Horrible Customer Service Experience

[SC_Hoaty]

Not a stretch at all if the wing/bladder was not used prior to the dive. That's like trying on a sock right after you got it out of the wrapper and there's a hole in the big toe. Did you do it?

The brand-new sock is tested overnight prior to being carefully packed for shipping. After receipt the sock is stored for two months. It then gets taken out of the wrapper and packed in luggage and tranported internationally. It gets loaded on a dive boat, and the hole is noted. And you think the guy that tested it overnight is at fault?

At least now were looking at apples to apples.

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Wow ever since this thread started I have been reading in the Oxycheq forum. All the complaints I read and he never responds. Sounds like he does not care. To tell someone to take his business elsewhere is the ultimate horrible customer service. . I hope my Mach V wing holds up. At least Tobin does care and is helpful to everyone

Tobin does care ... I once pointed out to him that sometimes people are put off by his attempts at helpfulness. He said he'd rather lose a sale than sell someone a piece of equipment he thinks they're ultimately not going to be happy with.

To me that speaks of a guy who's willing to put his integrity before his self-interest ... which is the sort of person I'd want to be recommending to my students and friends as someone they should do business with ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[divermike1011]

Oh, and for the person who wondered how Patrick would respond ... the one time I complained on ScubaBoard about a defective piece of Oxycheq gear, he told me to take my business elsewhere.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Shoots Bob, at least he responded to you. My carefully composed thoughts about my own issues with my Oxycheq gear were deleted within about 15 minutes of being posted!:shocked2:

I will buy my next wings (for the wife and I) from DSS. In fact I like Tobin's approach to both product development and customer service that I asked him if I, as an independent instructor, could sell the damn things.

If anyone is unhappy with their DSS wing (and it is in functioning condition) as long as it's got similar lift to my Oxycheq Mach V Extreme 40 lbs. I will trade you as I don't even want to see an Oxycheq label again after trying to get them to fix gear.

Whatever you think of his approach Tobin is on here answering questions and actively participating on his forum. Not many manufacturers do that with as much regularity as he does!

Michael

 

[mdb]

Tobin is the real deal, giving good answers and opinion and advice even though some may disagree.

Nice to see a very honest man on this board. Good for Tobin.

I've learned a lot on this thread.

 

[skubadad]

So let's say I order a wing from you Tobin, and the day it arrives I unpack it, air it up, and it leaks (or maybe leaks down overnight). If I call you immediately how will you handle it? Obviously I haven't dove with it yet, or had it on a boat, or packed it in a suitcase, etc. Since you shipped it to me you'll know approx when it would have been delivered, so no doubt as to how long I've had it. It's a delicate balance between the customer responsibility and the manufacturer's. At some point the manufacturer has to trust the customer did nothing to damage it, but in my opinion 2 months is too long for the manufacturer to be held responsible for this type of damage. The customer has a responsibility to check out his merchandise and report any damages in a timely manner.

I know this topic is 2 months old, but I'm a future DSS customer and I wanted to weigh in on this.

 

[cool_hardware52]

So let's say I order a wing from you Tobin, and the day it arrives I unpack it, air it up, and it leaks (or maybe leaks down overnight). If I call you immediately how will you handle it? Obviously I haven't dove with it yet, or had it on a boat, or packed it in a suitcase, etc. Since you shipped it to me you'll know approx when it would have been delivered, so no doubt as to how long I've had it. It's a delicate balance between the customer responsibility and the manufacturer's. At some point the manufacturer has to trust the customer did nothing to damage it, but in my opinion 2 months is too long for the manufacturer to be held responsible for this type of damage. The customer has a responsibility to check out his merchandise and report any damages in a timely manner.

I know this topic is 2 months old, but I'm a future DSS customer and I wanted to weigh in on this.

Your scenario is far different from the issues discussed in this thread. If you report a problem promptly there are a lot of options.

1) If the goods were damaged in transit it is very likely possible to submit a claim to the carrier. No way to do this months latter, for any party.

2) If the goods were not useable upon receipt and the package is intact of course we would consider your claim as would any reputable reseller should.

Tobin

 

[gcarter]

Your goals, though admirable don't line up with the customers goals. They (customers) don't give a rats a$$ about long term solutions, for the most part they care about immediate gratification especially if they feel (rightly or not) that they have been short changed some how.

The goal of customer service is to maintain the customer relation so that they continue to purchase your product and to protect your reputation. At ~5,500 views of a thread labeled "Horrible Customer Service" I can't see how you achieved this.

I keep seeing this theme over and over, and each time I see a similar comment I have the same response:

Why does everyone seem to assume that "goal of customer service is to maintain the customer relation"?

That is not the goal at all. The goal is to retain GOOD customers from whom you can continue to make monet over time. Customers who expect freebies as a condition of satisfaction are not customers you make money on. Further, the more you give in to this, the more conditioned they become to expect it. Such customers should be jettisoned at the earliest possible point.

BAD customers do not make you money. The customer is NOT always right. Do NOT make efforts to retain BAD customers.

It is bad for business.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I keep seeing this theme over and over, and each time I see a similar comment I have the same response:

Why does everyone seem to assume that "goal of customer service is to maintain the customer relation"?

That is not the goal at all. The goal is to retain GOOD customers from whom you can continue to make monet over time. Customers who expect freebies as a condition of satisfaction are not customers you make money on. Further, the more you give in to this, the more conditioned they become to expect it. Such customers should be jettisoned at the earliest possible point.

BAD customers do not make you money. The customer is NOT always right. Do NOT make efforts to retain BAD customers.

It is bad for business.

You do have a point, but then 11,000+ views on a post titled "Horrible Customer Service" is not exactly the goal of a great marketing strategy.

For $50 I would have shut the customer up (Good or Bad), but that's me. Personally I think Tobin is right on this one, the pictures he posted were a clean kill shot of the OP's bitch. All the other back and forth just keeps bumping the thread to the top allowing the damage to continue.

 

[gcarter]

You do have a point, but then 11,000+ views on a post titled "Horrible Customer Service" is not exactly the goal of a great marketing strategy.

For $50 I would have shut the customer up (Good or Bad), but that's me. Personally I think Tobin is right on this one, the pictures he posted were a clean kill shot of the OP's bitch. All the other back and forth just keeps bumping the thread to the top allowing the damage to continue.

I was completely unfamiliar with DSS prior to seeing this thread tonight. After reading all 200+ posts, I have come to the conclusion that DSS is a well run business with a well respected product that they stand behind.

Those who have a different take-away are most likely to be those who are the type of customers DSS doesn't need.

As always, YMMV, but that is my conclusion.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

I was completely unfamiliar with DSS prior to seeing this thread tonight.

I have read 100's of his post. Tobin is smart, helpful and makes a good product. He tends to have a binary vision of the issues, he is always "always right", if you have a different opinion from him, you are "wrong". Exchanges with him often spin out of control. This is a good example.

After reading all 200+ posts, I have come to the conclusion that DSS is a well run business with a well respected product that they stand behind.

Unfortunately many readers won't take the time to read all 200+ post. If you read many of the post, its easy to see many read the first few, then jump in without reading the intervening 150 post. You are correct, if someone reads all the post, its clear. But the numbers are so large than even a small percent of skimmers reaching the wrong conclusion is damaging.

Those who have a different take-away are most likely to be those who are the type of customers DSS doesn't need.

In this economy, few can afford to jettison customers because they are ignorant. That's his choice though.