SSI Class - Failed

[N2DeepInAz]

Something is definitely wrong here. SSI bases their confined water sessions on repetition, repetition, repetition throughout all the confined water modules, so that by the end of the CW session you've done every skill multiple times and should now be proficient at it since you've done it so many times.

So either the instructor wasn't following the CW standards and was being lazy or there are 7 people who need way more help than I've ever seen. I'm leaning towards the first part. I've never seen an entire class perform poorly and that includeds a few hundred students over the past 4 years, which includes kids aging from 10-17 as most of my teaching is for a city youth program.

I'd definitely speak privately and directly with the instructor to see where he feels you're deficient. If he says you are then tell him you need more pool time and that one more day in the pool at his expense should get you where you need to be, otherwise, you should be willing to pay for additional pool time beyond that if you can't master the skills. If he balks at that, I'd contact SSI about what to do next.

Just hearing an entire class 'failed' in this manner just sounds wrong on so many levels. Best of luck in your resolution!

 

[boulderjohn]

The OP gve a link to the Groupon offer. It was for both DSD and OW cources. According to the site, 90 of these were sold. That's a lot, even without an indication of how many were DSD and how many were OW. I would expect a reasonable percentage of the DSD to go on and pay full price for an OW certification. I decent percentage of the 90 people who bought the coupons will purchase gear.

With Groupon, people pay ahead of time and then take advantage of the offer. Groupon and the shop have a split. If someone decides not to take the class, then the money is still paid for the class.

I am having trouble thinking that the shop lost a lot of money on the deal and was looking to make it up. If a scuba shop loses money selling 90 Groupon offers, then Groupon must really stink and will go out of business.

 

[Mike]

Have you ever read anything about the super low percentage of businesses that do a 2nd run with Groupon? It's abysmally low. "Over 75% of business owners who have used Groupon would not do so a second time."

The only way Groupon makes sense for a business is if they can upsell a new customer and/or create a lot of repeat business off the new customer.

With scuba divers whoring out their equipment dollars to the lowest online retailer they can find, scuba shops don't recover their losses by being able to make up for in equipment sales, and the vast majority of people who never return to a dive shop once they get OW certified, scuba shops can't capture repeat business off a Groupon offer. I can's see how Groupon is a smart choice for the scuba industry.

 

[ScubaSteve1962]

Have you ever read anything about the super low percentage of businesses that do a 2nd run with Groupon? It's abysmally low. "Over 75% of business owners who have used Groupon would not do so a second time."

The only way Groupon makes sense for a business is if they can upsell a new customer and/or create a lot of repeat business off the new customer.

With scuba divers whoring out their equipment dollars to the lowest online retailer they can find, scuba shops don't recover their losses by being able to make up for in equipment sales, and the vast majority of people who never return to a dive shop once they get OW certified, scuba shops can't capture repeat business off a Groupon offer. I can's see how Groupon is a smart choice for the scuba industry.

If sold 90 OW/DSD how many shops do that much in a year? And say 75% of the students got their gear from him, 50% of the DSD took OW, 50% of those got their gear from him. And of both of those groups 25% were repeat customers, it still wouldn't be worth it? Now we're talking Baltimore, not West Palm Beach where you probably get the majority of your business before the summer.

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

The only way Groupon makes sense for a business is if they can upsell a new customer and/or create a lot of repeat business off the new customer.

Bingo! Groupon might work fine for a pizza shop or someplace where you can afford to give away a sample to get a repeat customer.

It sucks for a LDS. A good business person would realize this and stay away. Unfortunately a lot of LDS's are not owned not by good business people but by divers. They get suckered into a bad deal and then it depends on the integrity of the LDS owner to see how they dig themselves out of a hole. Hopefully they don't take it out on their customers but desperate people make bad decisions.

 

[DivingIvan]

To the OP: After reading your posts, I have to agree with the people that suspect some kind of scam. I've been a Divemaster for quite a few instructors, assisted in many OW classes both in pool sessions as well as OW dives, and I have NEVER seen a whole class fail. In the occasions, and there were a few, that a student was having problems with a skill in the pool, it was immediately addressed with either one-on-one training with the Divemaster or (maybe one or two cases) with additional pool sessions on subsequent scheduled classes. I recall of one guy who could not complete his certification, no matter how much we worked with him, he could not take off his mask in the water without freaking out and standing up, in that case the instructor refunded the unused portion of the fee which was the certification fee and boat dives to the guy.

I do agree with those that feel that additional training beyond the norm should not be assumed to be free. However, the dive industry is a customer service industry where the main difference between one shop/instructor to another is the level of customer service and perceived value from the customer. I suspect if this dive shop owner doesn't change his way of doing business, his business will not last very long.

I would certainly get clarification from the instructor as to what skills he feels uncomfortable with, but I would do it as a class, not individually. If you cannot get a satisfactory answer as a group, the entire class should file a complaint with SSI. SSI is more likely to take the instructor side on an individual complaint, but if the whole class complains, there is not much to argue on behalf of the instructor.

Good Luck.

Edit: I would not place all GroupOn deals in this category of customer service, I'm sure there are some that are legit. I recently used a LivingSocial deal for my son to get his Junior Scuba Diver certification and the shop I used was fantastic.

 

[ToddMLewis]

This Is shocking......while my wife did not fail her first go round, she could not complete the course because of illness. She went through surgery and returned in two weeks (with the Docs permission) and completed toe course. There was no extra charge. The DSOM proved to be a great LDS.
I guess what kinda sticks out with me is.....if this shop does indeed do as you suspect. Do you really want your training through them.
Live learn and find a LDS that has quality people and training.

 

[flots am]

Edit: I would not place all GroupOn deals in this category of customer service, I'm sure there are some that are legit.

I got half off on some bagels, which worked out nicely, but other than that, every other one I've tried has involved some sort of pi****-off store owner.

flots.

 

[oly5050user]

If sold 90 OW/DSD how many shops do that much in a year? And say 75% of the students got their gear from him, 50% of the DSD took OW, 50% of those got their gear from him. And of both of those groups 25% were repeat customers, it still wouldn't be worth it? Now we're talking Baltimore, not West Palm Beach where you probably get the majority of your business before the summer.

I wish 75% of OW students purchase gear here. Of the people who do DSD thru groupon or living social next to NONE sign up for a full ow course once they hear the cost involved. We even credit back to the what they paid for the groupon experience towards a course or the required gear for the course. Groupon and Living Social bring in the customer who is looking for an experience on the cheap and nothing else. We did both groupon and Living social here. No where near 50% signing up for a full ow course.Maybe 5% to 8% do..Luckly we have our own inhouse pool and offer deals like this in a group setting with a limited schedule. We do not have to worry about paying for pool time as it is here anyway. No way to do this for 1 or 2 groupon /Living Social people at a time.

 

[jstein86]

Have you ever read anything about the super low percentage of businesses that do a 2nd run with Groupon? It's abysmally low. "Over 75% of business owners who have used Groupon would not do so a second time."

The only way Groupon makes sense for a business is if they can upsell a new customer and/or create a lot of repeat business off the new customer.

With scuba divers whoring out their equipment dollars to the lowest online retailer they can find, scuba shops don't recover their losses by being able to make up for in equipment sales, and the vast majority of people who never return to a dive shop once they get OW certified, scuba shops can't capture repeat business off a Groupon offer. I can's see how Groupon is a smart choice for the scuba industry.

I think he lost a lot more business then he can imagine, I had several friends who sort of used me as a guinea pig to see how the classes were. I can assure you after this mishap none of them will be visiting his shop.