
Ibiza is one of our most popular destinations throughout the year. Its port handles hundreds of people and vehicles every day, along with thousands of lane metres of freight from mainland Spain supplying the island's shops and residents.
Being aware of how essential our service is matters just as much as giving passengers the best possible customer care. To talk about this, we interviewed Anaís Morilla, a passenger services agent at Ibiza Botafoc.
Q. Where does your passion for the sea come from?
When I was little and spent my holidays with my grandmother in Ibiza, we would sit in the port where the fishing boats used to moor and eat ice cream with her friends and their grandchildren. What wonderful memories and moments!
Q. How would you describe life as a passenger services agent at Ibiza Botafoc?
It is a daily challenge to satisfy customers and make them want to come back. It also means knowing how to organise yourself and being prepared because there are always things outside our control. We want to make lots of people happy before they even travel, so they leave with what they expect from the company and always remember us with a smile… I love it when customers arrive asking for me.
Q. How different are operations in the low and high seasons?
Summer is a little more stressful because of the high number of passengers. Both at the ticket desk and in the car park, it is a huge challenge. At the ticket office we do many things at once: customer service, immediate departures, sales, phone enquiries, passenger questions and requests. During boarding, we also try to share plenty of warmth and good humour with passengers, because they are sometimes a little nervous and want to start their trip in the best possible way. Handling an operation with 300 cars bound for Dénia is a major job and takes a huge effort to make sure everything is always a success. Winter is calmer, with fewer tourists and lots of island residents, familiar faces and regular customers… We already know each other and there is trust... those customers are worth their weight in gold!
Q. What is one major lesson you have learned at Baleària?
To be patient, to understand passengers and to know that working in a well-established team is the best thing.