There was a new voice at the Sausalito ferry terminal this summer: Casual Operations Supervisor Collette Martinez was working the crowds, making sure the ferry passengers know what to do.
Collette Martinez works on the dock in Sausalito helping guide passengers taking the Golden Gate Ferry to San Francisco.
By Matt Larson
Published: November, 2016
There was a new voice at the Sausalito ferry terminal this summer: Casual Operations Supervisor Collette Martinez was working the crowds, making sure the ferry passengers know what to do.
“I have a very loud voice so it looks like I’m controlling the whole thing,” she said with a laugh. Looks are deceiving, however, as she’s only been working with Golden Gate Ferry since April of this year: “I still take direction from the people who’ve been there forever. We make it work as a team.”
Since starting her position, Martinez has marveled at how organized the ferry system is when dealing with its many passengers. “It’s fascinating how many people are taking the ferries,” she said. “It’s like clockwork, it just happens. It takes a lot of coordination to make that happen every half-hour.” It’s her job to help make sure that passengers are moving as safely and efficiently as possible, and she enjoys the teamwork between both the ferry commuters and the employees. “We all kind of work as a group,” Martinez said.
Especially when working in Sausalito, which tends to attract more tourists (and their bicycles), Martinez always empathizes with her customers to ensure that they have the best possible experience on the ferry.
“This is really a highlight of their vacations,” she said. “That Golden Gate Bridge ride, the whole San Francisco experience, and then coming into the beauty of Sausalito; they love the opportunity to take the ferry back. It makes it a really nice day for them.” The most challenging times are when the ferries fill up and she has to inform guests they’ll need to wait for the next ferry. “If you’re communicative to them, it’s usually okay, but that’s the tough part.”
Having been a traveler herself, she’s well aware that many of the tourists may struggle with knowing exactly where they’re going, what boat to get on, how long it will take them, and so on. “I’ve been that tourist,” said Martinez. “I’ve been in that foreign city going, ‘Okay, which way do I go?’ So, I like solving their problems.” Though she’s still new to the job, she did spend 27 years in sales, so customer service is second nature.
“In sales you have to anticipate what a customer needs and have a solution for them,” Martinez said. “It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of hundreds of people asking questions, but if you have a second just to understand and put yourself in their shoes—again, I know I’d be that same person—you can really talk to people and connect with them.”
Martinez is a fourth-generation San Franciscan—although her family moved to Marin just before she was born. She currently resides in Fairfax and enjoys hiking through the hills there, playing golf, being a Giants fan and waterskiing. She was a competitor on the UC Davis waterski team and is proudly still at it. “In my golden years I’m still waterskiing,” she said. “My mom skied until she was 76. I hope I have those genes.” She frequented Lake Berryessa and Clear Lake as a kid, but now heads to her family home in Lake Tahoe whenever she can. A life of skimming across the water also adds to her appreciation of working at the ferry terminals.
“I love being out in the fresh air and the sun,” said Martinez, happy to be back in the Bay Area after living in Oregon for 28 years. One of the biggest changes since she’s been gone, however, is the traffic. “I cannot get over the traffic,” she said. “People describe it to me and I just can’t imagine that it is like this.”
Fortunately, living in Fairfax and working at the ferry terminals, she doesn’t encounter the big city traffic too much. But she does know the ferries, and she warmly invites you to visit. “This is a lovely way to go,” she said. “Take a minute to come stop and see the view.”
