Overview
Sending media galleries is one of the most impactful ways your team can communicate with customers during the service process. A well-timed gallery, especially one that includes a video, builds trust, reduces billing disputes, and reflects the level of service your customers expect.
MarineMax requires at least one media gallery with a video to be sent per work order. This article explains when to send galleries, what to include, and how service advisors can manage this responsibility within their existing workflow.
Why Media Galleries Matter
Your customers invest significantly in their boats. Throughout the service process, they want to know their boat is in good hands, but they are busy, and most will not pick up the phone. A short video sent at the right moment answers their questions before they have to ask.
Done consistently, media galleries:
Build customer confidence in the quality of your work
Reduce invoice disputes by showing the completed work before the bill arrives
Shorten time to payment
Reinforce the premium experience customers expect from MarineMax
The Standard: One Gallery, One Video, Every Order
Every work order at MarineMax should have at least one media gallery sent to the customer, and every gallery should include at least one video. Photos alone are not sufficient. Video creates a level of transparency and engagement that a still image cannot.
The service advisor is responsible for ensuring this happens on every order, regardless of who records the footage.
Whether the technician records it or the advisor does, the buck stops with the service advisor.
What to Send
Prioritize video over photos.
A short video, 30 to 60 seconds, communicates far more than a photo. Technicians should narrate what they are showing: what the issue was, what was done, and what the result looks like.
Apply the wow factor test.
On orders with multiple line items, send video of the work that will have the most impact on the customer.
Ask: which item will make the customer feel the value of what was done?
For example, on an order that includes:
a nav light replacement
a bilge pump repair
and a full boat detail
Send a video of the detail. That is the moment that resonates.
For complex repairs where the work itself is the main concern, an engine diagnosis or a significant structural repair, send a video of the repair to help the customer understand what was involved.
When to Send
Timing matters. Sending a gallery at the right point in the workflow makes it more effective and reduces friction later.
Situation | When to send |
Complex repair or unknown issue | Send the gallery with the estimate.
Video helps the customer understand what needs to happen and drives faster approval. |
Work completed, ready to invoice | Send the gallery before the invoice. Show the customer the finished result, then follow up with the invoice.
Customers who see the work before they see the bill pay faster and dispute less. |
Customer asks for an update | If no gallery has been sent yet, this is the moment.
Send one now alongside your message. |
Simple, routine service | Still send at least one short clip. Even a quick shot of completed work closes the loop. |
Recommended workflow for completed work:
Send the gallery with a message letting the customer know the work is complete and that the invoice is coming.
Then send the invoice. This sequence sets the right expectation and reduces the chance the customer questions the bill.
Tips for High-Quality Videos
Service advisors should share these guidelines with their technicians:
Film in natural light where possible. Good lighting makes a significant difference in video quality.
Hold the phone horizontally (landscape orientation). It looks better on all screens.
Keep clips short. 30 to 60 seconds is ideal.
Narrate while recording. Explain what the job was, what was done, and what the result looks like. Customers cannot ask follow-up questions, so the narration does the work.
For repairs: Show the problem area first, then show the completed fix.
How to Send a Media Gallery in Boatyard
Photos and videos are never automatically shared with the customer. You can pick exactly which media files are sent, add captions to the files, and include a message with the gallery.
From the dashboard:
Open the order
Navigate to the Media section on the order detail page
Review the media that has been added by the technician
Select the images and videos you want to send
Click Share to compose a message and send the gallery to the customer
The customer receives an email notification and can view the gallery from a link in the email. You can also view what was sent to the customer by clicking on the 'View Gallery' link in the order timeline.
Monitoring Compliance
Service managers can review which orders have had media sent from the Customer Communications tab in the Reporting section of the Boatyard dashboard. Use this report to identify orders where a gallery has not been sent and follow up with the relevant service advisor.
This is the recommended way to audit gallery activity across your team on an ongoing basis.
Quick Reference
What | One gallery with at least one video, per work order |
Who is responsible | The service advisor |
When | Before the invoice on completed work or with the estimate on complex repairs |
Where to monitor | Reporting → Customer Communications |