Not The Way to Do Business
A few weeks ago I took the Sealink from Cape Jervis in South Australia to Kangaroo Island. Most of the passengers came from Europe, were all snugged up for the sea crossing and had an inherent interest for the outdoors, wildlife and adventure. Visitors on the Sealink can either drive in their own vehicles or join group tours operted by Sealink itself. Some stay overnight or longer on Kangaroo Island, others take the fully packed and time tight day tour on a circuit round the isle.
I joined the one day coach tour operated by Sealink itself. The lunchtime caterers for a sit down meal were friendly and food served was within our expectations for that kind of location. Around 1200 people currently populate Kangaroo Island, which has no industries but lots of land, wind and native or introduced animals. Human tourists can watch animals roaming mostly free in the habitat rather than in cages or fenced off areas. My best experience on the island was the effective and friendly interaction provided by the so-called wild bird demonstration in a clearing in the bush. The birds are not truly free, but seemed happy and well fed.
Time was already running short for one day trippers who chose the Sealink tour package and yet it was wasted in two significant ways.
Takeway food was not pre-packaged and made available on board to coach passengers as part of the ticket price. Why have a group of fifty people queuing and huddling in one small cafe with passing rain falling outside? It induces unnecessary tension on both the cafe providers and customers who were obviously in a hurry. This was especially critical in the hour before the Sealink ferry was scheduled to go back to the mainland in the evening.
Many felt the effects of unnecesary petty bureaucracy in requring the Sealink coach driver issue small laminated cards to disembarking or arriving passengers (for both the ferry and mainland bus services). These are customers who have already fully paid in advance and confirmed as valid clients of the tour service. Why not have the necessary passes issued to them when they pay upfront? It turned out that our coach driver even ran out of the laminated cards for the full busload of passengers in our coach.
Eco-tourism has to be balanced with not treating the group tour passengers in a condescending way. Some passengers of my Sealink coach tour realised that they had to make their way to the Adelaide central bus depot by themselves in the wee dawn hours, whilst others had the privilege of being picked up from their hotels. This was a very un-Australian way of doing things - you must treat all customers in the same manner if they are charged at the same ticket price.
In addition, going forward, the variety of the one day tour program could be reviewed and made more flexible, instead of having to drive through all of the major circuit road around Kangaroo Island. There was a lack of time allowed for passengers to relax in any one outdoor spot, when they could otherwise stroll freely with a better schedule and itinerary.
This Sealink, in another State and part of Australia, brought back some memories of my experience on the Spirit of Tasmania that operates from Port Melbourne in Victoria to Davenport in Tasmania. The Spirit, even on Boxing Day evening, lacked festive fervour, closed its food and drink facilties early like a dour convent head and a couple of individual staff on board did not welcome passengers even in the most basic way. Even before dawn, cabin passengers had their doors knocked and told matter of factly to vacate their rooms fast for cleaning. Most things were done from the perspective and comfort of the staff and not so much of the passengers. I think of my other sea crossings in Greece, Japan and the English Channel - and recall them with fondness.
Both Australian carriage operations mentioned above are monopolies and run in relatively remote parts of the world. Could this be linked to the potentially lack of business on both operations?
I joined the one day coach tour operated by Sealink itself. The lunchtime caterers for a sit down meal were friendly and food served was within our expectations for that kind of location. Around 1200 people currently populate Kangaroo Island, which has no industries but lots of land, wind and native or introduced animals. Human tourists can watch animals roaming mostly free in the habitat rather than in cages or fenced off areas. My best experience on the island was the effective and friendly interaction provided by the so-called wild bird demonstration in a clearing in the bush. The birds are not truly free, but seemed happy and well fed.
Time was already running short for one day trippers who chose the Sealink tour package and yet it was wasted in two significant ways.
Takeway food was not pre-packaged and made available on board to coach passengers as part of the ticket price. Why have a group of fifty people queuing and huddling in one small cafe with passing rain falling outside? It induces unnecessary tension on both the cafe providers and customers who were obviously in a hurry. This was especially critical in the hour before the Sealink ferry was scheduled to go back to the mainland in the evening.
Many felt the effects of unnecesary petty bureaucracy in requring the Sealink coach driver issue small laminated cards to disembarking or arriving passengers (for both the ferry and mainland bus services). These are customers who have already fully paid in advance and confirmed as valid clients of the tour service. Why not have the necessary passes issued to them when they pay upfront? It turned out that our coach driver even ran out of the laminated cards for the full busload of passengers in our coach.
Eco-tourism has to be balanced with not treating the group tour passengers in a condescending way. Some passengers of my Sealink coach tour realised that they had to make their way to the Adelaide central bus depot by themselves in the wee dawn hours, whilst others had the privilege of being picked up from their hotels. This was a very un-Australian way of doing things - you must treat all customers in the same manner if they are charged at the same ticket price.
In addition, going forward, the variety of the one day tour program could be reviewed and made more flexible, instead of having to drive through all of the major circuit road around Kangaroo Island. There was a lack of time allowed for passengers to relax in any one outdoor spot, when they could otherwise stroll freely with a better schedule and itinerary.
This Sealink, in another State and part of Australia, brought back some memories of my experience on the Spirit of Tasmania that operates from Port Melbourne in Victoria to Davenport in Tasmania. The Spirit, even on Boxing Day evening, lacked festive fervour, closed its food and drink facilties early like a dour convent head and a couple of individual staff on board did not welcome passengers even in the most basic way. Even before dawn, cabin passengers had their doors knocked and told matter of factly to vacate their rooms fast for cleaning. Most things were done from the perspective and comfort of the staff and not so much of the passengers. I think of my other sea crossings in Greece, Japan and the English Channel - and recall them with fondness.
Both Australian carriage operations mentioned above are monopolies and run in relatively remote parts of the world. Could this be linked to the potentially lack of business on both operations?
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