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Thank you to all of you who left your anonymous feedback via our 2022 feedback survey. We have downloaded all of your responses and held a team meeting where the feedback was shared, and discussed and improvement plans were agreed. Below are some of the feedback summaries and what we plan to do:
What do we do well?
The facilities have much improved
"I feel the marina is a lovely place and has improved significantly over the past 26 months..."
"The new berth holder shower areas are a welcome aspect and appreciated as a positive move."
"Much improved re maintenance/reworking of shower / wc facilities over the last 12 months"
"The facilities work very well and the staff are helpful."
"The new reception area and post room look great..."
Although we had planned to make significant improvements to the pontoons, the building and our facilities throughout 2020 - 2021, we were thrown off kilt slightly by the restrictions Covid-19 bought along with it; staff furloughs, business closures etc. However, during the Covid period, we focused our attention on where we could - the health & safety of the marina. Between 2020 - 2021, we invested over £17,000 (a further £15,000 between 2021-2022) on improving our health & safety; new life rings on every hammerhead and more down the pontoons, replaced the throw lines in all of our existing rings, new ladders for every hammerhead & replaced the damage or faulty existing ladders, the new defibrillator, we improved our internal policies to ensure the safety of our guests by tightening up our guest's check-in and out procedures & security measures and increased H&S inspections from annually to quarterly with a zero-tolerance policy on urgent/to action points. We provided our entire team with essential life-saving training, upgraded our fire equipment within the building and on the pontoons and ensured first aid kids are held in every fire extinguisher box. We invested in an in-house app which records daily, weekly & monthly checks with photos and live updates sent to the entire team, alerting us all of any faults to action quickly.
Between 2021- 2022, as restrictions lifted, we turned more of our attention to our facilities. in 2021 we invested just short of £65,000 in the repair & renewal of our pontoons, external structures, electrical installations and internal facilities, with a further £168,000 invested in 2022. Although the marina has been around for a very long time and requires constant maintenance, we hope the recent improvements will be noticed by all and endeavour to constantly maintain and improve from here on up.
Maintenance issues are fixed quickly
"Although there were issues with the car parking, they were taken care of efficiently."
"Maintenance issues are fixed quickly and also never an issue reporting..."
"The maintenance team are your ambassadors and do an incredible job..."
Our in-house app allows the team to record their daily, weekly & monthly pontoon checks using a traffic light priority system. This is then fed into our maintenance plan and workflow which is discussed and agreed in our weekly team meetings. In July 2021, Danny was also promoted to Maintenance Manager, overseeing all ongoing projects from the day-to-day services to the larger structural projects in hand. We are pleased that these introductions and structural changes have had a positive impact. There are ways in which you can help us respond quickly and efficiently to any issues which arise such as reporting them on our online portal. This feedback is sent directly to our mobiles and is then transferred into our workflow. Please try to avoid reporting issues at the front desk so we can ensure the issues are highlighted to the right people in good time.
Staff are friendly & helpful
"The team work hard and are efficient and always friendly & helpful..."
"The staff are helpful....[we] really appreciate the thoughtfulness in the staff involved delivering the diesel/pump outs.."
"In recent months there has been a shift from a confrontational stance to everyday issues to a cooperative problem-solving attitude. This creates a pleasant environment."
"[The staff] are knowledgable in answering any of my questions and friendly."
Thank you for all your kind comments regarding the team. We like to think we have a friendly and personable team working with us here and hope you feel it too. We are aware from the feedback below that there have been some issues with the team for some of you which we have addressed below.
What do we not to well?
Poor communication
"...lack of communication is disrespectful to the customer and shows a complete disregard for us."
"...there is a wealth of knowledge at the marina but it is all stuck in everyone's heads.."
"..the only maintenance update that did come through was a GDPR issue. At other times major incidents have occurred at the marina and we have received no correspondence..."
"No communication with berth holders about what was happening over the storm damage and what was happening to the pontoons.."
We hold our hands up and apologise. As we led the business through Covid-19, we reduced our team to 20% from what it was. Unfortunately, certain areas have been impacted more than others with this change and we admit the priority of communication has been overlooked. We have made the following changes to our processes and our team to ensure we do not let you down again:
- Chloe has returned from maternity leave and as well as internal operations, is focusing on customer sentiment, marketing & PR. She will be ensuring updates are posted on the blog and social media pages, our email list is updated and emails are sent out efficiently, all customer feedback forms are picked up & reported weekly and all complaints are handled promptly.
- All updates will be posted on our website under the Blog and sent via email. If you are concerned that you have not received an email, please check the website and inform us that you are not receiving emails as so we can update our email list.
- Erin has taken over our Facebook and Instagram and is currently undergoing creative and content training. You may see a few exciting events coming up as well as competitions to get involved with.
- Weekly team meetings have been reinstated where the entire team come together to discuss our workflow, complaints reported, maintenance faults reported, boat movements and check ins and departures. By joining up management, the office & the maintenance team together, we aim to ensure we are all on the same page and external communication is consistent throughout.
- Direct phone numbers have been printed on signage around the marina of senior management and emergency contacts should you wish to speak to any of us directly.
- Anonymous feedback forms are now available in the Brunswick and Coburg foyers where you can tell us about your experience. There are post boxes to leave your forms in at the side of the form holders. These forms will be collected and reported each week.
- From 1st of July, we will be holding a Saturday drop-in session with either Chloe or David between 11-2pm. You can come along to the office, and enjoy a hot drink and they will happily answer any questions or concerns you may have.
- We will be sharing our team meeting notes with you all which we hope will help to take you all on the journey and give you insight into what is going on behind the scenes.
Customer service
"..if there is a customer issue the team are likely to respond with a negative dismissive and sometimes threatening manner..."
"...we have been with you 8 years yet we don't actually know any of you in person.."
"There is no attitude of 'the customer is always right.."
"...marina management does not value the berth holders and from my point of view we are seen as a cash flow into the marina accounts, nothing else.."
"..very polite but at times team members contradict each other and lead to confusion.."
It would seem that our customer service standards have slipped over recent months and we would like to sincerely apologise. We aim to put the customer at the heart of everything that we do but, having read, shared and digested your feedback, we can see that we have not got this right. Naturally, we cannot and will not please everyone, and there will be occurrences where disagreements or dissatisfaction over our policies occur, but we do expect to handle these occurrences with respect and compassion.
The team held a brainstorming session where we discussed this feedback which allowed us all to be open and honest with each other regarding conduct. Along with improved communication, we have agreed and actioned the following to ensure we improve our customer service to you all:
Complaints process:
Should you wish to raise a formal complaint, please either complete the form online or head to the office where either Mark or Erin will complete the form on your behalf.
This way all complaints are escalated to senior management immediately and are all formally logged. We will respond to you within 24 hours.
Equally, should you have a complaint, please do tell us. We rely on your feedback in order to constantly improve our services and facilities to you all. Facebook or social media is not the complaints platform and we will be unable to respond to complaints that way.
Value
From July, David & Chloe will be hosting a FAQ drop-in session on the last Sunday of every month from 11-2pm. We hope this will give us the opportunity to meet you all in person and build better reports.
We really value your opinion and have improved the ways in which you can provide your feedback to us:
- Anonymous forms in the foyer of Brunswick & Coburg which are collected weekly
- Direct feedback online https://www.liverpoolmarina.com/feedback
- Our direct telephone numbers are printed on signage around the marina where you can liaise with us directly. David 07774999222, Chloe 07711959222 and Mark 07437471745.
- We are working on several new initiatives and social events open and free to all berth holders which we will encourage you to partake in.
Internal comms & confusions
We are aware there have been a few incidents where processes or prices have not been fully understood or communicated effectively which has led to some confusion within the team and directly transferred to our customers. We hope that the reinstating of the team meeting will provide us with the opportunity to formally brief the team and iron out any confusion ahead of publication. You can read our team meeting notes via the blog updates online.
Suggestions & comments
"Separate facilities for berth holders. Zero tolerance for drugs and anti-social behaviour. Clarity when introducing new schemes such as the parking system. People on call for when gates are broken or toilets flooding."
The facilities have now been separated with separate shower & w.c facilities for both men and women. We do have a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and anti-social behaviour and would be surprised if we were to find any of our marina customers behaving in such a manner. The land is shared with the bar which is a public facility and may attract some of these behaviours as many city-centre bars do. However, we would expect our operator of the bar to manage this situation during the hours the marina is closed. We do have people on call for any facility issues or emergencies. These numbers are now printed on the signage outside both Brunswick and Coburg access gates. There are two members of staff on site 24 hours a day who can be called out for maintenance issues once raised.
"Amend the locking facilities to at least half-hourly at all times. Re-instate 2 cars per berth provision....a concerted effort to engage with us is required by all staff, particularly senior management. Maybe a 3 months newsletter and gripe meeting would help."
In order to save water and cut down the electrical cost of operating the lock, we introduced a controlled lock out system which has been agreed to be half-hourly on the weekends between April - September and hourly on the weekdays. There is of course flexibility on lock ins as of course we would never leave anyone in danger! We will continue to update our blog with updates and news and share them via email. And we will be holding drop in centres with senior management on the last Sunday of every month between 11-2pm from July. We would like to suggest that you form a berth holders committee with possibly one or two representatives who liaise with senior management on a constant basis with a bi-monthly meeting. If this is something you are open to, please email chloe@liverpoolmarina.com to kick things off.
"Introduce tiered pricing for prime berthing spots (hammerhead & other "prime spots"). Thank you to the team for making this a good place to berth".
This was something we discussed a year or so ago and think it is a great idea. We will relook at this as something to potentially introduce next year.
"...24 hour presence certainly at the weekend if not weekdays. Staff knowledge of marina/boats. Could do with improving a bit of signage on pontoons to identify to visitors along with a meet and greet. More communication is definitely needed...it would be nice to feel like a valued customer to discuss issues and create solutions."
We do have a 24-hour presence with Mike & Ged both berth holders and on-site between the two of them 24 hours a day. They are on call for any emergencies and their numbers are printed on the signage outside the entrance gates to both docks. Our core team will be undergoing harbour master training and we plan to conduct several marina visits & excursions with our wider team over this year. Erin has recently taken over the social media where she will be sharing our blog updates, news and competitions and a newsletter will be printed every quarter. Emails of our updates on our blog will also be sent out going forwards.
"Making the private areas nicer on the eye. Better lights on the walkways. More security and different passes for docks. Stop the party boats being able to access Coburg and visa-versa. Discount for the bar for berth holders and more communication about functions and keeping the area clear of broken glass."
We have recently invested significantly in the aesthetics of the marina and hope the arrival of our summer flowers at the end of May will be a welcome addition. There is now a separate security gate separating the party boats from the Brunswick dock and all party boat access cards are coded to only permit the cards to work for that gate. Their cards do not work on Coburg and if any unknown guests are spotted on Coburg, we kindly ask that you report them using one of the emergency numbers listed as so we can investigate. We will be working closely with Carla and the bar to update you all where possible on upcoming functions. There is a loyalty card for berth holders for the bar called the Bernie card which can be obtained at the bar.
"Boating is a leisure activity done at weekends, yet no fuel available..."
You can book fuel for a weekend online. Please head to
Saturday fuel is available on a pre-book basis. You will need to bring your vessel to the fuel berth and pay at the office once complete.
"...Better bike parking. Car park should be for cars that work...Is the main car park suitable for campervans/motorhomes??? I would say no, it isn't...Some boats are obviously pumping their human waste into the dock as the smell is often overpowering. Can this be monitored? Thank you for continuing to make improvements..."
All unserviced cars have now been removed from the car park. We are investigating the issue of waste being pumped into the dock looking at the pump-out service data we have. When we conduct pump-outs, there can be a smell which is caused from open drainage. It would help hugely if everyone used Blue Elsan which breaks down the waste, and keeps down the smell. You can purchase blue elsan from the chandlery. If anyone is aware of human waste being discharged into the dock, please report them immediately https://www.liverpoolmarina.com/complaints
The motorhomes have to be kept in the inside car park due to licencing issues.
"listen to berth holders and if genuine concerns are raised do something about it. Keep berth holders updated."
We will be conducting feedback surveys every year, as well as opening the feedback post boxes held in the foyers on a weekly basis. You can also send your feedback online which we will receive immediately. We now plan to update our blog every week and our social pages are being updated daily. A newsletter will also be printed rounding up the changes on a three-month basis.
"Charge the liveaboard community significantly more...They are benefiting from living in a city centre location, no council tax, no tv licence, they use the facilities multiple times per day, whereas the non liveaboards may use them once a month."
This is a common complaint and one which we may have to look into in the future.
"It would be great if coal was in the marina and not in the boatyard."
Although we recognise the inconvenience of walking with bags of coal, it would be deemed a conflict of interest if we were to start selling the coal here. We are the landlords and friendly partners with Bluepoint & the chandlery and are here to support them with their businesses.
"A less complicated system of fuelling. Competitively priced diesel."
The fuelling system was designed to be simple and easy to use. We would be keen to hear your ideas on how we could simplify this further. Please email chloe@liverpoolmarina.com. When we place our orders for fuel, we order a maximum of 2300L. If we were to purchase a higher volume, we would be charged a lower rate but we are restricted by the capabilities of our holding tank and the duty.
We have completed an exercise to check our diesel prices against our friends and confirm we are £1.32 per litre, Pthewlli £1.60 per litre, £1.19 - £1.80 per litre at Conwy and £1.35 per litre at The Ambush fuel boat. Based on this we believe we are competitively priced but of course, should prices reduce we will being our prices down in line.
"Nothing is ever given to long term berth holders. No incentive to stay. How about a free month when you have been here 5 years and then 10?"
A loyalty system is an initiative we are working on and aim to launch at the back end of this year. Watch this space!