BRP... It's great to see you here!
brpcare (official BRP)
Thank you for this much needed direct 'conduit' to Valcourt resources... and for participating in our forums.
I can see that you have been following this closely on our forums as I'm sure it gives you valuable feedback even if you have to sift through all of the exaggeration and hyperbole that a public forum can produce.
The sheer number of views by the public & members through our forums, of the topics related to this issue is a good indication of SnoWest forums significance in consumer perception in your Sled Products.
Most of the owners of your BRP snow products are simple people, not concerned with the "rumor mill" but want to know that they can rely on their sleds in the backcountry. They represent a strong cross section of your sledding demographic.
In this day/age of Tweeting, FaceBook, Instagram, Forums, tapatalk and SMS... there is a whole new frontier of consumer communication beyond the dealer service network.
Just like our kids these days, your consumers are much better informed than they were even 5 or 6 years ago and turn to searches on the internet before they approach their dealership service department.
TSB’s, Dealer notices etc make it to the public often in advance of many dealers realizing there is a problem. I, for one, am glad you are not ignoring this. In my opinion (IMO), to ignore this would be counter productive to the task of improving product and customer confidence. The proverbial horse has left the barn on this subject.
IMO, this is a golden opportunity to capitalize on your newfound ability to communicate with the customer... to the extent that your liability exposure rules and business practices will allow... and engage them in a public way.
Rather than the forums being the “bane of your existence” evolve this into an opportunity that can be mutually beneficial.
The old adage of “you reap what you sow” holds true, in my opinion, here. If you as a manufacture do not maintain accurate information dissemination in the public forum then speculation will override fact in the eyes of your customer.
In the same way that BRP employees view, on daily basis, the forums to get a snapshot of customer impression rather than strictly relying on your dealers and DSM/RSM’s to give you feedback … your customers would like to be able to look to you for more direct input.
Rather than sticking to the outdated paradigm of “dealer only” communication I hope you can consider cultivating this new avenue of customer interaction.
I do believe though, that given careful consideration, social-media forums will be able to give you much better results than the traditional venues, currently in use.
Changing the “old guard”, much in the way you did by creating social media positions within BRP, may just serve you and your shareholders well and prove, in the end, be “just good business”.
Thank you for your time and consideration... It does not go unrecognized. :thumb:
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