This month’s edition of Fishing Report & News brings you our top tips on how to make sure your customers are satisfied, based on their experience. We’ll also update you on how we plan to only work with licensed captains, and show you a new feature that lets you better take care of your inbox.
What Customers Want – Our Review of Reviews
A recent Fishingbooker study revealed eight customer turn-offs that captains should be aware of. Some of these include poor communication, hidden fees, and unmet expectations. Mina from our Customer Happiness team gave her insights on these issues:
“Captains have to be on top things. I understand that sometimes it’s hard for them because they’re out on the water a lot and maybe they don’t have as much time to manage a listing, but it’s just important that it’s (their calendar) up to date and that it’s accurate because that’s where you lose out on customers.”
So what’s the most important thing?
“Communication. Hands down. Communication. Communication and, with that, setting expectations. That’s the most important thing. It makes the customer feel like they’re in good hands. I’ve spoken to customers so much about this, and I know that they’re very happy when the captain reaches out first.”
Mina K., Customer Happiness Agent at FishingBooker
Read our full story here.
Introducing Invisible ’till Verified
Our new policy requires that all US captains provide scanned copies of their licenses before their listing goes live. Customers can also see if charters in the Gulf of Mexico are federally or state-licensed. This helps them quickly plan and book their next trip.
We spoke with Lana from our Legal Department about some of the major challenges associated with this:
“We first implemented mandatory verification in the US about a year ago.
Before that, we used to have reports and we would remove captains who would refuse to provide their documents. Now it’s the other way around. We’re proactive and we don’t allow captains to take customers fishing until they provide us with their documents.
State and federal licenses in the Gulf of Mexico
“We recently implemented a feature in the Gulf of Mexico that separates state listed and federally permitted listings.
Especially after the Red Tide in 2018, we had reports of captains who were no longer fishing in state waters but were going in federal waters and fishing species that were protected with these permits.
In the last few months, we finally managed to rule this out. Now, every listing that’s in the Gulf that’s visible, has a badge – state licensed or federally permitted – so customers can tell.
We can’t prevent someone from breaking the law, but we can make sure that they can’t advertise this on our platform.”
Lana R., Compliance Specialist at FishingBooker
Read more here.
Tips to Manage Your Business in High Season
In high season, managing your phone calls and messages can be a bit overwhelming. At the same time, no one wants to miss important communication about their business.
We know everyone has different preferences for how they like to be contacted. That’s why FishingBooker’s notifications feature lets you decide how you’d like to be contacted.
FishingBooker has launched a new notifications system, called “Tickets,” which share the most important news about your profile directly in your dashboard. At the same time, our notifications feature lets you decide how you’d like to be contacted. You just have to select your preferences in your settings, and we’ll take care of the rest.
Be sure to stay tuned for next month’s edition of Fishing Report and News and get all the latest tips on how to grow your online business.
