Doing what is expected and requested by customers
On a recent dive trip to the Philippines, I encountered two instances where service companies had upset and lost some of their best customers over something that could have been prevented with a bit of attention to detail. Too often, companies fail to recognize the value of these low-margin, loss-leader or frontline staff tasks to their reputation and, in the case of SCUBA diving, their potential liability. I see this problem everywhere, from minimum-wage checkout staff and call centers to front-line technicians who slog away day to day, not considering how their actions have a direct impact on the business’s bottom line.
The first problem was the quality of SCUBA gear maintenance. Most dive shops offer annual equipment maintenance to encourage people to return to the store, hoping they will upgrade their gear, take a new course, or sign up for a trip. Like filling tanks, one of the few things related to diving that you cannot buy online. Since they don’t make much on the annual maintenance, most treat it that way. Let me set the scene from my trip to the Philippines. Twenty-five divers and underwater photographers went to Anilo, Philippines, for a 10-day macro photography course and, of course, diving. The trip is expensive, so you can assume these customers have some disposable income. All had relatively new and higher-end gear, and since they use it a lot, all take good care of it. During this trip, we encountered at least eight divers who experienced gear problems directly related to poor repair service by their local dive shop.
All regulator manufacturers require you to service your breathing device annually. It is either a complete rebuild of all moving parts and O-rings, which is done every other year, or a visual inspection where they check everything for defects and wear. If all looks good, you are suitable for another year. The nice thing is if you keep the maintenance current, the parts for the rebuild are free. This is a minimal price to pay by the manufacturer to minimize lawsuits resulting from diving injuries caused by malfunctioning equipment. Unfortunately, since it is a low-margin service, many dive shops often relegate this task to support staff who perform this work in exchange for discounted dive gear, free air, or as part of the shop’s sales or support staff duties. It is not a complicated task, but it does require attention to detail and time for certification. Most certifications are now obtained through an online certification course rather than direct training from manufacturer representatives, as I had been certified.
Let’s start with my problem first. Mine and Motoko’s gear were due for an inspection, but since we were going on a long trip, in a remote area, with an estimated 40 dives, I asked for ours to be rebuilt, and I would pay for the parts. When I picked up my gear a few days before the trip, I learned that they had only conducted a visual inspection. Since everything looked good, the tech felt there was no need to do a rebuild. That is not what I had asked for and was not what I was willing to pay for. I can accept that, since it looked good, a complete replacement of parts was not needed. Since they were not replaced, I asked the shop owner to provide me with two maintenance kits, so I would have them in case of a problem. We do bring an extra regulator, but it’s good to have a backup for the backup.
One thing that needs to be done is to replace the batteries in our wireless air transmitters. These send the air pressure data to our wrist computers, which is more convenient than a wired gauge, which we also have for redundancy. These batteries are designed to be replaced annually, and as they are sealed, they must be replaced by a certified technician; otherwise, the warranty is voided. They require a specific “expensive” battery sold directly from the regulator manufacturer, so they are not readily available, but there are some Chinese knockoffs on Amazon. The technician checked the box to confirm that it had been replaced. When you perform a repair on a regulator, especially a rebuild, it is standard practice to place all the old parts in a ziplock bag for the customer to see that they have been replaced. I did not see the old batteries in the package. The technician said he knew he had changed them then and must have put them in the battery recycling. I told him I wanted them changed, so he went to the back and supposedly replaced them, then gave me the batteries he had replaced.
On the second day of diving, my air pressure stopped showing on my wrist computer. On the third day, my wife stopped working. The dive shop did not have replacements. We just had to use our backup pressure gauge, which is fine, but less convenient. When we opened them, we found they had used the knock-off Chinese batteries, yet charged us for the original factory batteries. To say I was upset would be an understatement. When we got back, I showed this to the owner, who said he was unaware of it. He used a voltage meter to check the battery supply and found that nearly all of them were either half or nearly out of power. The tech admitted to ordering them from Amazon to save the shop a few dollars. I now change them myself and buy directly from the factory, and have a spare to bring on long trips.
Expectations of High Value Advice and Service
There are two distinct problems in my case. First, they did not do what the customer asked and was willing to pay for. Specific notes were added to the ticket instructing them to conduct a complete overhaul. Second, the required service was not done, and there was no oversight. Had I not specifically checked I would not have known they did not replace the batteries. In this case, it did not matter that they did; they still failed. They had the gear for 45 days, so it should not have been a rush job. I have had two previous issues with technicians performing a poor job, including one instance where they failed to tighten the yoke valve after repair, resulting in flooding, and another where they had not replaced the O-ring on the air transmitter, causing it to flood. In both cases, the dive center covered the replacements, but both caused me problems when I was out diving. That was the third strike, so now I drive over an hour to go to a different shop.
The other seven divers, two of whom were on our boat, had similar problems. They paid for the full service, but it did not happen. One diver had a serious leak on the first dive where her computer was attached to the high-pressure hose that had a serious leak. She came to the surface and found that they had not reinstalled the O-ring where it connects to the hose. She would miss out on that dive, and we had to return to the resort to obtain another regulator for her. The second person experienced a problem on dive 2 when a rapid stream of bubbles emerged from her high-pressure hose. Back on the boat after the dive, she found that her hose was worn. That is one of the items that should be checked during the inspection. First, to ensure the hose is not on a recall list, and second, to check for any damage or excessive wear. A blown high-pressure hose is not only a problem since it takes away your air supply, but it can also cause great injury as it is a higher-pressure hose that is bouncing around your head violently until the air runs out or is turned off.
The point of the story is that in every one of these cases, the diver did their part and took their gear in to get serviced before this special trip. They expected the professional to do their job, and since they did not, this resulted in undue stress and frustration, and in all cases, the divers indicated they would change dive shops. Checking with a few of the divers after the trip, they have all reported that the shop’s costs have increased, resulting in both revenue loss and, most importantly, a hit to their reputation. Again, these are people with money, and at a time when more gear and travel is bought online, local dive shops need to excel at the small things that encourage people into their stores. Even if you relegate this to a junior person or volunteer, the owner must ensure that things are done correctly and that customers are satisfied. I had suggested that when people tell you they are going on a big trip, contact them after and see how it went.
If they had a problem with the gear, they could try to resolve it or maybe sell them something more specialized. I had been going to my local dive shop for 12 years and every few years replacing at least two, if not four, sets of gear, so let’s see if they miss me this year.
This was the second set of problems people experienced on the trip. No one can know all the details that go into a custom camera package, but when people are paying as much as for a low-end car, they are expecting a certain level of expertise and service. During the trip, there were a few cases, including my own, where we purchased a package and encountered problems. In my case, they handled it well, but did require a bit more effort on my part than necessary.
Anilao is one of the ultimate places for underwater macro photography. The suggestion was to bring an extension diopter to help magnify some of the smaller critters. I researched between 3 and 4 different online stores, but quickly realized there were too many moving parts and I needed help. Trying to piece the adapter, a converter due to the housing mount being a different diameter, and something to allow me to move the diopter out of the way when not using it was to time-consuming, so I called my favorite store, Backscatter. They suggested a specific combination and strongly recommended one diopter over the other, especially for this trip. Other review sites I read suggested the same product. They sent me everything a few days before I departed, and since I was testing everything, I also tried to assemble this setup. No matter what I tried, the diopter would not fit the flip mount that they suggested for my camera. I spent a considerable amount of time trying to get it to fit – forwards, backwards, and even almost disassembling it, thinking the mount had been put together incorrectly in the factory. I sent a note to support, and they replied to tell me they had the same outcome when trying to replicate it on a similar setup – does not fit. They indicated that this diopter was new and had not been tested on this specific mount. They sent the next best option in the mail overnight, and I received it, and everything worked well. Would have sucked if I had blind trust and waited until I got to the Philippines to put it together as others on the trip did.
I had a similar problem with a prior wide-angle/video trip. I called the sales team and informed them of my requirements. They suggested a particular package. I paid for it, and it arrived, assuming I had all I needed. After the first day of diving, all of my photos had a bright spot from the internal flash reflecting off the dome. One of the other divers heard me and told me I needed to block the internal flash from getting into the dome, and she showed me what she was “given” by her vendor. She was surprised they had not sent a small felt ring that goes around the lens between the housing and camera to block the flash reflection. I made one out of cardboard for the next day and sent an email to the sales team. They responded with yes, we sell that item for $10, but most people don’t want to pay $10 for a piece of felt. Again, why not at least suggest that I get it to solve a well-known problem? Or, better yet, why not add it as part of the package? The expensive dome/lens would have provided a better experience, or at least included it as an item on the invoice to trigger a conversation.
Some of the other divers did not fare well. They were missing whole components, such as sync cords, to communicate with strobes. In every case, the people felt that it should have been in the package or at least notified that they needed to make the set work. I am not a fan of nickel-and-diming people. In the end, you pay the same price, so why not just include it, or at least list the additional items necessary? Seriously, if you’re paying $ 10,000 for a new camera package, the sync cords or fancy carry handle should be part of the package or, at the very least, a line item that the user can request to be removed.
Other photographers could not use their new camera rig since it was missing a key part that was simple to include, or at least ensure they had purchased. They specifically informed the salesperson that they were going on this extended trip, so a bit of extra attention should have been provided to ensure they had all the necessary items to make their expensive toy usable. Imagine flying around the world to use your new, costly underwater camera only to find out that you were missing the gear to focus the lens, or the cords to fire your strobes, or, in one case, the battery for the strobes themselves. Yes, that one was a user’s fault, since it is on the checklist. However, a simple question from sales, such as ‘Do you have the battery for the brand new lighting system you are buying from us?’ would have gone a long way.
So, ask yourself: how much business am I losing due to poor performance on low-margin services? Ultimately, it is your responsibility to ensure that your front-line teams are performing their jobs to the best of their ability. And remember, it is challenging to expect owner-level knowledge and passion from a minimum-wage employee who has nothing to lose by providing poor service to your clients. Ensure they are motivated, trained, and passionate. Also, ensure that the best of your clients are happy and getting the service they are willing and, most importantly, able to pay for.
