Horrible Customer Service Experience

[halocline]

I don't know of any reputable wing maker that repairs bladders or even recommends repairing bladders. (vs replacement)

I never understood this; what's wrong with patching wing bladders?

 

[missiegreen]

Why do you need so many wings? 4 DSS wings and OMS and Halcyon wings. That's at least 6 wings and maybe more. Why so many?

Tobin

Question: I have no experience with your company however; I do have experience being a customer... If ANY company EVER said to me what you said above I would NEVER buy from you, and if it was bad enough service, condescending attitude and challenging remarks as you have stated I would make sure NONE of my friends, co workers, acquaintances would ever buy from your company... Where do you think it is appropriate to EVER ask a CUSTOMER why they buy what they buy and then challenge them? Shouldn’t customer service be more about how can we make you happy than being condescending?

 

[Cave Diver]

Note that there was no repair - it was a replacement. See post # 111.

He did not get a brand new wing. His old wing was repaired by having a new bladder installed. The point I was making is that if the problem existed in the original location, then that could have been an indication that the bladder was not replaced, and thus the repairs as stated by Tobin were not done. Since the second damage is in a new location, that supports Tobin's statements.

 

[SC_Hoaty]

He did not get a brand new wing. His old wing was repaired by having a new bladder installed. The point I was making is that if the problem existed in the original location, then that could have been an indication that the bladder was not replaced, and thus the repairs as stated by Tobin were not done. Since the second damage is in a new location, that supports Tobin's statements.

Yup - we're both on the same wavelength now.

If both failures were in the same location, and the bladders were different (original and replacement), then one might also look for something in the wing that might initiate the failures. However, that is not the case. These appear to be two unrelated failures.

 

[Pullmyfinger]

Question: I have no experience with your company however; I do have experience being a customer... If ANY company EVER said to me what you said above I would NEVER buy from you, and if it was bad enough service, condescending attitude and challenging remarks as you have stated I would make sure NONE of my friends, co workers, acquaintances would ever buy from your company... Where do you think it is appropriate to EVER ask a CUSTOMER why they buy what they buy and then challenge them? Shouldn’t customer service be more about how can we make you happy than being condescending?

So, if you bought a tire and later ran over a nail or something that caused a flat you would bring it back to the dealer and expect them to repair it for free? Or replace the tire?

I would expect to pay a small fee for the repair.

Then if you went out and had another flat, you would go back again and expect them to do what?............repair it again? give you a new tire?
And if they suggested to you that the cause of the flats might actually be YOU or that maybe you shouldn't be driving in places where you are likely to run over stuff that might cause flats, you be upset about this? Take it as them being condescending to you? You'd threaten to NEVER do business with them again? Tell everyone you know about it? ................Do you really think they would listen to you?

Are you one of those types of people that expect businesses to kiss their a$$?

I know people that are actually like that (not saying YOU are..just making a point)....the people that I know that ARE like that ( a couple of my in-laws),
I tend to ignore when they want to "inform" me of the latest business that somehow did them wrong by not giving them free things in the name of customer service.

Business is there to be friendly, not make friends.

I give away free stuff to a friend on their birthday, other than that nothing is free.

Wait a minute...I'm a Dad. I'm paying for the birthday presents that I get.

Anyway, it's sucks that the OP's wing was damaged. I understand how he feels about it. But I haven't read anything here that makes me feel that DSS owes free merchandise in the name of "customer service"

I guess we define customer service differently.
It's an attempt to make or keep customers happy, not give everyone a happy ending.

I take it to mean a repair offered at a nominal fee with a fast turn-around time.
And if Tobin want's to give me the old..........................."Hey Doc, it hurts when I do this."

"Well, don't do that."

Then I'm not going to get my feelings hurt about it.

*Disclaimer: None of my above statement were meant to depict persons (real or imagined) either participating in this thread or not.
It is not my intent to sound condescending or belittling to any of the aforementioned types of people. If any of my statement were
either taken out of context or misunderstood by any thread participant or those merely passing by.......in the name of "good" customer
service, I will provide a FREE additional post from me. AND you can keep this original post for future use. I hope that I can count on your
business in the future. Thanks for reading.:cool2:

-Mitch

 

[Pullmyfinger]

It's probably quite ok for the owner of the wing to patch it, but businesses probably don't want to deal with the liability or possible customer service related issues.

It probably takes less time to just replace. You can more easily guarantee a replacement part that you can a repair (patch).
Replacement is repeatable. Repairs are probably different each time depending on where they are located on the wing.

Plus having to maintain the tools, consumable supplies, and hazardous materials that would be required to do repairs would be extras that aren't needed when simply replacing the bladder.

Just a guess though.

-Mitch

 

[Mopar]

I think I would use a pool patch or some of those patches with the super adhesive to try to patch my bladder. I am betting it works and will save you shipping and the 50.00 fee. If it does not work what have you lost, you still have to buy another bladder. I also think I would buy a different wing. Not saying nothing bad about DSS, but for a person who has experience with gear (Cavediver)it seems the OP is having some bad luck with DSS.

 

[mike_s]

I never understood this; what's wrong with patching wing bladders?

for you.. nothing..... if it's done right.... by you or others and cared for properly afterwards.


for the manufacturer?..... it's a liability issue.


I mean imagine if some dumb ass dropped their plate on the exact spot the patch was done and it blew out afterwards during a dive. They manufacturer would be blamed, even if the patch was compromised.


and this thread right here is proof enough of the crap that can come out of something like that....

 

[missiegreen]

So, if you bought a tire and later ran over a nail or something that caused a flat you would bring it back to the dealer and expect them to repair it for free? Or replace the tire?

I would expect to pay a small fee for the repair.

Then if you went out and had another flat, you would go back again and expect them to do what?............repair it again? give you a new tire?
And if they suggested to you that the cause of the flats might actually be YOU or that maybe you shouldn't be driving in places where you are likely to run over stuff that might cause flats, you be upset about this? Take it as them being condescending to you? You'd threaten to NEVER do business with them again? Tell everyone you know about it? ................Do you really think they would listen to you?

Are you one of those types of people that expect businesses to kiss their a$$?

I know people that are actually like that (not saying YOU are..just making a point)....the people that I know that ARE like that ( a couple of my in-laws),
I tend to ignore when they want to "inform" me of the latest business that somehow did them wrong by not giving them free things in the name of customer service.

Business is there to be friendly, not make friends.

I give away free stuff to a friend on their birthday, other than that nothing is free.

Wait a minute...I'm a Dad. I'm paying for the birthday presents that I get.

Anyway, it's sucks that the OP's wing was damaged. I understand how he feels about it. But I haven't read anything here that makes me feel that DSS owes free merchandise in the name of "customer service"

I guess we define customer service differently.
It's an attempt to make or keep customers happy, not give everyone a happy ending.

I take it to mean a repair offered at a nominal fee with a fast turn-around time.
And if Tobin want's to give me the old..........................."Hey Doc, it hurts when I do this."

"Well, don't do that."

Then I'm not going to get my feelings hurt about it.

*Disclaimer: None of my above statement were meant to depict persons (real or imagined) either participating in this thread or not.
It is not my intent to sound condescending or belittling to any of the aforementioned types of people. If any of my statement were
either taken out of context or misunderstood by any thread participant or those merely passing by.......in the name of "good" customer
service, I will provide a FREE additional post from me. AND you can keep this original post for future use. I hope that I can count on your
business in the future. Thanks for reading.:cool2:

-Mitch

Mitch I agree with your point of view and that of the "customer" who felt slighted... I am a manufacture, of wings (some of which have been specifically named in previous threads on the subject), wetsuits, masks, and many more items... I have been in the manufacturing industry personally for 8 years and my company for over 25. My original intention was NOT to offend or defend anyone’s point of view. It was simply to illustrate a point. I agree with the seller of the wings that the likely hood of a damage occurring in different areas on the same item i.e. the wing bladder being a manufacturing problem is highly unlikely, the user may not even be aware of what damaged the item and could be at fault.. Who knows, these things happen and we all scratch our heads and wonder. My issue was this: as a manufacture myself, owing a business, taking care of customers nationally and internationally for years, I would Never, I mean Never, come to a public forum and berate a customer’s point of view. If the day comes where I do so, I would need to have my typing fingers tied behind my back... I like other manufactures have no issue with "defending my products" however, to ever question a customers buying practices, further a disagreement on such a public forum, and be condescending all the while is not customer service it is in very poor taste in my opinion. I would have contacted the customer off the forum, attempted to hear their side of the issue even if for the millionth time, asked the customer what they believe is a reasonable way to handle the problem and do everything I could to assist them. I know too well that you cannot please everyone, nor will you make everyone a "fan" of you and your company, however, it in my professional opinion it is and always be in poor taste to challenge anyone and will always run the risk of making people more justified in their point of view. There have been over 4000 people who have read this thread, any of them could have or will take any of the 128 pages any way they wish. When typing, e mailing etc, you leave room for the reader to interpret anything you have to say any way they wish. Again, I neither defend nor agree with either side. I stand by my statement that if anyone ever spoke to me as a customer in a condescending tone as my original post referenced, I would tell everyone about the slight that I felt. Thankfully this does not happen often I hardly ever complain about anything and it is my belief that because of this my friends would listen as I do not play Chicken Little often if ever.

 

[Kern]

But you're not above racing into a competitors place of business with this sort of rant.