Sydney, Australia: Renowned globally for its ethos of excellence, luxury motor yacht builder Riviera has awarded its dedicated Australian and New Zealand dealers for their commitment to helping loyal owners enjoy ‘the ultimate boating experience’.

Riviera chairman and owner Rodney Longhurst – in announcing the winners of the 2015 Riviera Australian and New Zealand Dealer Awards this week at Sydney International Boat Show – said Riviera is totally focused on the pursuit of excellence in every endeavour.

“Our commitment extends far beyond building luxurious motor yachts that are recognised as being amongst the best in the world – it filters all the way through to providing outstanding customer care that makes owning a Riviera or Belize such a rich and rewarding experience.

“The loyalty of our highly valued owners in Australia and New Zealand confirms there’s nothing quite like owning a Riviera and directly reflects the huge commitment of our growing R Marine dealer network, and our annual awards recognise excellence in this regard.”

Dealership of the Year

For the fourth consecutive year, R Marine South Australia was named the overall Riviera Dealership of the Year for the Australia and New Zealand region.

Riviera’s dealer relationship manager Peter Welch said the R Marine South Australia team in Glenelg had a relentless passion for exceptional customer service, innovative owner Experience events and a professional and highly ethical representation of the Riviera and Belize brands.

R Marine SA dealer principal Paul Harrop with Riviera’s Dealer of the
Year award for the Australia and New Zealand region.

“Representing the luxury Riviera marque is not just a job for Paul Harrop and the team at R Marine South Australia – they live and breathe boating and this is evidenced by the close relationships they have with their South Australian-based clients,” said Mr Welch.

“Just one example of their commitment to the Riviera lifestyle is the hugely successful Riviera Port Lincoln Experience in March this year – the largest Riviera blue-water cruising-in-company event ever held in South Australian waters,” he said.

“A total of 37 boats enjoyed this amazing event this year and of particular note was the fact that a number of very impressed owners felt compelled to write to Riviera and Rodney Longhurst personally to praise the R Marine South Australia team.

R Marine South Australia dealer principal Paul Harrop said it was an honour to be recognised for the fourth consecutive year for the highest standard of service and ongoing great experience that extends well beyond the initial purchase of a luxury Riviera or Belize motor yacht.

“Riviera is an incredible brand that continually sets new benchmarks in design, opulence, functionality and quality, as well as after-sales customer care,” he said.

“We share this success with the amazing Riviera family in South Australia – our passionate Riviera Owners Club of SA members and all Riviera owners and friends stretching from Robe, Port Lincoln and Whyalla, as well as the various marinas throughout Adelaide who continue to be great ambassadors for our brand and for R Marine South Australia,” he said.

“Our job is to ensure that owning a Riviera or Belize is a fun and memorable experience for the whole family and we will be now working to take that enjoyment to the next level.”

Sales Excellence Awards

The 2015 Sales Excellence by a Dealer Award was presented to high-performing R Marine dealer R Marine Crawley at Runaway Bay on the Gold Coast.

Mr Welch also announced R Marine Crawley dealer principal Ben Crawley as the Sales Excellence by an Individual award-winner.

R Marine Crawley dealer principal Ben Crawley with Riviera’s
individual and dealership Sales Excellence awards for the Australia
and New Zealand region.

Mr Crawley said he was extremely proud that Riviera and Belize owners placed their faith and trust in his dedicated team to support their next boat purchase.

“The majority of our sales are with repeat customers and most others are through referrals from existing customers and their friends who have either heard about us or joined us on our special Experience voyages to idyllic destinations along the Australian coastline, and appreciate the level of support and service we provide,” he said.

“We have an extremely dedicated team at R Marine Crawley who spend a great deal of time getting to know our customers and who understand the importance of listening and then delivering to their personal boating needs.

“My entire R Marine Crawley team deserves credit for their commitment to delivering exceptional customer care that ensures owning a Riviera or Belize is such an enjoyable experience. May I say special thanks to my assistant Michael Donnan, service manager Jade Anderson and warranty manager Nick Westh, and also the support of Riviera itself – there really is nothing quite like it.”

Service Excellence Award

The 2015 Riviera award for Service Excellence by a Dealership was awarded to Queensland’s R Marine Jones located at Riviera’s world-class waterfront facility at Coomera on the Gold Coast.

Mr Welch said dealer principal Randall Jones, his wife Melinda and the entire R Marine Jones team have an extremely solid reputation for high quality service within their local boating community.

R Marine Jones dealer principal Randall Jones with Riviera’s Service
Excellence award for the Australia and New Zealand region.

In accepting the award, Australia’s longest-serving Riviera dealer and multiple award-winner Randall Jones congratulated his team on their dedication and commitment to meeting the service needs of Riviera and Belize owners.

“We find owners of luxury motor yachts like to simplify things to the point where they are able to speak with just one person to arrange all their service requirements,” he said. “At R Marine Jones, our service team uses utilise our on-site facilities to ensure there is just one point of contact and one invoice for everything they need done … no matter how big or small the service, refit or repair.

“I am extremely grateful to all our loyal customers for their ongoing support – our philosophy is that the little things make all the difference to customer satisfaction and at R Marine Jones, customer care is our No.1 priority.”

The R Marine network is the largest luxury motor yacht dealer network in Australasia and offers Riviera and Belize owners an unparalleled level of after-sales service and support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“The Riviera and R Marine network service extends to exclusive invitations to informative educational and spectacular social events as well as to special Experience events cruising in company of like-minded people to idyllic destinations,” said Mr Longhurst.

“Our commitment to our valued family of owners – from Australia, New Zealand and from right around the world – is that we will keep improving – we will continue to grow our high-quality team, we will continue to provide the highest levels of customer care, and we will continue to build innovative, practical, robust and premium-quality luxury motor yachts that have positioned Riviera amongst the best in the world.”

Riviera Dealer Awards – 2015

Australia and New Zealand

Dealership of the Year:
R Marine South Australia (South Australia)

Sales Excellence by a Dealership:
R Marine Crawley (Queensland)

Sales Excellence by an Individual:
Ben Crawley (Queensland)

Service Excellence by a Dealership:
R Marine Jones (Queensland)