Poor customer service

[keithdiver]

Thank you very much to the above posters. I have 2 Akona bags that are functional (now) and will be up for sale shortly. I don't want to be caught with my pants down with a worthless bag that I can't get reasonable customer service for. I am usually very brand loyal and will take the proceeds to find a manufacturer who doesn't use the dealer like a middle man to avoid contact with me.

P.S. I will also be avoiding Sherwood products in the future because of these responses. Comparing the business model of a car dealership is absurd.

Thanks for showing your ignorance in a public forum for all to see Sherwood/Akona.....

I also will be doing the same since the customer service sucks so bad!!! I can not believe they treat people like thatHowsad..

 

[Sherwood SCUBA rep.]

I am a little confused how this turned into such a bitch session...

Robzr- As I stated in my last posting, I am disappointed the dealer told you to take a hike; I didn't expect them to do that. Protocol would be for them to contact us and try and find a solution to the customer's problem. I inquired with you as to who it is so we can continue to try and solve your problem.

Hypersonic- You are correct there was a problem with a certain percentage of the first shipment of these bags. We never tried to hide from that. The issue has since been rectified and we have changed the bag. Why your dealer took as long to respond to you I cannot answer. We have always worked very quickly to rectify issues with our dealers. You place the blame of the delay entirely on our shoulders and I am not so sure that is the case. You state all this could have been avoided, please let me know how you think it could have been avoided. We will consider any suggestions.

ScubaInChicago- You have two good bags and now want to sell them because of this issue? What about the tens of thousands of happy satisfied AKONA customers that are out there? I am not denying that these two people have had problems with their bags, but they and tens of thousands of customers that are very satisfied with their bags. Secondly, here we are trying to solve both of these customer’s issues. We are not hiding from them or ignoring them. Are you sure you would get better service from another vendor?

Ranier- You suggest that we are terrible at customer service. Again, I have to ask the question, because we ask consumers to go back to their LDS to assist them in solving the problems we are being vilified. One of the responsibilities of the dive shop is to provide customer service to the end consumer. Why is that so bad? Here I am getting murdered by you guys for continuing to work with these consumers and help them solve their problems. I am not trying to hide from anyone. I am remaining engaged in trying to assist everyone. Why are we being accused of terrible customer service?

 

[Jeepguy099]

bitch session...

That doesn't help you either bud, I am fairly new to this board but I cannot tell you how many times I've seen a customer have an issue with a Zeagle or Dive Rite product and Scott or Kathleen contacts that person right away and says "Hey, send it in so WE can look at it." NOT please send it to your local or online dealer so they can deal with it first.

Maybe if you consider modifying your customer service model to something of the like, you will have happy customers.

Jeepguy099

P.S. After your last remark, I will NEVER buy from Akona or Sherwood for that matter.

 

[hypersonic]

Mr. Sherwood SCUBA rep.,

I did not want to send the bags back to NYC only to have them patch the bag and send them back. It was obvious to me (and your statement has proved me to be correct) the design was defective. I was trying to do you a favor by giving you a quick heads up so the design could be corrected.

Have you ever heard of beta testing? I was willing to work with you.

On your warranty. Many of your customers are only able to take one or two dive vacations per year, so a two year warranty ain't much. Akona is basically betting their bags are worth 2-4 trips and then their exposure to damage claims go away.

Last year my wife and I did five trips from Fiji to The Red Sea. I want a bag that will hold up, it is very important to me.

On your personal response, you did not get involved nor want to get involved. I always assumed the surf was probably up and you wanted to get back to the beach.

 

[hypersonic]

One other thing, smart companies listen to their customers. You seem to have a deaf ear.

 

[irishsquid]

Thank you very much to the above posters. I have 2 Akona bags that are functional (now) and will be up for sale shortly. I don't want to be caught with my pants down with a worthless bag that I can't get reasonable customer service for. I am usually very brand loyal and will take the proceeds to find a manufacturer who doesn't use the dealer like a middle man to avoid contact with me......

I hope you aren't going to unload these bags on a friend!

 

[vondo]

I am sorry Brahma? I am not sure I understand your comments. I have to assume they are sarcastic in nature. Are you troubled by the way we manage the incoming inquiries and issues?

If there is a problem with the bag we are more than happy to resolve the issue, we just ask the consumer to go back to the dealer they purchased it from. Just like an automobile, if you have a problem with your car; you don't send the car back to Detroit, you take it to the dealer. I don't see where the problem is.

AKONA

This is pretty enlightening. First, as others have pointed out, a car and a piece of luggage are pretty different products. Second, if I have a problem with my car, under warranty, recall, or normal wear & tear, I don't take it back to the dealer I bought it from. That dealer is in Tennessee. I take it to the dealer down the road who is in Illinois.

But a good company in your position would give a customer an option. Take it to a local dealer (the one who sold it or not) or return it to us.

I've gotten great service from UK (to name one). My mistake broke the product, wrote them, told them what happened and they shipped me replacement parts sight unseen. I didn't produce the light or even a receipt for the light. For all they know, I never owned it. But it didn't matter to them.

But hey, I don't have a dog in this hunt. I don't own an Akona and haven't been considering it. But if I was considering expensive dive luggage, I've gotta say, I'd look elsewhere.

 

[ScubaInChicago]

I hope you aren't going to unload these bags on a friend!

There are a couple of people on this board that I might actively target (uh, i mean market) the bags to...

 

[crosing]

 

[Couv]

You are correct there was a problem with a certain percentage of the first shipment of these bags. We never tried to hide from that. The issue has since been rectified and we have changed the bag.

So why is this complaint about a known problem considered:

…. a bitch session

We will consider any suggestions.

First, how about sending the OP a new bag….one of the good ones, not one of the defective ones. Secondly, YOU deal with the people who sold him the bad bag. That is YOUR end of it. He has already said he got no satisfaction from them, it now becomes YOUR problem.

Are you sure you would get better service from another vendor?

So that's your answer? What if you are correct and every other vendor had worse service than you, would that make it ok? I don't think so.