Posted by Psalm150 on January 09, 2001 at 13:32:37:
In Reply to: Zeagle Drysuit posted by SeaUrchin on January 08, 2001 at 03:47:23:
Hello, newbie Tom here. I have been reading this board for some time now and feel prompted to respond to this seemingly innocuous post. SeaUrchin, I too am waiting for a XXL Zeagle drysuit... I have been waiting for two months, and every week it is the same, "maybe next week." At last contact with Zeagle the word is that the shop in England that makes them isn't even open until January 9th. If the "stock" size is there it will take the "slow boat" to our shores, adding another three weeks to my wait. If the size needs to be made, who knows how long it will take... the water will be warm before I get what I have already paid for. All this comes after an assurance by Zeagle that it would be shipped to me by Christmas.
Now to the point of my post... this seems to be just one example of the dive industry lacking any customer service whatsoever. My dive buddy ordered a Halcyon cannister light - three months wait. I have been reading this board faithfully, have a fully DIR buddy to dive with weekly, tried the gear and made an informed choice to adopt DIR... I ordered the gear from my shop and they laughed when I asked when it will be in! It seems Halcyon has no idea when my wing and single tank adaptor would be available. They had a back plate and some weight pouches, but the plate doesn't have holes drilled to connect the pouches... it's old stock. So I wait. I want to dive DIR, but it seems impossible to get the gear I have already paid for... and we are going on two months.
Someone will surely say, "Shop so-and-so has all the gear you need." Well, I thought the idea was to support your local dive center... I believe in this and I do. I volunteer my time to help with classes, I bring lots of people in, and I spend lots of money because I love to dive.
My shop currently has $2,200 of mine and I have no gear to show for it, with no idea when any of it will be in. Now, if I was given a straight story to begin with, maybe a "I'm sorry, but the suit/gear is out of stock until _____" then I wouldn't be so upset. The problem is the smug attitude I get from both the manufacturers involved (Halcyon and Zeagle) and my shop... I am doing them a favor by ordering their gear, and it will get in when it gets in.
Is this par for the course in the dive industry? I already know there is some secret code that people in the industry have to be gruff and unsmiling... does poor customer service come along with it also?
Who am I to complain? I am the guy you shops want to have around. I have been diving for 11 months and have 104 dives under my belt. I am working on my DM... I love to come in and spend my money... around 7 grand, to date. I love to promote diving to all my friends, heck, I purchased lessons for a guy who I wanted to dive with but wasn't certified.
Object lesson... a few weeks ago I needed 500 small plastic magnifying glasses with holes drilled and keychain attached for a sermon illustration. I went on the internet... found a company that makes the glasses in Quebec. Found another place to get the keychains... found both items on Thursday afternoon and they were in my hands Friday afternoon to be assembled in time for the sermon. Anything, no matter how bizzare, can be anywhere in a few short hours with a smile and a "thank you."
Sorry for the length, looking forward to your suggestions.
Tom