Poor customer service at Scuba Shack Diving in Cape Town, South Africa

[Trompie]

My complaint is about a dive shop operator in South Africa, Cape Town, Scuba Shack Diving who is owned by Justin Villiers.

I've attached a copy of an email that explains my complaint which I've send to him earlier today.

My objective is the avoidance of a similar situation happening to any other diver.

I also find out today that Scuba Shack Diving did not renew their PADI membership.


===================================================================================
Justin, I am writing this message with extreme disappointment in the service received from Scuba Shack (http://www.scubashack.co.za) last week.

I've contacted you via email, phone, and text, starting at the end of last year, followed up in the beginning of March; numerously the week prior to the planned diving, the weekend before, and the first potential day of diving which was last Monday, 19 March. I made sure that you had my email address, and an international and local cell phone number to contact me.

You gave me on numerous occasions the assurance that all was well with my proposed diving plan. You even said that you will call me within 5 minutes after I've managed to get hold of you over the phone last Monday at approximately 6:30 PM.

All of the above only to get a text message from you the next morning at approximately 4:30 AM, informing me that you were behind schedule due to the navy who was anchored in Simon's Town. That you had to complete an OW student's certification on that day (Tuesday) and that you couldn't do the diving that we've been planning months in advance.

You knew all of this ahead of time. Why did you not say anything until it was too late?

I hope that you can put yourself in my shoes; imagine how you would feel? Going half way around the world with your gear to do some diving. Only to receive a text message on the day of your planned diving, telling you that the dive operator can not help you any more!

I originally decided to use Scuba Shack because of good experiences in the past. I will not take that risk again.

I will go out of my way to warn my fellow divers of what could happen to them should they use Scuba Shack.

 

[wedivebc]

While I recognize that there are two sides to every story, on the face of it Scuba Shack treated you pretty shabbily. I would sure like to hear their explanation for this.

 

[DevonDiver]

I've attached a copy of an email that explains my complaint which I've send to him earlier today.

Personally, I think it's a bit unethical to post publicly, before the operator concerned has had a reasonable chance to address your complaint and reply in private.

Posting such reports into social media can be quite damaging for the business concerned - and doesn't reflect a fair way to voice a complaint... being more of an attack, than an actual complaint.

I also find out today that Scuba Shack Diving did not renew their PADI membership.

That has little relevance to anything. It is an operator business decision whether they wish to be a PADI 'franchise' or not. There are benefits to the business in carrying the PADI branding, but it makes little practical difference to a customer's experience.

 

[theduckguru]

The Scuba Shack website indicates they are independant using a PADI Master Instructor. I see no misrepresentation there.

 

[deeper thoughts]

thnx for the info

 

[Trompie]

While I recognize that there are two sides to every story, on the face of it Scuba Shack treated you pretty shabbily. I would sure like to hear their explanation for this.

Dave, thank you for high lighting this point.


I will post their reply.


I surely hope that I can also learn from this experience.

---------- Post added at 01:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:02 PM ----------

Personally, I think it's a bit unethical to post publicly, before the operator concerned has had a reasonable chance to address your complaint and reply in private.

Posting such reports into social media can be quite damaging for the business concerned - and doesn't reflect a fair way to voice a complaint... being more of an attack, than an actual complaint.




That has little relevance to anything. It is an operator business decision whether they wish to be a PADI 'franchise' or not. There are benefits to the business in carrying the PADI branding, but it makes little practical difference to a customer's experience.

Andy, I respect your comment "unethical to post publicly".

I did however said in my original post that my intend is "

the avoidance of a similar situation happening to any other diver".​

As for mentioning their "PADI membership"; that I would accept as my bad and that it shouldn't make a difference to a customer's experience (as mentioned by you).

 

[DevonDiver]

Andy, I respect your comment "unethical to post publicly".

I did however said in my original post that my intend is "

the avoidance of a similar situation happening to any other diver".​

​

With all due respect - wouldn't a direct email to the business concerned enable that?

That's how it used to be 'back in the day', before social media permitted 'online assassination'. You wrote, phoned, emailed or talked-to the company and expressed your displeasure. They'd listen and learn... and be given the opportunity to both make amends and improve their service in the future.

If all else failed...as a last resort if complaints weren't acted upon, then a warning to others may become the fall-back. The issue then being an unwillingness to listen or act upon complaints... rather than the initial cause of complaint. After all, we all make mistakes... but the good operators learn from them and, thus, value the feedback from customers.

Anyone even remotely 'internet savvy' understands the damage that a public 'name-and-shame' does on the internet. The title of this thread "Poor customer service at Scuba Shack Diving in Cape Town, South Africa" is now page one on Google search, if you look for them. That's a pretty harsh 'punishment', given that you've not even heard their reply yet. It'll cost them money - you must understand that.

I understand your displeasure - but going straight for the jugular online isn't a remedy, or a public service, it's just vengeance.

 

[Dive Bug Bit Me]

[/LEFT]

Anyone even remotely 'internet savvy' understands the damage that a public 'name-and-shame' does on the internet. The title of this thread "Poor customer service at Scuba Shack Diving in Cape Town, South Africa" is now page one on Google search, if you look for them. That's a pretty harsh 'punishment', given that you've not even heard their reply yet. It'll cost them money - you must understand that.

I understand your displeasure - but going straight for the jugular online isn't a remedy, or a public service, it's just vengeance.

Andy, I agree with you that the punishment should fit the crime.

That being said you and I would look at this from different points of view. You run a dive operation in the Philippines. From the little I know about you, I would guess it is a professional and safe dive operation. Yet I also know that you can't please everyone all the time and once in a while someone will leave dissatisfied. It would be grossly unfair for such a post to be associated with your shop.

I am more of a scuba tourist. I like going to remote destinations and doing some diving. My choice of destination is often driven by the dive operator. I book months in advance (and often pay in advance). If a dive operation has a habit of promising dives and then canceling because they over booked a training course I want to know that (it has happened to me before too). Yes this post has cost them business, but is that not right for a scuba operator that will drop someone (who flew half way around the world) should a more lucrative training opportunity come up.

My recollection of the 19th is that the weather was divable. Simons Town is a naval base so maybe you couldn't launch a boat, but then there is good shore entry diving available. You hop in a car and can be diving in Hout Bay in 30 mins. If the dive operator was so inclined he could have made a plan.

To the OP there are a few dive operators in CT. A basic google search would have had you in the water in a few minutes. This shouldnt have ruined a holiday. It has been a week. Did the Scuba Shack respond to your email?

 

[Trompie]

[To the OP there are a few dive operators in CT. A basic google search would have had you in the water in a few minutes. This shouldnt have ruined a holiday. It has been a week. Did the Scuba Shack respond to your email?[/QUOTE]

This would have been the plan. Unfortunately Scuba Shack cancelled too late on me. If Scuba Shack told me about the issue when they heard about it I would have been able to make alternative arrangements. I was 2 hours away from Cape Town and would only have had the afternoon to do a dive. I guess yo could argue that that would have been better than nothing?

I did receive feedback from Scuba Shack but wanted to give him at least a week to reply to this threat before I post it.

PS.
Thank you for your support.

---------- Post added April 3rd, 2012 at 05:06 PM ----------

Here is the reply that I've received from Scuba Shack with my reply below it.

---------- Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Dear Riaan,

Sorry you feel like this.

Scuba shack diving website is owned by me an Independent Instructor and no longer has their own shop. I do all my kit rentals from another diver shop here.

So all certification are registered under my Instructor number.

I just bought the scuba shack website, which is in the process of being changed. So yes, the old scuba shack shop and their registration is no longer.

That weekend the Navy Festival was in Simons Town and I was told at the last minute they were not allowing diving. There was nothing I could do. The access to all the dive sites were blocked.

This was out of my hands, however an alternative at the last minute was offered, which you couldn't do, I assume to your time constraint.

I am sorry for the inconvenience caused.


---------- Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Justin, thank you for your reply.

My actual complaint is that you were not proactive in your communication.

I totally understand that what happened with the Navy was not within your control. However, that is not an excuse for not contacting me over the weekend which would have allowed for enough time for alternative arrangements. The fact that I travelled to dive with your shop was not considered.

It would even have made a difference if you have returned my call from the Monday evening within the 5 minutes as you promised. Despite numerous calls from my side that night you didn't answered?

You are right, the option to tag along with your OW student would have been acceptable under the circumstances, if you called me back as promised. When I saw you text on Tuesday, I didn't have enough time to arrive at your shop at a reasonable time.

If anything good should come from this experience then I hope that you would think twice next time before you delay communicating to another of your customers like you did with me, and disappoint him or her like you did with me.

As mentioned before, it is my intention to be very transparent and to allow you a fair chance to state your side of the story. I've contacted various forums for advice and would gladly share them with you. ScubaBoard is one of them. Replies that I've received requested to hear your side of the story. Please feel free to reply at http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/af...iving-cape-town-south-africa.html#post6279166

I will paste your and my replies in it.

---------- Post added April 3rd, 2012 at 05:16 PM ----------

FYI, Scuba Shack has not communicasted with me since my last post.

Scuaba Shack also decided not to reply on any of the posts on this threat.

Do you believe that Scuba shack was sincere with their apology? Do you believe that Scuba Shack will consciously try to avoid a similar situation with future customers?


I truly hope so.

 

[crystaldiver]

This is madness ! this guy must have got up at the wrong side of bed!! I and many of my friends have dived with Justin and Scuba shack for years and we all have had more than excellent service and awesome dives with him and his team !!!

At times at the last minute we have also had dives cancelled due to weather etc !!! but that is not their fault, Get a life and get over it !!!!!
the way this guy carries on is really disgusting and not acceptable, slandering someones name and business. He really has problems! What a sad little person.

Scuba shack and Justin are by far one of the better Independant Instructors here in Cape Town, he has vast knowledge of all the dive sites and always goes that extra mile. We have had more than excellent sevice form him and I can highly recommend him, I am sure more people will be posting their comments and testimonials and agree. This guy who thinks he had "poor customer service" needs his head examined! Did you have a bad night! I hate irritating people like this.....get help and get some therapy, this is your issues.