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Dealer Spotlight: The Sportsman
The Sportsman is conveniently located just south of Paso Real / FM509, on Bus Hwy 77 between Harlingen and San Benito, Texas. Their hours are Mon - Fri 8:30A - 5:30P and Sat 10:00A 3:00P and anytime by appointment.
Whether your fishing passion leads you to the flats of the Lower Laguna Madre or other shallow waters of the Texas coast, you'll find the largest selection of shallow water fishing boats at The Sportsman. While their specialty is custom-outfitting your new boat to your detailed specifications, you'll also find many flats boats already rigged and ready to fish in their showroom and pre-owned inventory.
The Sportsman is a third generation, family-owned business, founded at its present-day location in 1951. Owner, Rob Youker, began his career at The Sportsman in 1972 and purchased the business from his father in 1987. His grandfather was the founder. The Sportsman opened originally as a service center and soon expanded to become a full-service, new boat dealership.
Youker's business philosophy is all about the customer and serving the customer's needs.
"I have always taught my team that customers have needs," he said. "I have always trained them to do business by the 80/20 rule; the customer should do 80% of the talking. Our job is to be good listeners. Our mission is not to sell them a boat. Rather, our job is to assist them in selecting the right boat and rigging that best fits their needs."
Going further he explained, "Anybody can sell the customer a boat, we see it all the time. There are currently four boats less than one year old in our Pre-Owned Department that came on trade-in. Somebody talked those owners into a boat that did not fit their needs. Here at The Sportsman we excel in fitting the right boat to suit each fisherman's individual needs. Before they take it home we take them to the water and teach them how best to operate it. It does not matter if they have 20 days or 20 years experience, we take the time to teach them all we can so they can operate safely and efficiently on their first outing."
A visit to the Sportsman internet website drives these points home. A very unique feature of the site allows opening a dialog with the sales staff where customers can explain how and where they fish and the size and style of boat they are seeking. Another feature allows customers to schedule service appointments and advise the service team what they need and any problems or concerns they may have. Sportsman's Parts Department offers the opportunity for customers to discuss their needs before driving to the store. They also offer online parts shopping.
Sportsman was recently honored to be selected by Boating Industry as one of the Top 100 Dealers in the nation and the only specialized "shallow water boating" dealership in this elite group. Their customer service, professionalism and business operations coupled with the knowledgeable sales staff and Five Star Certified Service Center are unrivaled in the marketplace.
Sportsman Boats – 956 399 5123; and on the worldwide web at: www.sportsmanboats.com.
Whether your fishing passion leads you to the flats of the Lower Laguna Madre or other shallow waters of the Texas coast, you'll find the largest selection of shallow water fishing boats at The Sportsman. While their specialty is custom-outfitting your new boat to your detailed specifications, you'll also find many flats boats already rigged and ready to fish in their showroom and pre-owned inventory.
The Sportsman is a third generation, family-owned business, founded at its present-day location in 1951. Owner, Rob Youker, began his career at The Sportsman in 1972 and purchased the business from his father in 1987. His grandfather was the founder. The Sportsman opened originally as a service center and soon expanded to become a full-service, new boat dealership.
Youker's business philosophy is all about the customer and serving the customer's needs.
"I have always taught my team that customers have needs," he said. "I have always trained them to do business by the 80/20 rule; the customer should do 80% of the talking. Our job is to be good listeners. Our mission is not to sell them a boat. Rather, our job is to assist them in selecting the right boat and rigging that best fits their needs."
Going further he explained, "Anybody can sell the customer a boat, we see it all the time. There are currently four boats less than one year old in our Pre-Owned Department that came on trade-in. Somebody talked those owners into a boat that did not fit their needs. Here at The Sportsman we excel in fitting the right boat to suit each fisherman's individual needs. Before they take it home we take them to the water and teach them how best to operate it. It does not matter if they have 20 days or 20 years experience, we take the time to teach them all we can so they can operate safely and efficiently on their first outing."
A visit to the Sportsman internet website drives these points home. A very unique feature of the site allows opening a dialog with the sales staff where customers can explain how and where they fish and the size and style of boat they are seeking. Another feature allows customers to schedule service appointments and advise the service team what they need and any problems or concerns they may have. Sportsman's Parts Department offers the opportunity for customers to discuss their needs before driving to the store. They also offer online parts shopping.
Sportsman was recently honored to be selected by Boating Industry as one of the Top 100 Dealers in the nation and the only specialized "shallow water boating" dealership in this elite group. Their customer service, professionalism and business operations coupled with the knowledgeable sales staff and Five Star Certified Service Center are unrivaled in the marketplace.
Sportsman Boats – 956 399 5123; and on the worldwide web at: www.sportsmanboats.com.