Manifest Etiquette

[Vitrower31]

Hello,

I am new to the skydiving community and recently received my A license :-) I just have a quick question on etiquette when manifesting at the DZ. The first time I jumped after passing my check dive the person working manifest was REALLY rude, and condescending to me. They even charged me for a fun jump and gear rental even though when manifesting I was asked if I was jumping my own gear, and replied with a "Yes sir". When I went to settle up, they were rude and pissed off because I told them that I had jumped my own gear and so I wasn't going to pay for renting theirs.

I mentioned my experience to some of the other skydivers there who I had known for a little while to see if well maybe manifest was just having a rough day. 3 or 4 of the Newbies that were jumping there had similar experiences as me.

I then mentioned it to one of the skydivers who had been there for a while (worked there at one point), and I was told that was the old school skydiving way... you have to earn your respect, and that I should just deal. I was a little confused, because I was a paying customer, and honestly the person was so rude that I won't jump when they are working. I don't want to go into a skydive feeling like I am a piece of crap and angry because I feel disrespected.

Is that something I should expect every time I go to a DZ now that I am licensed? What are some things to avoid doing that could make manifest angry? Also what are some things I can do to make their job easier?

Thanks.

[lv_dive_pro]

Originally Posted by Vitrower31

Hello,

I am new to the skydiving community and recently received my A license :-) I just have a quick question on etiquette when manifesting at the DZ. The first time I jumped after passing my check dive the person working manifest was REALLY rude, and condescending to me. They even charged me for a fun jump and gear rental even though when manifesting I was asked if I was jumping my own gear, and replied with a "Yes sir". When I went to settle up, they were rude and pissed off because I told them that I had jumped my own gear and so I wasn't going to pay for renting theirs.

I mentioned my experience to some of the other skydivers there who I had known for a little while to see if well maybe manifest was just having a rough day. 3 or 4 of the Newbies that were jumping there had similar experiences as me.

I then mentioned it to one of the skydivers who had been there for a while (worked there at one point), and I was told that was the old school skydiving way... you have to earn your respect, and that I should just deal. I was a little confused, because I was a paying customer, and honestly the person was so rude that I won't jump when they are working. I don't want to go into a skydive feeling like I am a piece of crap and angry because I feel disrespected.

Is that something I should expect every time I go to a DZ now that I am licensed? What are some things to avoid doing that could make manifest angry? Also what are some things I can do to make their job easier?

Thanks.

Thanks for this post. I have to say, you're a very open-minded and forgiving kind of person to ask what you can do to make a rude person's job easier!

Bottom line, old school or not, rude is rude! As far as the whole "earning respect" debate, I live my life freely giving respect to all I come into contact with until they give me a reason to withdraw that respect. It's the way I was taught, and it's common courtesy and good etiquette. This is doubly true with ones elders....... And, in my case, at least in the realm of skydiving, I'm usually the eldest wherever I go!

A quick little story for you, awhile back, when I was traveling through California with a little time on my hands, I stopped into a dropzone (whose name I will keep private), and inquired at the office about training there. Well, these two young women, each looked me up and down, one actually scoffed (yes, audibly), and had the nerve to say to me, "Aren't you just a little old to be skydiving?" I was speechless. And as anyone who knows me will tell you, I am rarely speechless.

Long story short, (ha, too late now!), I walked out, got into my car and left feeling pretty humiliated.

Back to your post...... I would say, there are always circumstances in a person's life that we're unaware of and it's very likely that the rudeness you encountered was due in part to the manifest person's misdirected attention to something that had absolutely nothing to do with you. It does not excuse that person from the responsibility to be cordial and accommodating to every jumper/customer that comes through the door. I'd advise simply giving it another try, command full attention by making eye contact and clearly stating your needs. If you are again treated badly, bring it to the attention of the DZO or office manager.

Dropzones are basically no different from any other retail business in that they need to provide good customer service.

I hope this helps.
~Kelly~