After the successful launch of new charging points for electric boats in Cowes Harbour earlier this Summer, Cowes Harbour Commission has recently achieved another 1st with a new initiative to upgrade the visitor experience for those arriving in Cowes by boat.
In a move that stands to revolutionise the marine industry, both Trinity Landing and Town Quay now have a first-to-market, easy-to-use smartphone payment system for all short-stay visitor moorings of RIBs and small craft.
The system was designed specifically for Cowes Harbour Commission (CHC) by parking and payments specialist Avalon with the remit of making short-term berthing for CHC customers and visitors easier, quicker, and available 24/7.
Tim Watkins, Director at Avalon, has said:
“Cowes Harbour had identified that visitor mooring payments were not user-friendly, Avalon’s system has brought them into the digital age. The previous process was totally manual and not at all convenient for users, who had to walk to the office, and relied on the availability of a member of staff”.
“Our intuitive system makes it fast and easy for skippers to pay for mooring using their smartphone. The harbour patrols have instant knowledge of which boats have paid, with any non-payers quickly identified and provided with a QR code to make payment.
Visitors simply use their mobile device to scan the QR code, enter a few key details and pay for their mooring, leaving them more time to enjoy their visit to Cowes. The move takes the Harbour into a more digital world and increases customer and visitor convenience, while the cost of berthing remains the same.
Gary Hall, CEO of Cowes Harbour Commission, adds:
“After successful trials at Town Quay we have rolled out this process to Trinity Landing and have received very encouraging feedback from visitors that this saves time when berthing and is very simple to use. Avalon have been very responsive and easy to work with and I’d like to thank them for creating a clean process that helps us deliver great customer service in the Harbour”.
