Premier Marinas - Why haven't they furloughed staff?

[smert]

How do you know this? That's not been communicated, although several posters have suggested it was possible or indeed likely....

A colleagues other half is one of the ones not furloughed.

 

[chrisharris]

A colleagues other half is one of the ones not furloughed.

Interesting, many thanks.

 

[migs]

smert, thanks for the information, but I’m not so sure that ‘[Premier] will be losing income from visitor berthing, lifts, and temporary shore storage.’

From post #1: ‘What about Premier’s costs? Start of season boat movements had already been paid for, and from now until the end of the season there are relatively few movements; so not much lost revenue there. Southsea Marina (where we are) is closed but even in normal times has very few visitors; so not much lost revenue there either.’

Then there is the extra revenue from winter visitors trapped by the lockout…

 

[Mark-1]

.

 

[Resolution]

Start of season boat movements had already been paid for

Many boat movements will have been booked but not paid for in advance. So assuming that with yards closed there can be no movements, these cannot be charged so some considerable loss of revenue.
Even if bookings have been paid for in advance, if the movement cannot be done the marina will have to refund the charge.
Overall, quite a loss of revenue I would think.

 

[migs]

Interesting; in our marina we have to pay for lift out, block off and launch up-front. i.e . April movements were paid for back in February. Resolution; are you saying that you don’t have to pay until after launch day?

 

[chrisharris]

Many boat movements will have been booked but not paid for in advance. So assuming that with yards closed there can be no movements, these cannot be charged so some considerable loss of revenue.
Even if bookings have been paid for in advance, if the movement cannot be done the marina will have to refund the charge.
Overall, quite a loss of revenue I would think.

Suspect most of the boat movements will just be compressed into what's left of the year, may be a few that don't happen but expect that to be a very small minority. Reduction in staff costs (from furlough and non-hires of seasonal staff) plus rates holiday etc will more than offset. Marina's won't lose out compared with many other businesses

 

[Bluetack42]

No one is disputing that a good buisness that buys other businesses to further their agendas is bad , this is what happens daily on Stock Markets and take overs , the point being made was a multi billion organisation , bought a well run profitable business to generate more cash, the argument was then we should not feel sorry for said Marina group and not feel as a customer we should be made to feel guilty about asking for a refund .
Many banks portfolios will also be in life sciences and other notably worthy groups in their portfolio of investments , but it does not stop us having littler sympathy for the banks during their bailout from the government in 2010
The linking of a business to the umbrella business is IMHO wrong, Premier Marina is run as an independent company with its own MD
My hotels that I worked for owned by an investment arm for a pension scheme another good deed company , but if a client was to complain it would not be directed to the investment fund but to the company sitting under the main group.
I would never expect a client to complain to the investment company or request their refund if I did not provide the service they were paying for. I find the argument of the Wellness trust in this discussion as a mote point , and we should only be dealing with Premier marina which in its self is a self standing company, with 4 million profit .
So again I do not think a small reduction in fees for any lockdown period , would overly affect he profit of said business,
How much profit is acceptable to people before it becomes too much , if next year after refunds to make only 3 million profit would this be acceptable to most

Completely agree with the comment about the cynical Premier attempt at emotional manipulation in the email I received from them, why does the other objectives of a shareholder have any relevance to a commercial arrangement I have, it felt they were just softening me up for bad news on fees

 

[colhel]

Isn't it possible that boats in the water already will need a lift and scrub due to not moving for a couple of months?

 

[migs]

Boardroom Chronicles Part 2 - see post #88 for part 1

(We’re back again around the board table at Marina Towers - it’s now June)

FD: What are we gonna do; the forums are full of customers worried about us not sharing the excess profits we made during the crisis?

CEO: Don’t worry sonny. We’ll give them 10% off for last April, (i.e. 0.8% per annum), but only as lift-out vouchers. Their boats will be so hairy due to the lockout, they’ll be queuing up.

FD: Sorted; looks like a win-win for the good guys. High fives all round.

Scene fades to a general buzz of bonhomie...


PS. Of course this is pure conjecture. Actors voices have been used to protect the innocent.

 

[olam]

Swanwick is starting to lift/launch boats next week,Just had a call.

 

[dom]

By way of personal anecdote: I have a boat 'stuck' in Port Solent. Some observations:

• They have never closed the Marina/BY to contractors and professionals.
• The marina is well staffed
• I know for sure that they have accommodated special access requests from other owners and more
• They will pop down to any boat to check the electric is on, take a pic, or whatever
• I am having work done right now on the boat - no probs whatsoever
• They are offering launches next week commencing 4 May (owner not present), and subject to Govt guidelines with owners present from the next week.

Bearing in mind that this Covid-19 disaster was an external shock to Premier, I've paid my money and am getting a good service. If I could say that about every circa £10k contract I make I'd be a very happy camper!

Going a bit against the grain here, say Premier now offer a token saving of perhaps £1,000 against a Boatyard fees, etc. That would be nice. But what might our shore-based pharos of determination, grit, morality, and selflessness think? Whether it's NHS Charities, Wellcome, Age UK, Open Doors London, Action Homeless amongst many others, and when one thinks of the many millions of £££££s donated by sometimes very poor people to Tom Moore's Appeal, others really need that money right now.

Ultimately, if Wellcome finds a vaccine for this wretched virus everyone beneath the global skies will be better off. And we'll all be cheering those scientists to the rafters. Wouldn't it be a nice to the think we collectively helped.

 

[migs]

Goodness; a £10k contract. Guess we'd all be happy campers if we were in that league.

PS. Isn't a pharos a lighthouse?

 

[dom]

PS. Isn't a pharos a lighthouse?

£10kish I prob should have written. Indeed, like the Pharos of Alexandria, although I guess I meant it in the more general sense of lantern, guiding light, something like that.

Have to throw something vaguely nautical in or we'll get booted over to the Lounge

 

[Resolution]

Interesting; in our marina we have to pay for lift out, block off and launch up-front. i.e . April movements were paid for back in February. Resolution; are you saying that you don’t have to pay until after launch day?

IIRC from when I had yachts berthed in the Hamble both MDL and Premier did require payment prior to a yard movement**. But the point I was trying (badly) to make was that if the yard cannot do the launch off or whatever then it cannot either make the charge or, if prepaid, keep the charge. It will have to forego that bit of income.

**I have just dived into old files and found my last Premier berthing contract, from 2013. Rule 1 is in deed "Payment of services is required in full at the time of booking".
And the annual berthing fee was £8,640.37 inc VAT. Scary!

 

[FlyingGoose]

IIRC from when I had yachts berthed in the Hamble both MDL and Premier did require payment prior to a yard movement**. But the point I was trying (badly) to make was that if the yard cannot do the launch off or whatever then it cannot either make the charge or, if prepaid, keep the charge. It will have to forego that bit of income.

**I have just dived into old files and found my last Premier berthing contract, from 2013. Rule 1 is in deed "Payment of services is required in full at the time of booking".
And the annual berthing fee was £8,640.37 inc VAT. Scary!

holly maloney that's a lot to berth a boat . hope they washed and lay rose petals on the pontoon for your arrival

 

[migs]

Crikey, that’s about £10k in today’s money. Our annual berthing rack rate is £4k5, but of course we don’t pay anything like that. In fact, if anyone out there is paying list, the big boys are gonna love you; but you don’t need a Henley MBA to work that one out.

Why are we are so bad at negotiating? Well, for the British it’s a taboo subject, whereas for the rest of the world it’s the daily norm. If we do it at all, we start desperately embarrassed, then quickly become angry and aggressive. We don’t understand the rules of engagement (like initial position etc.), or what is a felt fair outcome.

My guess is that it’s a cultural thing, and having had the opportunity to work all over Europe, Middle East and Africa, I would nominate my top three negotiators as (in reverse order) 3: Egyptians 2: Lebanese 1: Belgians. The British come in at about 195th.

 

[Bobc]

Crikey, that’s about £10k in today’s money. Our annual berthing rack rate is £4k5, but of course we don’t pay anything like that. In fact, if anyone out there is paying list, the big boys are gonna love you; but you don’t need a Henley MBA to work that one out.

Why are we are so bad at negotiating? Well, for the British it’s a taboo subject, whereas for the rest of the world it’s the daily norm. If we do it at all, we start desperately embarrassed, then quickly become angry and aggressive. We don’t understand the rules of engagement (like initial position etc.), or what is a felt fair outcome.

My guess is that it’s a cultural thing, and having had the opportunity to work all over Europe, Middle East and Africa, I would nominate my top three negotiators as (in reverse order) 3: Egyptians 2: Lebanese 1: Belgians. The British come in at about 195th.

I assume you're not in the Solent then? When all the marinas are full and they all charge about the same rate, there is little or no negotiation I'm afraid.

 

[Mark-1]

Our annual berthing rack rate is £4k5, but of course we don’t pay anything like that. In fact, if anyone out there is paying list, the big boys are gonna love you

I've tried to negotiate with Premier and failed to get penny off. I could squeeze a bit extra time (if the extra I'm asking for falls in winter) but it's always ended up list price.

This is Premier Chichester - if other Chi Premier Berthholders are getting a discount please PM me!

 

[Mark-1]

I assume you're not in the Solent then? When all the marinas are full and they all charge about the same rate, there is little or no negotiation I'm afraid.

Certainly my experience even where there are (a handful of) free berths. My gut feel is they know bertholders talk.If they give someone a discount he'll tell everyone else on his pontoon and then discounts become the norm.