Kudos to Austin's Diving Center

Been a few posts recently about BAD customer service and how much it sucks and I totally agree. 

So figured I would share an example of excellent customer service. 

So, like a lot of us, I prefer buying "local" and from brick and mortar retailers...BUT often when I get out of work and drive to my local shops they are closed and I sit in rush hour traffic between my house and Santa Cruz and it sucks...and it is time away from my family or from diving so sometimes buying online is a better way to go.   

I was diving yesterday and jacked my fins up good, and really needed a solution before Tuesday when I will be leaving home on the way to Roseville for work and then heading from there over to the Albion Open.

I called up Doug Austin from Austin's Diving Center and explained my dilemma...with the damage I had to my fins he explained that I really just needed a new foot pocket and hardware and not a whole new set of fins...instead of just trying to sell me the more expensive brand new fins I had originally called up to ask for.

We talked it over a bit and figured out the best way to get me what I needed, by the time I needed it, and at a much lower price than just getting what I thought I needed. 

Because I ended up spending less than I was planning I bought a dive backpack that will help me with carrying my gear down from the car to the yak or on those times when I want to dive with no board and no yak and just need a backpack to hold my gear while I hike down to the water.   

Anyway...if you can't find what you need at your local dive store or just need something quick and don't have time to go to your local store I encourage you to check out Austin's. They have helped me and some of my dive buddies out many times, AND are a sponsor of our DOTY comp and donated a great prize last year!!

http://www.austinsdiving.com/index.php

http://doty.norcalkayakanglers.com/leaderboard/list

They also carry IMO the best lights for Norcal diving, and have a lot more product in their store than is listed online so if you have questions, call up and talk to Doug or Luis and I am sure they will do their best to help you out. They are also great about replying to email: [email protected]

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Thank you Jim for the nice write up 

When I ordered the stuff from Austin's Diving I told them I needed it in time to make a tourney...they asked which tourney and I told them and told them about the proceeds and raffle going to Joel/Marv and they sent me 4 of these $30 sweet dive knives as prizes.

 

The $100 bill is from my buddy Freddy. He forgot to give it to me for PIF and when I told him we were doing another PIF style raffle he opened his wallet and handed it to me.   

 

Sincerely,

Jim

Great write up and a great shop to include the knives; and they aren't even local!!!
Jim, you left out one thing in your write-up; which light is the best in nor cal????

Jim, you left out one thing in your write-up; which light is the best in nor cal????

This is the light I started using a couple of years ago after I saw fuzz using his and it was lighting up the back of deep dark holes that other lights I had used could not get to.

Besides being stupid bright, it has an easy on/off thumb switch, long burn time, and UK has great customer service if anything ever goes wrong with the light. 

http://www.austinsdiving.com/proddetail.php?prod=80102

 

Sincerely,

Jim

I got that same light from them over the winter on sale for $65 iirc. Agree, got fantastic customer service.

 

Great to hear stories like that, and to donate the knives, without being local, is very cool!!! I have been wanting to get a dive knife for my PFD, I am going to order one from them!!!
Jeff

Sweet Jim!  Glad your back on track and they were kind enough to give you some goodies for PIF 2014!!!