Thought I'd Share The (Non) Love

[Edward3c]

It's more about customer service. Make your customers happy and they will keep coming back. Upset them and you lose a customer forever. And, you will hear more from one unhappy customer than 100 happy ones.

In my experience the retailer rarely hears from a customer they upset, but loads of former potential customers do. Its even rarer for a satisfied customer to tell someone else they had good service.

A LDS offered free fills during their open day. I took in three cylinders and the guy (brought in for the event) said its only one that's in the T&Cs. But I explained there were no T&Cs in their Facebook promotion, but he insisted. Fine, I went else were for my fills and also spend £200 on other things.

Interestingly, later that day the shop manager phoned me and apologised as the T&Cs had not been posted on FB. He offered me 15 fills in compensation.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

In my experience the retailer rarely hears from a customer they upset, but loads of former potential customers do. Its even rarer for a satisfied customer to tell someone else they had good service.

The shop I use most frequently (Tacoma Scuba) gets complimented regularly on our local board ... deservedly so. They've built a reputation on good customer service, and have been constantly growing while other shops in our area are either cutting back or closing their doors.

I think when a shop employee or owner does something to make a customer feel appreciated, they do tend to tell their friends about it.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Tropicalwolf]

So, if you have now dealt with the two (co-)owners, why didn't you simply ask / go back to speak with the owner you originally dealt with? If he was the one who quoted the price you agreed to, why not simply ask him to make the situation right? This situation seems a bit odd.

Okay, so I (the customer) am supposed to wait even longer (remember, the only reason I had to wait until Monday was because the first guy wanted to "go home early"- he could have completed the entire vip and fill within his POSTED store hours) and then "parent shop" after the fact, until I got the answer I wanted? Waste even more of my time? Spoken like a true LDS apologist.

Anyway, I am actually the first person to compliment good service. I routinely write physical letters (remember when people used to do that?) to store and restaurant managers/owners to compliment their staff (by name) on a job well done. I agree too many people are quick to complain but slow to compliment. I make sure I express a balance of both in my life. I trust karma.

 

[jewelofnile69]

Okay, so I (the customer) am supposed to wait even longer (remember, the only reason I had to wait until Monday was because the first guy wanted to "go home early"- he could have completed the entire vip and fill within his POSTED store hours) and then "parent shop" after the fact, until I got the answer I wanted? Waste even more of my time? Spoken like a true LDS apologist.

Anyway, I am actually the first person to compliment good service. I routinely write physical letters (remember when people used to do that?) to store and restaurant managers/owners to compliment their staff (by name) on a job well done. I agree too many people are quick to complain but slow to compliment. I make sure I express a balance of both in my life. I trust karma.

I wasn't going to comment on this thread at all but am in the same situation here. The LDS's here are slowly closing and the service each time at the few dive shops that are left are spotty at best. One day we feel welcomed and the next we feel like 2nd class citizens. From now on we'll be requesting a statement of work prior to with estimated costs (hey, we get this from the auto shops so why not from a dive shop?) but I'm also the first to compliment. I will always tell about a job well done as well as a poor job.

The thing that is driving me bonkers about a LDS that I actually like is that he is so completely vehement on his high prices. I understand that with much of the gear he can charge a regular price because if a client goes online and finds the same gear the client will likely pay a shipping fee that equals out what he thinks he is charging. My issue is that he doesn't realize that so many of the places are now offering free shipping so you are getting a pretty good deal. This LDS has the BCD that I want. I can purchase it on line for quite a bit cheaper and get free shipping...I'll be saving $40 in total. I think I'll be buying online.

Finally, we were often going to our LDS for the "experience" because, like someone said above, it becomes a social experiment. But this is hit or miss as well with the owner sometimes welcoming us with open arms and other times acting like we have the plague. I've dropped $300 there over the last month so it's not like we aren't giving him business! Just pisses me off a little.

EDIT: I meant to add that we have 2 local dive shops left in our area and so we now split our business between the two and we've found a good dive master separate from a LDS that teaches classes that we use (our best buddy no longer teaches) and we also use 2 or 3 dive shops in other cities that my husband often visits when he's traveling for work. Regardless, we feel we get the same treatment at all the dive shops. One day they love you...the next day they don't want you there. If I treated my personal training clients and exercise clients like this and my customers at my full-time job, I wouldn't HAVE a job.

 

[Tropicalwolf]

I think Jewel hit a lot of my feelings right on the head.

 

[Seaduced]

Okay, my LDS horror story, we dropped two 60cf tanks off for fill and said we would be back the next day to pick them up. The next day, the tanks aren't filled, so we said we would pick them up the day after. When we went to pick them up, one tank wasn't filled and the other was missing. I took the one tank to another LDS and strongly asked would they please find out what happened to my other tank. A week later, the shop owner confessed to giving the tank to a friend of his!!!! Okay, I could see how that might happen, except my tank had a name and address on it, not the shop markings. I was torqued and demanded another tank in return. Nearly a year later we got the tank, a 53cf. Close enough I figured. I have never taken a tank back to them, I found another shop that will usually fill while you wait and if I leave them, they are always ready when I return.

When I talked with the owner, I got a 'who cares' attitude. It is the shop that certified me and I went a long way with that shop, but for some reason the tank episode, put me over the top.

I always endorse my good shop and refrain from mentioning the bad one.

 

[tridacna]

I routinely write physical letters (remember when people used to do that?) to store and restaurant managers/owners to compliment their staff (by name) on a job well done.

Snailmail sounds so cool. It isn't. Your complaint on the board reaches exponentially many more folks than your piece of paper ever could. (What does the recipeint do? That letter "may" get nailed up on a wall. Big whoop). If you have something good to say, do it here too.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

Clearly the OP was treated shabbily, and the shop involved is not playing fair. But that does not make all LDS's bad. I, with others who have already posted, an a big fan of my local shop and have been a loyal customer there for over 13 years. ( even before I began working there in training sessions part time) I notice commentary about local shops closing- that is happening in no small part because of on line purchases cutting deeply into their revenue. Buy on line if you want, but how will you get an air fill on line? What was the down time last time yo0u sent a piece of equipment in to the manufacturer for maintenance or repair? I like dealing locally, because I get good service: Air fill while I wait, on sight servicing and repair in a day or two if I need it done that fast, sponsored trips, and affiliated dive club that is very active, and on site pool they are very generous in sharing. I would be lost without a quality local shop. If you have a bad experience with a shop, find another. Or blow them all off. That's your choice. I am just saying, I could not live like that.
DivemasterDennis

 

[nimoh]

Snailmail sounds so cool. It isn't. Your complaint on the board reaches exponentially many more folks than your piece of paper ever could. (What does the recipeint do? That letter "may" get nailed up on a wall. Big whoop). If you have something good to say, do it here too.

oh the irony of a guy that looks like Newman knocking the USPS

 

[Edward3c]

LDS aren't the only places to get fills. A local garage has installed a compressor that will do 300Bar, O2 clean fills. Now I can get my car worked on and cylinders filled at the same time. We also have in the West Coast around Oban a self service filling station for cylinders.