Customers

[madhatter1]

I am "firing" customers left and right. Too old to deal with BS. We are very skilled at our trade and abilities. My guys are a Motley Crue but I keep them all doing what is correct and right. And then get called out for being wrong when those I work for drop the ball.

WTF? Anyone Else? I hate to be bitter but I am right now.

 

[Captain Ralph]

Yes, We dropped customers and upper handlers (brokers or boat yard work) quite frequently. Usually after we got the last dollar owed to us (or what we could get).
Only a few of us independent service companies around the Ortega area and we passed customer and handler info between us all. Most of the problem customers had sticks growing from their decks and tap roots down below. Some had real big boats and thought their stuff didn't stink. Some brokers who hired us had similar issues also.
Well it did (stink) and there are a few big boats still there that nobody will service (now dock queens) and brokers calling in techs from out of town, state. They also do not come back.

I never allowed our crew to board an unsafe or rude boat and alerted the other shops of what we witnessed. They also reported back on their findings and issues. Usually on our aft deck on Friday nights. Monday mornings, lots of calls were not returned.
A few brokers that do not get return calls have taken the hint also.

Working tight with the marina managements (24 x 7 access cost), they also knew of unsafe vessels owners and others that said they were in the trade. Oh, some of them are hard to deal with also, but you have to get on their docks to make a buck.

We closed our company a couple of years ago. Still support our allies and some favorite customers.

The important part, we sleep well at night over past business activities.

 

[JLR]

In defense of customers, a/k/a, the hand that feeds you, I am compelled to respond. I have owned boats for the better part of the last 30 years. I have always paid my bills in full on time. However, it took me many, many years to find marine vendors worth paying. I am recently retired but ran a large lawfirm (300 lawyers) for 35 years. I know a thing or two about running a business. I have found that the marine service industry is one of the most poorly run industries I have ever seen. If I ran my business that way, I would be out of business. I have done most of my boating in New York, with short seasons and even shorter tempers. I have been boating in Florida for the last ten years or so. I have a terrific Captain in Florida and have found good mechanics etc whom I treat with kit gloves.
Many years ago, I added security cameras to my boats. They were not meant to catch thieves, or even mechanics who openly lied about how long they were on the boat, but rather to ferret out the “no call, no show” marine workers. I got tired of leaving my office to check on a repair, which amounte to about an hour drive, just to find out the mechanic never showed up, nor called. In my experience, this has been the rule rather than the exception in the marine service business.
Fiberglass guys and canvass guys have been the most difficult for me. Either tough to find, tough to schedule or crappy work (most times all three).

I recently purchased another boat. I had the chance to buy a new one, with full warranties on the boat and engines. However, what good is a warranty in a 12 week season if the yard guy says they are backed up three months on work.

So, before you start throwing stones at customers, look in the mirror at your industry and gauge your audience.

 

[Boatsb]

The customers I fire are for good reasons.

They compare my rate to the drunk down the dock with no insurance.

They complain about paying $3k in labor for installation of their new toys on their new boat and then brag about how they paid cash for it or a new car.

They call all the time to go over details again and again and a again for a small fix while they know I'm one someone else's project.

Parts in my world (electronics) are pretty much low margins thanks to the online thieves.

Manufacturers set minimum sell prices to hold a bit of margin but it's not a big profit center anymore.

Local responsive and knowknowledgeable vendors are being beaten to death by internet know it all morons.

Choose your relationships well.

 

[Captain Ralph]

When your scheduling new service work 3+ weeks in advance, we were getting feed well thank you.
We closed our shop due to health reasons.

Interesting enough, some of our worst customers were lawyers telling us how to run our business.

 

[sgharford]

Novus Ordo Seclorum

 

[Captain Ralph]

Annuit cœptis

 

[motoryacht lover]

JLR, it appears that upon reading your post that you have had a better experience in Florida. My reaction when I first read/skimmed your post was I wonder if he would have a better experience in Florida. I used to keep the boat in NC and VA, now I leave it in Florida year around. In my experience Florida’s marine industry does a better job, but still you have to be careful. I think it is worth mentioning that not all charges on a bill will occur on the boat. There is running down parts, coordination with the yard and other subs, consultation with manufactures that in my opinion is billable time. None of these typically happen while a tech is on the boat. I can’t imagine trying to own/manage a business that relies on a 12 week period to make a profit. What do you do with the other 40 weeks. I am decent with some repairs but have to rely on professionals to keep my boat in shape. By and large I have been pleased with my experience. In my opinion there is a direct correlation between cost and quality. Not at all times but most of them. I try to work with professionals and that usually means I pay more. Not at all trying to imply that you are trying to save money by going cheap. I am 56 and in my experience the American consumer has become more demanding and unreasonable over the years. Ironic that this post came when it did as we are on the cusp of firing a customer as well. I also think the Pandemic has affected people’s behavior and also the boating spurt since the pandemic has made demand for marine services exceed the supply. So I think that is a factor as well. In closing, I do think the trades (marine and otherwise) have more than their share of people who are not professional nor qualified but none the less they go into business. But is that not the case in all fields. I have worked with some very good attorneys and some poor ones.

 

[SeaEric]

I have a serious, self diagnosed "nut" allergy that flares up now and then. Treatment is to fire a few of the nuts that are the cause. Works like a charm. Life is short. Good physical and mental health is important to me.

 

[racclarkson@gmail.com]

Old friend in retail told me you need a barbed wire fence to keep the customers out. Of course, he was referring to the nut jobs. Other side of the coin: Most everything boat related operates on boat time.

 

[madhatter1]

My business is building controls installation subcontractor. We work for the same clients on multiple sites. But it doesn't really matter what the trade is. There are good customers and bad customers. Difficult customers are not necessarily bad and easy going customers definitely not guaranteed to be good. In fact "difficult" customers usually are not. They tell you exactly what they expect and all we have to do is meet the expectation. Easy!

In any case most posts are about marine trades and customers. In this case I am the customer. I request work, wait my turn, make the boat available when it's my turn, and pay the bill promptly. Ongoing relationship with DD mechanic and detailer. They do great work and leave the boat clean. No reason to nitpick the bill. I hope I am a good customer. I would hate to get fired!

 

[Captain Ralph]

My business is building controls installation subcontractor. We work for the same clients on multiple sites. But it doesn't really matter what the trade is. There are good customers and bad customers. Difficult customers are not necessarily bad and easy going customers definitely not guaranteed to be good. In fact "difficult" customers usually are not. They tell you exactly what they expect and all we have to do is meet the expectation. Easy!

In any case most posts are about marine trades and customers. In this case I am the customer. I request work, wait my turn, make the boat available when it's my turn, and pay the bill promptly. Ongoing relationship with DD mechanic and detailer. They do great work and leave the boat clean. No reason to nitpick the bill. I hope I am a good customer. I would hate to get fired!

Sounds like you could of been (of many) a great customer of ours.
Sorry we missed you in Jax.

 

[JuiceClark]

I'm sure it's much the same in most professional industries right now. So many Boomers have retired, and there's so many of them, plus COVID crap has support staff extremely strained.

I've turned away, or at least dissuaded, at least half the new client interviews I've had in the last 6 months. If they're not just the type who do best with my style, I won't stretch at all to get the business. I'm short of help and will do fine without any new clients. Besides, I don't get on the boat enough as it is!

It's a strange new world. My best mechanic switched to outboards only - because that's where he makes the most $$. Two other mechanics who did work for me previously said they'd do some work on the boat in June. Neither called back to schedule a time. So, I have to ask again or find someone else. I will probably call again...something I'd never have done before.

When the economy flops again, everyone's tune will change.

 

[Retired1]

Time and reality is an ever changing perception totally unique to one's interpretation of the moment.

 

[rsmith]

Time and reality is an ever changing perception totally unique to one's interpretation of the moment.

Good one. Most people believe the reality that presented to them and never question its authenticity.

 

[Captain Ralph]

We closed our shop before the pandemonium. My comments below were from this time frame.
I can understand that more people used the waters to get out of the house to be active, I really do not see how it has affect on service work, such as ours.
My associates that are still working (never stopped), Still pick who hey work with.
The lead tech is still 4 weeks out if he is needed.

Unlike a retail store, all that walks in that door has to be dealt with,
in our lil niche, we can pick our customers.

I understand the comment about the tech who went to outboard service only.
We went to diesel service only many years ago.

Oh, that word-of-mouth thing, our main advertisement;
Works very well for us.