Scubaboard used as a helpful source of information or as a weapon?

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Indah

Contributor
Messages
1,267
Reaction score
992
Location
Lembeh
# of dives
5000 - ∞
This "kind" email I received from a former potential guest. I refused his booking because he was very offending in his last mail. Actually, the correspondence of hundreds of mails with him started in 2008 and never led to any real booking. But always the same questions and at the end: "sorry, I do not come after all".

I am frequent poster/blogger/commenter/writer in a number of dive media and, as soon as i have time, will relate my experiene. I've seen your wife post on Scubaboard...you or she can respond there if you feel like it. I believe in there being consequences to poor/unethical service, if for no other reason than the next time an operator might be in the same position they might realize they might think twice before can act like this and get out of it by just saying "go somewhere else." In business, ESPECIALLY the dive industry, poor word of mouth and negative comments do 100x more damage than if the situation had just been handled honestly/ethically to begin with. In a lifetime of heavy diving, and 20 trips to Lembeh, i've only felt the need to relate a negative experience twice.
Regards,
Alan
 
Last edited:
Yes Schwob, I should have explained it better. I wanted to show an example how social media are used as tools to get a discount or to intimidate. We frequently receive mails with content such as: for a 20% discount I can get you four excellent reviews. This was the first time Scubaboard was used against us as a "weapon". I thought I better post it myself.
It also happened several times that guests who did not have any complain until they checked out, suddenly said: if we do not get a discount we write a negative review. Of course we never gave in and it once it caused us a very negative, not true story at a German website.
 
Last edited:
Yes Schwob, I should have explained it better. I wanted to show an example how social media are used as tools to get a discount or to intimidate. We frequently receive mails with content such as: for a 20% discount I can get you four excellent reviews. This was the first time Scubaboard was used against us as a "weapon". I thought I better post it myself.
It also happened several times that guests who did not have any complain until they checked out, suddenly said: if we do not get a discount we write a negative review. Of course we never gave in and it once it caused us a very negative, not true story at a German website.
OK, I now understand better what you are saying. Thanks for clarifying.

Of course, not knowing the details - thankfully so - I can't and won't say much more, other than that I guess it can go both ways. Some businesses abuse social media masterfully to paint themselves in glorious lights with glorious reviews (by now there ought to be a gazillion reviews on e.g. a dominant web retailers' site that to the untrained but attentive eye surely look like reviews by shills) ... and I am sure some individuals have found ways to use them - in low ways - to their advantage. While I personally feel that the internet is an equalizer that was long overdue to give individuals a chance not to be literally (pardon) scr.w.d by unscrupulous businesses (or "politics"), I understand your pain and concern.

Publically portraying and airing a rightful and unresolved grievance after sincerely trying to get it resolved first s one thing,... and a good one imho, but, using "social media" as a threat to bargain better rates prior to booking is another matter entirely.
 
This is unfortunately becoming an increasingly common tactic on forums of all kinds... everything from hotels to plumbers. Discounts through intimidation...

In my former life, my business often worked with PR professionals and they used to recommend that the best way to battle this was to encourage the business's clients to post honest reviews of their experiences. If the organization is doing a good job, customers are likely happy to do so. Over time, the fake, bad reviews will simply get buried amoungst the good ones, or, even if they are read, their impact is greatly diminished in the face of dozens or even hundreds of good ones. Businesses simply send follow-up "Thank you" emails and in passing mention how important "honest" reviews are. A second and even third email over the next few months can be sent as well.

Businesses live or die on the Internet now, for better or worse. The best defense to fake reviews is lots of good reviews.

Whenever I travel and have a good experience, I try to leave a short (or not-so short) review on Tripadvisor etc. If you are happy with a business, show your support by doing the same.
 
Last edited:
The guys email is a threat, and I believe even if you had "given in" this kind of person would still give you bad review. People who threaten to get what they want are bullies, and you have spared your other guests the unpleasant experience of meeting him.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom