The yachting industry thrives on smooth service, and responsiveness. However, if client communication is not given priority, even the most well-run yachting company may falter. It’s simple to boast about your fleet’s excellence, your offerings’ exclusivity, or your team’s wealth of expertise. The reality is that if your customers’ needs and frustrations aren’t met, they won’t care about your accolades or awards.
I have a particular dislike for chatbots that launch a nanosecond after you land on a website, and this problem is rife on yacht charter websites. Before you even have time to browse the menus, a chatbot pops up: “Our broker Sandra is ready to chat about finding your perfect charter yacht!”. So annoying. Also, many yachting websites have sliding galleries which means they can load slowly – this is a clear indicator they didn’t test their website to check the speed, which can be a frustration for customers.
Asking your clients what they want and fixing what isn’t working will help you stand out in this saturated industry. Your hidden weapon is feedback. It helps you retain consumers by highlighting your blind spots and helping you pinpoint areas where your procedures or systems fail.
Consider this: will your customer come to you and express their frustrations directly? Most likely not. Rather, they will discreetly depart and use a different business that simplifies their lives, and they will often tell other family or friends that your website was slow, your chatbot was annoying and you didn’t reply to emails.
Another example: suppose a customer wants to book a yacht for a weekend charter. They come to your site, but the contact form is difficult to use. Perhaps it’s not mobile-friendly, too complicated, or slow. Will they take the time to tell you? Not likely. Rather, they will locate one of your competitors that allows them to make a reservation with just a WhatsApp message.
You miss out on the opportunity to find and fix these problems if you don’t ask for input.
How to Ask For Customer Feedback In The Yachting Industry
Getting input doesn’t have to be a difficult undertaking. It’s about establishing lines of communication and allowing your clients to inform you of what works and what doesn’t. Here’s how to accomplish it:
Send quick surveys
Send out a brief survey following each charter or service encounter. Don’t complicate it.
“How did your charter with us go? What did you like best? Any areas we can improve?”
“How can we help you simplify your next booking?”
“Would you tell a friend about us? Why / why not?
Free and user-friendly tools include Google Forms and Typeform. Your employees can send the survey to clients directly to personalise it.
Post a question on social media
Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn are excellent platforms for conducting surveys and asking queries. Use features like Stories and polls.
“How do you prefer to reserve a yacht?”
“For communication, do you prefer phone calls, WhatsApp, or email?”
Clients can freely express their opinions on social media. LinkedIn has a poll option to vote anonymously.
Include feedback in the discussion
Ask them directly for their opinions when you speak with them. For example:
“How was the booking process for you?” is a question to ask.
Ask yourself, “What could we do better next time?” after the interaction.
These in-the-moment exchanges demonstrate your commitment for improvement.
Asking for feedback is important if you have a yachting company
Real-World Feedback in Yachting
Examples of how feedback can enhance customer experiences include the following:
Booking Made Easy: A charter company discovered that its online booking form was difficult for clients to use. They included a “Book Now via WhatsApp” button after gathering feedback. This minor adjustment increased charter reservations by 25%.
Preferred Methods of Contact: A yacht broker observed that their customers seldom ever responded to emails. Following a brief survey, they discovered that the majority of clients are often travelling so they preferred text or WhatsApp updates. They got great feedback after switching to these channels for confirmations.
Bespoke Itineraries: A charter broker discovered that their preset itineraries didn’t impress their loyal customers after asking for input. They witnessed a rise in repeat business after they started to provide customisable charter itineraries – there are tools that exist to help with this such as Charter Itinerary.
There is no perfect option – especially with WhatsApp and messenger apps, brands need to be assured of confidentiality with communication, so pick an option that services your customers in the best way, and keeps your business top of mind.
Action Steps for Your Yachting Business
Set Up a Feedback System: Automate or diarise a feedback process. Whether it’s an email survey, a live chat follow-up, or a simple poll, implement a way to ask your customers what they think every time.
Monitor your Company Mentions Online: Social listening is very important. Customers can leave reviews online which you need to stay on top of. Read my blog about monitoring and managing customer reviews here:
Review the Results: Look for patterns in the feedback. Do many customers complain about slow replies or one procedure? Confusing booking forms? Slow website? Not loading on mobile? Take action to fix those issues.
Communicate the Changes: Let your customers know you’re listening. For example: “We heard your feedback! You can now book directly via WhatsApp for faster service.”
Set up or automate processes to ask for feedback about your yachting business
A Small Effort Goes a Long Way
By actively seeking feedback, you’re showing your customers that you care about their experience. When they feel heard, they’re more likely to come back and to refer you to others. So, stop assuming what your clients want. Start asking. Fix the little things that frustrate them.
