The importance of customer handovers, with Jake Macquarie

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What does the handover process include?

To be honest with you I go through absolute everything. I’ll open all the compartments, lockers, explain what everything is and how to use it. Heating and satellite systems, head units at the front, all the controls within the motorhome – I tend to run up and demonstrate to the customers; one, they can see they’re working and two, it gives them an idea of how to use them when they’re on the road.

How long does the handover process take?

It can take anything from an hour to four hours, depending on the customer. Obviously newer customers, they can take twice as long as somebody that’s had a motorhome before. All motorhomes are different in the respect of the appliances can be used differently – the draining systems, they’ll all be in different places, so playing with the things here at TravelWorld, I’ve been here six years, so, I mean they all do the same thing, but in different ways. So, playing with the vehicle when the customers come in to collect the vehicle on a certain day, I’ll check the vehicle over in the morning, run all the appliances up, make sure the condition of the vehicle is acceptable and make sure I’ve got a good understanding before I start talking to the customer.

Why is this process important to TravelWorld?

Well, it can be a very daunting thing when you’re a new customer. You know, you’re spending sort of between 70, 100, 100 plus grand on a vehicle. To just be thrown the keys as in kicked off down the road, it’s not a very nice experience and it could be quite daunting for them I should imagine. So to feel comfortable and like they’re being looked after and for someone to spend the time with them to make sure they’re happy with everything, I think it serves the customers very well. I mean the feedback I get from them tends to be very good 99 per cent of the time. They feel like they’re being looked after. I don’t let them leave until, you know, if they’re looking a bit vague as I’m explaining something, I’ll say to them ‘are you okay?’, ‘do you understand that’, ‘do you want me to go through it again’. It gives me a lot of satisfaction to have customers happy and leaving happy, so it’s a nice job to be in.