If there’s someone who knows the charter fishing industry inside and out, it’s Captain John Caselli of Ringmaster Charters. By the age of 20, he was running trips out of Hillsboro Inlet on his own boat. After following the tournament circuit to exotic locations around the world, he’s back in Florida doing what he does best – taking customers fishing.
As well as listing his business on FishingBooker, he also uses FishingBooker Direct, which lets his own guests book him directly through his website, commission-free. Here’s how it’s working out for him…
Straight off the bat, Capt. John highlights how Direct helps him with one of the most important aspects of running a charter – with a straightforward payment model. “The flexibility is great for customers,” he tells us.
But that’s not all – it’s also a big time-saver for captains. “Now, I don’t have to worry about taking any credit card details over the phone,” says Capt. John. “That used to take up some time. With Direct, I can just tell potential customers to go to my website and book a trip there.”
When customers visit Capt. John’s website, the “book now” button appears right at the top of the page. With one click, they’re transported straight to his FishingBooker Direct booking page. This was also a positive for him. “I like the way it looks,” he says, “and that it’s easy for customers to find and for me to navigate.”
Familiarity with FishingBooker’s main platform was a big reason why Capt. John decided to try out FishingBooker Direct. Although the bookings he receives are commission-free and from his own customers, he gets to manage them through a platform he already knows how to use incredibly well. “When I was contacted when [Direct] first came out,” he tells us, “it was a no-brainer. I agreed to try it because I like how FishingBooker works on the business end.”
“But the major positive, above all else, is that Direct works seamlessly with my external calendar,” says Capt. John. “I was actually looking into a bunch of different booking platforms, but I went with FishingBooker Direct because of the calendar aspect.
“I can sync my personal calendar, my business calendar, and my Direct calendar together. This is major,” he tells us, “because if you can’t do that, sooner or later you’re gonna run into a problem. You’ll double book trips, for example. With Direct, my calendars are all linked together so seamlessly that I don’t have to worry.”
No matter what kind of business you run, FishingBooker Direct lets your direct guests book a trip through your website, social media, or via invite – commission-free. Interested in trying it out? Get in touch!
