Does the surfboard industry have a reputation for poor management?

I hear stories about how someone has ordered a board and had to wait forever. Then, while waiting forever that someone goes surfing only to see the guy that’s shaping his board in the water surfing too. Of course the guy ain’t shaping that someone’s board if the guy is surfing!!!!

I hear stories of someone ordering a board and not getting what they ordered. I hear stories of colors not being right, etc, etc.

Really, it’s not a good thing when a customer has problems with their board order. And, if one guy has a bad reputation it makes things tough on others in the business too. But, is the surfboard industry the only business that people have trouble with.?

Last week I mentioned cell phones, this week lets do the regular phone company…

My wife had her mother’s phone service changed to her new address. The day of the switch we called her mother’s new number. We only got a busy signal. The next day I called the phone company and sure enough the line was messed up…. They would send a tech guy out the next day. The next day the tech guy fixed the problem.

So we tried to call Hawaii, but had no long distance, but there was supposed to be long distance on the service. So, we called the phone company again. They sent out a tech guy the next day to fix the long distance. The next day the tech guy came out and fixed the line.

How come when the service is switched there is no quality control to see if the line actually works and is working according to the service package ordered? So, what should only be a one day thing turns into a 4 day ordeal…

Maybe us surfboard guys should set things up like the phone company. We could have an 800 number for orders. The operator would take your call in the order it was received. And for English press one. If you’re calling about an existing order press 2, for new orders press 3, for all other questions press 4.

If you press 2, then you get.. if this is for a short board press 1, if this is for a long board press 2, for all other boards press 3, to hear this menu again press 4.

You pressed 3… if this is for a fish press 1, if this is for a hull press 2, if this is for a fun shape press 3, for all others hang up and start again…

Really, ordering and getting a new custom surfboard is usually a pretty good experience. After all you’re getting something hand made just for you. You usually only talk to one or two people in the process and the whole process is pretty simple. And when you get your new board you are stoked!

Beats the phone company by a long shot…

D.R.