Jamie Feast
Low water levels in Europe’s rivers often affect river navigation. And while recent rain in Europe has eased immediate concerns about last-minute changes, it’s an issue advisers will inevitably have to deal with at some point.
Here’s how one, Suzy Schreiner, owner of Azure Blue Vacations in Seattle, turns what could be a negative into a positive.
“It’s been something I’ve been paying a lot of attention to, but what I’ve been able to use it for is additional connections with my clients,” Schreiner said.
It starts well in advance of the trip by mentally preparing them for a number of different scenarios: Is there a possibility of an interruption in their trip? If there is a break, what does it look like? What happens if there is a complete disruption of travel? What is the backup plan?
“I’ve found, especially in the last couple of years, when people travel, there are all kinds of random things that come up,” she said. “People test positive for Covid, or whatever. I help prepare them for what to expect, it helps them enjoy their trip more. When they feel like they have a plan, they feel more confident.”
That way, Schreiner said, they go into their trip with confidence, and if a disruption occurs, they already know the backup plan.
Last week, she had clients enjoying the trip to Italy before boarding an Avalon Waterways vessel for a river cruise.
While they were enjoying the country, Schreiner was in active contact with Avalon asking about river levels and how their ships were doing.
“Then I’ll go back and communicate these things with my clients, little notes on their journey, just so they know I’m looking out for them,” she said. “I’m keeping an eye on things for them. So they don’t have a worry in the world, they just know that Susie is keeping an eye on things for them.”
They also know if an outage occurs, Schreiner will be there to help.
So far, Schreiner hasn’t had any cancellations for fear of low-water-related outages, she said.
“But it’s been a great opportunity for me to prepare clients and really shine as far as my level of service,” Schreiner said.
It’s a tactic that seems to be working: Since the start of the pandemic, her customer base has grown steadily, mostly through referrals.
“It was the referrals that were coming to me because my clients felt so cared for,” she said. “They just felt like they weren’t swimming alone in the deep waters of Covid.”
