Inventory Issues?

[Zef]

Twice now I have referred somebody to look at Deep 6 when they asked about getting a regulator set. Both ended up purchasing elsewhere because no DIN models were available. It is great that demand is outpacing supply, but I suspect you are losing a number of potential customers because of inadequate inventory levels.

I find it interesting that the owners' signature lines state the following:
"Because I want you to buy from me"
and
"Because I like it when people buy our products"

Despite the fact that the holiday shopping season is upon us their inventory does not seem to be in order. I love their business model for regulators and will probably choose them the next time I am in the market for one, but I wanted to buy a bp/w package for my daughter and their website is showing "out of stock" for weeks now. This purchase was not a "holiday" shopping purchase as it is for immediate use.

Not only are they out of stock of multiple products but it means their package configurator is unavailable to scope out pricing to even see if it is worth the wait.

After posting on SB, sending PMs, and sending messages through their "contact us" form on their website, I went with a different brand to meet my needs.

Perhaps Deep6 does not new business...they have a good reputation so perhaps they are banking on repeat business from their current fan base...but I agree with the notion presented by the OP that is is hard to recommend a company that does not have product available.

I imagine a typical conversation with local divers in the clubs I am a part of unrolling like this:

Club member: "Hey Zef, I am looking to buy some gear, what do you think of Deep6?"

Zef: "I really can't say, I tried to buy from them but they seemed to be conically out of stock of products based on my experience and posts I have read in online forums, but I like the fact they seem to promote owners of their equipment being able to service their regulators and make replacement parts available...when in stock."

Club member: "oh, interesting experience, do you have a recommendation for a company based on gear that you have used?"

Zef: "Sure, I have received great customer service from DGX, and Dive Rite, along with a guy who represents HOG...all make solid equipment and have first hand experience with their gear."

Club member: "I am looking to purchase soon, would you recommend I wait for Deep6?"

Zef: "They were not too responsive when I tried contacting them, so when they will have gear in stock is kind of up in the air. I wish I had first hand experience with their stuff and better communication from the company so that I could say whether or not it is worth the wait, but as it stands it really is up to you....they have a good following but they are not the only show in town for quality gear."


My intent was not to bash Deep6, just want to add to their awareness of the impact their current inventory and communications is having on potential customers.

"Because I want you to buy from me" and "Because I like it when people buy our products" are great tag lines if you can support it. But when you don't have product available it is kind of a mockery.

-Z

 

[cerich]

I find it interesting that the owners' signature lines state the following:
"Because I want you to buy from me"
and
"Because I like it when people buy our products"

Despite the fact that the holiday shopping season is upon us their inventory does not seem to be in order. I love their business model for regulators and will probably choose them the next time I am in the market for one, but I wanted to buy a bp/w package for my daughter and their website is showing "out of stock" for weeks now. This purchase was not a "holiday" shopping purchase as it is for immediate use.

Not only are they out of stock of multiple products but it means their package configurator is unavailable to scope out pricing to even see if it is worth the wait.

After posting on SB, sending PMs, and sending messages through their "contact us" form on their website, I went with a different brand to meet my needs.

Perhaps Deep6 does not new business...they have a good reputation so perhaps they are banking on repeat business from their current fan base...but I agree with the notion presented by the OP that is is hard to recommend a company that does not have product available.

I imagine a typical conversation with local divers in the clubs I am a part of unrolling like this:

Club member: "Hey Zef, I am looking to buy some gear, what do you think of Deep6?"

Zef: "I really can't say, I tried to buy from them but they seemed to be conically out of stock of products based on my experience and posts I have read in online forums, but I like the fact they seem to promote owners of their equipment being able to service their regulators and make replacement parts available...when in stock."

Club member: "oh, interesting experience, do you have a recommendation for a company based on gear that you have used?"

Zef: "Sure, I have received great customer service from DGX, and Dive Rite, along with a guy who represents HOG...all make solid equipment and have first hand experience with their gear."

Club member: "I am looking to purchase soon, would you recommend I wait for Deep6?"

Zef: "They were not too responsive when I tried contacting them, so when they will have gear in stock is kind of up in the air. I wish I had first hand experience with their stuff and better communication from the company so that I could say whether or not it is worth the wait, but as it stands it really is up to you....they have a good following but they are not the only show in town for quality gear."


My intent was not to bash Deep6, just want to add to their awareness of the impact their current inventory and communications is having on potential customers.

"Because I want you to buy from me" and "Because I like it when people buy our products" are great tag lines if you can support it. But when you don't have product available it is kind of a mockery.

-Z

I’m not trying to mock anyone, that tag line has been there for years, long before Deep 6.

I appreciate the comments and have been working to get the inventory caught up. Rapid growth for a start up is a “good” problem but still a problem.

Wings take me 120 days to get at a minimum, and while I order based on history, gut and cash flow sometimes there will be a period of a couple months where I am out of stock. We set the website to not show out of stock inventory so customers wouldn’t get false expectations, maybe that was a mistake.

Other than the wing which affects the BP/W combo you said that multiple items are out of stock. Two and three gauge consoles, XXL fins and wings. Frankly we are better stocked now than all year.

Regards your service comments, we allow owner servicing and encourage anyone servicing a reg to have training. We also offer servicing and in fact with the signature series reg do the first two services free(thru end 2018 then go to first one free). We have always had parts to service our regs, we did run out of the service kits we include free as spares for a while(which is why we expanded to two free services actually to say sorry). Service of Deep 6 regs includes the kits for free. All of that is a moot point because we have never sold kits by themselves because every reg we have sold is still under the free service period and there is no need or reason to sell the kits. Some folks have thought that means we don’t have service parts. We do and have always. We just ran into a period where our supply was lower and so we could service any issue stopped sending kits with purchase. That has since been resolved and we sent out the kits to all that didn’t get when they got their regs. We won’t have service kits in the site for sale until Jan 2020.

I’m sorry you got offended

 

[Zef]

Less offended and more frustrated....I really wanted to buy your product and knew you guys were at DEMA so waited until after to hear back from you guys before making my purchase, and at first there was no information coming forward so I went with an alternate source/product/company/supplier...and then I received a response and it was just an acknowledement that Deep6 was out of stock with no insight as to when stock would be available. Of course you guys don't owe me anything in terms of a response or explanation...but I have read many of your posts and looked at your business model and really like what you guys have to offer, I am just frustrated that despite my best efforts I could not get it to work out, and just wanted to let you know, as this is such a finicky industry, and in any industry it takes more to get a client than to keep a client.

Cheers to you guys on your business model and success. I hope your inventory catches up to demand soon.

-Z

 

[cerich]

Less offended and more frustrated....I really wanted to buy your product and knew you guys were at DEMA so waited until after to hear back from you guys before making my purchase, and at first there was no information coming forward so I went with an alternate source/product/company/supplier...and then I received a response and it was just an acknowledement that Deep6 was out of stock with no insight as to when stock would be available. Of course you guys don't owe me anything in terms of a response or explanation...but I have read many of your posts and looked at your business model and really like what you guys have to offer, I am just frustrated that despite my best efforts I could not get it to work out, and just wanted to let you know, as this is such a finicky industry, and in any industry it takes more to get a client than to keep a client.

Cheers to you guys on your business model and success. I hope your inventory catches up to demand soon.

-Z

Me too.. honestly. Frustrated and stressed to heck and back some days.
When I get wings back in I will do something to make it up

 

[The Chairman]

Oh the joys and tribulations of being more popular than you thought you were going to be! Good job! I feel my brother's angst at not being able to keep up and entirely way too proud of the job he's done here. I often dive Deep 6 regs and they are awesome. I also love his fins and they get exclusive use. I'm thinking about adding that blue to my kit if they come in XXL.

Many of you may not realize, but Chris has an extensive travel schedule. I can never keep up where he's at anymore whether it's China, Cave Country or at a dive show. I couldn't keep that schedule if I wanted. Like I said, I have a hard enough time figuring out where he is!

One thing I do know. Like many Scuba manufacturers, Chris has incredibly high standards for his products. He sweats the details so we don't have those "oh crap" moments while we dive due to gear failure. I've dove his regs in caves and in open water with complete trust and peace of mind. They are worth waiting for.

 

[rvojr]

I did my part to lower your inventory of fins and regs. Unfortunately I did have to go with another vendor for BP&W, but it did have deep in their name.

 

[ljpm]

We set the website to not show out of stock inventory so customers wouldn’t get false expectations, maybe that was a mistake.

It's great that you want to inform your customers that you are out of stock. There may be better ways of communicating that. Also, just because you are out of stock does not mean we won't still buy your product. As I mentioned on another thread, I can wait for the item to come in, but like Zef, I would really liked to be able to have a price and an eta. Rather than blocking the purchase when out of stock you could redirect to an info page which clearly states again (good to have it on initial page as well) that the product is out of stock and provide an eta. That would allow comparison of prices as well as the ability to order if we are in no hurry. It might also help with your stock flow since you then have order already placed.

 

[kelemvor]

We set the website to not show out of stock inventory so customers wouldn’t get false expectations, maybe that was a mistake.

That might be a problem born of you being both a manufacturer and a seller of the items. Normally a customer can go look at a manufacturers website to see anything that is currently being made/sold. It might be better for you to just superimpose "out of stock" on images for out of stock items as well as putting it into the details page somewhere. If you have an eta for something being back in stock, why not put that in the page as well? Whether or not you take backorders on out of stock items is a more difficult decision in my opinion.

 

[grf88]

A lot of websites have a box "Notify me when back in stock" which I find useful. Not sure if that would be available on your web setup.

 

[Diver below 83]

A lot of websites have a box "Notify me when back in stock" which I find useful. Not sure if that would be available on your web setup.

This would be a fantastic addition. I personally don’t need to see the ETA of when the item will arrive on the site (unless your offering a back order system) so just being able to sign up for back in stock notifications would be great.
When I was first introduced to deep six and check out the site a few items were not in stock not showing on the website. Specifically the signature regs were not showing at all. Which made no sense since I had just held in person a set of signature series reg system inside a deep six dry box. So I wanted to read about them as the person who had them was demoing them and didn’t have tons of details.