At one of the most recent meetings it was mentioned that the Tour process was in disarray or disorganized. We have created this guide to explain the tour process which should shed light on how things work and hopefully clear up any misconceptions.
History: Before the current system, prospective members would email us and ask a million questions about the Club and ask when they could come see it. Someone would respond back and forth multiple times answering questions and would finally arrange a date and time that was suitable for both parties, often giving a one-on-one tour. During Covid and the influx of interest this became time consuming due to demand. We also had a standing tour every Saturday at 1pm. This was somewhat problematic because there may or may not be a Tour Guide there Saturday as promised or if the Tour Guide was available, sometimes no one would show up. Alternatively, with no designated Tour Guide present the onus would fall on an unsuspecting (and possibly untrained) Club member trying to go sail. This often frustrated both Tour Guides, regular Members, and prospective members depending on whether or not each party actually showed or was available.
We created the Tour Committee and Tour Process to address the inadequacies and come up with a smoother solution to this demand. It was determined that we needed designated Tour Guides (anyone can be a Guide) and a Tour Checklist so that each Tour would be almost the same no matter which Tour Guide gave the Tour. All Tour Guides are added to the Tours Email Address and given access to the Tour Guide Spreadsheet on GDrive which tracks the process so that each guide can stay up-to-date. More on that later.
Solution: Steps were created on the website for prospective members to follow called, “Before your come…”. Here are the steps:
- FAQ’s: These should answer almost every question that has been or we anticipated could be asked. If anyone has further questions, they are directed to sign up for a Tour and the Tour Guide can answer any further questions. If we get an email anyways asking a question not already answered, we add it to the website FAQ.
- Sign our waiver: This makes sure we get people coming to the Club to sign before they come. If something happens to them while they are there, we care covered. If they later join the Club, we have a valid waiver already and eliminate the possibility that it is missed during the signup process. Previously, we had people stepping on to the property and getting tours without having signed the waiver.
- Schedule a Tour: This allows prospective members or new members to indicate that they would like and/or are ready for a tour. If Tours are available they can sign up for them. If no Tours are available, they can sign up for the Waiting List. Three things happen when this occurs:
- They are added to the website database for those awaiting tours: http://michigansailingclub.org/tours/ AND
- An email is sent immediately and automatically to every Tour Guide with the person’s contact information and their level of sailing experience.
- Every now and again, the webmaster clears the website waiting list and transfers the names to the GDrive Tour Committee Spreadsheet.
What happens next is up to the individual Tour Guides. At any time:
- Tour Guides can contact each individual (either from the generated email or from the spreadsheet) and set up an individual tour OR
- Send an email blast (or request the webmaster to send) to everyone waiting for a Tour with a specific date and time of the Tour Guides preference.
- Guides can request an RSVP or leave it opened ended.
- Tour Guides also can setup a date (or multiple dates) in the future they wish to be available. These dates are added to the website and prospective members can sign up for these in lieu of getting on the waiting list. Each Guide will be notified via email when someone signs up for their Tour. If no one signs up, Tour Guides knows they do not have to report to the Club or can make other plans that day.
- Once the Tour is complete, it is the responsibility of the Tour Guide to go in to the spreadsheet and mark the person as having had a Tour, the date of the Tour, and the Tour Guides name, thus indicating to the other Tour Guides not to contact said individuals for the next Tour.
- Guides can also indicate on the spreadsheet whether or not this individual is a good candidate for Fast Tracking based on their conversations and observing the prospective member during the Tour.
- If a prospective members indicates that they have extensive sailing experience, the Tour Guide has the option to further investigate this claim by offering a Nomenclature Test (either orally or from the website test) after the Tour. This is a good benchmark to verify their claims. While it may not always positively indicate an experienced sailor it will eliminate inadequate ones right away.
- The webmaster will occasionally cleanup the Tour Spreadsheet by clearing the completed tours and moving to another tab. Anyone tagged with the possibility of having FastTracker status will get moved to the Vice Commodore’s folder for the instructors to help facilitate getting Basic rated quickly.
It is up to the Tour Guides to make themselves available for Tours, to arrange their own Tours, and to keep the Tour Spreadsheet up-to-date.
Sample of the Tour spreadsheet:
