NATCHEZ ON THE WATERFRONT17
annoying them. Next, is seeing what you can do to correct that which annoys them, that is, eliminate the negatives, because there is no worse advertising for a facility than a dissatisfied customer. Communicate with your
customers and not just with the monthly statement. Deliver what you promise and never promise what you cannot deliver. Have the person answering the ‘phone be someone with knowledge of what is going on, including status of
work in progress, as well as when someone will be able to get back to them.
When people call to see if their
boat has been fixed and are greeted with, “I don’t know,” or “no one told me,” or “no one is around,” that does not instill loyalty or leave a great impression. When one is told, “They are working on it right now and it is expected to be completed on time,” or that “the mechanic is not available at the moment, but I will have him call you back later today,” and the
mechanic actually calls … that leaves a favourable impression and contributes to the perception of value. If you’re using voicemail, have a message that is pleasant and gives the day and when it is anticipated that you will be picking up messages and getting back to the caller. A message that says, “Hi, you’ve reached Joe and it’s Saturday, 20 March. I am out in the yard at the moment, but I do pick up my messages and will try to return the call this afternoon,”
is far superior to the standard, “Leave a message after the beep”. Even better would be to add an alternate number to reach an actual person.
Real life examples This past boating season, a customer brought a boat in for engine repairs. The customer told the facility that the boat was needed in three days and the facility assured the customer that this would not be a problem. The boat sat for a day and half
MARINA INDUSTRY • SEPTEMBER 2019
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36
