Boating is a lot of fun, especially on a large lake with lots of great sights to see and places to go.  I live on the shores of beautiful Lake Oconee.  One of my favorite evening activities is piloting my pontoon boat to one of three nice restaurants on the water.  The return trip on a moonlit night is awesome.  Our favorite restaurant is Gaby’s by the Lake at the nearby Ritz-Carlton.

 

One of the most important parts of boating is docking.  On an active lake if a boat is not properly moored the wave action can damage a boat against a dock.  When we arrive at one of several docks provided at the Ritz, it is always important to hang several boat fenders between the side of the dock and the side of the pontoon boat plus secure the boat in the front and back with ropes tightly tied to the dock mooring anchors.

 

Service providers might spend a lot of time on the main service experience and forget about effective service mooring.  Trash in the parking lot of a restaurant could have zero impact on the quality of the food but it can certainly shape the perception of the restaurant by the customer.  Signage can spell either an easy welcome or a confusing turnoff.  The hosting side of service can signal the start of a glorious experience or it can prompt premature worry about the outcome.  What can you do to effectively prepare your customers for a great experience?