Deep Sea Charters LLC

June 22, 2016Dear Mr [redacted] :Deep Sea Charters (the booking agent) acknowledges your request for a refund dated May 27, First, we would like to sincerely apologize that your fishing trip did not meet your expectations and thank you for expressing your concerns Our first priority is providing a quality trip and a good fishing experience for each customer.Captain [redacted] S [redacted] (owner/operator F/V [redacted] ***) uses standard fishing practices, as do all charter fishing boats in Westport All passengers get an opportunity to catch fish As with any fishing trip, not everyone does catch fish You purchased a fishing trip and you received a fishing trip You also went home with several pounds of both halibut and lingcod While you felt ling cod was quite irrelevant, I assure you the other customers that also went fishing with you that day expected to fish for both halibut and ling cod.Deep Sea Charters and Captain [redacted] S [redacted] respectfully decline your request for a refund.Sincerely, [redacted] Office ManagerDeep Sea Charters

Deep Sea Charters considers this case closed and there will be no further action on our part

Complaint: ***I am rejecting this response
***,
Thanks for your response. However, I’m not sure you’ve read this entire thread; you’ve glossed over some important details, and you haven’t responded to several of my points. We also have some new parties on this thread, so perhaps some background is in order
Halibut is only open for a handful of days per year, only half of which fall on a weekend. The season for Westport was four days: two Sundays and two Tuesdays. Each angler is allowed to keep only one halibut. Deep Sea currently charges $to $per angler for halibut trips. Halibut fishing opportunities are extremely limited, and this is reflected in the price
Lingcod is open every day from mid-March to Mid-October, and each angler may keep a total of twelve bottom fish. Deep Sea currently charges $to $per angler for bottom fish trips. Lingcod opportunities are practically limitless for all but the coldest months of the year, and these trips cost roughly half of what halibut trips cost
Halibut cheeks are the most tender and flavorful part of a halibut. They are highly sought after by fisherman and cooks alike
Now that we have some background out of the way, I’d like to respond to your statements
You sincerely apologized that the fishing trip did not meet expectations, but are you making any changes to prevent this from happening again in the future? Why not clearly document your policies and communicate them to the customer before and after purchase? Committing to communicating the proper customer expectations would be a good faith move on your part After all, we reserved our spots months in advance, and we came into town a day early to check in at your officeAfter checking in, we were told that all we had to do was to board before 4:30amHad we been informed of your policy, we would have boarded and signed *** sisheet much earlier, and I would not have allowed all the cutting in line that was happening
You state that your “first priority is providing a quality trip and a good fishing experience for each customer.” However, I don’t believe I’ve been shy in expressing my displeasure with my and ***’s experience. Let’s not forget: I’m speaking for two customers. I paid for two anglers to fish for halibut, and because of your undocumented, uncommunicated policy, zero halibut were caught between the two of us. It has taken three weeks for you to respond, and no effort has been made to try and remedy this issue
You state that *** *** “uses standard fishing practices, as do all charter fishing boats in Westport.” Do you mean to tell me that all charter outfits in Westport adhere to the following policies?
The moment that the number of customers yet to catch a halibut is fewer than the maximum fishing capacity, the captain will fill in empty spots with customers who have already caught a halibut, thus maximizing the likelihood that one or more paying customers will not catch a halibut. This policy is adhered to even if there is plenty of time left to fish and with no communication to the customer
All halibut will be filleted without being requested, and the fishing charter operator will keep the halibut cheeks. No mention is made to the customer
You bring up lingcod once again, as if this is some consolation. I think I’ve clarified the relative value above, both in terms of opportunity and cost. Again you imply that we should be happy to have taken home some fish, but if all I wanted was to obtain some fish, I can drive five minutes to a grocery store and purchase the exact quantity I require
If I want to not catch halibut, I can do that in my canoeWhat I am paying for is for you to maximize my opportunity to experience catching a halibutYou say other customers expect to fish for lingcod, presumably because your website states that you will “stop for bottom fish on the return trip as long as time and ocean conditions permit.” This is a conditional statement. Is it not even more reasonable to expect that the captain will make a real effort to maximize the customer’s opportunity to catch the target fish with the much smaller window, which the customer paid twice as much to fish for?
Lastly, I am now receiving unsolicited advertisements from Deep Sea Charters and *** Eyes via E-mail and USPS. Please remove me from your advertising list, and please confirm that you have done so
Sincerely,
-*** ***

Complaint: [redacted]I am rejecting this response.
[redacted],
In order to rehash something, you would have had to address it a first time.  You’ve never responded to several of my points a first time.  Where you have responded, you’ve consistently ignored the specifics of the situation and simply responded with vague generalities.  I never asked if Captain [redacted] uses standard fishing practices.  I asked if you are telling me that all Westport charter captains follow the same policy as he does.  You certainly wish to give that impression, but I find it hard to believe that all Westport charter captains give such lousy customer service.  I also find it quite interesting that you are willing to tarnish the reputation of your entire local industry just to further your own case.
 
In your latest response, you’ve claimed the following:
“The crew DID NOT keep all the halibut cheeks.  They were distributed in the bags of fish customer’s [sic] took off the boat.”
The first statement is technically accurate, if only because one of the customers requested to keep his halibut whole in order to enter it into the derby.  The second statement is patently false.  I watched the entire process.  Halibut cheeks were removed and placed into a bucket.  Fillets were slid onto what I’ll call a hook, but these hooks were more like giant safety pins.  These fillets were then slid from the hook into the customer fish bags.  I can assure you that neither I nor my fiancée received any halibut cheeks in our bags.
 
You also claim that I “did not give [Deep Sea Charters] the opportunity to thoroughly explain what to expect on a halibut fishing trip.”  I cannot imagine what I did to stop you.  You had my email address, my phone number, and I specifically stopped by your office the day before the fishing trip to make sure that everything was in order.  At no point did I prevent you from explaining what to expect, and you made no effort to do so.
 
I congratulate you on your ability to fill your boats without effort, but I think you miss the point of the customer experience.  Do you really think customers prioritize the speed and ease in which you fill your boat over the specific goal of catching the target fish, of which you can only keep one and which is only open four days out of the year?  As for lingcod vs halibut seasons, the regulations are clearly listed here:
[redacted]
 
According to you, I am not qualified to comment on your lousy customer service, because I am not a Westport charter boat captain; this is the acme of absurdity.  However, by your logic, you are not qualified to comment on it either.  The only concerned party qualified to comment would be [redacted], and he has been conspicuously silent on the matter.
 
I do thank you for dispensing with any pretense of diplomacy or feigned concern for the customer experience.  Your previous response was demonstrably disingenuous, as was this one.  Your current tone reflects your true attitude toward your customers.  It is clear that your first priority is to “fill [your] boats without effort,” regardless of how it affects your customers.  You have set the bar as low as possible and aim to keep it there.
 
Sincerely,
-[redacted]

June 22, 2016Dear Mr. [redacted]:Deep Sea Charters (the booking agent) acknowledges your request for a refund dated May 27, 2016.  First, we would like to sincerely apologize that your fishing trip did not meet your expectations and thank you for expressing your concerns.  Our first...

priority is providing a quality trip and a good fishing experience for each customer.Captain [redacted] S[redacted] (owner/operator F/V [redacted]) uses standard fishing practices, as do all charter fishing boats in Westport.  All passengers get an opportunity to catch fish.  As with any fishing trip, not everyone does catch fish.  You purchased a fishing trip and you received a fishing trip.  You also went home with several pounds of both halibut and lingcod.  While you felt ling cod was quite irrelevant, I assure you the other customers that also went fishing with you that day expected to fish for both halibut and ling cod.Deep Sea Charters and Captain [redacted] S[redacted] respectfully decline your request for a refund.Sincerely,[redacted]Office ManagerDeep Sea Charters

Deep Sea Charters considers this case closed and there will be no further action on our part.