4 NOVEMBER 2018 • FOGHORN Serving Customers Well is What We Do Customer service, customer expectations, and how they are defined have changed dramati- cally over the past 10 to 15 years. Here are some definitions of customer service found in a quick Google search that are in use today: “Customer service is the ability to provide a service or product in the way that it has been promised.” “Customer service is an organization’s ability to supply their customers’ wants and needs.” Today customer expectations, their wants and needs are ever-changing in our connected world. Instant grati- fication in large part with limited human interaction is the new norm. Email and online bookings are the preferred com- munication method for clients. Online reviews sites like Yelp, Facebook and TripAdvisor are the preferred avenues for both negative and positive reviews. I have alerts set on my mobile devices to ping me when reviews are posted. Last summer, 15 minutes into a cruise we received a negative review in regards to someone smoking a cigar on the outer decks. The customer felt more comfortable posting a negative review than addressing the situation with our onboard staff. Our customer service philosophy at Padelford can be summed up by the following post from blogger Seth Godin. “Because you can: This is awfully rare among public companies, but there are many organizations that treat people as they’d like to be treated. Not to grow market share, but because it’s the right thing to do.” Naïve? Maybe. But, it is a method that was instilled in me by my parents and grandparents. This has been suc- cessful in our approach to customer service and business management in general. We focus on customer service because we are in the people business. Our employees are the front line of guest service interactions and, we believe, the most important part of our operation. Over the years, our approach has shifted, some by our design and some by the realities of change. Today, we believe that our co-workers should be provided with a safe, secure and enjoyable workplace. In practice it’s the easiest to ac- complish when you consider your negative experiences with poor customer service. We all want to set the stage for guests by providing them with a positive experience from the moment they enter our business. Our customers come to us for a special experience, whether they here for sightseeing cruise or an elaborate corporate event. PVA Serves You, its Customers The Passenger Vessel Association is a member-driven organization that focuses on customer service similar to our businesses. In many cases, the Association has a much broader demographic to service than some of us. From small seasonal operators to large government-run ferry systems, we are well represented through various programs and services. Each year, the PVAAnnual Convention at MariTrends provides a broad range of informative sessions covering sales and marketing, operations, government and business management seminars as well as keynote addresses by Coast Guard and business leaders. This con- vention also provides a fantastic opportunity to discuss chal- lenges and new ideas through networking with industry peers. Region meetings, industry days and waterways confer- ences offer a unique region-spe- cific opportunity for members to meet regional government representatives, Coast Guard officials, industry peers, and PVA staff to discuss pressing issues in person. PVA’s Annual Congressional Fly-in provides members with a unique opportunity to meet and talk about in- dustry-specific issues with our legislators and their staff to express the concerns of passenger vessel operators in small, personal meetings. FOGHORN Magazine and PVA Member Updates provide members with valuable and timely information throughout the year. We have several committees that work hard for the industry to develop tools, best practices, training materials and our voluntary safety management system (Flagship). PVA’s General Counsel is available to provide legal guidance on a wide variety of legal issues. I have been fortunate during my tenure as PVA President to witness firsthand the “because it’s the right thing to do” mentality from all of the PVA staff in regards to their day-to-day approach to customer service. Thank you, Gus Gaspardo President n LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Gus Gaspardo Our customers come to us for a special experience, whether they here for sightseeing cruise or an elaborate corporate event.