Chasing down payments and securely billing boaters.
Transitioning to Dockwa to access data remotely and implement a secure auto-billing system.
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Anna Neumann, the Harbormaster for the Noyo Harbor district in Fort Bragg, California, took on her role after a unique introduction to marina management. After spending years working on local commercial fishing boats, Anna stepped into the dynamic position of overseeing 256 slips in the working harbor. The focus of the Noyo Harbor District is to support the local fishing fleet, which generates significant revenue for the rural community of Fort Bragg.
When Anna became Harbormaster, there was no one there to train her or pass on knowledge of the operation. In her new role, she was on her own and responsible for 256 marina assets. Anna stepped into a disorganized dock office that had been collecting boaters’ information on half sheets of paper and quickly discovered the marina’s two biggest problems: First, it needed a secure auto-billing system to streamline invoicing. Second, it needed a way to make boater information more accessible. She needed a solution, and fast!
Noyo Harbor’s legacy software restricted Anna to completing transactions and accessing information from the office, which significantly disrupted her personal life. She found that important information was scattered around her desk on pieces of paper that got lost easily and couldn’t be accessed when she wasn’t in the office. So, Anna searched for a tool that allowed her to securely access boater information remotely, ensuring she could handle inquiries at any time without being confined to her office.
I wanted to be able to access boater information at home so I could be in the middle of my Sunday relaxing, call a boater, let them know the information they needed, and then move on with my day.
Additionally, Anna needed a secure auto-billing system to eliminate two risks:
• Tracking customers’ details since she couldn’t store them digitally.
• Lacking receipts to prove when a boater paid (or didn’t pay!)
Before Dockwa, Anna would receive calls from boaters asking to pay by credit card over the phone at all hours of the day. She would jot down customers' information on a piece of paper, and keep track of that before the chance to enter them in their local system.
Anna also noticed that some of her boaters were not paying her — and with no receipts or credit cards stored digitally, she would have to go to extremes to get her boaters to pay up.
For short term and seasonal boaters, we were using half sheets of paper [to record payments]. This made it really difficult when a boater disputed whether or not they paid the month prior because there were no receipts.
Anna discovered Dockwa through extensive research on digital marina management systems. She demoed multiple platforms on the market but Dockwa emerged as the best choice.
Not only was Dockwa affordable for Noyo Harbor, but it offered all the features to meet the marina’s specific needs and eliminate its pain points entirely.
"“Dockwa covered everything that I wanted it to cover," Anna said. "It hit all of my check marks.”
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Noyo Harbor’s transition to Dockwa revolutionized their billing processes, especially with the introduction of auto-pay tools. Using Dockwa’s auto-billing feature saved time for Anna, allowing her to focus more on her boaters rather than manual billing tasks — a process that previously consisted of printing, customizing, and snail-mailing bills out every month. Moreover, implementing an auto-billing system ensured more accountability among boaters and eradicated disputes regarding payments.
Now with the auto-billing tool, it sends boaters their receipt. They know exactly what they've paid for, and I can go back and show them in Dockwa.
With Dockwa, Anna estimates saving between 10 to 15 hours per month, predominantly from the auto-billing system. This not only reduced manual billing tasks but also cut costs associated with those manual methods.
“The auto-billing system saves me from folding and sending bills manually,” Anna says. “I was spending about $300 a month on stamps and envelopes before Dockwa.”
The majority of boaters at Noyo Harbor quickly appreciated the streamlined processes, including email confirmations and the modernized reservation system.
Anna noted that some of her boaters resisted the change due to a loss of flexibility in making payments (which was a pain point for Anna in the past), but they soon embraced the enhanced efficiency and accountability in transactions.
Since Anna is a team of one, Dockwa’s customer support has been a go-to resource for her throughout the transition.
With customer support available seven days a week through the chat function, Anna is one click away from an easy solution if she has any questions. Anna pinned this Dockwa feature as invaluable.
The customer service has just been absolutely phenomenal.
Along with ongoing customer support, Anna was assigned a dedicated Marina Success Manager who provides reassurance and guidance, reducing any sense of isolation or confusion during her day-to-day operations. Her Marina Success Manager also makes sure she’s aware of any new features that can make her life as Harbormaster easier.
Anna expects to see a 5-6% increase in revenue due to the fact that her boaters are now held accountable for their payments.
- Saved time
- Saved money
- Streamlined operations
- Increased Revenue
Adopting Dockwa has reshaped processes, ensuring greater convenience for boaters and significant time savings. The move to an online platform has not only optimized operations but also increased accountability and revenue reliability for this vibrant working harbor.
30% of all Dockwa employees are former marina operators.
We can never go back to the way it used to be, it’s just not going to happen.