Capricorn Travel

ADVENTURERS SWITCH RED DIRT FOR WHITE SNOW AT CHRISTMAS

It gets pretty hot in Tom Price, in Western Australia’s mining-rich Pilbara region. In December and January the average daily temperature is about 38°C.

No wonder Josh and Laura Stevens like to get away from it occasionally.

The couple own and operate Pure Mechanical in Tom Price and Paraburdoo (they also recently opened a third workshop on a Fortescue Metals Group mine site) and like many people in the mining industry, work fly-in fly-out from Perth.

You’d think they’d have enough of planes in their day-today working life (especially as they also operate a plane refuelling business) but, nope, the couple love nothing more than jetting off for an adventure.

“We book a holiday with Capricorn Travel every year,” Laura said. “We were doing at least one overseas each year, before COVID, and then trips within Australia, too — to Margaret River and those sorts of places.”

The couple, who have been in business seven years, have been to Colorado in the US, Switzerland, New Zealand, the Caribbean, Italy and the UK, among other places.

“Because we’re self-employed we’re very busy during the year, so wherever we go we need to go around Christmas, because that’s our quieter period,” Laura said.

That often means a huge temperature drop if travelling to the northern hemisphere. Fortunately, that’s no problem!

“Especially at Christmas time we do find that in those colder climates, Europe and America, you get a great atmosphere,” Laura said. “And we love skiing, so we try to incorporate a bit of skiing.”

The couple book both their holidays and their FIFO flights for themselves and their staff using Capricorn Travel. Laura said it is a great way to maximise their rewards points.

“Also, Capricorn Travel has been managing our flights for a number of years now and it’s just very easy for us,” she said. “Things can change at very short notice and it’s so convenient to be able to just make a quick phone call and get things changed.

“Overall, it’s been a very positive experience. I definitely recommend Capricorn Travel to anyone who is interested in travel — and I even recommend them to friends who aren’t in business.”

With more than 35 years of experience, the Capricorn Travel team is available to help you plan your next Australian adventure. Charge your travel to your Capricorn Trade Account and enjoy the additional benefit of earning Capricorn Rewards Points. Contact Capricorn Travel today .

1800 655 077 I travel@capricorn.coop capricorn-travel.com.au

TM

BUSY PERIOD TIPS

Like any business, your workshop will have busy periods. But while these times can provide a revenue bonanza, they can also create a lot of risk.

How so?

Well, when we’re busy, sometimes our standards slip. And if our customers aren’t getting the level of service they expect from us, they might take their business elsewhere next time. (Customers don’t see being busy as an excuse for poor customer service!)

So, how do you ensure your team is still giving their very best, even when you’re getting slammed?

The answer, according to customer service expert and New York Times bestselling author Shep Hyken in his article 5 Ways to Prepare for Being Really Busy - is preparation.

Here are Shep’s five tips for handling those busy times well while still delivering an amazing experience to customers.

"If you know you're traditionally busy, then you can prepare for it." “Just make sure that if the customer opts to talk to someone instead, it’s fast and convenient to do so,” Shep said.

1. Look at your history and know when you’re busy

Look back over your records and track the patterns during your busy times. Knowing when you are busiest will help you make a game plan. Most workshops are really busy around Easter and Christmas – both times when customers are likely to:

1. Have time off work, so it’s convenient for them to bring their vehicle in for a service. 2. Be planning to travel, so will want to ensure their vehicle is in tiptop condition for a long journey. 3. Potentially have an unfortunate accident especially during the stress of the Christmas rush.

If you know when you’re traditionally busy, then you can prepare for it.

2. Properly staff your workshop to meet the workload

Being understaffed means potentially irritating customers when they don’t get the service they’re used to. This can show itself in many ways. Perhaps paperwork is building up on the counter, the customer lounge isn’t looking as good as it should, or maybe you don’t have enough time to offer Mrs Jennings a drive home like you normally would.

Not having enough employees on hand to meet (and exceed) customers’ expectations could cause a customer to leave, hang up or, even worse, never come back because of one tainted experience.

3. Recognise the opportunity you have with new customers

When customers receive great service during busy times, they know that less frantic times will be just as good, if not better. This is especially important for new customers.

4. Warn customers about busy times

Let customers know that you’re busier than normal and that could cause some delays or other service issues.

“While I suggest you do all you can to avoid problems, sometimes they are inevitable,” Shep said. “Tell your customers how they can avoid problems during busy times.”

5. Have good self-service options

Customers are getting used to taking control of their issues by going to websites, interacting with webchat facilities, and more. If it’s something as simple as checking whether their vehicle is ready to collect, your customers will appreciate the availability of a good self-service option.

And finally…

No matter how busy your workshop gets, giving every customer a great experience is vital if you want them to keep coming back. So, get yourself prepared for your next busy period now, to ensure everything runs smoothly when the time comes.