Be honest. It’s happened to you.
You’re fueling up your boat or getting bait. Making the final preparations for your charter fishing trip.
And it happens…
The customer calls or texts to tell you they can’t make it.
Or worse, they simply don’t show up.
You’ve lost a trip. Lost money. And you’re mad. There’s 100 other things you could have been doing.
The worst part? It could have been prevented.
Here’s how…
Tip #1 – Collect Non-Refundable Deposits
When clients book with you using our online booking system, they choose a date and then pay a non-refundable deposit.
This means if they try to cancel last minute, they’ll be the ones losing money, not you.
Our booking system clearly states deposits are non-refundable, so you can have a professional, yet firm conversation with clients when it happens
Tip #2 – Get Paid Before the Trip
We hear from a lot of captains who wait until AFTER the trip is over to collect payment.
We always ask… WHY?
Maybe the customer doesn’t show, or they have a bad experience, or you get skunked. Leaving payment until the end means maybe having to ask an irritated customer to fork out serious cash AND a tip.
Our booking system allows you to have the customer pay for the trip up to 24 hours ahead of time. Meaning you get paid up front and no more haggling at the dock to sort out the money.
Plus, getting paid up front means little chance of a no-show, and less worrying about if the weather conditions will be perfect or any of the other things which come up last minute
There’s no reason to have customers canceling on you without getting paid. Collect deposits up front and get paid before you leave the dock.
Other captains are doing it. So can you!
