We’ve all been there. Load the boat with gear, prep the tackle, store the food and drinks, everyone is excited about enjoying a day on the water, turn the key to start the motor—and nothing happens. Ugh!
Michael Kiel, founder and CEO of Boat Planet, has been there too. “There’s nothing worse than looking forward to boating and then something goes wrong,” he sighs. That’s why Kiel developed Boat Planet, an online boating resource that helps boaters connect with service providers.
After several bad experiences with mechanics and detailers, Kiel was frustrated with the status quo. “I would arrive to the marina on a Friday afternoon to find a dirty boat with the cover still on,” he remembers. One time, a mechanic left a greasy motor part on Kiel’s upholstery to signal the job was done. “Why was I spending a lot of money for this level of service?” he asked.
So Kiel started a Facebook group for boaters. “I realized a lot of people are facing the same problems,” he says. He also realized service providers were looking for a new way to reach customers. Tapping his experience in marketing and inspired by user-friendly rideshare apps, Kiel cooked up Boat Planet, a painless way for boaters to book service, repair, detailing and more.
To use BoatPlanet.com, a boater submits a request by filling out an online form and providing photos and a detailed description of the required work. Boat Planet sends the request for a quote to several local service providers in the boater’s area. The site hosts over 35,000 certified service providers backed by user reviews.
After the request is submitted, the boater receives up to three quotes for the required service. Kiel recommends including photos and detailed descriptions for the most accurate quote.
Once the boater accepts a quote, they pay for the job on Boat Planet’s site. Boat Planet holds the funds until the boater verifies the work was completed satisfactorily. Then Boat Planet immediately releases the payment to the provider’s bank account. “We provide financial protection to the boater while ensuring the service provider gets paid for the work,” Kiel adds.
Any issues between the boater and service provider are handled by Boat Planet’s online help center. “Ninety-nine percent of the time, we find a solution to the problem,” Kiel says. Both boaters and providers appreciate the easy communication through the Boat Planet platform.
Boat Planet boasts over 100,000 users and a nationwide network of service pros. Available services range from maintenance and repair to detailing, electronics and more. Creating a job request on BoatPlanet.com takes only minutes. Quotes come in as quickly as a couple of hours, but can vary depending on the boat’s location.
Boat Planet is developing an industry-first feature that will send boaters service reminders based on their boat’s location, usage and the time of year. The company will also launch a mobile app to improve the user experience. “I want to provide boaters with everything they need to enjoy the boating lifestyle with less stress and headaches,” Kiel says.
