Rafting and camera damage
Two weeks ago I received a report from one of the managers at BJ'S that we were having difficulties satisfying the requests of one of our clients with regard to a camera which was damaged during one of our rafting trips.
Over the last 10 years in Indonesia, our companies in Bali, Sulawesi and West Java have been responsible for taking well over 450,000 customers white-water rafting and we have a very simple and smooth policy for damaged personal equipment, which is that on receipt of the guide's report, we reimburse the reparation, in some cases, the total cost of the camera. The US$50,000 insurance policy that we have is part of a moral and service obligation which only covers personal injury.
Before departure, in order to protect personal equipment, our guides are instructed to inform clients of the procedures applied to stop anything getting lost or wet on the trip. On this particular trip I ascertained from the reports obtained from my managers that the dry bag which we utilized to secure Mr. Schillinger's camera was insecurely fastened and the fault behind the damage lies with the guide and is therefore the company's responsibility.
However, on this occasion, our manager contacted Mr. Schillinger and over a three-day period the quotes for reparation of the camera went from Rp 150,000 to Rp 280,000 to Rp 900,000. Obviously we requested the invoice from the shop at which the camera was to be repaired in order to satisfy ourselves that we were in fact paying for the reparation of the camera. Two days later Mr. Schillinger phoned, in what was only his second communication with our office, with a rather threatening tone.
I'm sure that the readers understand that over the last decade we've had numerous "camera" incidents. I would conservatively estimate that 95 percent of all cases have been successfully -- from the customer's point of view -- followed up. This is despite the fact that it is usually the clients who have made the error with regard to securing their cameras in the watertight bags.
As for Mr. Gentry, white-water rafting is a seasonal affair. I'm glad you enjoyed rafting with us last April. It is great fun and extremely exciting. We have recently tried out and purchased a fleet of smaller boats much more suitable for the low water season. These boats run the lower water far more fluently then when you took the trip on July 6, 1996. We have only been running this stretch of river commercially for a short period and two or three days before you came on the river, it was running at a much higher volume.
We are endeavoring with all our experience and professionalism to provide Jakarta with a top quality adventure experience and we also listen to and value constructive client responses.
NICK BLACKBEARD
Senior Advisor to Sobek and PT BJ'S
Sanur, Bali