Let me set the scene. It’s the first big holiday weekend of the year for boaters, Memorial Day weekend. You’ve got your favorite guests coming to the lake house and you’ve already hit the grocery store for burgers and beverages.
The weekend weather report is sunny and warm which is great because you were able to get the boat dropped in the water earlier in the week. The boat is dockside, the gas tank is full and you’ve done a full interior detail.
You are ready to be the world’s best host for the extended weekend on the water. Your guests are due to arrive Friday evening so starting Saturday afternoon, all you plan to do is boat, eat, sleep, and repeat.
With all the build-up to the long boat-filled weekend, are you prepared if something goes wrong with your pontoon boat? What if it’s something as simple as the Bluetooth in your stereo is not connecting to your phone? A day on the water without music can kill the vibe.
What if it’s something worse, like the engine not starting due to an overlooked lanyard switch in the off position? One small thing like that and you could be stuck on the shore watching the boaters go by. These are the things that Barletta is hoping to alleviate so that you get to enjoy your pontoon boat with family and friends all weekend long.
The Barletta Holiday Hotline is a direct line to the Barletta Customer Service team. It’s a phone number set up for owners to call in case they run into an issue while using their pontoon boat during the major summer holiday weekends when our service center is typically closed.
The hotline is active all weekend during these three holidays; Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. The goal is to talk owners through issues that may arise with their boat in hopes of finding a solution that will keep them on the water.
Over the years, the Barletta team has been able to assist boaters through this hotline with questions about their depth finders, bilge pumps, stereos, and more. There’s a big sigh of relief that comes with working together to find a resolution, and that is what makes the Barletta team so passionate about this service.
Something important to keep in mind is that not everything can be fixed through the phone. If you have a serious problem with your engine or there’s a potential that you’ll be stranded on the water, the best advice the team can give is to contact your dealer and get to safety quickly.
They won’t let you go that easily, however, first, they will work with you to troubleshoot a dead motor or a battery issue that leads to no power onboard, but your dealer may have to get eyes on the boat to fix it properly.
The customer experience is a top priority at Barletta Boats so the team strives to make sure that no one in the Barletta family is left hanging. Year after year, the Holiday Hotline has been a hit with Barletta owners, so for summer 2022, Barletta threw in a twist.
In years past, Barletta has offered this hotline for any Barletta pontoon boat owner. No matter what year or series you own, any Barletta owner is welcome to call this hotline and use the service provided by the team of trained pontoon technicians.
As the years have passed, this hotline has grown increasingly popular and the success stories are plentiful. Knowing that the Barletta team decided that this hotline should be available to any pontoon boat owner, no matter what brand they have.
The company believes that everyone should have access to the type of service that Barletta provides so for 2022, the team of technicians on call was doubled and the same direct line is open to all pontoon boaters.
What’s even more special about extending this service to any brand of pontoon boat is that the team that will be answering these calls all have experience with multiple pontoon brands. So if they can help, they will do everything in their power to keep all pontoon owners on the water.
If you own a brand other than a Barletta, remember that there may be brand-specific questions you have that only the certain manufacturer or dealer service tech can answer. That said, the Barletta team will give it their all in helping out where they can.
So what are some of the things that justify a call to the hotline? Let’s say you’re using the boat all weekend and the weather is dry but your bilge pump won’t stop running, give them a call. If your engine was working fine all weekend but won’t start when you’re getting ready to leave the sand bar, call them up.
If you can’t get the Bluetooth on your stereo paired with your phone, hotline it is. There are plenty of quick-fix items that can be dealt with over the phone. There are also bigger issues that you should identify as a dealer-only phone call.
Let’s say your engine is leaking oil or fuel, exit the boat immediately and call your dealer. If the toons are taking on water, get to safety and call your dealer. These are issues that can lead to a dangerous situation and calling the hotline first will only delay you in getting the appropriate help.
In the same sense, if you haven’t taken possession of your pontoon boat yet but you have technical questions, this hotline is not for you. The phone lines must be open to those in need so that the team can help someone from becoming stranded on the water or having their day with friends and family ruined because they had to sit on hold.
If you have questions, there are plenty of resources available in the Barletta Learning Center and the Document Center to help you prepare to take delivery of your new pontoon boat. That also goes for those who have already taken possession of their boat, these resources are full of information for all boaters.
The Barletta Holiday Hotline becomes active once the holiday weekend begins and the office is closed. Friday at 5:00 P.M. eastern standard time is when the line is officially available for use during all holiday weekends. It runs through the last day of the weekend which varies depending on which holiday it is.
To have this service available to all boaters, even those out west, the line stays active until 8 P.M. EST each day. Starting on Saturday through the rest of the weekend, the line opens at 9 A.M. EST. So from 9 in the morning EST until 8 in the evening EST, you can contact the team if issues arise.
There is also a voicemail set up in case the lines are busy. Rest assured, if you need assistance, leaving a voicemail is your best course of action. A technician will call you back promptly so make sure to leave your contact information as well as a few details about the problem at hand.
The phone number for this hotline will be posted on the Barletta website and all Barletta social media channels starting the minute the line is active on Friday. This number changes each year, so if you’ve used the hotline in the past, don’t expect to call the same number you did previously.
The team will also send an email out to every registered owner with dates, times, and the number to call. Not only does Barletta want to make sure you stay on the water, they also want to make sure you know where to find the hotline information so go to any of those resources if you need assistance.
When you join the Barletta family you’re not only investing in your family’s happiness and life-long memories, you’re also joining a team of boat enthusiasts. The majority of us over here at the factory see boating as the ultimate pastime.
We are passionate about the products we produce and we see the value in spending time with loved ones on the water. That’s where the idea for this hotline was born and why it’s such an important part of our DNA.
We treat our owners as we would want our own family to be treated and being able to extend that to all pontoon boaters is incredibly exciting for our entire team. So, if you’re on the water this holiday weekend and something goes wrong with your pontoon boat, give Barletta a call, we’ve got your back.
Don’t forget to visit the Barletta Learning Center, the YouTube channel, and the Document Center for troubleshooting tips and information about your Barletta and all things boating.