Your Prescription for the Biggest Headache in Boating

We’ve all been there. Load the boat with gear, prep the deal with, retailer the meals and drinks, everybody is worked up about having fun with a day on the water, flip the important thing to start out the motor—and nothing occurs. Ugh!

Michael Kiel, founder and CEO of Boat Planet, has been there too. “There’s nothing worse than trying ahead to boating after which one thing goes fallacious,” he sighs. That’s why Kiel developed Boat Planet, a web-based boating useful resource that helps boaters join with service suppliers. 

After a number of unhealthy experiences with mechanics and detailers, Kiel was annoyed with the established order. “I might arrive to the ­marina on a Friday afternoon to discover a soiled boat with the duvet nonetheless on,” he remembers. One time, a mechanic left a greasy motor half on Kiel’s upholstery to sign the job was performed. “Why was I spending some huge cash for this stage of ­service?” he requested. 

So Kiel began a Fb group for boaters. “I noticed lots of people are dealing with the identical issues,” he says. He additionally realized service suppliers have been on the lookout for a brand new option to attain prospects. Tapping his expertise in advertising and impressed by user-friendly rideshare apps, Kiel cooked up Boat Planet, a painless means for boaters to e-book service, restore, detailing and extra.

To make use of BoatPlanet.com, a ­boater submits a request by filling out a web-based type and offering pictures and an in depth description of the required work. Boat Planet sends the request for a quote to a number of native service suppliers within the boater’s space. The location hosts over 35,000 licensed service suppliers backed by person critiques.

After the request is submitted, the boater receives as much as three quotes for the required service. Kiel recommends together with pictures and detailed descriptions for essentially the most correct quote. 

As soon as the boater accepts a quote, they pay for the job on Boat Planet’s web site. Boat Planet holds the funds till the ­boater verifies the work was accomplished satisfactorily. Then Boat Planet instantly releases the fee to the supplier’s checking account. “We offer monetary safety to the boater whereas guaranteeing the service supplier will get paid for the work,” Kiel provides. 

Any points between the ­boater and repair supplier are ­dealt with by Boat Planet’s on-line assist middle. “Ninety-nine % of the time, we discover a answer to the issue,” Kiel says. Each boaters and suppliers respect the straightforward communication via the Boat Planet platform. 

Boat Planet boasts over 100,000 customers and a nationwide community of service professionals. Out there companies vary from upkeep and restore to detailing, electronics and extra. Making a job request on BoatPlanet.com takes solely minutes. Quotes are available as ­rapidly as a few hours, however can range relying on the boat’s location. 

Boat Planet is growing an industry-­first function that may ship boaters service reminders based mostly on their boat’s location, utilization and the time of yr. The corporate may also launch a cell app to enhance the person expertise. “I need to present boaters with every thing they should benefit from the boating life-style with much less stress and complications,” Kiel says.