Communicating with Marina Customers

Marina Dock Age, May/June 2005

Identifying the Critical Factors Involved with Communicating with Marina Customers
by Dennis P. Kissman

I was recently talking with some of my boating friends who keep their boats at different marinas, and I asked them how their marinas communicate information about the facility.

Let me begin by saying that I do not believe there is a single right or wrong way on what, when or how to communicate with customers. My boating friends could have easily been customers of the same marina, and they would still represent a cross-section of a single customer base. I think it is fair to say that no matter how a facility approaches communicating with its customers, there will always be at least one customer who prefers a different approach. A marina manager must decide what works best for his or her particular marina.

What

In deciding on a communications approach, marinas should first determine what they want to communicate and why they want to communicate it. A manager should never forget that his/her prime reason for communicating with customers is to sell services and promote more business for the marina.

A specific problem I have encountered with marinas occurs when they promise customers something they cannot deliver. This is the quickest way to lose credibility with customers and, ultimately, lose their business. If marinas do talk about future changes, they should state them in a way that gives them an out, in case circumstances arise beyond their control — like permit issues — that may prevent marinas from following through on promises.

In most marinas, there are usually a number of improvements routinely done that go unnoticed by some customers. Marinas should toot their own horns! There is nothing wrong with pointing out improvements in, say, a newsletter because the next time a customer comes to the marina, he/she is likely to ask “what’s new?”

When

An important aspect of communicating is when it should be done. Whatever schedule a marina decides on should be one that can be consistently followed. In other words, people are creatures of habit, so the marina’s message will have more of an impact on people as they begin to rely on consistent delivery of the message — and the more frequently this is done, the more aware the recipient is of the marina.

Here are some other key points to keep in mind. Always promote any planned events well in advance of their scheduled dates to ensure the greatest number of participants. Just as important as promoting upcoming events is reporting on how the event went right after it occurred.

I believe a monthly newsletter is the right frequency to communicate. One of the more difficult habits to overcome with a monthly newsletter is to put too much information into one month, leaving the next month without much meaningful information. To avoid this, create a schedule and make a firm commitment to produce and distribute a newsletter.

How

Finally, consider how to communicate with customers. This is one area that is changing on a daily basis.

Although the Internet is an excellent way to communicate, if it is not done in an attractive and simple manner, it can be a disaster.

If marinas plan to use the Internet as a communication tool, here are some important things to consider:

First, it must download fast.

Second, it should be short so someone can peruse through it less than five minutes. Remember: a picture is worth a thousand words and is a quick way to get a message across.

If a marina has a Web site, it should not use a page for the newsletter and expect people to visit the site and search for the newsletter. People are too busy today to do that. If marinas expect customers to read the newsletter, they should send it directly to customers. This is especially important if the marina is promoting some upcoming event or sale.

Third, format the Web site in such a way that it will print on a couple of pages. I may be old fashioned, but just as I enjoy picking up this magazine and reading it, I often print out information from the Internet to sit and read it. There is something about seeing the whole article at once rather than navigating around a computer screen trying to read something — especially when it is either too wide to fit on the screen or too small to read.

No matter how marinas decide to communicate, they should do it in a concise and consistent manner.