Learn how Dockwa's tools can help your marina prepare for hurricanes with efficient boater communication, centralized information updates, risk protection clauses, and remote reservation management, ensuring safety and resilience.
For many of our marina partners, it’s “when” not “if" a hurricane strikes. You know how to physically prepare your business for a storm - we know how to use technology to help you reduce financial risks and get ahead of boater communication.
Let’s explore how.
Share safety information using Boater Chat and our email integration. Ahead of hurricane season in Florida, the staff at Nestles Island Marina relied on Dockwa’s Boater Chat tool to send real-time messages to incoming boaters and boaters in-port. This ensured guests received important information like evacuation orders, safety measures, and closure status updates, significantly reducing chaos for marina staff and confusion for boaters.
Dockwa stores all boater contact information, including email addresses and arrival and departure dates, and seamlessly integrates with your email system. This allowed Fisherman’s Wharf Marina in Virginia Beach to easily pull an up-to-date audience list and send out mass communications swiftly and accurately when Hurricane Ian hit in 2022. Boaters received various communications leading up to, during, and after the storm, helping to protect both boaters and the marina and highlighting the crucial value of efficient communication in emergency situations.
Update your public profile to reflect the status of your marina ahead of and during a storm. Marinas using Dockwa in hurricane prone areas centralize all necessary information on their public profile. For boaters still seeking shelter, this allowed them access to crucial information when deciding where to wait out the storm, even if the phone lines are down.
Use your automated pre-arrival and in-port emails to communicate emergency information. For boaters already staying at the marina, their information is communicated directly in your reservation details and automated pre-arrival emails. Emergency contact details, evacuation routes, and safety protocols are readily accessible to boaters, minimizing uncertainty. Boaters know exactly what steps to take and who to contact, streamlining the entire process in case of an evacuation.
Add risk clauses to your marina terms of service. When reserving a stay at your marina through Dockwa, boaters agree to your business’s terms of service upon booking. To ensure you are covered in the event of a storm-related boater incident, consider adding protective language to your Ts & Cs.
Solicit outdated insurance and registration documentation from your boaters. When you have your boaters - guest or long term - use Dockwa, they’ll be prompted to keep their vessel’s insurance and registration up to date and accessible from their Dockwa app and your Dockwa portal. You’ll have less surprises when it comes to assessing damage coverage, knowing that all boats at your marina are properly insured.
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Manage your reservation changes at home. Once you’ve prepared your business for the physical threats of a storm, you can manage all the reservation cancellations and boater coordination safely from home. During Hurricane Irma in 2017, marinas across the Southeast faced a deluge of cancellations and rescheduling requests. Those using Dockwa managed the reservation changes remotely, allowing on-prem staff to focus on critical safety measures. Even during the storm, marina operators could access reservation information in Dockwa from anywhere, anytime.
Make sure your refund and credit policies protect you during storm cancellations. Implementing clear refund and credit policies within Dockwa helped marinas manage customer expectations and protect revenue. Cancellation policies are stated on a marina's Dockwa profile and in a boater’s reservation confirmation details, eliminating the guesswork for boaters and providing transparency and peace of mind.
Several marinas after Hurricane Irma offered credits for future reservations to those affected by the hurricane, ensuring customer satisfaction while safeguarding their financial interests. Processing refunds or adding credits takes just a few clicks within Dockwa. Operators can easily see the billing details on the boater’s reservation, eliminating the need to refund checks or cash. This means that operators can process these transactions from anywhere, ensuring they don’t need to hurry back to the marina if it’s still unsafe, while still being proactive with boaters.
Add incident details to Customer Notes. Having critical information readily available to marinas after a hurricane is essential for effective recovery and support. With Dockwa, incident tracking can be tied to individual reservations via reservation and customer notes, and all boater chat communications are securely stored. This ensures valuable information is easily accessible for insurance claims.
As boaters and marina operators, weather is at the heart of everything we do. In hurricane-prone areas, preparedness and effective communication are paramount. Dockwa’s suite of features offers marinas the tools they need to mitigate risks, manage operations, and maintain strong relationships with boaters. Marinas can navigate the storm with confidence, ensuring safety, efficiency, and resilience in the face of nature’s challenges.
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