Revisiting RVDA, three years later

RVDA Supporting the Dealers' Vision

Three years ago this month (March 1996), our cover story featured RVDA, the national RV Dealers Association. At that time, our focus was Mike Molino who had just become president of RVDA. Molino discussed his vision for the association and his new role. This month, we revisit RVDA and Molino for a follow up and take a look at how far RVDA has come toward meeting those goals. We're happy to say we find a thriving association working hard to help RV dealers handle the serious challenges of a growing industry and rapidly changing world.

RVDA President Mike Molino says getting information and educational programs to RV dealers and promoting positive industry relations are top priorities for the association.

When we asked Mike to tell us what he sees as the association's major accomplishments over the past three years, he said, "What we see as accomplishments from our staff point of view really doesn't matter. What really matters is what our members and potential members see as accomplishments." Molino emphasized that great organizations focus on the future not the past. "In spite of the many good things that the volunteer leaders, staff, members, and other supporters have achieved," Molino continued, "our most significant accomplishments are still ahead of us."

According to Molino, RVDA's board described where it wants the association to go in the RVDA strategic plan -- a vision, mission, guiding principles, and four goals. When reading it, one can see that the board was not only acting on behalf of its members, they were acting on behalf of the entire industry. The plan addresses the association's classic functions, which are to inform and protect its members while adding the tasks of leadership in industry cooperation and expansion of the industry's market.

Mike believes that the growing number of RVDA members appear satisfied that RVDA does a very good job of providing information and education for dealers and other retailers. He cites monthly faxes, the RVDA Education Foundation programs, the monthly magazine available only to members and the convention/ expo as examples of RVDA's commitment to inform and educate. (See the story on RVDA education).

Molino says that he has found that trying to be a leader in industry cooperation is not as easy as educating. He said, "If dealers are to cooperate as equal industry partners, they must join together and come to a consensus on major issues. Too many dealers are still 'outside the loop' of knowledge." He sees closing the information gap as a major challenge. In his opinion RVDA needs to do that to improve industry cooperation, raise the level of professionalism, and get closer to total customer satisfaction.

Molino said, "Industry cooperation is also very important to the goal of expanding the market. Under Tom Stinnett's leadership as chairman of RVDA, the entire association mobilized the dealer body in support of Tom Faludy and our industry coalition's effort to adopt and fund the Go RVing program. All indicators show Go RVing is working. As an industry, we face major challenges in how to improve the advertising program for the next phase, which will start in 2000. We expect the coalition's J.D. Power Survey of the quality of the product and the consumer's experience at the dealership and campground to assist us in improving the campaign as we improve total industry quality,"

RVDA's goal number four is "We will assist in protecting our industry and our dealer members' ability to conduct business profitably." Molino explained, "This deals with complicated, often emotional, issues because seeking protection often causes friction. Dealers believe the achievement of total customer satisfaction depends on protections through the Four T's -- sales Territory; due process in Terminations; reasonable conditions for the Transfer of ownership; and a fair, responsive warranTy system. It is certain that we will reduce friction, if each of us pledges to understand the other's position before we judge it,"

For example, RVDA worked closely with RVIA to create a process of mediation and arbitration to settle disputes between dealers and manufacturers. "Most of RVDA's leaders are convinced that dealers and manufacturers need a way to settle a dispute that is somewhere between a fist fight and a lawsuit," Molino said. He also continues to stress that the written sales agreement between dealer and manufacturer is the basis for any dispute resolution process -- whether its litigation, arbitration, or mediation. continued