Reasons Why It's Important to Do a Direct Survey Before Using Tour Boat Services

 
Hello, Flores Traveler readers, I'm Arin. few months ago in December 2022, I was invited as a partner by Flores Traveler management to become a surveyor for several tourist boats. This is a little note of my journey after doing survey work with the FT team for 2 days. Regards.

Consciously or not, getting information instantly is a trend that has been formed since gadgets were created and began to be widely used as a means of communication and fulfilling the need for information, via the internet and social media. Apart from that, some habits such as hearing and trusting information obtained from people can have quite fatal consequences and may become a mistake if they are not accompanied by direct surveys to gain satisfaction and confidence in the work of service providers or service providers. One of them is a person or community who works as a tour guide or agent who provides services and information to tour guests regarding access such as facilities and amenities, lodging, places to eat or transportation.

For the reasons above and several other reasons from experience and work evaluation, Flores Traveler initiated a year-end survey agenda and will routinely carry out the same pattern every year. I personally felt fortunate for the experience entrusted by the FT (Flores Traveler) management to register my name as a partner in conducting boat surveys. Together with Ino, as the photographer, Erlan as the head of the survey project and Tony at the wheel of the car, we executed this project according to established procedures from 10 to 11 of December 2022.

Almost 09:00 AM on Sunday, under the cloudless sky of Ruteng, we started our search to the western part of Nusa Nipa Island (an old name to Flores Island which means Island of snake). After a half way of drive, we stopped for few minutes drink coffee at a warung in Lembor. While drinking coffee, Erlan started explaining what needed to be done in Labuan Bajo and the reasons why this survey was made. Our journey continued after the coffee ran out.

The trip from Ruteng to Labuan Bajo took approximately 5 hours. At 12:00 PM, we arrived in Labuan Bajo, had waited a while to complete an appointment with the boat's captain who would be the first resource person, while stopping at a warung for lunch.

After having lunch and getting confirmation from the boat captain, we started driving the car to the pier. We crossed the ocean and stopped on the first boat with a lifeboat along with the captain of the Mata Komodo boat who had been waiting for us. After that, we continued to the next boat until the list of boats to be surveyed on the first day have been completed.

The next day we completed the survey appointment for the boat list on Sunday. The total number of boats that we surveyed was 12 units of boats with the types Cabin AC standard boat, phinisi, semi phinisi, and speedboats.

As a person who is not working in the tourism sector, I only carried out my duties according to the directions set by the FT  team, the rest I paid more attention to the conversations that occured after the survey questions had been given. Involved in surveys and freelance discussions in this field, I gained quite a lot of knowledge and information related to the world of tourism in Flores, Manggarai or even Labuan Bajo in particular. One of them , I knew the basic material that distinguishes the types of phinisi boat and those that are not, from this survey, I  understood that basically phinisi has 7 sails spread out.

The survey we conducted went well, although we could not meet several boat agents due to certain reasons. This survey summarized several important things related to boat information, such as boat type, engine, boat safety facilities and deck rooms, price and boat's cargo capacity. This information is a very important to prepare for inter-island tour service providers to know before presenting the options in the catalog about boats that are partners in FT's tour services. Apparently, we were well received by the boat's parties, some of the interviewees we met even admitted that direct surveys like the one we did were relatively new to them while they were working in the world of tourism and sailing services. They admitted that, direct surveys like this one made by FT management are good and important to be carried out as often as possible by those engaged in the world of tourism for the sake of updating information about shipping services, as well as to avoiding complaints from customers who hire tourism and boat services.

Before explaining the reasons underlying the management of FT to carry out a two-day boat survey, I will finish the story of our journey.

We returned to Ruteng on Monday afternoon, the car drove at a moderate speed as we fell in a very warm conversations. Occasionally we let only loud music in the car, occasionally there was a small evaluation of the previous day's journey regarding surveys. We arrived in Ruteng at night and Tony took me home at 1 AM.

Two days later the four of us, me, Erlan and Tony, together with Irwan as the admin and FT manager completed the survey data and reconfirmed the boats that we had not had time to survey by sending survey questions via online platforms.

The followings are some of the basic reasons why FT management felt it is important to conduct a boat survey,

1. The survey was carried out in preparation for a tour in the coming year, since several customers have confirmed to the FT management that in 2023, they will hire their services of an FT for touring around Komodo National park.

2. As an evaluation material for customers' complaints on several occasions, about unsatisfactory service from previous tours

3. Realizing that several complaints arose as a result of the team's negligence which only received uncertain information from other informants without being based on the power of direct surveys related to the situation and condition of the boat, the search, observation and data collection through direct surveys. FT management thought it is very important as satisfaction and reinforcement regarding the correctness of information on the field.

4. As one of the agents that puts forward the concept of sustainable and environmentally friendly tourism, this survey was also made with the hidden intention to look directly and in more detail about the facilities and condition of boats that are able to support the concept of sustainable tourism from the FT team.

5. Compile a catalog of boat lists and introduce to customers who want to do hopping islands tours, so that negotiations run smoothly when guests ask about boats options.

6. Avoid repeated communication regarding the services and facilities on the boat with the office or those involved, which are felt to be sufficient to disrupt the smooth flow of communication between customers and tour agents suits or between tour agents and the boat companies.

Have a nice day. Regards, Flores Traveler- Value Your Holiday!!