A big hellofrom Chichester and some advice needed please

[randr]

Hi Everyone
I would like to introduce myself. My name is James and I am based in Chichester Harbour.

Now that's out the way, I'd like to ask for everyones/anyones views on the needs of boat owners in Chichester Harbour.
I have spent over a decade in the industry and after slogging my guts out for various business owners I have decided it's time to start up on my own.
I am a traditionally trained shipwright and worked with my father for years before he retired. I then spent years perfecting my work and focusing on paint finishes also.
I have taken various specialist courses which enable me to use a brush or a spray gun.
Full refits and little jobs are nothing I am scared of.

However, I have always been on this side of the industry and have never considered the things that may attract customers or what it is they consider good reason to use a certain company and stay with them.
Hence my question;
When I start my first week off work I want to ensure people they are dealing with someone who genuinely cares about their boat. What's the best way to let people know this..?
I would never want to be intrusive or pushy so if anyone has any pointers for me I would be forever grateful.
Many thanks in advance

James

 

[Seajet]

Hi James,

well I'm not the sort who pays for pro help, but there are plenty of such people in the harbour !

Ideas which spring to mind are joinery - modifications like lockers, as well as repairs -, grp repair & cosmetics, winter refits; I suspect a large part of your target market will be in marinas and yards which may wish to keep the work for themselves or cronies, I think this will be your main problem.

For a start you could drop waterproof, slightly weighted flyers ( as good quality as poss ) in the cockpits of moored boats, no-one can moan about that, if you could add a 2015 pocket tide table as a sweetener it should be well received.

I'm not sure whether to suggest approaching yards & marinas or not !

Some like Thornham and Wilsons strike me as very helpful and friendly - to boat owners, but I know people who have had work done by other people at these places - while I have a nasty feeling the marinas might be less so; I'm inclined to think that rather than trying to do it clandestinely a direct approach without creating bad feeling would still be best, if they have any sense they should welcome you but maybe ask for a cut of the proceeds ?

Sailing clubs like mine ( Langstone SC, of course has access to & moorings in Chichester as well ) welcome small advertising pamphlets etc from people such as yourself, to go on the noticeboard and if possibly leave a pile for the secretary to place in the clubhouse; the bit about adding a tide table applies here too, and makes it much more likely people will keep it with them*, then have your number when a need arises if not immediate.

* I'm thinking of the small tide tables which fit in the credit card part of ones' wallet, someone local must produce them as I've had them as freebies from companies like Shore Boards in the past - see it works, never likely to use Shore Boards but I remember their name !

A pamphlet of some kind describing what you offer as well would probably be necessary at the initial point, then people have this at the back of their mind, with your contact details on the tide table when they need you.

Good luck in your venture,

Andy

 

[burgundyben]

Be reliable, turn up and do the job when you say you're going to.

And cost, keep the daily/hourly rate reasonable, especially for bigger jobs.

 

[Seajet]

The bit about being reliable and actually turning up is absolutely crucial !

My girlfriend has just moved house, and is spending what seems to me a LOT of money getting the new one to her taste.

We've been amazed by the number of recommended people ( I hate the term tradesmen ) who have simply not turned up, they go into The Book and will not get another chance; if they'd had a problem and called us fair enough, but leaving us delaying things standing around like prunes does not float our boat, pardon the pun.

Others say they will call to discuss the project and / or give us a quote, then don't call.

They go into The Book too: the only exception is one plumber who has had so many recommendations from different people that we'll cut him some slack.

However good this chap is though, he doesn't call when he says he will, and says ' Oh I'm not very good at quotes and that sort of thing ' - I suppose at least he sounds human, not a commercial cyborg terminator, but he's on very thin ice above the trapdoor to Room 101.

Keeping a really good phone log and getting back to people is VERY important, first impressions can often be the last ones.

 

[Wansworth]

Although you are self employed and can undercut yards with their fixed cost etc how will you be able to work on a yacht, say a paint finish without proper cover.Being self employed means you have to operate like a plumber never turning a job down so doing a bit here and there so to speak.As yachtsman I am looking for mostly engineering and electrical help and obviously reliability or at the least a phone call to say you will be late..

 

[Seajet]

On doing up my girlfriends' house ( amazing to me as it's 15 years old and a lot of people would crawl over a mile of broken glass for it as it is, but that's women I suppose ) and dealing with plumbers, electricians and plasterers we have found one pro at his stuff highly recommended, and asked him about the other bits we need and people to do them.

We're very conscious that they all recommend each other, but given that one comes highly recommended by a lot of people we reckon he wouldn't want to be associated with clowns...

I'll keep you posted, hope this doesn't become a blog ending up on TV !

James,

the bits about returning calls and turning up or leaving a message are really important.

I do think my idea of a promo with a tide table is too, but no idea of the costs.

Good luck,

Andy

 

[Seanick]

On doing up my girlfriends' house ( amazing to me as it's 15 years old and a lot of people would crawl over a mile of broken glass for it as it is, but that's women I suppose ) and dealing with plumbers, electricians and plasterers we have found one pro at his stuff highly recommended, and asked him about the other bits we need and people to do them.

We're very conscious that they all recommend each other, but given that one comes highly recommended by a lot of people we reckon he wouldn't want to be associated with clowns...

I'll keep you posted, hope this doesn't become a blog ending up on TV !

James,

the bits about returning calls and turning up or leaving a message are really important.

I do think my idea of a promo with a tide table is too, but no idea of the costs.

Good luck,

Andy

Always good to hear reminders of what the customer values.
If you get short of work James, we are booked through until June......

 

[randr]

Thankyou everyone for the replies.
The tide tables are a good idea Andy, I'm looking into it now!
I think the most crucial thing for me is to have a (relatively) rigid quoting system to make sure I can keep everyone happy.
The only thing is if the jobs spiral with the amount of work to be done.
I'm lucky enough to have a few reliable friends/clients who have always used no matter where I have worked and they are likely to follow me into my new adventure but I find it hard to understand how I could get my advertising attempts across to people, obviously word of mouth plays a huge part but I think it would be great to find the best way to contact new people who haven't heard that I am working for myself.
Maybe I should start trawling the harbour on the weekends? (not literally mind).
Nick, booked till June? That's brilliant! You must have some great customers!