We are a return renter and unfortunately had a terrible experience on the check out process with a highly defensive, accusatory, and all around unfriendly manager who says he is also "owner."
What happened: we rented a very nice 24 foot boat to wakeboard, received instructions on how to wakeboard but no one mentioned that suction pump on back of boat tends to suck in rope even when in neutral. That's exactly what happened about half way into our trip (not because we intentionally went over the rope but seems the wake from other traffic pushed rope under boat and got sucked in). In any case, we called the main office and they said no problem, "happens all the time" and came out to help us get untangled. While getting the rope out, the mentioned again that the pump "is the one thing that he doesn't like about these boats because this is what happens." Again, no problem at all, everyone was fine. I did ask if we could get a little more time to cruise around but unfortunately the time had run out so we were politely asked to head back to marina and we did so. A little bummed that we didn't get the full experience but hey, things happen, and we were all in a good mood.
So first, the good: The young staff that checked us in was very nice and friendly and the gentleman who came to help when we got stranded ... Jason, I believe .. was also excellent. Just nice and honest. Also, equipment was in great shape and clean. Nice boat ... just happens to have a very strong pump/vacuum action!
The bad: Sadly, when we were checking out at the marina office I was asked to pay not only for fuel (totally legit) but also cost of the rope! When I said to the young lady checking us out that I didn't think that was fair, a man stepped in from behind saying that I had signed a towing waiver and it was my responsibility. It turned out it was the manager/owner, hovering there, ready to pick a fight. Instead of asking what happened, whether we knew about the pump issue, if we were satisfied and might rent again, he started loudly saying that we had signed the towing waiver and it says we are responsible. I told him we were not briefed on the pump and he said "I guarantee you were." When I said to please bring his staff over to ask about the briefing, he said he didn't have to and it would be "hearsay" anyway and not "evidence." He even had the nerve to say I was lucky he wasn't charging me for being late returning to the marina!
Well, he got his fight alright. Happens I am a lawyer and know all about boilerplate in agreements, duties to warn, implied warranties of fitness and, yes, the rules of evidence (not "hearsay" when the staff is right there as the best evidence and would take a minute for him to ask for himself). I ended up refusing to pay for the rope and walked away with the simple advice to the owner to run his business with the customer and customer experience in mind and not to throw boilerplate at customers or refuse to really try to understand what happened before ruining an customer experience or picking fights with customers.
Bottom line for renters. BEWARE! The manager/owner relies on and cares more about "gotcha" in the waivers than in what actually happens during your experience. I am not his lawyer, but if I were, I would strongly advise manager/owner take a solid course/briefing of elementary business law to understand the underlying duties of a business like this (hint: they are not in the fine print but in what you do and say or not do and say to your customers) AND a also a course on full life-cycle customer experience to learn ways to avoid what was otherwise a fine experience becoming a poor one with "gotcha" tactics instead of plain old customer service (like looking into what happened before jumping to conclusions). Just look at other reviews and the pattern is ultra clear here. Hope they can survive as a business during these COVID times ... as a business owner, I hate to see such obvious and avoidable missteps and truly hope they can be solved before it is too late. In the meantime, taking my business elsewhere. read more