I just got back from an Alaskan cruise that I took last week. The trip was amazing and it taught me some exciting business tips. This is what I learned:
- 1. Charge a Premium Price.
· The average cruise costs between $800 (on the low end) and up to $2000. Although some upscale cruise ships charge as much as $50,000 for a long cruise usually about 15-30 days.
2. Treat your customers like Gold.
· Constantly ask them for feedback
· (on my cruise this was known as an "attention to detail" card)
· Provide customers with plenty of "free" benefits or an "all inclusive experience"
· (free food, occasional drinks, friendly service, entertaining shows)
· Provide discounts whenever possible
· (2 for 1 happy hour)
· Correct and fix mistakes ASAP
· Provide service with a smile
· You can't please everyone but you should offer enough activities or benefits to keep the customer happy.
· It is not your job to be a personal concierge to every customer but it is your job to provide a quality product or service at a reasonable price
3. Offer both inexpensive and expensive upgrades.
For example:
· -$9.95 for hot chocolate in a souvenir cup
· -$129 spa package
· -$39-$200 dinner package
· -$60-$600 for onshore excursions
4. Provide excellent attention to detail.
· Think of everything
· (mints on pillow before bedtime, towel animals, hot chocolate on a cold day or hot soup, wool blankets in the pool area for cold days)
· Ask for feedback often
(Customers will give you the best ideas on how to improve so ask them)
· Adjust accordingly
5. Work within a structured system.
· Guests are provided each day with a daily schedule listing all planned activities and events throughout the day (left on bed the night before)
· Several different departments handle different tasks on the cruise ship in a well planned and structured manner
6. You can’t do everything or be everywhere.
· About 850 people work on board the cruise ship to provide the best experience for the guests (officers, waiters, cruise directors, bartenders, housekeepers, cooks and more)
· You probably don’t need 850 employees but you will need more than one person to help you create a successful business (read The E myth for more ideas on a structured and well managed business system)
· Allow managers to fix things (Cruise Director, Housekeeping, Food and Beverage, other departments or managers)
7. Ask customers to come back.
· Hopefully you offered a quality product or service at a reasonable price and strived your very best to create value and make your customers happy. Doing this will make them want to come back or buy more.
· The easiest group of people to sell to is existing customers. Treat them well and ask them to continue to do business with you. (on the cruise ship they had a area for future cruise ship sales)
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