Premier marinas require off site contractors to pay them to work on my boat..

[paultallett]

I might be mistaken but I don't think this is a new thing with premier. I remember when we first bought our boat and berthed at port Solent, David at southwater marine used to complain about being charged in certain marinas.

Might have been an excuse to stick £10 on the bill but it was a conversation we had many times until we moved to an MDL and this then didn't apply.

Was this because southwater were MDL tenants before they went under??

 

[Anders_P42]

£5 a day or £375 + VAT for year, all premier marinas. That's £1.44 a day if you divide £375 by 260 working days a year.

 

[volvopaul]

Pretty sure you'll survive Paul, if you can afford the big boat you've recently purchased and the berthing rate you mention, your margins should be able to cope with a fiva a visit without passing that on to your customers who've helped fund the aforementioned

Yes gary sure I will , along with donating to your bike ride charity .

I just hope your reply was a joke and not serious , I work 60 hours a week mate. The only person who helps me to fund the boat is my wife, It's a family effort .

 

[P4Paul]

Yes gary sure I will , along with donating to your bike ride charity .

I just hope your reply was a joke and not serious , I work 60 hours a week mate. The only person who helps me to fund the boat is my wife, It's a family effort .

Hi Paul,

I see this as a positive as it protects guys like you who do a great job, offer great customer service and have all the insurances in place from the fly-by-night operators who pop up and then disappear on a monthly basis.

Rest assured I for one will accept an extra £2.00 on my next bill from you for the peace of mind that I have the right man on the job.

Have a great weekend
Paul.

 

[oGaryo]

Yes gary sure I will , along with donating to your bike ride charity .

I just hope your reply was a joke and not serious , I work 60 hours a week mate. The only person who helps me to fund the boat is my wife, It's a family effort .

Paul, no joke. I think it's a mistake to come on here and advertise you're going to pass on your overheads to your customers to protect your margins and indeed the lifestyle you enjoy. Some like P-4-Paul won't have a problem with that but others may ask why they have to pay for your overheads and why you cannot find other ways to cover it such as striking a better deal with one of your suppliers to mitigate this new one from Premier. I do hear quite a bit from you about the 'free' advice you give on this forum but in reality, it's not a one way street, many of the forum members are customers (new and existing) and as Paul has just done, are also effectively part your Sales and Marketing department. I think you have a good thing going here and the advice you give (sometimes after 5pm and weekends) is a necessity, it promotes your business as you are seen as being available and reliable and indeed, fair. Passing overheads immediately onto your customers without looking at all your options, does't seem fair to me when from the outside looking in, you're doing rather well for yourself (which is great to see btw)

p.s. thanks again for your donation, it was and continues to be very much appreciated

 

[oGaryo]

Do you know if this gives you more rights at Premier? e.g. Does it allow you to put a poster up or leave flyers on the front desk advertising your services so you can compete effectively with those based on site?

 

[MapisM]

I think it's a mistake to come on here and advertise you're going to pass on your overheads to your customers

You are suggesting it's a mistake to declare that, or to do that?
If the first, you might have a point, but if the latter, name me one business on earth, regardless of whether related to boats or not, that wouldn't do the same, if given a chance.

 

[oGaryo]

You are suggesting it's a mistake to declare that, or to do that?
If the first, you might have a point, but if the latter, name me one business on earth, regardless of whether related to boats or not, that wouldn't do the same, if given a chance.

both really... my wife's business has done this recently to ensure her costs are not passed on in a very competitive market. my job at work frequently looks at ways to control cost so that margin doesn't erode whilst ensuring our sell price remains competitive.

 

[P4Paul]

many of the forum members are customers (new and existing) and as Paul has just done, are also effectively part your Sales and Marketing department.

Hi Gary,

Understand the comment but the reality is that I worry about some fly-by-night operator with no insurances rocking up at the boat next door, something going wrong and damage is caused to Hunros that causes me sleepless nights.

So if it costs premier Berth Holders £2.00 extra a day to ensure that anyone commercially undertaking work near my boat has insurances in place and has considered the consequence and risks attached to their actions, then so be it.

Have a great weekend,
Paul

 

[MapisM]

both really... my wife's business has done this recently to ensure her costs are not passed on in a very competitive market. my job at work frequently looks at ways to control cost so that margin doesn't erode whilst ensuring our sell price remains competitive.

Well, what you're saying is that both your wife and yourself have no other choice but to squeeze your margin - which is something you can only do up to a point, anyway. And that doesn't address my point - who would actully do that, if allowed to keep the business margins by passing the higher cost to their clients?
Of course any business is constantly looking at ways to control costs, but that has nothing to see with a new cost component coming out of the blue and that you must afford no matter what. If you would suddenly find other ways to "recover" that cost, it means that you were NOT making your homework with costs control properly, before the "new" cost popped out...

 

[oGaryo]

Hi Gary,

Understand the comment but the reality is that I worry about some fly-by-night operator with no insurances rocking up at the boat next door, something going wrong and damage is caused to Hunros that causes me sleepless nights.

So if it costs premier Berth Holders £2.00 extra a day to ensure that anyone commercially undertaking work near my boat has insurances in place and has considered the consequence and risks attached to their actions, then so be it.

Have a great weekend,
Paul

fair point well made Paul.. Premier are doing exactly what I have mentioned, putting the onus on their suppliers to front the cost rather than burden their customers, they could have just as easily put the berthing cost up to cover the insurance expense. I am suggesting Paul would do well to at least consider doing the same, if it transpires he cannot take cost out elsewhere to balance the new overhead, there's three options remaining that I can think of

1: it's no big shakes in the grand scheme of things and he takes the hit to look after his loyal customer base
2: He increases his revenue by looking at ways to generate more custom at Premier, paying the annual fixed charge rather than per visit
2: pass it on to the customer but at least he can show he's tried hard not to do so = more trust = more business

Too deep for a Saturday morning this.. must be the man flu

 

[yesod]

Understand the comment but the reality is that I worry about some fly-by-night operator with no insurances rocking up at the boat next door, something going wrong and damage is caused to Hunros that causes me sleepless nights.

and yet its far more likely that your boat is damaged by a visiting boat, and yet no marina i know of checks visitors' insurance (and do any check bertholders insurance?). cynics would suggest that they can make money from one, and not the other....

 

[PCUK]

Easiest answer is to say it's your mate helping you if you're asked.

 

[P4Paul]

and yet its far more likely that your boat is damaged by a visiting boat, and yet no marina i know of checks visitors' insurance (and do any check bertholders insurance?). cynics would suggest that they can make money from one, and not the other....

To be fair, Premier ask for a copy of berth holders insurance, not sure how they manage the visitor insurance issue but you have motivated me to ask when next in the office.

 

[AllanG]

To be fair, Premier ask for a copy of berth holders insurance, not sure how they manage the visitor insurance issue but you have motivated me to ask when next in the office.

I've been at Swanwick for the past four years, and they've never asked to see a copy of my boat insurance in all that time.

 

[P4Paul]

I've been at Swanwick for the past four years, and they've never asked to see a copy of my boat insurance in all that time.

Whenever it gets to ins. renewal time, we have had an email reminding us to let the office have a copy every year for the last four years berthed at Swanwick and we had to supply a copy when renewing our annual berthing the two years previous at Universal.

Perhaps I look like I am high risk.

 

[P4Paul]

I've been at Swanwick for the past four years, and they've never asked to see a copy of my boat insurance in all that time.

Are you insured through Premier Marinas insurance?

 

[oGaryo]

Well, what you're saying is that both your wife and yourself have no other choice but to squeeze your margin - ..

not really, what I am saying is there's other ways to protect margin than pushing surprise cost out to your customers. my wife negotiated the price down for one of her products when her rent increased out of the blue , it certainly wasn't factored into her annual operating plans. rather than upping her customer rates, she negotiated with a supplier who recognised she was a valued customer and complied with the request to reduce the cost to her. It's then up to that supplier to do likewise with whomever they deal with in the supply chain until one of them puts a halt to things. Same in my work, we have preferred partners who we'll work with to ensure our minimum margin is protected, we win the business as a result and our partners then make money from us.

Paul will be the very last link in the supply chain to the customer so should have ample opportunity to do likewise considering the number of product and suppliers he deals with.

That said, I think Paul's doing rather well for himself if he's got so much demand he's working a 60hr week so no doubt can afford to risk peeing off a few of his customers as he'd still be busy with those that stay with him if they have the choice to do so. Paul has already stated he may have to choose what customers he provides a service to which is a nice position to be in but still doesn't strike me as fair for those that are either going to get taken off his books or have their prices increased.

 

[volvopaul]

I won't be laying off any customers gary ,like you say there are ways of covering the extra , it's just another expense that I did admire premier for . I will ask them when the time comes as to there reason for the charges.

 

[AllanG]

Are you insured through Premier Marinas insurance?

No, Paul....perhaps that's the reason they haven't asked or, perhaps, you look a more dodgy chappie than me!!