Late Customers

[GLF]

How long do you wait for your customers to show? Whats your procedure for no shows?

[Capt Craig]

I always make sure I have a cell phone number so I can call late customers otherwise wait an hour.

[Captain]

About an hour as well. We do our best to contact them and usually they have a decent excuse. If they don't have one or we don't here from them there $100 Deposit is gone:

[CaptLevi]

On Sportboat I have regularly scheduled times of departure, but the customer rules. If they request a special time, I will try to accomodate them.

With St. Joe being located in SW Michigan, many of my customers reside in a different time zone. At least a half dozen or so will forget that and show up an hour late. So I will attempt to reach them if they are more than 15 minutes late. If I can't reach them, I will wait about 1.5 hours past the agreed departure time.

[Rascal Trophy Fishing]

I agree and have the same policy as the posts above. I would like to add these circumstances to see what you guys think: 1) what if the customers show up all snockered up/drunk? 2) what if the customers completely forget the date? 3) lastly, do you deduct the time they are late from the scheduled hours of the trip, or still run the trip full amount? My answers are as follows: 1) send them home, reschedule new date with a new deposit, or forfeit, 2) forfeit the deposit, 3) deduct the time unless they want to pay extra. This would strictly apply to new customers. Old repeat customers might get a break on time and forfeit, if they have reasonable excuses, and I have the time that day. Thanks.

[mattmishler]

I have a different opinion on number one, if they show up smelling like booze on a 4pm trip, how would it be different then a 5am. If they are there ready to go and aren't causing anyone harm, were going fishing.

[pentwater bite me]

The clock starts at the time they were to go.I try to contact them the day befor ,or when 15 mins. late.I'll wait an hour at the boat max.A no show looses his deposit an pays full price in advance the next time around.Our seasons are too short to miss days on the water.

[Rascal Trophy Fishing]

Matt, just to clarify. I'm not talking about just the smell of booze/beer on someone in number one example. What I'm talking about is guys that have been drinking all night long, or most of it, and arrive in the morning drunk and not safe to fish. One time I found 5-6 guys upon 4:30am arrival scattered all over my boat passed out and severely intoxicated, even down in the cabin and my stateroom. I took them all out irregardless as they were repeat customers of good standing, and most passed out for the day anyhow and didn't cause any ruckus.

[Trophy Specialist]

I always get a cell phone number and if they are not there at the scheduled time, then I phone them right away. If I can't get a hold of them, then I wait 30 minutes before leaving. If they are late, then it comes off their time. It's all spelled out in the policies that I send every customer before the trip. I also think that a $200 deposit should be minimum for a charter.

[Jolly II]

In my limited 3 years of experience running a charter service, I really haven't had too much of a problem with late costomers. When they are running late I make an effort to call them and to find out if they are on their way, are they having problems finding the marina, and try to get them back on track.

Funny story...I did have one group that somehow wound up at another marina in the harbor. When I called them to see where they were, they told me they just pulled in, and would be at the boat in a couple of minutes. Ok, sounds good. 15 minutes later, they're still not there, because they are at the wrong marina, and carried their stuff down to some else's boat, and were making small talk with guy while he's getting the boat ready. They were thinking he was my first mate. Hilarious! They are really great people, and that was a really fun charter, and not just because the fishing was good.

I did have one problem with customers drinking too much my first summer doing this. They opened a bottle of vodka, and were pouring screw drivers before we evening got out past the break walls. By late morning they were in rough shape, and I had to have them sit on the cooler while fighting fish. That lesson was learned quickly, and now I have a clear policy stating no hard liquor, and that I reserve the right to terminate the trip, at the customer's expense, due to intoxication. And I've never had any problems with it.