Different LDSs, and all retailers really, have their own ideas of customer service and expectations. I don't mean to sound like I am attacking COVCI over this. I am just sharing my subjective experience and being very clear about steps I have taken, issues about which I am not knowledgeable, and what my experience has been. Obviously I would have preferred for the slots to have been smoothed on her plate, so there is some dissatisfaction. But I was also open to getting opinions to see where this dissatisfaction should be directed and what to do about it.
So as far as my expectations from COVCI-- at this point I don't have any, I am exploring options. My preference for customer service is like that described by Kraken above (I know COVCI is a distributor though, and not a manufacturer), FredT, Hammerhead, DSS, or Halcyon (someone commented that maybe I should have purchased from them then). A lesser, but also understandable, type of customer service would be to be told that the item in question was within the degree of acceptability and how I could fix it myself. Maybe if I were a technical diver I would just expect to have the plate delivered in a timely manner with no further dealings afterwards no sweat if I have to spend an evening working on it. I freely admit that I prefer the first two types of customer service -- and perhaps even expected one of them. So you could be right -- my expectations regarding customer satisfaction may be askew (though probably not atypical for a recreational diver).
But the best option is often communication, which is why my wife wrote Chris again. Maybe he'll have a suggestion, or maybe knowing our experience will help him to deal with a recreational diver in the future. Maybe it will not be fruitful. But it worth a try.