The Key to their Success is found in the Details Written by Mary Savage | Photographed by Bookstrucker Photography
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hen Judy and Willi Mair started Sunshine Coach in 1999, they already had a decade of experience in the transportation industry from offering limousine and van service. When a friend suggested they purchase a retired Greyhound passenger bus, it seemed like a natural fit. They sold the limo, established Sunshine Coach and they’ve never looked back. “During our first summer, we found the right work which kept us very busy: running charters for many of the businesses in Calgary along with school outings,” recalls Willi Mair, operations manager. A short time later, they secured the transportation contract with a major ski hill resort to transport skiers to and from the ski hill and city. “We got the contract because we were a small, ‘hands on’ company and we looked after
more than just transportation,” adds Judy Mair, owner. “The ski resort wanted to establish a partnership with a company that could provide the total package, which included reservations, selling bus and/or lift tickets and, of course the transportation; and in 15 years that hasn’t changed.” Five years ago, they were awarded another major ski resort contract – driving skiers to and from the hill – and it’s very similar to their other resort agreement. “It’s a real partnership when you work with the ski hills,” adds Judy. Today, Sunshine Coach is a thriving business with a fleet of 10 coaches that range in passenger capacity from 21 to 60 people. The have carved out a well-respected niche in the transportation industry that services ski hills, corporate events, sporting groups, schools, tourism and charters.
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Whether a company is planning a day trip to the mountains for a round of golf or a tourist group has booked a charter to the west coast, Sunshine Coach provides reliable, confortable and affordable transportation. However, the key to their success comes from truly understanding customer service and customer expectations. They listen to their customers and pay attention to the details, and given their keen eye for detail, you will often find Willi sitting in the driver’s seat of a bus while Judy manages the administration and regulatory side of the business. “We’ve had steady growth since we started the business and we will continue to have steady growth which means we will continue to get better,” notes Willi. “In our industry, getting better means being more reliable and safer. We already offer a reliable and safe service, but we are always looking for ways to improve our business and that means offering better buses, better trained people, and higher safety standards.” According to Judy, they work with tour groups from around the world and bookings can range from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. “It may be a tour of the Rocky Mountains or it may be across the country. We schedule many six-day trips that originate in Calgary and go to the west coast or vice versa,” she says. Sometimes the tour groups have planned their itinerary and other times they ask Sunshine Coach to plan the trip, but it’s always customized. “As an example, we had a group of tourists that came from India and they hired us for the bus portion from Calgary to Vancouver. From there, they boarded a cruise ship and sailed to Alaska,” says Judy. Sunshine Coach caters to a variety of clients: corporations, schools, universities, seniors, sport teams, international travellers and wedding parties, to name a few. Willi and Judy Mairz
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“In this business, our biggest challenge is to meet the customers’ expectations (once transportation rules and regulation requirements have been met),” asserts Willi. “Most of the time we exceed their expectations and on those rare occasions when this doesn’t happen, we still make every effort to satisfy our customers.” As Judy has observed, people expect things to go smoothly when they’re traveling – plane, train, bus – whatever the mode of transport. “You need to be a good judge of character and you need to know how to read people, understand their needs and what they are going to want. It means communicating with each group and understanding what’s important to them before their trip gets underway.” The tourist charters keep Judy and Willi busy from about April to October. The corporate events go year round and the winter months cater to outdoor recreational activities. Although, Sunshine Coach runs a scheduled service between the ski hills and city, they also provide transportation for several hockey teams, ski teams and charter schools. “Over the years, the ski families have learned that they can bring their kids to us and they are safe, they will have fun, and it’s a fair price,” adds Willy. “We have developed a great reputation, our customers trust us and we’ve gained many new customers. Occasionally, we lose customers because they grow up and get their own cars, but then there are new teenagers who discover our bus service to the ski hill and their parents don’t want their kids on the road, especially if a snowstorm blows in.” Sunshine Coach has also experienced an increase in adult ridership simply because it is cost effective, comfortable and allows them to relax on the bus, saving their energy for their skiing/ boarding experience.
“We have developed a great reputation, our customers trust us and we’ve gained many new customers.” ~ Willi Mair
Congratulations on your 15th year in business, Sunshine Coach! Cheers to one of our most hard-working and reliable customers! CENTRAL DIESEL | 919 46th Ave SE | Calgary, AB T2G 2A5 Manager: Dennis Stephens
Over the past 15 years while Judy and Willi were running the business, they were also raising a family of four. Their oldest daughter worked for the company for a short time before attending university, but the other kids opted to pursue different fields of study. When Judy isn’t taking care of the office work, you will find her working at her other job as an occupational therapist. “I work eight days a week,” she adds with a smile. “And when you run a transportation business, it’s 24/7.” According to Judy, the only day they don’t operate the buses is on Christmas day, but they still answer the phone to take reservations for Boxing Day. Looking forward, both Judy and Willi share the same vision: to be a leader in the industry that’s parallel to their competitors
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or even to pull ahead and become a formidable leader. “We are never going to be as large as the national companies and size is not our mandate, but we offer great service, the best value for your money and our fleet is in great shape,” comments Willi. Sunshine Coach recently purchased a maintenance and storage facility that can house their complete fleet and accommodate future growth. “The maintenance facility, coupled with our full-time mechanical crew, means we are well positioned to comply with all the safety codes, regulations and transportation acts. This maintenance facility also has ample space for our bus cleaning crew,” adds Willi. “We might only have 10 buses, but they are always in good shape, and ready to go.” For more extensive engine and transmission repairs, Sunshine Coach uses
one of Calgary’s most experienced maintenance firms. As well, they have knowledgeable and well-trained drivers who speak a variety of foreign languages including Japanese, Korean, Chinese, German, and Russian. Collectively, their driving team has many years of experience and they have an outstanding safety record. “…and it’s all of these details that allows us to offer the best value for the money – and that’s how we’ve grown the business,” adds Willi. Judy and Willi alluded to future plans that could potentially change the industry, but their plans are still in the approvals stage and they were not at liberty to discuss the details. Suffice to say, their goal is simple: to be the first coach company that people call when they require transportation. •
For more information, visit the website or call Sunshine Coach: www.sunshinecoach.com Calgary Local (403) 241-0443 Toll Free: 1-866-666-6BUS (6287)
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