Underwhelmed by Oahu Dive Op

[cwkline]

While it is nice that the owner is addressing the issue, this is one consumer who wouldn't be so quick to give him a pass. To me the attitude of everyone associated with the business that day doesn't give me confidence that I would risk a single day of an 8 day vacation on again.

The degree of information (read lack there of) and handling of the situations with the consumer is quite troubling.

From someone who's worked in the customer service industry (in several different types of jobs), information is key and "I don't know" by itself is the most negative thing that anyone can tell a customer. "I don't care either" and "I'm not going to do anything about it " automatically gets read into the exchange! I always tell my people that they need to qualify the statement with why (if there is a legitimate reason) and what you're going to do to get the info or when the consumer can get the info. It gets even worse when someone who doesn't know says "Dunno". Now you have incompetence read into the exchange.

It is one thing to give truly competent people latitude to do their jobs, but here it sounds like you may have not even vetted your people well. The attitude of your workers doesn't seem to be encouraging either.

Yes, it is your job to drive the boat and you may not have very much time to interact with your customers during the charter, but you should be taking the time out to hire well and train your workers to be the kind of frontline people who represent your business properly. If you cant, then you need to hire those who can and will.

I hope for your sake, you do really take the steps to do better and attract those dollars that are votes in our free market economy. Lord knows, we need as many dive shops here as we can possibly get!

Wow, that's pretty harsh.
I have to agree with Capt Scotty on this one. I have been on that boat for many dives, and have never seen that while diving with them. I wasn't there that day, (I don't think), but Capt Mike's apology and explanation are all he can do now.
I will continue to dive with them, and plan on being there Saturday.

 

[redrover]

tell me where you can find these "top of the line" employees who will work for dive wages these days,,, i'll put a few to work (lucky to get people who show up for work these days)

Ask Jack’s how they do it?
In my experience there are mundane and repetitive aspects of all employment but I’ve found those outside in recreation the easiest to tolerate, and put on a happy face.
Of course it could just be I chose the jobs and it was not the only one I could get or there for the money or benefits.

Is Oahu starved for employees? I think last I saw HI had the lowest unemployment rate. What are the Oahu dive ops wages?

 

[ArcticDiver]

Wow, that's pretty harsh.
I have to agree with Capt Scotty on this one. I have been on that boat for many dives, and have never seen that while diving with them. I wasn't there that day, (I don't think), but Capt Mike's apology and explanation are all he can do now.
I will continue to dive with them, and plan on being there Saturday.

For this annual multi-week tourist your comments are tempered by the knowledge that locals and tourists are often treated diffferently, with the local getting bennies the tourist never even thinks about.

Not necessarily a complaint; but rather something that helps put comments by locals in context.

 

[CaptFlyingDutchman]

Capt Mike can be rough around the edges but never to the consumers (just me).

I have dove with Capt Mike, DHD, and the Enzo many times. I have been an employee, DM, and consumer with DHD.

The DM that you had must of been new or newish, I have never seen or heard that before. His crew is a colorful bunch that are serious and professional about diving. I am sure if this DM makes the same mistake twice s/he @$*(butt) is grass.

Seeing Capt Mike's apology.....WOW, that shows how professional he is.

Sorry that you had a less than professional DM, unfortanely they exist.

 

[DiamondHeadDiver]

Ask Jack’s how they do it?

This is a little off-topic but here we go.


Its easy to see how Jack's does it.

They apparently have a profitable business, good bankers, cash reserves and a $10,000+ a month marketing budget. They have 5 boats, 2 shops and a market that doesn't support wholesaling of boat seats or discount diving. Ask for a Kama'aina rate, military discount or a wholesale seat and there's probably only one answer...... NO. They don't have to support any discount diving because they don't have to, if you want to go on Jack's boat....you have to go with Jack and pay his price. You can't book with Joe and sit between Larry and Bob's customers on Jack's boat (all paying a different price).

Oahu isn't like that, here the average "dive company" doesn't own a dive boat or dive shop. At best they have a few sets of dive gear and some tanks. They can rent gear, buy air fills and book seats on a boat they have to share with half a dozen different dive companies at $30-$35 each (yep, you heard right). Try running a $200,000+ boat and paying crew of 2 (cuz every commercial boat is required to have a Captain AND a deckhand) on $35 a person, you'd do the math and say ...."can't be done", right?.......well, welcome to scuba diving in Oahu.

I could go on and on, but that should be a different thread and most people probably don't want to know about it anyway.

 

[redrover]

For this annual multi-week tourist your comments are tempered by the knowledge that locals and tourists are often treated diffferently, with the local getting bennies the tourist never even thinks about.

Not necessarily a complaint; but rather something that helps put comments by locals in context.

Not sure what you mean…
I for one would be terribly disturbed if I saw visitors treated poorly and I nicely.

 

[redrover]

People’s perspective can really vary I will agree. Absolutely. This captain thought he was making a joke and the guest and/or person that never met him thought him rude or whatever worth complaining of. Now if I was the crew I’d probably be right along side thinking I’m funny – my blatant sarcasm is lost on many people I encounter. (That’s where a local or known guest can come in handy with a good chuckle so the new folks have a chance to interpret.)
But there are people handicapped by inadequate sense of humor. (shrug)

I’ll choose colorful over graciousness myself.

It is hard to please all the people equally.

Too bad there isn’t another diver speaking up that was onboard that day. I’ve had experience with staff somewhere that really ticked me off and the people I was with didn’t think it really worth mentioning. It wasn’t bad enough or good enough service, it just was.
And so far at least, none of my diving visitors has cared one hoot for all the local color etc things I’m so willing to share.
I’ve learned to ask; “What interests you?” And save myself the dismay of discovering that rare fish sighting was; so what, just another fish.

 

[DiveWestOahu]

dm/instructor pay is between 40~80 per dive (4~8 hours of work)
when i first became an instructor in 1990 I got paid 75 per charter,,,, in this time the cost of living has surely gone up while pay hasn't followed

 

[Teamcasa]

People’s perspective can really vary I will agree. Absolutely. This captain thought he was making a joke and the guest and/or person that never met him thought him rude or whatever worth complaining of. Now if I was the crew I’d probably be right along side thinking I’m funny – my blatant sarcasm is lost on many people I encounter. ...But there are people handicapped by inadequate sense of humor. (shrug)

Too true!
I used to tell my employees and my kids, “It never matters what you said. The only thing that counts is what they think you said.”

 

[Randy43068]

it's kind of odd that the bubble_girl hasn't been back to make any comments, dont'cha think? Were that me, I'd be following this thing like a baby duck following mom.