Subic Scuba College...

[DevonDiver]

For the OP's benefit,

The PIC online is an automated system. I filled in the required fields and submitted the application. Everything seemed perfect in the application and I had no reason to doubt that your certification was being processed.

PADI standards dictate that I submit the certification within 7 days. I did that. You made me aware, via this forum, that you had not recieved confirmation of the certification. Sometimes the system is slow at the PADI HQ. I would have certainly checked on certification when I returned to work. After 2 weeks from the course, you posted a scathing attack on me and my dive center on a public forum. Within 24 hours, I had completely and satisfactorily resolved the problem.


So... to summarize...

1. Excellent Course.
2. Excellent Price.
3. Excellent Tuition.
4. Excellent Facilities.
5. 3 day delay in PIC processing, resolved by an immediate (late night) action by the instructor in direct consultation with PADI on discovery of the problem.

6. OP did not contact the dive center by email.
7. OP did not contact the instructor by cellphone (on business card)
8. OP contacted the dive shop and told the instructor was on holiday.
9. OP posted concerns by PM on an internet forum.
10. OP allowed only 10 days from the course before publically slandering the dive center and instructor on a public forum.

End result, the OP completed his course on 10 Sep 09. A glitch with the online processing of his pic meant a slight delay. He recieved his certification on 25 Sep 09. 15 days from end of course to confirmation of his certification from PADI and being added to their database. 14 days from end of course until the OP posted a slanderous and inaccurate thread on a public forum. 24 hours for the instructor to completely resolve the problem once he was aware of it.

 

[Rogersea]

tempest in a teapot was not concerning your fiance, it was concerning your "problem"

Tempest in a teapot (in American English) is an idiom meaning a small event that has been exaggerated out of proportion.

BTW what does OP stand for???

 

[DevonDiver]

OP= Original Poster (the person who started the thread).

 

[stabes]

End result, the OP completed his course on 10 Sep 09. A glitch with the online processing of his pic meant a slight delay. He recieved his certification on 25 Sep 09. 15 days from end of course to confirmation of his certification from PADI and being added to their database. 14 days from end of course until the OP posted a slanderous and inaccurate thread on a public forum. 24 hours for the instructor to completely resolve the problem once he was aware of it.

Thanks Andy your my hero.

Just out of interest what was the glitch?

 

[Diver0001]

PADI decided to totally revamp their website this year but apparently hired complete boobs to do it for them and have been having terrible technical trouble with it for several months.

R..

 

[Ann Marie]

You're telling me about the trouble! Yikes! I went on to print one of my dive master canidate's record of certifications and it didn't list his newest EFR course. So, I contacted my friend who taught my student and asked him about it. He said that it was in his student certification records. It still isn't showing in the students history. I'm going to have to call PADI on Monday to make sure that they merge the two records.

Hey Stabes, who cares what the glich was!? You slammed Devon and his business because he wasn't as quick in responding as you would have liked him to be.

He took care of the problem immediately when he realized that it had not be resolved. He apologized for the delay. What else do you want? Move on...

 

[Babydamulag]

Lessons I learned reading this--

If I might ---
At this point the "poo slinging" needs to cease. I am very interested in the After Action Review of this event though. It seems there are multiple events that caused the customer stress. Now, working on the assumption (and good business sense) that the customer is always right, it seems that we (reads - businesses and me included) need to work out some kinks in the PIC process and customer service issues. I would hope that our PADI representative is aware of any glitches in the system. There is no doubt that Jimmy Christrup will do everything in his power to correct any "glitches". The next thing to address is the customer to business representative relationship. When we make promises we better deliver or explain why we haven't. I got that one loud and clear. So, multiple people involved in customer relations would offset that risk and mitigate those "I forgot" moments. Since we are a smaller operation and do not have corporate representation outside of our name I am at a loss to figure out how to remedy the problem of "what name does PADI know you by". I would recommend that get fixed to prevent people from thinking that the business if trying to hide something. I am not sure how to address that one. Seek legal advice. As far as having a single point of contact, that is a non-starter coming out of the gate. In our trade there is no way that one can succeed with one person as the storefront to the public. I am thinking we need to address (in our business) how we maintain a steady and vigilant monitoring of all of our email traffic so as to NEVER miss an email. Again, depth in customer relations will remedy that challenge. I hear that one loud and clear in this thread. Okay, I just wanted to write this so we can capture the challenges posted by the writers. I always learn something here. Thanks. Now lets go diving.

 

[World Wide Diver]

PADI needs to take the Philippine dive industries more seriously and look at the real issues caused by their systems/infrastructure here. Dive tourism is increasing in a big way in the Philippines, but PADI still tries to apply its ' Global Model'.

Not all infrastructure is good all of the time (especially internet), and you are lucky if you get dial-up internet in some places - nevermind a postal service.

Many dive ops go to great lengths to overcome these issues, but whilever PADI bases their customer service level agreements on US/Australia/Europe to here, then there will be issues like this.

Maybe better to ditch online PICS and go back to paper processing.

 

[Ed Palma]

Hey Andy! Congratulations on the engagement!

Just to jump to the defense of what I believe is a top notch facility, and a great instructor. I'm currently in the process of taking my wreck and nitrox course with Andy, and believe me, he will take the time to make sure that the basic skills meet and exceed the stated requirements for the course. At the end of the course I know that more than just a certification, more than just a card, I will have been given training and experiences that will serve me well.

Its not just about the card. It's what's behind the card that matters most.

 

[DevonDiver]

Hi Ed, thanks for that! Yvette says hi and thanks also!

Maybe better to ditch online PICS and go back to paper processing.

My thoughts (and future solution) exactly. I just ordered a new batch of manuals for my stock - all with paper pics.

My internet here is terrible at the best of times. It is a plug-in USB modem (SmartBro) using UTMS/GPRS data transmission. The Philippines provider advertised 3mbps, but it is normally more like 10kbps, with frequent drop-outs.

Possibly the PIC online error was caused by date transmission, possibly it was because of an error in the PADI system. I am not sufficiently educated on IT or the PADI electronic processing system to even hazard a guess.

However, PADI sorted the problem manually...and did that quickly. When you need help, they are reliable.

Paper PICs have their own problems - they get lost in the international post occasionally. The processing system does rely on effective communication between the customer and the dive center. If a problem happens, and is communicated, then it is easily rectifiable.