Page 41 - MARINAOFTHEYEAR

In breaking down the propeller complaint we have several factors. We never let a prop leave
the dock that is in anything but good condition. The blades are smooth. This is the ONLY way
we can have quality control on our end. But prior to the 2017 season we had these variables:
Novice boaters unfamiliar with the lake, boat and bouys, staff that is trained but not recorded
during the check out process, and drunk friends of the renter who like to “stick up” for them...

I brainstormed this propeller system/problem. There are TOO many gray areas. It needed to be
tighter. Short of taking a photo of every prop every morning and cataloging them, the solution
seemed grim. You can still hear the argument, “how do I know you took that photo this
morning” – so here’s what I did. I created a 45 second slide show video. It shows what a prop
is, what to avoid on the lake, the price to repair or replace, an example of a repairable prop and
one that is not repairable, and how the customer should take a photo. It took 20 minutes to put
the video together. We show it on two tablets in our store that have a wireless connection to
YouTube. The tablets were on sale for $35 each. The customer initials on the contract that
they watched the video. That’s it. Never in my wildest imagination did I think that this would
solve the problem.

It has NOT solved the problem of the props getting damaged, I’d say we had just as many this
season as last season. But, whereas in the summer of 2016 I’d estimate over 20 heated
arguments, this season we had three – All three involved too much alcohol and “friends sticking
up for renters”… OH, and one of the three was the day before the video procedure was
implemented.

The video allows us consistency of message. We know at one centralized location the customer
is receiving the information they need. They still visually inspect the prop with the same
procedure of a crew member checking them out, however, there is no longer the gray area of
what is said. We know what message is consistently delivered.

This is one example of how we provide the Best Lake Minnetonka Experience.

How do we gain buy in for the Best Lake Minnetonka Experience with employees?

When we hire, the final interview question is, “What does providing the Best Lake Minnetonka
Experience mean to you?” The reason I choose this question as the last one is because it helps
solidify our mission prior to employment.

Our goal is to provide the Best Lake Minnetonka Experience. Lake Minnetonka is all we do.
We do not have another location. Therefore, anything that has to do with water quality,
festivals, or public incidents affects our business.

Our staff, even at age 15, has a wealth of knowledge about the lake. Once empowered to share
their experiences about best places to wakeboard, swim, or eat, they gain confidence which
translates to better enforcement of our other rules and guidelines.

Rules and guidelines are the only way to provide the Best Lake Minnetonka Experience. I’ve
taken training from Disney World and incorporated many policies. My favorite take-away was

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