American Pro Diving Center responds to Stine.
Manatee tours are scheduled in the morning with the main reason being the manatee are more active in the morning for a more enjoyable experience for the family. The tour starts at seven in the morning at the dive shop with time for signing in, getting any gear needed, watching the required US Fish and Wildlife Video and finally Captain and Divemaster introduction covering final gear check before going to the docks.
All but one family was checked in, geared up and watching the last couple of minutes of the video. At this point the Stine party of 3 was a no show so we called our after hours answer service thinking the Stine party cancelled in the middle of the night. The answer service said no calls from the Stine party.
At this point a car pulled up in the plaza but none of the passengers were rushing toward the dive shop in any manner of someone being late for the boat. Opening the front door to see if this was the Stine party they were told the video is almost over and they needed to move quickly to join in with the group. Only two people came in at first, the third still was at the car. The ladies came to the counter and were asked to fill out the check in sheet and waiver form for the trip. They waited till the third member came in to the shop as they were not sure what they needed. Again the Stine party was asked to fill out the check in sheet, read and sign the waiver form and was asked what gear was needed? The first response was no gear was needed then they had a discussion about, did they bring a regulator/ bc or not.
The video was now ending and the introductions, briefing and orientation with the rest of the families were starting.
Again the Stine party was asked to start filling out the check in sheet and read the waiver form and show C- Cards. Not everyone in the Stine party brought their C- Cards in the shop with them.
Again the Stine party was asked to start filling out the check in sheet and read the waiver form while the other person was instructed to go to the car for the C-Card.
The Stine party then said they had been out with us twice now over the last few months and we have the C- Card information on file but their daughter was not.
The rest of the families on the tour, orientation were now finished and they were heading out of the shop to the marina following the Captain.
At this point the Stine party was explained that there was not enough time to get the C- Cards out of the car, figure out what gear, get the gear on the boat, start filling out the check in sheet, read and sign the waiver, bathing suits on, bathroom breaks and make in down to the docks with out making the other families wait an unfair amount of time. The manatee portion of the tour is snorkel only and with the time frame the Stine party gave us was the only option. They did not have to get C-Cards out of the car, check and or rent dive gear and they would still make the tour with out delay or have any of the other families wait. Keep in mind the divers pay more money for the dive and any gear rental is more money also. So we are taking in less money by not having the Stines do the dive.
The Stines had scheduled a full day to do both the morning and afternoon trips. The discussion was to do the morning manatee snorkel and when they come back from the am tour show C-Cards, rent the dive gear needed and dive the afternoon dive.
This was unacceptable by the Stines they were diving in the a.m.! Our answer -we cant hold up the other families from their experience?
The Stines main answer was what is the problem we showed up late before when they came with a dive group who hired the entire boat. The Stine party then said they were just going somewhere else where they can be accommodated on a morning dive. The rest of the discussion was reasons why we are not going to hold up the other families
The Check in sheet was still not filled out so we asked them to fill out the check in sheet for the afternoon dive. They did not want to go with us for the afternoon dive due to we were not accommodating their morning by making the other families wait at the docks.
The seat charge the Stine party paid for was for the morning trip which was sold out and we saved three seats for the Stein party. They paid for the seat charge, which is not the full rate, as they were shown on our books that we were sold out for the manatee tour. The afternoon tour was cancelled for them with no seat charge or penalty.
The Stines were repeat customers for many good reasons about our Dive Shop. Because of arriving so late there was not adequate time to read the waiver form or check gear etc.
The daughter of the Stine family as you read came along way to dive and Im sure this also effected the reaction of the parents to my decision as to the no morning dive situation for the Stines. Instead of heading to the docks the Steins wanted to argue and argue they did. The rude she talks about, is not liking, the only answer at that point, for the Stines morning tour. They could have still gone on the manatee portion of the tour and dive in the afternoon but wanted others to wait, in order so they could dive also in the am.
Imagine the other 15 people on the tour that traveled to the shop just as far and some further away than the Stines. Now imagine the other families showing up on time and paid their hard earned money for the tour and had to wait an unfair amount of time at the docks knowing the earlier the better the manatee tour. Now imagine the other family being your family, knowing the Stine party did not care about your family.
Ron,
Owner
American Pro Diving Center