Posted by Ken Kurtis on September 06, 2004 at 12:23:50:
In Reply to: "How chicny can one customer be?" posted by Mojo Mike on September 06, 2004 at 09:15:13:
I happen to agree with you on all counts. But what you describe is a very different situation than the original scenario which was a customer not wanting to have a VIP done on a tank that was out of VIP.
What's amazing is how many people view this as a way for the dive shop to rip you off. It's a safety issue both from your end AND ours. I can't even begin to tell you how many tanks we get in that have corrosion inside or even sloshing water. What do you think happens to your lungs as you continue to breathe that stuff under high pressure?
As to your point #3 (waiting six months for a "fresh" VIP) that seems to make emminent sense. Get the most bang for your buck on the VIP. Nothing wrong in waiting until you need it again.
FWIW, I would have complained directly about the employee to the manager of the store if he's trying to do VIPs you didn't ask for. the employee may not have been following shop olouicy and if you don't bring things like this to management's attention, corrective steps can't be taken.
Now, with that being said, I will also tell you that at Reef Seekers, if we get a tank in for a fill that has under a couple of hundred psi and we can drain it quickly, we'll crack the valve and take a quick peek inside for rust at no charge. We call it a "courtesy VIP." We don't give you a new sticker, but many times we've been able to catch rusty/corroded tanks long before they were next due for inspection.
Ken Kurtis
NAUI Instr. #5936
Co-owner, Reef Seekers Dive Co.
Beverly Hills, CA