In the business of renting camper vans, customer service doesn’t stop at the point of sale. Boho Camper Vans co-owners David Sodemann and Brett Ellenson help customers navigate every aspect of their travel experience, from equipping them with camping supplies and recommendations for the best views and campsites to troubleshooting issues on the road and answering questions at all hours of the day.
Boho’s customers have high expectations—many are celebrating engagements, anniversaries, honeymoons, or baby showers—and they come to Boho to make memories that last a lifetime. David aims to surpass those expectations with celebratory flourishes, open communication, and continuous improvement.
Below, David shares three ways he goes the extra mile for his customers so they can enjoy countless miles on the road.
1. Celebrating customers’ milestones with a flourish
Many of Boho’s customers mark an important milestone in their life with a scenic, unique travel experience: a trip across the southwest in a fully equipped camper van, taking in sites like the Grand Canyon and Zion National Park. Whatever the occasion, David knows how meaningful a vacation can be, so he takes every opportunity he can get to make the rental process even more special for customers.
“It’s an honor to be involved in huge life events. You can’t get a bigger compliment than that,” he said. “When we get word [about] a big life event such as a wedding, we’ll do what we can prior to make it a little extra special—a small touch, like putting balloons in the van or a card or a bottle of champagne. The renters appreciate that, and it gets everything off to just an exceptional start.”
According to David, asking customers about their celebrations also helps him connect with them early on and build trust that lasts beyond their trip. This is something all business owners can do, regardless of industry—celebrating customers can be as simple as sending thank you cards on their birthday or checking in with them after a sale or service.
“I don’t know if anyone’s ever taken a perfect vacation, but when you start off with that trust and that excitement, and then an issue does arise, they’re going to feel more comfortable talking to you about it and being honest,” David said. “Ultimately, it’s like renting to a friend rather than renting to a customer.”
2. Maintaining an accessible flow of communication
Another way David goes above and beyond for his customers is remaining accessible at all times. When your business caters to people in potentially high-pressure situations, such as a van breaking down or a driver getting lost, this flow of communication is especially important to help put people at ease.
David has created several levels of defense so customers can always reach someone in case of emergency: In their welcome package, customers receive the phone numbers of three members of the rental team, along with a GPS tracker and 24/7 roadside assistance. “Knowing ‘if you forget any of this, we’re just a phone call away’ makes them feel comfortable,” David said. “That’s really [our] goal from the beginning… [to] make it easy for everyone so they feel very comfortable the moment they leave our spot in Phoenix.”
Boho’s communication impressed Yelp Elite reviewer David A., who found Boho Camper Vans when searching for a more affordable alternative for his honeymoon. “Their [communication] stayed steady from the time that we called until the time that we finished,” he said. “That whole process was two or three months, which in my eyes, deserves a lot more than a 5-star review.
“To keep that open communication with a consumer for so long and make them feel like they’re valued is not an easy task as a business owner—to keep in constant contact, how are you doing phone calls, dealing with pricing, insurances—it’s a lot to handle, especially when you’re doing it not only for one consumer, but for several vans.”
3. Applying feedback for continuous improvement
After a sale or service, a typical business might hope for positive feedback. David goes beyond that by asking customers directly about pain points and inconveniences during their journey so he can solve any issues in the future.
“We always ask people when they come back: ‘Did you have everything you needed? Is there anything else that you feel like would be nice to have?’ And then we apply that accordingly,” David said.
While it’s against Yelp’s policy for businesses to ask for reviews, business owners can survey customers or analyze reviews to learn more about their experience. David combines his own research with insights gleaned from Yelp reviews. He said he learns more from critical feedback, which he can apply to improve the business for the next group of renters.
“Obviously we’d love five stars and perfect reviews every time, but that’s just not the reality,” he said. “In the end, it’s the feedback that’s key. It’s that constructive criticism that we hope people will provide us so we can just be better. The goal is to be better each and every trip, and reviews help us get there.”
Photos from Boho Camper Vans on Yelp
These lessons come from an episode of Behind the Review, Yelp & Entrepreneur Media’s weekly podcast. Listen below to hear from David and David A., or visit the episode page to read more, subscribe to the show, and explore other episodes.
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