Working at a boating rental place isn’t all it’s cracked up to be

Working at a boating rental place seems ideal as a summer job. You get to be outside all day, you get to go out on the water in kayaks and on paddle boards for free, and you get to meet some pretty cool people. But it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great job, but not for me.

It can be the most stressful job in the world

When it’s slow, and there aren’t many customers everything is fine. We may run out of a lock or two for the lockers, but all in all it’s a great time. It’s when things start to really pick up- on the weekends, holiday, and particularly hot days- that things start to get hectic.

Now, it’s to be expected for things to get slightly hectic when customer flow picks up. But there are some aspects of the job that particularly bother me. When this happens, I tend to get irritable. My ability to manage stress has improved greatly over my two summers working for the boating rental place. Yet sometimes I wonder if the customers should undergo some training on how to act while going out boating.

One of my biggest issues with this job is the customer. Not the customer base, because a lot of different people visit, but customers in general. Most are fine, but some really get under my skin. This is to be expected, of course, because working at a boating rental place is basically entirely customer service, except when it’s not. Some people tend to yell and argue to get what they want, even if what they want is against company policy because of a safety. Customers: you think this will get you what you want. It won’t. All it will do is make the employee flustered, trying not to yell back at you while explaining the company policy on why you have to wear a lifejacket for the 10th time.

This is where I would like to stop myself to say that, while in the past some employees have been questionable, the boating rental place I worked for is stellar at hiring amazing people. This makes it easier to deal with difficult customers. If another employee corroborates what you tell the customer, it makes the whole job experience a lot less stressful.

The problem child

One specific time, after my shift was over, this guy wanted to take out his kids. We said sure but we were monitoring a storm and were waiting 30 minutes after the last clap of thunder before we would put people out on the water. He got pissed and walked away. He came back after 20 minutes and we said he could begin filling out the forms. He blew his shit and screamed at her. He called customer service and screamed at them too. One of my friends warned security that they night need them.

He came back, and they put him on the water. He was out for three hours before coming back in. Then he just sat on the bench and watched my friend until they closed. Shemade another coworker and the security guy walk with her after she closed up and had the money because she thought he was going to jump her. The next morning they came back and one of the pedal boats had been cut loose and was on the other side of the beach.

There were also those customers that called the Coast Guard while standing on land because they beached their peddle boat. Brilliant.

The customer isn’t always right

People seem to be under the impression that they’re always right when they go anywhere. Especially when it comes to a boating rental place where injury and risk is a lot higher, the customer is not right. We will work with you to help you get on the water in whatever way we can, but when it comes to safety there is no messing around. You sign a waiver that says you agree to all the rules we have, that neither the company or employees are responsible for what happens to you on the water, and we are not required to go out and get you if you have problems. You have to follow our rules or we will not let you out on the water. We don’t care if you’re an experienced swimmer, you have to wear a life jacket. No, you cannot fit that many people into the kind of boat you want to rent, and I honestly don’t care how much you try to haggle and bully me into giving you your way it’s not going to happen.

Sometime I’m not sure how people get by. If there are four signs between me and you that say we’re closed, and you walk past all of them to ask me if you can go out, chances are I don’t want to answer you. If you walk through seven picnic tables to get to me to ask if you can go out so that I can tell you what the signs you ignored already told you, that you have to fill out a waiver that’s on any of the picnic tables, and you ask me where the picnic tables are, chances are I am biting back so much sass and sarcasm it might look like something is wrong with me when I point out they’re all behind you. Where you just came from. If I repeat the instructions for getting into a kayak, “sit on the dock first, then put your feet in the boat, then put your butt in the boat,” about three times, you look me straight in the eye and say, “okay,” and proceed to step directly into the boat, I will want to just let go and watch you fall in. I’ve seen it done, it happens. Not to mention that no matter what it looks like, helping you get into and out of a kayak is physical work, and I have had my back thrown out a couple times because people cannot for the life of them listen to instructions and do what they feel like doing. I’m 20 years old.

If dock staff were honest

Yes, that is when we put out the last boat. No, I won’t make a special exception for you even though it is your last day on vacation here. Maybe you should’ve come out during the eight hours we were open.

Yes, this is retail. No, the customer is not always right when you try to endanger yourself. Remember, you signed a waiver.

No, I don’t make up weather conditions just to prevent you from going out.

No, I’m not trying to be vindictive by mentioning your weight. Boats have weight limits, and it’s for your safety. Remember, you signed a waiver.

No, our kayaks don’t have seat belts, but ask me one more time and we’ll wish they did.

Yes, I see you waiving your arms for help because you were an idiot and beached yourself on shore, but I’m just going to turn my back to you and pretend I didn’t see you. Remember, you signed a waiver.

Through the customers and the stress, this summer job was not worth what it put me through regardless of the free trips on the water, the great employees, or the pretty good pay. As a psychology student, I plan on working with people for a living so I think I’ll get my stress from there instead.