The Sun always rises - just like Success

byShalei67

231 followers

5 years ago

Have you ever watched a sunrise atop Haleakala Crater on the island of Maui? I did for the first time with my husband during our honeymoon a few years ago. It was one of our "firsts" together even though I was raised in Hana for over ten years during my childhood back in the mid-70s thru the early 80s.

The week after we were married on Oahu, he wanted to see where I lived and grew up - namely visit Maui and of course, take the road to Hana. For those of you that have visited that island, you know what a beautiful but long drive it is to reach the east side of Maui. But it is just as long a drive heading up to Haleakala to watch the sunrise because you need to leave as early as 2 a.m. It could take longer depending on what area of the island you are staying.

It's All In The Details

I decided I wasn't doing any driving and booked a mini-bus tour and we shared the ride with about a dozen other visitors to watch the sunrise. Booking it with a tour company was a lot easier even though it was more costly, but I thought it was worth it. Someone else was driving and very knowledgeable about where we were heading, the seats were comfortable in a climate-controlled vehicle and after our visit up at the crater, we were getting a nice breakfast in the town of Makawao. Yes, food is always a hook for me. We also had time enough to stop at some boutique shops to buy a few gifts for friends back in Oregon and visit a local bakery famous for their local homemade pastries guava shortbread and lilikoi (passion fruit) chiffon cream cheese squares.

We were also instructed on what to wear, when to be ready, where we could get a good look when the sun rose and where the restroom facilities were once we arrived. The information was very helpful to those of us stilll half-asleep. The driver planned well: he had a mini cooler of fresh fruits, juices and a very large thermos of hot, steaming local coffee complete with containers of cream, sugar, stevia, coffee stir sticks, napkins and yes, the man even provided warm pastries before starting his pick-up. All these little details not only make us feel better, but we felt more refreshed and eager to reach the crater to watch the sunrise.

Adding Value for Customer Satisfaction

I was impressed even more because he was courteous, gracious and cheerful without being overly loud. He didn't talk non-stop, but was always responsive to any questions or concerns the group had. During the ride, the driver even shared with us history about the crater, the town of Makawao and other interesting spots visitors could visit, dine and shop.

I realized that he added value to our ride when he shared his own experiences as a long-time resident as well as answer any questions our group had about how the island has changed, economic growth and why Maui was the most expensive island to live in Hawaii. He gave insight about his own experiences being raised on Maui then moving to California helping run a successful B&B Inn for nearly 15 years before returning home and ending up in another aspect of the hospitality business: a tour bus driver.

Knowledge is Power

It made me realize that information is key to a positive, successful experience. It is a component that applies to our content writing for our websites or when we post here at the WA site. The information that every WA member brings to their posts, their questions and their websites provides new or additional information many of us were not aware of before.

Do you think this will help your market affliate business grow exponentially and reach more audiences if you share your wealth of expertise and information to an uninformed consumer population hungry to know what you know? Absolutely!

Some people might think a tour bus driver occupation isn't really considered a high-income job but it certainly isn't the lowest one either. But it is a much needed one for people who require an SME about the local area. They also know that customers will remember the ones who gave that extra smile, shared that extra tidbit about saving money while vacationing and recommend places never visited. The service is memorable enough people will return again and also tell others about company that provides friendly and knowledgeable tour bus drivers.

Nobody raves about average.

I certainly was glad I could book a tour to visit Haleakala at sunrise through the hotel we stayed at and I wasn't expecting all the little extras our driver provided. Sure, maybe some information and warm "aloha" greeting which is typical. But he went the extra mile by catering to our physical needs first - making sure we had comfortable seats, having a climate-controlled van and providing the extra early morning snacks and refreshments - at no additional cost.

Do you think I plan on sharing my experience about my Haleakala Sunrise Tour to any of my friends who are planning a first-time visit to Maui? Of course - and I will even tell them the tour company offers Haleakala Sunset Tours as well with a dinner provided at a popular restaurant in Upcountry Maui that specializes in farm-to-table fine dining Pacific Rim cuisine.

Are you hooked? Considering visiting Maui soon? Good! Tell'em Shalei sent you.