Will do
Has anyone tried Garden Cove Dive Center
- Thread starter MSPDiver
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Will do
You know, the gist of this is a problem with your front help. I don't know the lady, I have never been in your shop, and I have never dived with your company, but what I've read sounds like like you only have one problem.
The person in the shop is the face of your company. They can break you if you let them. They are ones dealing with your customers, giving them good or bad advise, and handling all the PR. It sounds like Becky needs either massive amounts of training, or to be moved on.
I am wondering why the captain and DM quit. They sound like real quality people who should be kept.
The person in the shop is the face of your company. They can break you if you let them. They are ones dealing with your customers, giving them good or bad advise, and handling all the PR. It sounds like Becky needs either massive amounts of training, or to be moved on.
I am wondering why the captain and DM quit. They sound like real quality people who should be kept.
As my manager tells me when I've got a problem employee: it's time to upgrade the staff
stinkynewf
Contributor
I'm not an ex-employee trying to bad mouth you. I'm a pissed off customer who is sharing his experience with your shop. I don't live in Key Largo, my wife and I came down on June 19 and paid your shop for a two tank drop on the Duane and a shallow reef dive. We paid for two tanks of nitrox and one tank of air each. Because of your employee's incompetence, what we got was one drop on the Duane and two shallow reefs.
Read my original post, I complemented what was good about your shop and your boat. Yes, I pointed out what was bad and so did another customer who was on a different trip on a different day. And, I have told you who I am (my wife and I were the only two divers on the boat on June 5 and we were two of the six on June 19). You can look up my name address and phone number on the liability releases we signed.
It seems as the owner of the shop your more interested in arguing with a customer and defending your employee's dysfunction then trying to address the real issue. You stated you're about to celebrate your fifth anniversary and you started from scratch so you're doing something right. Well from my post and others, you employee doesn't seem to be doing it right and from your attitude toward your customers you don't seem to be doing it right either.
What the heck does starting it from scratch or buying it from someone else have to do with doing something right or wrong?
ScubaSteve
Wow.....what a DB
What the heck does starting it from scratch or buying it from someone else have to do with doing something right or wrong?
While I think that Becky sounds like a real twit that I would stay away from at all costs (hint Larry....unbiased divers do not trust your shop because of a single employee....is it easier to waive the customer off or addres the real situation? Your choice.), I fully support Larry's statement about being a new shop. When you start a new bunsiness, you need to create and implement all the controls and procedures etc. all while growing your business and finding clientelle. Buying an established company has all of that in place and a name that is known. While this is not always the better and easier way, it does reduce the "development" work that needs to be done.
I respect Larry for doing what he has done however I would urge him to rethink their position in the market. In today's market, there are fewer dollars to spread accross lots of diving destinations and operators. To think that you are doing well today is OK. But to think that tomorrow wil be the same is foolish. Everyday in the service business needs to be spent making sure that your customers want to come back and that new customers want to try you out. This is not the impression I am getting from reading your posts here.......but this is only one thread. But remember, as has been said by Dee (who owns a shop and my impression is that hse knows her schtuff
), Becky is the face of your company.......but so are you in this forum. Don't give anybody any reason to question your company based on what you say and how you act in this thread. Just my $0.02......no need to pay any heed to what I have said if you do not want to.
I've heard both sides of the story and from past dealings with Becky I have no problem believing she would act in the way described, I would question anyone who would hire her or publicly call out a customer in the above manner.
Larry, are you even aware your employee Becky caused mass hysteria claiming oil had reached the keys that many of us had to diffuse? People were quite literally ready to cancel keys trips after she started this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-conch-divers/335931-no-oil-keys.html Oh, and the thread was Called "Oil in the Keys" when she started it, the SB staff changed the title to help stave off the hysteria she created. FWIW I don't think Becky is a terrible, malicious person, I've just never seen anyone so prone to poor judgment.
Larry, are you even aware your employee Becky caused mass hysteria claiming oil had reached the keys that many of us had to diffuse? People were quite literally ready to cancel keys trips after she started this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/florida-conch-divers/335931-no-oil-keys.html Oh, and the thread was Called "Oil in the Keys" when she started it, the SB staff changed the title to help stave off the hysteria she created. FWIW I don't think Becky is a terrible, malicious person, I've just never seen anyone so prone to poor judgment.
brucet
Contributor
Larry, I just wanted to point out, that mypersonal experience, was OK, and part of it merely pointed out that it may be better for divers to get a group together so they are not hindered by other divers who they dont know and decide not to get in the water. I totally understand the NO SOLO, and don't have an issue with that. The boat was perfectly fine. Captain and Divemaster were great. As for being double charged, my initial deposit was charged again, then had to be refunded twice. Not a huge deal, but this is against my bank card, and ties up the funds for a few days. IMO, the best asset you had were the boat crew. As I have all the gear for myself and son, I needed nothing from the shop, so can't really comment on that.
stinkynewf
Contributor
I received a call from Larry this morning. With all due respect to him, posting here isn't his strong point, on the phone he is very customer orientated. He addressed my concerns and seemed generally concerned about improving the shops processes and retaining customers.
Like I said in my original post, there are some great things about his op.. The bad stuff I said, while serious, are easy things to fix. Sometimes an owner has to step up and address issues caused by employees, Larry did. I appreciate that.
Like I said in my original post, there are some great things about his op.. The bad stuff I said, while serious, are easy things to fix. Sometimes an owner has to step up and address issues caused by employees, Larry did. I appreciate that.
SkimFisher
Contributor
That's why it's often better to handle things in person.
I will say that I find it particularly disgusting that an individual has been trashed repeatedly, by name, throughout this thread. A person that is a SB member and who can see everything that each of you has had to say. What's even more despicable is the fact that a few of you KNOW this.
Outside of being completely ripped off, I am willing to let anything slide once or twice. But that's the thing about diving. We attract the melodramatic. It's your right to feel however you feel, but a little tact goes a long way - and it's something I almost NEVER see in this area of the forum.
I will say that I find it particularly disgusting that an individual has been trashed repeatedly, by name, throughout this thread. A person that is a SB member and who can see everything that each of you has had to say. What's even more despicable is the fact that a few of you KNOW this.
Outside of being completely ripped off, I am willing to let anything slide once or twice. But that's the thing about diving. We attract the melodramatic. It's your right to feel however you feel, but a little tact goes a long way - and it's something I almost NEVER see in this area of the forum.
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