For nearly 40 years, Maine Outdoors has thrived on trust! We've mostly relied on simple verbal agreements, and I've been consistently impressed by how reliable everyone has been. Our guides, bound by law, have only missed trips due to unavoidable illness—a rare occurrence! And our clients? They've been equally wonderful. In all these years, we've only had a handful of no-shows and even fewer instances where someone didn't pay at the end of their adventure. It's truly remarkable how well things have worked out on a handshake.
Personally, I've always felt that written contracts were really only necessary for complex arrangements, like large group outings requiring multiple guides (who I'm obligated to pay), or when third-party services like hotels or restaurants are involved. So, you can imagine my surprise when I recently overheard business groups that I belong to discussing tearing up contracts! It honestly hadn't even crossed my mind that such a thing was possible. I mean, isn't your word your bond, especially when it's in writing? And doesn't the law back that up too?
It's a bit of a culture shock for someone like me, who's always managed to make things work with a simple phone call or email. It makes me wonder if my approach is a bit old-fashioned! But honestly, I don't see myself changing anytime soon. I'm just grateful for the trust and good faith I've experienced over the years and looking forward to operating the same way into the future.
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