SouthSideScubaSteve
Contributor
Gee, if only someone on ScubaBoard had their own LA boat ... maybe even one based in Florida ....
Nekton (Bad News)
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Gee, if only someone on ScubaBoard had their own LA boat ... maybe even one based in Florida ....
Shasta_man
Contributor
This thread has revealed numerous smart business resources for such a company. If we could use this intelligence proactively, we'd have something.
Originally Posted by Gtoph
It's not like it's rocket science:
1. Don't let your boats & equipment run down
2. Pay your crew, which keeps everyone on board happy
3. Offer awesome destinations for reasonable prices
4. Don't screw your customers
The problem seems to arise when the numbers are not adding up for an adequate profit margin. I would like to see the liveaboards increase the price as NEEDED. If they get greedy, the free market will come to bear on them. I really hate it when a bussiness goes the other way. If they see a decrease in customers or increase in expenses, they decide to screw over the very customers they still have by giving a less expensive product for the same price. In this situation, repeat customers feel like they are the victim of bait and switch.
Positive cash flow is key. How many times does a boat go out at less than full capacity ? There is the profitable, break even and lose money capacity. Who really knows exactly how, where and how much the money flowed ?
Who determines what is an adequate profit margin or what is considered a NEEDED increase in price ?
How much money do you have to layout upfront and how long to recover it ? Recover it based on a 3-5 year prediction of cash flow and steady business ? Who predicted the recent economy crash ?
Running a business is not as easy as it sounds.
Shasta_man
Contributor
The info revealed shows there are two sides to running the business: the all financial side where you MUST do the analysis and planning and evaluation of the results that RonScuba talks of, but also the, for lack of a better term, human side of the business where you must understand how to cultivate and maintain customers. The "human" side can be equally if not more vital because you have to keep thinking about motivating customers and establishing loyalties and interest. If you don't have customers due to those practices, you eventually don't have any numbers to analyze.
You are totally correct Shasta. Customer satisfaction is huge. Employees are customers too. Managing employees, keeping all the different personalities happy and motivated can be more exhausting than manual labor.
I have not read all 38 pages of posts in this thread, so I might be repeating what has already been said.
Liveaboard dive charter must be a tough business. How do you cultivate and maintain customers ? How do you differentiate yourself from the competition ? Price, service, new dive areas, all the above ?
Who is the target customer ? Businesses that serve a slightly lower market usually get hit harder in tough economic times because their typical customer gets hit harder.
Did the Nekton boats require more maintenance or more expensive maintenance ?
Everyone makes mistakes or poor decisions and there are plenty of upset customers, employees, suppliers, who have every right to be pissed. I just get annoyed when people over simplify what it takes to run or manage a business. If it was so easy, everyone would do it and we would all be millionaires.
I have not read all 38 pages of posts in this thread, so I might be repeating what has already been said.
Liveaboard dive charter must be a tough business. How do you cultivate and maintain customers ? How do you differentiate yourself from the competition ? Price, service, new dive areas, all the above ?
Who is the target customer ? Businesses that serve a slightly lower market usually get hit harder in tough economic times because their typical customer gets hit harder.
Did the Nekton boats require more maintenance or more expensive maintenance ?
Everyone makes mistakes or poor decisions and there are plenty of upset customers, employees, suppliers, who have every right to be pissed. I just get annoyed when people over simplify what it takes to run or manage a business. If it was so easy, everyone would do it and we would all be millionaires.
mike_s
Contributor
Nekton already had their "target customer". Their customers were prob the most loyal in the liveaboard business. There are some folks who have been on 20 plus cruises.
They still preached how great Nekton was, even after staying in musty rooms and not having Nitrox and canceled trips.
Yet, Nekton still ef'd it up....
They still preached how great Nekton was, even after staying in musty rooms and not having Nitrox and canceled trips.
Yet, Nekton still ef'd it up....
I loved my Belize trip on the Nekton and was looking forward to another trip with them.
So is there any kind of general consensus on what/when things started to turn for the bad ? Was it the building of the 2nd boat ?
So is there any kind of general consensus on what/when things started to turn for the bad ? Was it the building of the 2nd boat ?
UnderwaterBumbleBee
Contributor
Thanks for taking the words right out of my mouth Mike! Honestly, it's amazing how long this post keeps going. Suddenly loyal customers are saying "well we saw the signs".... No most of those people were SO loyal they ignored and downplayed all of those signs. It speaks volumes of how terrible he was at running the business that he could eventually lose even that loyal of a customer (people who were willing to overlook all the other complaints that were made on here). I know the rooms were musty, dripping wet and moldy when we took a cruise on the Pilot in 2007. Not like that was yesterday...
I'll add that while I agree about other companies observing what not to do in the wake of Nekton's demise, I can't personally recall reading (on here) about any other liveaboards with similar complaints about the decline of the boat's condition.
DaveScuba
Registered
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