Before the Tour

Employees will need to arrive, in uniform, at the slip prior to the start of the assigned tour.  We recommend that you update your employee handbook to establish a policy requiring employees to show up at a set amount of minutes prior to the tour start time.  Our standard recommendation is 30 minutes prior to tour start, but pick a time that works best for your business and update the employee handbook accordingly.  You should also update the handbook to clarify what is considered an acceptable uniform for your operation, based on the uniform options provided by TourScale.

Employees should keep track of whether their respective co-workers show up in proper uniform and at the proper time prior to tours.

COI Vessels will have both a Captain & First Mate; the 6-pack Tiki will perform these same duties with just the Captain.

Once at the vessel, employees should:

• Check the lines to confirm the vessel is properly secured to the dock.

• Ensure the vessel is clean and free of debris. Clean as necessary and report to management if the prior crew did not fulfill closing duties.

• Both the main trashcan and head are emptied and there is a fresh trash bag put in place.

• Ensure the house cooler/s is clean, free of trash and water buildup.

• Visually inspect all safety equipment

• Turn the motor on idle and ensure normal function. Test both forward and reverse functions before ever untying from the dock.

• Check the fuel gauge to ensure enough fuel is present for the tour.

• Visually inspect the waste tank to see the waste level.

• Test the stereo for normal function.

• Check weather conditions, tides and warnings for the expected duration of the tour.

• Always check the navigational lights, regardless if it will be operating beyond sunset.

• Write down in the manifest the date, time of departure, and the number of passengers.

After completing these tasks, log onto Xola to confirm the booking information for the tour.  Take note of whether this is a private or public tour, and the number of passengers who will be on board, and any notes for the tour.   Specifically, understand if the group is celebrating anything particular, and take note of any music preferences.

The Tour Process

Before passengers arrive, queue up the approved greeting music for the tour.  There should always be music playing at an audible level when the passengers show up.

When the passengers arrive at the vessel, employees should greet them warmly and the first mate will assist with boarding.  If it is not known, ask the group what they are celebrating.  Make sure to call out any celebrations at this point.  If this is a Tiki Pub Tour, ensure each passenger is “Lei’ed” as they board the vessel, and greeted with a loud and warm “ALOHA!”.

The captain and the first mate will then “check in” each passenger by using Xola to ensure they have properly signed their waiver.  They will need to see each passenger’s government ID card to make sure it matches the name signed on the waiver. If a passenger has not yet signed a waiver, they should be directed to your company website and instructed to click “Sign Waiver.”  Once signed, ask the passenger to show the confirmation email on their phone.  Check to ensure that the confirmation email and that their ID matches the waiver.

Safety Briefing 

Once all passengers have been checked in and seated, the captain will give the official safety & tour information speech.  This speech should be read verbatim each time and the operator should have a laminated copy near the helm.

Hello everybody, my name is Captain______________, and I will be your captain today.  Who is ready to have a good time!!!! (say this enthusiastically to rile them up).  What are we celebrating today?   In order to have a good time and stay safe, we have a few simple rules:

• The lift vests are located at [location of the life vests].  As captain of this ship, if I announce that the life vests need to be worn during an emergency, you all will need to quickly put them on and wait for further instructions.  The donning instructions are located [location of the donning instructions].

• When you use the head, please keep it to “number one”.  If you have an emergency bathroom need, we can dock.  Please do not flush anything down the toilet other than toilet paper. All toilet paper, trash, debris will go in the head trash can. The marine toilets are notoriously sensitive and we wouldn’t want for it to back up while we’re underway (Leave out this section if the vessel was not opted in for the head option).

• Please do not lean against, or lean over the railings. Be mindful and safe with your Rose from Titanic re-enactments 

• You may not, for any reason, leave the boat and jump into the water.  If anyone ends up in the water, for any reason, I will perform an emergency maneuver and the first mate will retrieve the man overboard.  The tour will then be over, and we will return to the slip.

• When we dock, wait for your crew member to assist with disembarkment. Do not open any of the side gates at any time.

• Please treat the equipment respectfully.  This means do not jump in your seats, push against the seat back or pedal aggressively This is not a spin class or a strength contest.(Paddle Pub only).  

• These rules are for your safety. We want everyone to have a good time, but repeated violations of the rules may lead to early termination of the tour without a refund.

• “Any questions before takeoff?”

• Now let's go!!!
  

The captain should now use the appropriate sound signal for leaving the dock.  While heading underway, the first mate should then assist in setting up the Bluetooth connect for the stereo for the passengers.  It is preferred that the passengers control the music, but the first mate may DJ for the group if the group prefers that or it is a mixer tour.  The captain should not DJ or control the music as it is a distraction from his or her duties.

Roles

The first mate must take a few group photos and candid videos during each tour and assist the passengers taking photos with their phones.  The photos you take should be uploaded to a company shared album or sent to the manager directly.  Your staff must be providing you with photo and video content from every single tour, no exceptions.  This is explicitly part of their duties.

During the tour, the captain should focus on operating the vessel safely and watching the passengers to ensure safe behavior.  The first mate can spend more time keeping the passengers engaged, having fun and enjoying the tour. On our 6-pack vessel the Captain is both the entertainer, whilst ensuring all passengers are enjoying themselves,

Passenger Experience 

There are two basic type of tour groups:

• Tours that will entertain themselves

• For this group, the employees should be more of a chaperone and rule enforcer.  They can be fun with passengers, and need to be strict about enforcing the rules.  Passengers are going to have fun no matter what.  

• Tours that will need entertaining 

• For this group, first mates need to play a role in making the experience fun.  They will need to talk loudly to them, ask questions, try to spur conversation and entertain them.  Not everyone has the personality to do this, but you will need it to be a great first mate.

No matter what type of tour arrives, the crew needs to be there to make the experience happen.  This means having prepared games on board for the passengers, pointing out points of interest and wildlife along the way, facilitating dancing and celebrating special events, helping with photo and video opportunities and just generally going the extra mile for the customers.

Here are some general rules-of-thumb for customer creating an amazing customer experience: 

• Tell lots of jokes!  We have plenty of canned jokes already.  (Calorie neutral, spin class, etc.)

• Welcoming all guests warmly upon arrival and having music playing.

• Speak loudly and clearly.  You will need to talk very loud for the whole tour to hear you.  During the tour, music will be playing, so you will need to raise your voice when necessary.   The captain can also use the PA system which will cut off the music.

• Regularly provide “easter eggs” or surprise tour enhancements.  Pick random weekends to provide some free beverages on board, customer raffles or decorations.  Some other ideas are: live music on board in the form of a DJ or musician, disco lights and glow sticks for night tours, organized games, wine tastings etc.  Taking the extra mile to delight your customers will result in a surge of good reviews and will wow your passengers.

• Many operators will keep branded merchandise: cups, koozies etc. these make for great prizes or awards for the winners of games. The first person to see a dolphin, manatee, point out a landmark etc

• Be upbeat.  In all your interactions, be positive, take interest in the customers as people, ask questions, encourage them, tease them (if you think they can handle it- use discretion) and just generally try to keep everyone happy.

• There may be someone who will not love the experience or is just negative in general.  Do your best to be friendly with them, but don't be hostile or engage in bickering with them.

• Hosts should dance, take photos for the group, organize party games and generally interact with the group.

• If anything goes wrong with the tour, keep positive and maintain a light and fun atmosphere.  People tend to mimic the emotions of those in authority (think- pilot/flight attendants - if they are worried, you are worried).  So if there is an issue, remain calm, inform the customers and reach out to a manager.

• Remember to consistently exude positive energy. 

Ending the Tour & Tips

At the end of the tour, the captain will dock the vessel at the slip and thank the tour for riding..  At this time, it’s best to explicitly ask for a tip and a review.  A best way to phrase this is:

Alright my friends, we are going to be pulling up to the docks in just a minute. Did everyone have a good time?! (repeat until you get a high energy response) We want to thank you so much for coming out and riding with us today. If you will all please take out your cell phones. Scan that beautiful QR sticker you see in front of you and scattered throughout the vessel. It’ll take you to one of our various review links (push whichever your current operation is wanting more traction on) now PLEASE take just 30 seconds, leave us a 5 star review, upload any great photos you took from today and lastly make sure to mention your crew BY NAME!  We are having a competition, and the crew with the most reviews get a bonus and we really want to win.

While yall are doing that, give your crew just a moment to ensure we are tied up safely back to the docks and your captain will give you the “OK" when it’s safe to exit the vessel. Please check around to make sure you have all of your belongings, enjoy the rest of your day, & get home safely.

When docking, the first mate (if COI’ed) should be responsible for helping guide the vessel in and should disembark to secure the vessel with lines.  Customers should never be recruited to help with vessel operations outside of emergencies.

After the group is finished getting ready to disembark, the first mate (or just captain on 6-pack) will open the gate and assist each passenger to exit the vessel safely.  The first mate should also help to remove passenger coolers and any other personal possessions on the vessel. If operating as a stand alone captain, help remove their belongings first putting them on the dock, inform passengers to hold just a moment until you can return to give them all a hand stepping off.

Tour Length

The length of the tour should be strictly adhered to.  If the tour starts late due to the fault of the company, the captain may extend the length of the tour without manager permission to make up for lost time, only when there isn’t another tour scheduled after on that same vessel.  Any other tour extensions will require manager approval. 

After the Tour

After the group leaves, the captain will need to determine whether the vessel remains where it is, or needs to be transported to its storage location.  This will depend on whether there are additional tours, and whether the vessel is stored separately from the customer pickup and dropoff location.  Update the employee handbook with the accurate information for your operation.  Most typically, employees will need to:

• Clean the vessel

• Perform proper maintenance and safety checks

• Properly secure the vessel, with consideration of incoming weather conditions

• Connect relevant chargers/hookups

Cleaning the Vessel

It is important to ensure the vessel is cleaned after each tour.  The employee handbook should be updated to describe what cleaning materials are on the boat, and where to find them.  

To clean the vessel between tours:

• Wipe down the bartop, seats, bench seats, & head.

• Use the small leafblower to clean the floors

• If the waste tank is more than 50% full, pump out the waste tank

To clean the vessel after the day’s final tour:

• Wash the deck of the boat with the hose

• Pump out the waste tank if necessary

• Fill the fresh water tank as necessary

• Flush the motor

Storage and Post-Tour Checks

Employees should then report to your manager if there are any maintenance issues.  This is also a good time to send any photo content from the tour to the manager as well. If any supplies are running low, inform your manager before you are out.

Employees should ensure the vessel is secured fastened to the deck and check the weather forecast to see if any extra precautions should be taken.

Update your employee handbook with any post-tour duties specific to your operation.