A variation of the Hey Captain tool
Since 2014, the Nantes-based start-up Hey Captain, founded by Clément Douet, Patrick Piveteau and Etienne Millet, has been offering professionals a booking, payment and planning management tool for private boat hire. In addition to Hey Captain, the offer for the same boat can be relayed to other sites, whether it is that of the charter company or a brand platform as is the case for Zodiac Location. With a common schedule, the technology avoids double booking.
For the Bénéteau Boat Club, Hey Captain provides the Vendée boat brand with a website based on this proven technology. The entire club fleet, supplied by the dealer network, is referenced there. Instead of the classic payment set up on Hey Captain, the members of the club will use the credits obtained within the framework of their registration to the Bénéteau Boat Club. They can also manage their account. As Clément Douet explains,"We're bringing the technical brick that was missing from the Boat Club."
A logical collaboration
Hey Captain's founder sees this as the logical development of the collaboration with the Bénéteau network. "We already work with 90% of the Bénéteau network in France for rental. When the Boat Club project emerged, we had a tripartite meeting with Bénéteau's commercial management and the Association des Resendeurs Bénéteau. The collaborative project was born."
Opening up to new markets for Hey Captain
With this new tool, Hey Captain will be able to reach new customers, notably in Spain where the Boat Club is setting up, but where the Nantes start-up was absent. It is also a way to build the loyalty of Hey Captain's professional rental customers, members of the Bénéteau network. Finally, it's a way to test the booming boat club market in Europe. "It's a way of being present on a new use. We can also see if the clientele comes more from our rental users or former owners..." One way to prepare for the future can be?
