 On the boat |
 Randy hanging around |
Oswaldo (Flash) and his wife, Lisa, met us at our hotel about 10 minutes after our very late arrival at 10:30 PM. I could tell that Flash already knew most of the group by the handshakes, hugs and grins that were exchanged.
We filled out all the usual paperwork, including the form that asks "When was your last dive and how deep was it. As I wrote "June 6, 1998 to 26 feet", I was thinking "Well, that is the correct answer!"
I was impressed by the way Lisa and Flash divided the responsibilities for the dive planning and business issues. After several opportunities to visit during the week, it was obvious that they are heavily dependent on customer satisfaction as an advertising tool, and that they consider the Internet to be a primary advertising medium. They know the importance of making sure that their visitors will have nice things to say about them.
I like Flash's approach to dive planning. He first asked where we wanted to go, offered suggestions if requested, then told us how the dive should be conducted for the sake of safety. We suggested to flash that the first day should be fairly shallow because we had unknown divers in the group (including me), and others had been dry for a year or two.
The following morning we met Flash and his captain on the dock bright and early. We left before most, and passed others on the way to the site. We generally started each day early, so we wouldn't have a problem with crowds. Flash kept a watchful eye on us newbies to the group the first day or two, and pretty much evolved into a guide once he was comfortable with everyone's buoyancy and attention to the rest of the group.
I found the week of diving to be well-organized, executed safely, and without unnecessary limitations imposed upon us. Flash was extremely observant on the first dives to ensure his group was staying within our dive plan. Later, he appeared to relax and became mostly a guide later in the week....as far as I could tell. I suspect that based on his ability to find wildlife that we would have never seen, he was watching us the whole time, but we didn't know it.
From what I saw, experienced divers who already have an agenda in mind upon their arrival, or a group new to Cozumel would all benefit from Flash's knowledge of the area and interest in satisfying his customers. I highly recommend Flash's Adventures, with special emphasis on their perception of customer satisfaction as a key component to their business plan. Any business that truly recognizes the importance of customer satisfaction can be expected to provide it.
