On our last trip to Maui I was fortunate enough to get to take a trip to the island of Lanai with the tour company Trilogy. They are in the business of taking people from one paradise to another on one of their incredible catamarans. The excursion we went on departed the Lahaina Harbor at 6:30 am which allowed us to catch the sun rise while on the Pacific Ocean. They start you off with cinnamon rolls and coffee and treat you all day long with food and drinks making sure you never go without.

I was expecting this day to be a highlight of the trip but I had no idea that we would end up on basically a private beach with epic snorkeling, super fun tide pools, and during the boat ride the most incredible whale watching anyone could ask for. In this paradise while having the water splash on my feet as we sliced through the waves what impressed me the most was watching Trilogy’s team, work.

The crew was led by Captain Casey who is a second-generation captain for Trilogy, which is now owned by the Coon family’s third generation. The experience of multiple families working together for generations shows. Each person on the crew of five clearly has a role and specific tasks they are responsible for, which all seem to do effortlessly, but they also show no hesitation if they need to step in and lend a hand. Every person on the team is working towards the same goal which is to ensure every customer has a great experience.

There is clearly leadership within the company and on the boat but at no time did it appear that one team member was below the other. Whether it was cleaning up cups or setting a buoy no one was above a task that needed to get done to make the trip go smoothly. From the outside watching this, it appeared that there was confidence amongst the crew that tasks would get done and everyone would be pulling their weight. So, while the crew was working for the entire excursion, they always came across very relaxed and happy. Even in the most beautiful place in the world it is difficult to fake happy if a teammate is not pulling their weight.

I am very fortunate to have gotten to have such a wonderful day with my family exploring the beautiful environment, which is Hawaii, but I am also fortunate to have watched this team in action. It was inspiring to watch them make service and safety look so effortless in an environment that is unpredictable and ever changing.

The lesson to take away is that everyone working together positively to make sure that the one goal is met, in this case the customer experience, results in not just the customer being happy but the team as well.

Thanks, Trilogy, for the great memories you created our family and the excellent display of teamwork!