Another Vote for Protech!

[yakivet]

My wife and I recently returned from a short vacation on Ambergris Caye. This trip was our 4th to the island in the last 4 years, and I'm happy to say that Protech is still providing the quality and attentive type of dive service that they have built their reputation on.
During our week, we never had more than 4 divers on the boat at any given time. Although it would easily handle 6-8 divers, we enjoyed having the smaller groups an a bit more room to spread out. On one dive, the boat actually went out with only myself and the Dive Master on it. Although the new shop is currently a bit more difficult to find, Now being on the Spindrift Hotel dock instead of at the Belize Yacht Club, and not being overly well marked, it's closer to downtown San Pedro and many the nearby hotels.

One example comes to mind as to Protech's dedication and customer service. On Friday March 14th, after returning from a morning 2-tank dive and hanging around the swimming pool at Paradise Villas, I started talking with a woman (Nancy) and her daughter (Megan) that were rather frustrated with their vacation and current dive experiences. They had booked a pre-paid package, utilizing Ecologic Divers. I don't know all the exact details, but she was very frustrated as they had already had several days of diving cancelled, and that on Friday "her" dive shop was having "boat issues" , thus scrubbing another days diving. They were scheduled to leave in the next day or 2 and felt very "cheated" as to their vacation. It was my hope that Protech might be able to help them out, although I knew that they had no other diving planned for the afternoon.
I took a few minutes, ran back to the dive shop, phoned Israel, and then helped facilitate the arrangements for Nancy and Megan to do some afternoon diving. Divemaster Israel met them a half hour later and they were diving by 2:30pm.
I later discovered that the "Boat Issues" Nancy had mentioned entailed the sinking of one of the Ecologic's boats while on a dive expedition. It was refloated and returned to the dock a day or two later.

I think it says a lot for a diveshop to deviate from a predetermined schedule and accomodate divers that had previously been diving with another shop. I'm sure that Israel likely had many other plans in the works for his afternoon.

Time and time again I've discouraged the "pre-booking" of packages when visiting the Island of Ambergris Caye. There are many good dive operations, many good hotels, and many good places to eat. Please do yourself some favors. Do your own research, check out the dive operations before you commit, eat your way across the island, and take solicited island advice with a grain of salt.

 

[Ecologic Divers]

To answer Dr. Ken
Yes we had an issue with a boat that took a large wave and yes with the seas the way they were the bulge pumps could not handle all the water. All the passengers were helped into another boat and safely returned to the dock.
As for the guests who booked a dive package did in fact get bumped from the because of the misfortune of our boat. By the way they were not charged for the dives even the ones that we canceled due to weather.
We are glad another dive center was able to help, that is all in the spirit of helping one another. I am sure other dive centers helped Protec the two times they lost boats and last week when another dive center lost a boat.
Dr Ken it's not very professional to write bad comments about companies who have misfortune, when you do not know all the facts. Every who reads SB knows you support Protech and i admire loyalty but sometimes you go too far... just my 2 cents
P.S. All the people who were on that boat continued to dive and snorkel all week

 

[peterbj7]

other dive centers helped Protec the two times they lost boats

One time, six years ago. The boat was rolled over by a freak wave in a cut, something that has happened to several other boats over the years. However, that boat was totally seaworthy when it set out.

On another occasion a boat took on water but did not sink. Subsequent investigation (confirmed by an admission) showed that it had been sabotaged.

Helping the occupants of a boat in distress at sea is not optional or consequent on any "spirit of helpfulness" - it is a legal requirement in many countries (as well as an obvious social one).

To be fair to both you and the OP, all dive centers were canceling dives that week because of bad weather (and again this week). I don't think he implied any criticism of your business in that comment (though "unprofessional" is a bit OTT). I never met the two ladies concerned, but I gather from my staff that they were quite vocal about their prior experiences.

Yes, Dr Ken likes the way we operate. Much as you did for several years before you decided on another course of action. But he owes us no duty of allegiance, and no doubt once we stop delivering he will look elsewhere. He'd be foolish not to. He certainly gave us no prior notice of his post, or that he intended to make one.

 

[yakivet]

To answer Dr. Ken
Yes we had an issue with a boat that took a large wave and yes with the seas the way they were the bulge pumps could not handle all the water. All the passengers were helped into another boat and safely returned to the dock.
As for the guests who booked a dive package did in fact get bumped from the because of the misfortune of our boat. By the way they were not charged for the dives even the ones that we canceled due to weather.
We are glad another dive center was able to help, that is all in the spirit of helping one another. I am sure other dive centers helped Protec the two times they lost boats and last week when another dive center lost a boat.
Dr Ken it's not very professional to write bad comments about companies who have misfortune, when you do not know all the facts. Every who reads SB knows you support Protech and i admire loyalty but sometimes you go too far... just my 2 cents
P.S. All the people who were on that boat continued to dive and snorkel all week

Steve-
I fully admitted to not knowing all the details of the two women's situation. As such I only brought forth information that I was sure of. Was there any information with regard to Nancy and Megan's situation from my previous post that was untrue? I do know that they felt extremely frustrated on Friday, and that on Saturday morning, prior to their departure, they were extremely pleased with Protech's service.

My posting was meant to commend Protech for a great week of my diving, and for assisting 2 other divers that had the misfortune of not making their scheduled dives. It was also meant to discourage the "Package" deals of accomodations, meals and diving for operations other than those of "dedicated dive resorts". My intentions were certainly not to write "bad comments" about your shop. I suppose I could have left your shop "un-named", but with the magnatude of Nancy's frustration, I felt it needed to be included. If it had been any other diveshop, by actions would have been the same.

I think it was only appropriate that Nancy's money be refunded for any dives lost, and I'm glad you did so in this case. I think that anytime there is prepayment for a service, and a service is not rendered, then reimbursement needs to be made. Had your boats gone out, and they slept in or just didn't take the effort to dive, then its a completely different ball of wax. I'm glad to see that your shop abides by that rule.

With regard to my professionalism, I take exception. At issue here is the fact that vacation divers only have limited days during their stay in which they can dive. Yes your shop had some misfortune. For that I'm sorry. Yet your shop failed to accomodate your clients by locating another space, on another boat, either on one of yours or through another shop. These 2 women were in the middle of the last diving day of their vacation, after having previous dives cancelled due to weather, and were being told by your shop that they wouldn't be accomodated.

Treatment of a client must come first. In my Veterinary Practice, If I can't provide the service that is requested, I refer my clients to someone that will. Likewise, if a client doesn't feel that they are being taken care of in a fullfilling manor, they tend to make the decision to take their business elsewhere. In this case, I guess that's what they did.

 

[Ecologic Divers]

please note ecologic divers did not have a package with these two guests. We feel if someone cannot dive the should not have to pay. The guests in question might have had a package with there hotel or travel company. Ken you are implying we did not honor there contract.
yes i suppose we could have located a different shop for them to dive, but we notified the agent who sent to us, so they could rebook them elsewhere. The agents do not want us to just book there guests with other dive centers. So our staff contacted them and told them of our misfortune and let them book them elsewhere.
I truly understand there dilemma they had weather issues,they were too tired to do the turneffe trip after they booked and lastly us having a problem with not having a boat to take them out for there afternoon dive. The guests had a right to be upset. you on the other hand have put into the public domain false statements which i do not appreciate.
enought said
enought said

 

[yakivet]

Steve-

One final set of words to clarify my points and supposedly false statements.

You say "ecologic divers did not have a package with these 2 guests" and that "The guests in question might have had a package with there hotel or travel company". As I provided the names of these 2 individuals, I hope by now that you know exactly who they booked through if it wasn't your shop directly . I believe my first post said "They had booked a pre-paid package, utilizing Ecologic Divers." This doesn't say they had a contract with you, it says they were utilizing your shop for their diving. I don't think this, or any of my other comments, in any way constitutes a "false statement" put into the public domain. I'm sorry that you've taken my original post that commended Protech and turned it into a battle over symantics.

My point being, it shouldn't matter whether these two divers have booked a package with you or with one of your agents. If your representing agents were informed of your shops misfortune, and failed to accomodate these divers in a timely manner, then they certainly are the ones at fault. But these agents, are your agents and it was your shop that failed to take the divers diving. Either your shop, or your agents had a obligation, though maybe only a moral one, to facilitate the diving opportunities of these two people. If your agents won't do this, maybe its time to find some others or quit using them.

It may be the Vacation Dive Industry, but I look at it being similar to the airline industry. If a flight cancels, and if the airline wants to do everything to keep their customers happpy, they rebook the person on the next available flight, even if its on another airline. Do you think it is Travelocity or the actual Airline that accomodates passengers on a canceled flight? It probably would mean cuts into the profits of your agents, or those of your shop, but in the end the customers have a great dive experience and will likely be back.

Again, the point of this thread was to thank Peter Jones and his shop Protech for a great week of diving. I mentioned Ecologics mishaps in passing and as an example of how accomodating Protech was when there were two "divers in need". I ended my first post with the following points, and I'll reiterate them again as they're the points I was trying to make.

"Time and time again I've discouraged the "pre-booking" of packages when visiting the Island of Ambergris Caye. There are many good dive operations, many good hotels, and many good places to eat. Please do yourself some favors. Do your own research, check out the dive operations before you commit, eat your way across the island, and take solicited island advice with a grain of salt. "

Dr. Ken Lust :42:

 

[puge12]

While I don't have anything bad to say about the other dive operations on the island, I can agree with the other posters about Protech. My girlfriend and I took our first dive with them today and it was great, we were the only ones in the boat and Israel was very helpful and friendly and picked us up from the dock at Paradise Villas on time.

I'll post a full trip report after some more diving, unless of course that weather forecast is correct.