014

L U E B K E

Let your policies remain consistent. That's what Todd Adams,
manager of Lancaster Avionics in Lititz, Penn., wants. Nearly
every shop represents a collection of manufacturers, each with
its own policies about loaners, trade-ins, technical help, warranty
claims and a host of other issues. "Every day I'm trying to figure
out a company's warranty policy versus what it was yesterday,"
Adams said.
It's tough to keep them all straight. Sure, manufacturers communicate those policy changes in emails, dealer
memos and newsletters, but multiply one manufacturer
by a dozen and dealers' heads start to spin.
But it's not just the manufacturers' policies that may change from day to day -
it's from dealer to dealer and how they
are enforced. Joe Braddock, executive
vice president of Melbourne, Fla.-based
Southeast Aerospace, said, "I see a manufacturer will state something in the dealer policy,
but bypass it for another dealer. I know they have
the right to do it, but it's frustrating. They have the
upper hand here."
And then there's the sometimes contentious matter of warranty claims. "I consider a warranty claim no different than any
invoice," Adams said. When something goes wrong with an
installation, a good shop will look at itself first before blaming
the manufacturer. According to Adams, "We'll ask what we may
have done wrong in the installation to cause this failure."
Adams offered this practical advice: When troubleshooting
a product for a warranty claim, he recommended following the
advice from the manufacturer - "even if it will take three times
longer, and even if you think the manufacturer is going to be

Avionics News January 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Avionics News January 2014