Rafting and camera damage

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