Bay Bridge Marina Streamlines Processes with Dockwa

Nestled in the town of Stevensville, Maryland, Bay Bridge Marina is a sought-after destination that caters to boaters searching for the perfect homeport or cruising the Chesapeake Bay. At the helm of the operation are Drew Overton and Andrew Westlin, who oversee Bay Bridge’s 243 slips.

By making the switch to Dockwa, the team has streamlined operations across the board at Bay Bridge Marina. Now, instead of surrendering to tedious processes and hoping for the best, the Bay Bridge team confidently tackles each day knowing they’ve got things under control — even during busy season.
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The challenge for Bay Bridge Marina: Chasing down payments and managing complex slip assignments 

Before Dockwa, Bay Bridge Marina grappled with outdated software that led to management headaches, payment uncertainties, and training nightmares. They were in desperate need of a solution to eliminate two major challenges:
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1. Inefficient reservation management and payment processing 

The Bay Bridge team was constantly battling to manage reservations and secure timely payments. 

They often found themselves at the mercy of snail mail, chasing down customers and hoping that payments would come through. The team was mailing paper contracts to its large list of annual boaters and manually tracking payments.

2. Slip assignment complexity

With 243 slips at the marina, assigning slips was a precarious balancing act — especially while juggling a combination of annual, monthly, and transient boaters. Without a reliable tool to manage assignments, Bay Bridge faced errors and disgruntled customers. 

The team explains, "In our old manual method, trying to assign the right boat was like playing a Jenga game. And your Jenga game could fall apart if someone reserved a slip for a 30-foot boat and arrived with a 48-foot vessel."
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The solution: Dockwa’s holistic marina management tool

Bay Bridge Marina needed a system that could help confirm boater information and manage the large volume of both long-term slip holders and enthusiastic guests.

‍So, the team searched for a tool that could: 

• Collect and manage payments effectively 
• Streamline slip assignments 
• Increase customer satisfaction 

‍When Bay Bridge came across Dockwa, they realized that it not only eliminated the issues they were facing, but also made their lives easier in ways they didn’t expect.

Giving boaters what they want

Change can be daunting, but for Bay Bridge Marina, the push they received from their boaters to adopt Dockwa made the choice easy.

The transition to Dockwa was seamless for Bay Bridge Marina. Most of their boaters were already well-versed with the platform, and short-term customers eagerly embraced the convenience of Dockwa for making reservations.

A smooth transition

With the guidance of Dockwa's Marina Success Managers, implementing the new software at the marina was quick and straightforward. 

The Bay Bridge team wasted no time in adopting the new system, and found themselves with more time on their hands to spend valuable face-to-face time with customers. They bid farewell to the management nightmares that had plagued them in the past and embraced operational ease.
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What has changed for Bay Bridge after one year with Dockwa?

Bay Bridge Marina quickly saw their management problems vanish as Dockwa automated away their old manual processes. They noticed several positive results within their first year of using Dockwa:

1. Goodbye, payment pursuits

With Dockwa, Bay Bridge’s billing processes became a breeze. 

The team explains, "The tool makes it easier to complete all transactions. From collecting payment for day-to-day business and annual dues, to making sure our billing is accurate, to having credit cards pre-authorized as they come into the system, it’s tremendous.” 

Dockwa allows the Bay Bridge team to manage their entire contract process from one platform. Visiting boaters request dockage, and Bay Bridge simultaneously manages those requests and securely processes payments. 

Plus, with Dockwa’s digital point of sale system, fuel or ship store purchases can be transacted in the system as well.
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2. Hello, happy customers

Bay Bridge Marina received overwhelmingly positive feedback from their boaters, as most of them prefer to use Dockwa for reservations. 

The team explains, “We have found that probably 90-95% of our boaters were already familiar with Dockwa.” The user-friendly platform has increased customer satisfaction, which is a core pillar for Bay Bridge. In fact, since adopting Dockwa, the marina has received over 55 sparkling five-star reviews!
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3. Two words: revenue surge

Business at the marina has flourished, and the Bay Bridge team has seen an increase in revenue compared to last year. 

The team credits this boost to Dockwa's expansive boater network and its user-friendliness, emphasizing that “all aspects of our business revenue have increased. It’s not because of an increase of rates, it’s an increase in business.”
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4. Seamless assignment management  

Bay Bridge relies on their custom marina map for an easy view of which boater is where, and the assignments tool for a straightforward glance at what is available on a given day. 

“Having a tool where the slip size pops up as soon as the reservation is requested, it narrows it down, and our field of energy goes directly to what is available,” the team explains. “We employ the marina map for various tasks, including assigning future slip positions for new contracts, relocating existing slip holders who keep their boats during the winter, rearranging slips for our annual boat show, managing transients, and handling monthly and annual slip assignments.”
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5. Employee adoption and alignment 

The entire team at Bay Bridge Marina embraced Dockwa's user-friendly interface and intuitive design. It enabled office personnel and dockhands to align on day-to-day happenings, and empowered everyone on the team to handle reservations, assign slips, and monitor electric usage.
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6. Exceptional customer support 

If a question arises from the team at Bay Bridge, Dockwa provides prompt assistance to ensure a seamless transition to the software and continued success. 

With support available seven days a week, the team praises Dockwa’s responsiveness, stating, “Our staff has gotten immediate responses. It’s been a positive experience. The Dockwa support team has been awesome.” 

In one season, Dockwa has transformed how the team manages Bay Bridge Marina. They are  organized in the office, aligned with team members, and spending more time with customers.

Favorite Features

Bay Bridge Marina relies on several Dockwa tools to optimize their day-to-day operations. 

‍A few of the team’s favorite Dockwa features include: 

• Metered electric billing
• Custom marina map and assignments 
• Point of sale system
• Digital contract tool 
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Complex operations made simple

Bay Bridge Marina's experience with Dockwa has been exceptionally positive, especially compared to previous software and pen & paper.

Dockwa’s ease of use, efficient processes, and exceptional support have transformed the marina’s operations, resulting in increased revenue and more satisfied boaters. 

The team concludes, “Our processes are streamlined and efficient because of how powerful Dockwa is.” Now, Bay Bridge Marina has the tools they need to spend less time in the office and more time focusing on what really matters: an excellent customer experience.