Being into motorhomes from a young age, Carl has always toyed with the idea of buying a motorhome of his own. Thinking it wasn’t in the works for him anytime soon, the idea went on the back burner. Until a friend tipped Goboony to him. Carl now owns not one, but two motorhomes and has great plans to continue growing his new business on the platform.
How did owning a motorhome suddenly become an option?
When that friend told me about your platform, the idea went from not being possible, to possibly becoming possible. Just like me, he’d always wanted a motorhome himself, and now he’d made it happen. By hiring it out when he wasn’t using it himself, he could earn back its costs. So I said: Okay, I have to set up a business plan, and I did. I took it to my accountant and he said: “I’ll back you."
What convinced you to try hiring out on Goboony for yourself?
My friend was very positive about the experience. He said: “It’s fairly easy. You don’t have to do a lot. Well, you have to do something, but it’s enjoyable at the same time." So I got interested. I said to him: “How do I go about it?” He said: “Buy your motorhome, I’ll help you set your profile up.” So we did.
How did you find creating your advert on the platform?
Well, I got introduced to Evandro. He was the first person I spoke to from your team. He talked me through the process and said: “This is how you do it, this is what you're missing, this is how you make the most out of it.” Now I’ve never met this gentleman, but what a nice fellow. I can’t speak for others obviously, but I’m in the second year of my hire business now, and I haven’t had a problem that Evandro and his team haven’t been able to sort. My first advert for my first motorhome, a 2021 Fiat Alcove, has been live for well over a year now.
How did that first year of sharing your motorhome with others go?
It’s only natural that you’re weary in the beginning. You’re hiring out your brand new property to people you don’t know. There have been some occasions where I thought: “Hmm. Do I really want to hire out my vehicle to these people? Are they okay?” Just because you don’t know the people. You’re going into the unknown with it because you don’t know what everyone is like. But the way the platform is set up, where you have a conversation with the customer first before agreeing to any hire, you do really get a feel for a person. Now, after a year of hiring out, I’ve had such great experiences and everything has gone okay. And because of that, I’m starting to be a little more adventurous with what booking requests I accept.
What gave you the confidence to accept more bookings?
When people inquire about your motorhome, you have a little back and forth first. Once you accept, contact details are shared, so you can address the remaining questions on the phone if you like. By the time the person comes to collect your motorhome, all your uncertainties have been settled. Then you meet them face-to-face, and it’s always such a great experience. Every single time I show someone the motorhome, they stand there and go: “Wow, this is really lovely.” Hiring out is completely different from the business I’m in at the moment because I love the human interactions so much. I’m enjoying it and feel very relaxed in a way, so I plan on doing a lot more of it.
Have you experienced any issues with your hirers at all?
Of course, it can’t be easy all the time. So far, my customers have mostly been good and they haven’t left me with major problems, but every booking is different. I had a group of friends from Italy hire the motorhome recently. There were 6 of them and when I saw their age I thought, that’s very young. I went ahead with the booking and it went great. When they returned the vehicle there were a couple of issues with it, which I explained to them. They went: “We’re not sure what happened, but we’re ever so sorry and take responsibility.” So you note it down on the hire form and it’s all rectified. These things happen after all.
Campervans are often someone’s pride and joy, so people do worry about damage. What’s your way of dealing with this?
On the whole, it’s usually only small things. But, of course, I’ve had a couple of instances. As long as you check your vehicle rigorously upon its return, there’s nothing to really worry about. But you have to do this extensively, with the hirer still there, no matter how long it takes. Those extra fifteen minutes can save you a lot of money because once they’re gone and you find something, it’s too late. You have to make sure it’s on the paperwork. Then there’s never an issue because there’s an insurance policy in place for it. I’ve made some claims in the past and have been paid out a couple of times. I do my absolute best to not have to take a customer’s deposit because I wouldn’t want that to happen to me, but the money is there and you can take it if you have to.
Has Goboony made things easier for you, when it comes to dealing with things such as payouts?
Absolutely. The platform is an introduction to this hire business and it makes things so much easier. It’s well structured, and the payment methods are very clear. You don’t have to chase the money. When you’re self-employed in different businesses, you have to chase money all the time. With Goboony I know exactly when I’m being paid.
For example, one of my hirers picked up the motorhome yesterday. Today, at one minute past three, just like with every other booking, I get a message that says: “Your money’s on the way, it’ll be in your account in 2 working days.” That’s long actually, it’s there a lot earlier in a lot of cases. I know you’ve got the money there, you’ve taken it off the customer and kept it safe, and I get my money the day after I send the customer off on their trip.
Are you happy with the amount you’re making on a booking?
Yes. I have my set hire rate, but I have new ideas and different things I’m going to put in place for my bookings next year. “Will you charge extra for that?”, people ask. Well, I’ll make sure my rate reflects my service, but I won’t charge extra fees. My rate is my rate. When I first hired a motorhome myself, I didn’t feel like I got value for money. I want to make sure that my customers do. I want to give them the best service I can, for the right price.
How are you attracting these customers exactly?
Firstly, you have to have a certain standard within this field. If have haven’t, you’re not going to get good reviews. It’s all about reviews, these days. So I’d recommend going the extra mile. Do things other owners aren’t doing. It can be small things.
For example, if a customer asks me if they can bring back the motorhome a little later, and I don’t have another booking shortly after, I say yes. Sometimes I’ll even offer people to come and collect it a day early, for no extra cost. It’s there anyway, and because I do a lot of travelling myself, I know that those few extra hours helps people to get it packed and be on their way for their holiday. Being flexible and offering things that others won't does wonders.
I remember there was a booking last year, where the gentleman messaged me and said it was their honeymoon. So I said to my wife: “I’m going to the shop.” When the couple collected my motorhome, it had a bunch of flowers waiting in it for them. “There you go, congratulations on your wedding.” The man hadn’t asked me for that, or paid for it. I just did it because I know it’s about the little things.
Are there things you do to make sure your motorhome is being taken care of just as well?
First of all, I always leave an instruction manual. Some people message you and state: “We haven’t got any experience with driving a motorhome. We don’t know how to operate a motorhome. We don’t know anything.” Or they’ll show up and say: “Oh, this is quite a big vehicle...” It always turns out going fine in the end, as long as you take the time to show them how to handle it. If it takes half an hour, it takes half an hour.
Another example. Me and my dad went and delivered the motorhome to a customer a while back. They were going to a festival, and the lady said she’d never driven or stayed in a motorhome before. So I said: “Don’t worry about it. When I come to your house, I’ll show you exactly how everything works.” After we’d left her house, my dad said to me: “That lady listened to every single word you said.” And she did. The people I deal with are truly lovely. I’m loving life really.
It seems like you’re putting a lot of effort into your new business.
Well, you’ve got to. You put a lot in, but you can get a lot out. It’s called an investment. The way I look at it, if I don’t do a good job, then I’m not going to get the bookings and I won’t make any money. If I do it right, people will come back, and people will recommend me. It’s about having the right attitude and mentality. It’s setting myself up for success.
And now you’ve gone and listed your second motorhome. How do you look towards your future on the platform?
Yes, I recently published my second advert for my new 2022 Roller Team Alcove. I had so many bookings for my first one, I thought I’d start expanding. When you get your first booking, you have no idea what's going to happen, or what it’s going to bring. Then the first bookings go well, and there’s interest. Enough that you’ve got enough bookings for that year, even have to turn bookings down. That’s when I knew I was ready for a second vehicle. And if I end up needing a third, I’ll get a third.
Will you keep hiring out on Goboony?
Yes, I need your help! Without yourselves, I wouldn’t have grown. I certainly wouldn’t have been in the position of getting a whole other motorhome like I am now. I’m keeping hold of the earnings, and I’m going to keep investing. You’ve got to go step by step. Give me a little bit of time and I’ll be climbing that ladder. I’m building a future for my family and I’m using motorhomes to do it.
Benefits of hiring out your motorhome on Goboony
-Hiring out on Goboony is free
-You decide how, to who and when you want to hire out
-Hire out safely and with peace of mind by opting for our Goboony Day Insurance
-We provide support throughout the whole process
-We offer a secure third-party payment system
