b'LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENTAT THE HELM Customer Service Includes the Entire Customer Experience, Vessel and StaffJIM SWINDLER // PRESIDENTT heOctoberissuefocusedonhumanresourcesand Iwastoldfromthesamecompanythebuscompanygets Putting power oneissuediscussedwashowemployeeattitude theirs.Iwouldsoonfindoutthattheseatframeswerealsoimpacts the customer experience. This month, busseats.Thiswasnotunusualbackthen.giventhatthethemeiscustomerservice,Idliketooffermythoughtsontheimportanceoftheentirecustomer Today,thingsarequitedifferent.Thereareatleastthree back in the hands experience, which includes the vessel itselfespecially majorseatingmanufacturerswhoarehighlycommittedtheinteriorarrangement,furnishings,andotherfeatures tothepassengervesselindustry,andthreeinteriordesignthatguestsdirectlyinteractwithandwhichshapetheir firmswithmanyyearsofexperienceinthedesignofpas-experienceonboard. sengerspaceswhohaveacomprehensiveunderstandingof of the operatortheU.S.CoastGuardrulesandregulationsrelatingtofireTherewasadaywhentherewaslittleattentionpaidtoin- loadofmaterialsusedinarrangementofpassengerspaceteriorvesseldesign,furnishings,andothertechnologyre- design.Most,ifnotall,theabovefirmsareorhavebeenlatingtothecomfortandentertainmentofourcustomers. PVAassociatemembers.My opinion on why that Istronglysuggestthatwhen The cloud commerce platform wasisthatourparentsgen- In addition to the navalconsidering alterations, re-eration and their parents architect you choose, youfurbishment, or new con- built for tours & ferriesdidnothave,andtherefore struction of a vessel, in ad-werenotaccustomedto,the should also include an interiorditiontothenavalarchitectcomforts and technology designer that has the necessaryyouchoose,youshouldalsothatwehavetoday.Intheir include,aspartofyourteam,day a ride on a ferry that technical experience, and aaninteriordesignerthathas rocketrez.comwas seaworthy, where you comprehensive understandingthenecessarytechnicalexpe-hadaplacetositoutofthe rience,and,equallyimport-weather and with a good of your customer base toant,acomprehensiveunder-view was all they needed. ensure the final result is astanding of your customerNotsotoday. base to ensure the final re-vessel that provides a pleasantsultisavesselthatprovidesaEarly in my career, when and inviting experience forpleasantandinvitingexperi-I was assigned as project your customers.enceforyourcustomers.manager to oversee thedesignandconstructionof Other important partici-anewferryvesselutilizingthedesignofanexistingvessel pants in this process are your employees, especially thebuiltin1974withsomeimprovements,Ifeltprettycom- vesselcrew.Ido,however,wanttocautionthattheremayfortable.However,aftervisitingseveralotheroperatorsand betimeswhensuggestionsfromcrewandemployeesareseeingsomeofthethingstheyhaddonewiththeinterior countertowhattheprojectteamisrecommending.How-oftheirvesselsitbecameapparentthatwewerewaybehind ever,donotdismissthemwithoutsufficientevaluation.Ithecurveandneededsomehelp.Forexample,whenIasked haveseeninstanceswhererecommendeddeck-coverings, A proud partner with the Passenger ourprocurementstaffwhereourseatcushionscamefrom, fromamaintenancestandpointdonotperformasprom- Vessel Association since 2015Continued on page 47FOGHORN 4'