Please show up on time. Both of my trips were 45 minutes late yesterday. It kinda puts the Captain in an awkward position. Do I count the time you are late as part of your trip? If I don’t have another trip following yours it might not be a big deal but if you are scheduled to fish from 7-11 their is a chance your guide has 12-4 trip following that one. I split the difference on the lateness yesterday and it almost looked like the morning people were upset they didn’t get a full 4 hours in the boat.
How would you handle it from both sides of the situation?
I CHARTER QUITE A BIT–TRY TO NEVER BE LATE–IN FACT, GET THERE A LITTLE EARLY. THE COURTEOUS AND THOUGHTFUL THING WOULD BE FOR YOUR CLIENTS TO GIVE YOU A CALL IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE LATE. THEN WHEN YOUR CLIENTS ARRIVE, EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT THEIR TRIP WILL BE CUT A LITTLE SHORT BECAUSE OF THEIR LATE ARRIVAL. IN FACT, THAT’S WHAT I WOULD EXPECT IF I WERE LATE. WHETHER YOU HAVE ANOTHER CHARTER AFTER THEM OR NOT DOESN’T COME INTO PLAY BECAUSE YOU PROBABLY HAVE OTHER BUSINESS OR THINGS TO DO AFTER THEIR CHARTER.
When the water is muddy on the south side of Edisto (which has been most of the time, lately), I schedule my charters according to the tide. When clients are late, they are missing the best part of the tide.
By splitting the difference, I think you “went the extra mile”.
The morning trip missed a part of the tide when the fishing was good. The afternoon trip was actually helped out a little by them being late as it let the tide cycle thru high and start moving out…
I think you did the right thing, maybe even more so and it worked out for the second charter. Just stress the importance of being prompt when they are booking the charter and like thomas said tell them to call you if they are going to be late; at least you will be able to prepare. The am people had no right to be upset, you did more than you had to.
For what it’s worth, given the fact that you had a 12:00 appointment, I think you handled it very fairly, Fritz. You didn’t have to give them half of the late time, and it’s a gracious and wise move on your part to have done so. They shouldn’t get upset about it, but unfortunately, if they do, you lose even though it’s their fault and they’re not being fair. If they’re late, it should be understood that they’re late on their time, not yours, and as long as you’re up front about it, that shouldn’t be a problem–if they’re fair people, that is. There are plenty of unfair people in this world, though. If you didn’t have anything scheduled at 12:00, then I’d just give them their 4 hours even though they were late, since it wouldn’t put you out too much, and I think that’s what you said you’d do in that case. That being said, the more grace you extend (at your own expense) to customers when they’re late or something, and the more you just eat it and smile through it, the more repeat business you’ll have in the long run. That’s my opinion, anyway.
Gotcha Covered,
Lee Strickland
Strickland Marine Insurance, Inc.
843-795-1000 / 800-446-1862
I think that if they’re late, then they’re out whatever time they’ve wasted. If you as the Captain decide to go “above and beyond”, then that’s a credit to you, and they really have no basis for being peeved. If they should be upset at anyone, it’s the person that made them late, (even if that’s themself), not the guy who’s trying to run a business. The way I see it, the charter captain’s billable hours start at the agreed on meeting time, regardless of whether the client is there or not.
“People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”
George Orwell
I would just make it perfectly clear to anyone that charters a trip, your time begins at the agreed upon start time whether they are on time or not. Explain that you have a charter after their charter and being late should not penalize the next charter.
Fritz (and the other captains too), do you call your clients the day before their charter, or the morning before the charter, to remind them of the time and maybe weather conditions? It may be a huge PITA, but it could also be a good time to mention that you had an afternoon trip booked leaving at x:xx, after their charter. That way they would be warned in the most polite way possible that punctuality counts.
It’s definitely not your fault, but Gotchacovered is right. Pissed off clients (even when they’re jacks) don’t help the business at all.
But sirisly, who the eff is late for a fishing charter? I can see being late to work, church, your wedding, a court date, but fishing? That’s all out of whack.
if ya gonna be dumb boy you got to be tough - JJ Gray
You were more than accommodating Captain. I look at it this way. If they had booked any other kind of trip on boat that leaves at a set time, they would have been left at the dock. My motto is “on time is late and 15 minutes early is on time.”