Events this week have taken over my blog again and you will be delighted to hear that I’am not talking about The Lisbon Treaty! What I’am talking about is the incredible rise in Fuel costs over the last week indeed is has got so serious that the Irish Road Haulage Association had a crises meeting last night and their President has warned that many hauliers will go out of business within a month if some relief is not given and having been involved closely with haulage in a past life and don’t doubt him for a minute.
So, if are reading this in Ireland you might be wondering what of the bus and coach operators? Do they not use diesel? Or are their profit margins so huge that they can absorb such outrageous increases? These would all be reasonable questions as the outcry from our industry has been, well, non existent!
Well the answer is we all use diesel and as far as I can see margins are tiny if indeed many are making a profit so why are we so quiet?
The only answer I can give to this is that we do not have a representative trade body, we have the Coach Tourism Council that speak very eloquently for their members on many matters but, unfortunately do not speak for companies like us who do not match criteria to become a member (age of vehicles, number of staff etc). There are some other bodies such as FOTA and PAMBO but to be honest they seem to have many other agendas (which they do follow very well).
So whats the answer if we want our voice to be heard? The only answer I can think of is to try to form a trade association that leaves behind issues of hierarchy and mistrust of members motives and gets stuck into the big and burning issues that threaten the very existence of our industry and fight some of the other obstacles to profitable operation that exist for everyone in our industry – what do you think?
Both the hauliers and fisherman have made the news this week and compliments to both for putting their point across, we really do need to act.
You might be wondering how this all affects us personally, well I have to say that fortunately because of prudent fleet replacement and refurbishment we are able to weather the storm better than if we had huge finance payments to meet every month but nonetheless our margins are squeezed particularly when combined with the global downturn in business.
So how can you help this poor coach operator? Here is a good way, book one of our tours instead of going with one of the multi national large groups and let our lean green touring machine sock it to them and prove you don’t need 20 new buses to become a major player in the business!
Music – The Stone Roses – Best of – another revisit really but great to here some fantastic ravey, rocky music that become their trademark, still cant decide if Fools Gold or I’am the Resurrection is my favourite roses track!
Books – No change from last week (been very busy!)
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Richard’s Blog – 08.06.08 – What do you think? ……….
I don’t know if I have mentioned this but we are a member of our local Tourism Learning Network which is being facilitated by our friends at Mayday management. The aim of the network is to improve access to learning for small companies like ours and also to help us improve our business in many ways. I personally feel it has been a real benefit and that Mayday has made a great job of a very hard and often unrewarding task.
One of the crucial areas that being a member has helped us is that it has encouraged us to take an outside view of our business which is often hard when you seem to spend your life driving and washing busses! I hate to use a buzz phrase but here goes – “looking outside the box” has in some ways changed the company and is an exercise that I would recommend to all small business owners. I intend to re read a book I read last year called The Art of Possibility by Ben and Rosalind Zander and the gist of this is often that the answer to your problem may lie under your nose if you can look beyond the obvious.
We are currently operating a customer survey in conjunction with The Network and whilst we have done one in the past this one is proving to be very illuminating and whilst I ‘am pleased to say feedback has been generally positive, people do say things on paper that they would never say to your face! One response that particularly hurt was the lady with Christine on Sunday who answered the question “would you recommend Barratt Tours to a friend or family” to which she answered with an emphatic no with “no” other explanation! If by any chance the lady is reading this please drop Chris a line to let her know where we went wrong!
So, as ever, if I’am missing something obvious that will prove popular or a group of you think it might be fun to spend a week doing goodness knows what in Ireland, get in touch and you will find that we are far more broad minded and imaginative than your average tour company!
This week’s music – Forever Delayed – The Manic Street Preachers- A glorious re visit to many forgotten tracks and contains “A design for life” which is surely in my top ten favourite tracks of all time! And it was only Eu4.99 in Galway – what more could you want!
This weeks book – Still on with Ruinair but just starting something juicy – Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs by Irvine Welsh – its early days but shaping up to be great read (if you aren’t easily offended!!) This has inspired me to read Trainspotting as I love the film and never got round to reading it.
One of the crucial areas that being a member has helped us is that it has encouraged us to take an outside view of our business which is often hard when you seem to spend your life driving and washing busses! I hate to use a buzz phrase but here goes – “looking outside the box” has in some ways changed the company and is an exercise that I would recommend to all small business owners. I intend to re read a book I read last year called The Art of Possibility by Ben and Rosalind Zander and the gist of this is often that the answer to your problem may lie under your nose if you can look beyond the obvious.
We are currently operating a customer survey in conjunction with The Network and whilst we have done one in the past this one is proving to be very illuminating and whilst I ‘am pleased to say feedback has been generally positive, people do say things on paper that they would never say to your face! One response that particularly hurt was the lady with Christine on Sunday who answered the question “would you recommend Barratt Tours to a friend or family” to which she answered with an emphatic no with “no” other explanation! If by any chance the lady is reading this please drop Chris a line to let her know where we went wrong!
So, as ever, if I’am missing something obvious that will prove popular or a group of you think it might be fun to spend a week doing goodness knows what in Ireland, get in touch and you will find that we are far more broad minded and imaginative than your average tour company!
This week’s music – Forever Delayed – The Manic Street Preachers- A glorious re visit to many forgotten tracks and contains “A design for life” which is surely in my top ten favourite tracks of all time! And it was only Eu4.99 in Galway – what more could you want!
This weeks book – Still on with Ruinair but just starting something juicy – Bedroom Secrets of the Master Chefs by Irvine Welsh – its early days but shaping up to be great read (if you aren’t easily offended!!) This has inspired me to read Trainspotting as I love the film and never got round to reading it.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Richard's Blog 02.06.08 – Roll up for the mystery tour.
On Wednesday last week our normal attraction on the Galway tour – The Corrib Cruise was not available and so since we had some existing bookings we offered those passengers the option of taken a tour to Galway which followed one of our old itineraries which incorporated a tour across peat bogs on the edge of Connemara and a visit to Standuns shop in Spiddal.
To our surprise we got a few extra bookings and they all seemed to like the idea of a one off kind of tour. I ran the tour and whilst the weather was not the best I think a great time was had by all (myself included – change of scene!) and I got to thinking would people trust us to show them something great on one of our tours which would not be in a strict itinerary? I know of some fantastic places on the Burren which never see a coach tour but they are not “big names” –so will they sell tours? I would love to hear what you think – I love the idea of a mystery tour like coach tour companies used to offer in days gone by. Some attractions close at the end of September so our normal tour programe will change – it might be a thought to throw in a few more adventurous tours for October – please as ever let me have your thoughts.
To be honest I do not get too much feedback yet from my blogs and so I would love to hear your thoughts – I might even publish some, or how about a Barratt Tours forum or chat room? I really like the idea of turning our website into something that is more of a community – so drop me an e.mail if you agree.
Also to explain my state of mind for the week I’am going to start telling you my favourite music for the week which will normally be my most listened to album on my ipod and also what book I’am slowly reading! So here goes –
Music – Muse – Black holes and Revelations – I never really get up to date with the music scene and I know this has been out ages but I love the massive sound and production, it is one of the few truly epic new (ish!!) albums that I have heard, got to say after careful consideration Knights of Cydonia is my favourite track.
Book – Ruinair – Paul Kilduff – A brilliant tale of one mans revenge on our favourite budget airline! Absolutely hilarious read that any of you that have enjoyed Ryanair “hospitality" will identify with!
To our surprise we got a few extra bookings and they all seemed to like the idea of a one off kind of tour. I ran the tour and whilst the weather was not the best I think a great time was had by all (myself included – change of scene!) and I got to thinking would people trust us to show them something great on one of our tours which would not be in a strict itinerary? I know of some fantastic places on the Burren which never see a coach tour but they are not “big names” –so will they sell tours? I would love to hear what you think – I love the idea of a mystery tour like coach tour companies used to offer in days gone by. Some attractions close at the end of September so our normal tour programe will change – it might be a thought to throw in a few more adventurous tours for October – please as ever let me have your thoughts.
To be honest I do not get too much feedback yet from my blogs and so I would love to hear your thoughts – I might even publish some, or how about a Barratt Tours forum or chat room? I really like the idea of turning our website into something that is more of a community – so drop me an e.mail if you agree.
Also to explain my state of mind for the week I’am going to start telling you my favourite music for the week which will normally be my most listened to album on my ipod and also what book I’am slowly reading! So here goes –
Music – Muse – Black holes and Revelations – I never really get up to date with the music scene and I know this has been out ages but I love the massive sound and production, it is one of the few truly epic new (ish!!) albums that I have heard, got to say after careful consideration Knights of Cydonia is my favourite track.
Book – Ruinair – Paul Kilduff – A brilliant tale of one mans revenge on our favourite budget airline! Absolutely hilarious read that any of you that have enjoyed Ryanair “hospitality" will identify with!
Monday, June 2, 2008
24.05.08 - The Knights of The Road (are they all dead?)
This week my blog is on a subject suggested by Christine and I quite like it so here goes.
One of the many things I enjoy about this business is the fun and camaraderie between other coach drivers but lately we have noticed that even that is being slowly eroded, the custom has always been for fellow drivers to exchange a wave when we meet on the road but I have noticed these greetings fall into x distinct categories:
1) The flash of lights and cheery wave – This is normally exchanged between those that know each other or work on the same job (like day tour drivers).
2) The simple wave – Normally used between drivers who act in the spirit of common courtesy – always nice to be acknowledged!
3) The nonchalantly raised hand or fingers from the steering wheel – The lowest form of acknowledgement normally reserved for rival companies and larger bus operators who may or may not be owned by the state! But is it still recognition!
4) The didn’t see you – no reaction at all – maybe they didn’t see us! We might give these the benefit of the doubt!
5) The total ignore – This is the one that is becoming the most popular and this is mainly the preserve of drivers on big name tours or our semi state tour company who as we all know are are far too important to acknowledge mere mortals like ourselves!
The total ignore is also often spectacularly demonstrated when we stop at major attractions like The Cliffs and Blarney as you can meet these characters in the coach park and even speak to them but still receive a blank! I often wonder why, if they are so great are they driving for someone else rather than driving their own bus like us. The funny thing is (and Chris made this observation!) they all tend to look the same, they are short bald grey men with a massive stomach gained from endless years of three free meals a day and they are easy to spot when dealing with passengers as they have a healthy disdain for them too as that is their guides job to talk and “anyhow what would I want to have anything do with that shower anyway! “
Those of you that have traveled with me lately might have notice that I’am currently on a diet as I looked in the mirror and thought I might be developing a tour driver stomach to go with my fashionably reseeding hair line! And perish the thought I might be turning into one of them.
So if your thing is traveling with grumpy old men and neurotic tour guides book with one of the big groups but if you want a blogger as your guide – book with us or better still take one of new nicetours and you will get both of us!
One of the many things I enjoy about this business is the fun and camaraderie between other coach drivers but lately we have noticed that even that is being slowly eroded, the custom has always been for fellow drivers to exchange a wave when we meet on the road but I have noticed these greetings fall into x distinct categories:
1) The flash of lights and cheery wave – This is normally exchanged between those that know each other or work on the same job (like day tour drivers).
2) The simple wave – Normally used between drivers who act in the spirit of common courtesy – always nice to be acknowledged!
3) The nonchalantly raised hand or fingers from the steering wheel – The lowest form of acknowledgement normally reserved for rival companies and larger bus operators who may or may not be owned by the state! But is it still recognition!
4) The didn’t see you – no reaction at all – maybe they didn’t see us! We might give these the benefit of the doubt!
5) The total ignore – This is the one that is becoming the most popular and this is mainly the preserve of drivers on big name tours or our semi state tour company who as we all know are are far too important to acknowledge mere mortals like ourselves!
The total ignore is also often spectacularly demonstrated when we stop at major attractions like The Cliffs and Blarney as you can meet these characters in the coach park and even speak to them but still receive a blank! I often wonder why, if they are so great are they driving for someone else rather than driving their own bus like us. The funny thing is (and Chris made this observation!) they all tend to look the same, they are short bald grey men with a massive stomach gained from endless years of three free meals a day and they are easy to spot when dealing with passengers as they have a healthy disdain for them too as that is their guides job to talk and “anyhow what would I want to have anything do with that shower anyway! “
Those of you that have traveled with me lately might have notice that I’am currently on a diet as I looked in the mirror and thought I might be developing a tour driver stomach to go with my fashionably reseeding hair line! And perish the thought I might be turning into one of them.
So if your thing is traveling with grumpy old men and neurotic tour guides book with one of the big groups but if you want a blogger as your guide – book with us or better still take one of new nicetours and you will get both of us!
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