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detroit diver:
I'm a NAUI instructor working at Fifth Dimension, and would like to clarify these comments.
First, there are two distinct entities being discussed here ...
Fifth Dimension is a dive shop in Issaquah, WA. About two years ago the business partners, Andrew G and Mark T, split up. Mark bought out Andrew's share of the business. Andrew retained rights to the 5th D name, moved to San Diego, and started his own business ... 5th D-X.
Because of the resulting name confusion, Mark has decided to change the name of his business to Pacific Rim Aquatics. As any of you who have been through a business name-change know, this is not a simple process and takes time if you don't want to lose the identity your business has built up over time. That process is ongoing at this time. Fifth Dimension/Pacific Rim is a GUE shop, and still teaches GUE classes.
5th D-X is Andrew's business in San Diego. There has recently been a rift between AG and GUE that has resulted in Andrew's decision to move from GUE to NAUI. Personally, I regret that this has happened, because he's a great instructor and has done a great deal of good for the diving community. Furthermore, I had found the GUE instructor I wanted to continue my education with in Joe Talavera ... but Joe has also decided to leave GUE and work with Andrew. Now ... working for a GUE shop ... that leaves me in something of a quandary, as I firmly believe that the instructor makes far more of a difference in your educational experience than the agency. And frankly, Joe's teaching style fits my learning style better than any instructor I've ever worked with. Personally, I wish him and Andrew all the success they have earned ... which is considerable.
Those sentiments may not make me popular with the GUE community ... but they are my own, and I have to be honest with myself.
As to the comment that "customer service has tanked after the ownership change" ... I would take issue with that. There have been some complaints ... and frankly, there have been some things that weren't handled well. I think it's fair to say any business makes transactions that don't go the way they'd like, and sometimes makes mistakes in how those get handled. But, if I felt the business wasn't paying attention to their customers in a way that showed integrity, I wouldn't have chosen to affiliate myself with the business.
As I said, I'm an instructor ... I don't handle floor sales or online transactions. But I do care very much that our customers are treated properly ... as does Mark and every other staff member. And if I see a transaction not going well, and feel there is something I can do to help the customer walk away happy, I will do it. In the case that started the TDS thread, I personally took care of the person who created it. To my knowledge, he came away from the transaction satisfied that he'd been dealt with fairly (you'll have to check with him ... but that's what he indicated to me after we completed our discussions).
Hope that helps clarify ...
... Bob (Grateful Diver)
