A typical operation will have the following positions/roles. Some of these positions may be filled by the same person, or some positions might take multiple functions (i.e., operations manager also doing customer service). As your business grows, you may find the need to add more support staff to efficiently manage the operation.
Operations Manager – The operations manager is the person responsible for overseeing all aspects of the business. In the startup phase, it is highly encouraged that this role be filled by one of the owners.
Duties include:
Booking management
Recruiting and training staff
Tour scheduling
Finance and bookkeeping
Direct supervision
HR
Public relations
Quality control and customer relations
Overseeing marketing and promotions
Business strategy and legal
Customer Service Specialist – The customer service specialist is responsible for overseeing all customer communication. In most locations, this will also be the Operations Manager, or this responsibility may be split with different people taking shifts. Another popular model is to have a “lead captain” take on this role for certain parts of the week. The customer service specialist will answer all calls, emails, texts, and other messages to the business. Customers may reach out to book a tour, ask general questions, or make a complaint.
Duties include:
Customer service via phone, email, text and others
Inputting booking information the booking system
Managing existing bookings based on customer inquiries
Elevating important customer communications to management
Responding to customer complaints
Responding to online reviews (typically)
Repair & Maintenance Manager – As a fixed asset based business, one of the most important elements is to maintain a safe, well-functioning asset. Without your cycle boat or party bike, your business can’t make money. To oversee this process, someone needs to be in charge of the repair and maintenance to ensure it gets done properly. Breakdowns and mechanical issues can and will happen, regardless of the asset. The role is usually shared with the management role, or might be delegated to a captain or an owner. The manager will communicate with the technician and supervise the completion of repair and maintenance tasks. The primary metric for repair and maintenance effectiveness is measuring “downtime”. This means, out of all the days in the season, how many of those days was the asset “down” due to mechanical issues. Obviously, the lower the downtime, the better.
Duties include:
Assigning work orders to technicians
Checking to ensure work orders are completed on a timely basis
Reviewing the maintenance log and communicating with the technicians to ensure the preventative maintenance is being properly executed
Budgeting and reviewing expenses associated with repair and maintenance including payroll, parts and materials, and contractors.
Ensuring proper motor maintenance is performed on schedule with a certified Suzuki technician
Technician – The technician is responsible for executing the repair and maintenance on the vessel. Cycleboats are complex machines, with constant exposure to the elements. As such, they require regular care and attention. Your technician should be proficient with bicycle mechanics, general mechanics, basic electrical and should be familiar with boats. Your technician does not necessarily need to be able to maintain the motor – that can be done by a certified Suzuki technician.
Duties include:
Performing recommended preventative maintenance on the vessels according the recommended schedule
Procuring tools, parts and materials necessary to execute preventative maintenance and repairs
Maintaining basic inventory of tools, parts and materials
Troubleshooting mechanical failures and communicating with the management and supplier on repairs, and then executing those repairs in a timely manner.
Captain – Your captain will be responsible for controlling the vessel and ensuring the adherence of the safety of everyone on board. This is their primary responsibility. If you have a COI’d vessel, your captains will have “Master” captain’s license. You will want to carefully recruit and supervise your captains, as they are the most important factor in the safety of your tours.
Duties include:
Preparing the vessel prior to each tour
Ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew before, during and after tours
Facilitating an exceptional experience for the passengers
Guiding the vessel along the route during the tours
Performing closing duties at the end of the tour and securing the vessel to our dock
Reporting to management any mechanical issues or concerns, customer complaints or other issues
Requesting and obtaining 5-star reviews on review sites
First Mate/Host (COI’d Vessels Only) – Your first mate will assist the captain with the functions of the ship, enforcing safety rules but also – importantly - he or she is typically the fun party leader for the group.
Duties include:
Assisting the captain in the preparation of the vessel for the tour
Helping customers with boarding/unboarding
Assisting the captain with docking
Being a “party leader” for the group, ensuring an excellent experience for each passenger
DJing music
Enforcing the safety rules during the tour
Performing closing duties at the end of the tour and securing the vessel to our dock